Fly South

This is a Great Fly Fishing shop. I’ve been into Fly South many times, since finding it in August.
Their selection of ‘all things fly fishing’ is amazing. The fly tying supply room is close to tops in the country. Seriously! In Nashville! Amazing selection of flies too: Fresh water trout, bass, etc., a full selection of Saltwater flies too: Bones, Reds, Tarpon, etc. Waders, rods, reels, clothing, holy cow. there so much awesome stuff here. They can even find you a place to throw a rod, if you want.
Need local fishing information? They can point you or even guide you in the right direction. I’m going to have Jim guide us on the Caney, come Spring.
The staff is polite and very knowledgeable. If you’re a fly tying or fly fishing novice, this is your classroom. Intermediates and experts will find guys who can ‘speak your langauge’. They LOVE to help. And can help you buy gifts. Can you help me «insert question here», even if you think it’s silly is met with «Sure!». One thing they don’t do is up or over sell you. Set a price point and they can help and don’t make you feel bad. Everyone has a budget and they are clearly looking to have you as a long term customer, not make a quick, high dollar sale.
When I bought my new fly rod, Zach gave me some much needed casting pointers and admitted he loves teaching. They also offer lessons!
Great central Nashville location is easy to get to for everyone. Parking is good, with spots right up front. I sometimes stop by, buy a few flies that I don’t need, just to chat with all the guys. I see a lot of ladies and youngsters in the shop too, so this isn’t some silly man’s club.
Go see Jim, Zach and the rest of the guys and they’ll hook you up!

Overpriced and poor customer service. Pass on this stop. I stopped by this fly shop twice as I thought the first time was just a bad day … Service or lack of service was so bad I had to write a post. As a fly fish man for now over 30 years I was extremely disappointed in this shop and hope that no new fly fisherman visit this location as they as all that us wrong with this past time I cherish. I was the only customer in the store but what ever was on the computer it was much more important then a customer with cash in hand to spend on gear. Their lazy and arrogant attitude was to much. I had to take my businesses elsewhere.

Fly South seemed to have everything an avid fly fisherman could desire: rods, raincoats, jackets, shirts, zip-​off pants/​shorts, fish T-​shirts, books, hats, waterproof wading suits, hundreds of kinds of lures, and more. The store has a cozy community feel, and the staff seemed to know most of the customers. I overheard a conversation about someone’s recent fishing trip to Alaska, which everybody was very excited about.
The products here are expensive but clearly very high-​quality, with brands like Patagonia and Mountain Hardware. The staff seemed friendly, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic, even towards me, who must’ve looked like an unlikely fly fisherman (maybe because I’m not.)
If you live near Music Row or want to try an alternative to Cumberland Transit, Fly South would be a good place to shop for quality outdoor clothes, or better yet take a fly tying class (woohoo!). According to a staff member, there’s no cause for alarm: the chicken feathers, deer hair, and rabbit fur they use in these classes are all byproducts of other animal-​related industries.

I haven’t done a lot of fishing in recent years, but back in high school I enjoyed occasionally doing a bit of bass fishing. I’ve never gone fly fishing, however, and that (obviously) is the sport Fly South is geared toward. According to my buddy Dave (an avid fisherman and outdoorsman of all sorts), this place is just about the best source for fly fishing gear in the city.
A lot of Fly South’s gear (flies, rods, reels, et cetera) seems a bit pricey, but I’m relatively certain fly fishing is a particularly pricey endeavor. They do, however, have a pretty extensive selection, and the staff seems very knowledgeable and friendly. They also carry clothes geared toward fisherman: hats, sunglasses, multi-​pocketed shirts and vests, khaki shorts and more.
If I were a fly fisherman, I’m guessing I’d hit this spot quite often. It’s far less overwhelming than Bass Pro Shop and other large outdoors and sporting good stores, and it’s run by genuine guys who seem happy to help.