A new business, Smoky Mountain Angler, will soon locate at 618 South Gay Street, the former home of Rick Terry Jewelry, which closed earlier this year. The Arcade Building, constructed in 1924, will celebrate its 100th anniversary with the addition of the new business early next year. I reached out to Chad Fouts, Manager and guide (they offer fishing expeditions) to talk about the new location. He texted back that he was unavailable due to currently hiding in a duck blind. I think you’d guess correctly that is the first time I’ve heard that one. We connected the next day.
Smoky Mountain Angler opened its original (and currently its only) location at 469 Brookside Village Way in Gatlinburg, in 1988. The business was purchased by Harold and Nancy Thompson in 1999 and has been owned by the couple for the last twenty-four years. According to Chad, they have long wanted to open a second location. I asked why now and why downtown Knoxville?
While I don’t think of downtown Knoxville as the center of anything fly fishing-related (that is the focus of the store), Chad explained that it is, technically, near the center of their devoted customers. Many people from all over the region visit the Gatlinburg store, but have asked for a closer, more convenient location. When a fly shop near downtown closed in October, it seemed like the perfect time to step in, satisfy their customers and fill the void left by the previous store.
Chad pointed out that, while I might think of Smoky Mountain streams as the place people might fly fish, it’s an activity many pursue on the Holston, the Clinch, and even downtown on the Tennessee River, fishing for small mouth bass, striper, and more. “It’s the center of a lot of good water.” The combination of their known customer base being centered on downtown Knoxville and the foot traffic they will get downtown, they are convinced this is the right location.
Visitors to the downtown location can expect everything for the fly-fisher from fly rods to fishing-wear, such as waders, jackets, boots and more. The focus for this store will be on fishing for the larger fish like large mouth and striper. As a result, while the other location might focus on “One to five weight rods, you’ll find lots of six to ten weight rods at this location, mostly geared toward large warm water species.”
He said the owners wanted a downtown location for all the reasons above, but they also love historic buildings. When they saw the (nearly) 100 year old Arcade building, they knew it was the spot they wanted. Thy stopped their search. Online surveys of their customers solidified the decision.
You can also expect classes at the location, with an emphasis on fly-tying materials (materials that make lures). Can’t imagine how to do that? No worries — they plan to offer classes for that.
The company is in the process of moving into the space and they plan to open to the public shortly after the new year. They anticipate being open seven days a week, probably 9:00 am to 7:00 pm, so they can be accessed after work hours. In the meantime, you can get to know them on their website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.