If you are in your mid thirties or older you probably
remember the show “Cheers”. If you’re
younger, then maybe you’ve seen reruns or just have no idea where I’m going
with this. The show was based around a
bunch of regulars in a bar. Some
characters passed in and out of storylines quickly, but characters like Sam, Norm,
Woody, Cliff, Carla, Rebecca, and Diane were regulars. They came from different walks of life but
found things in common when they were in the bar that was the setting for most
of the show. While I do not regularly
frequent a bar to the point that people yell my name when I walk through the
door, there is a place where I am starting to become a “regular”.
Rainbow Fly Shop has become my metaphorical “Cheers”. Anymore, I barely even notice that drive
right past Bass Pro Shops on 40 highway in Independence. Aside from the fact that Rainbow has a wider
range of tying materials and fly rods, there is the fact that I will always get
to shoot the breeze with Matt Sutton, the store owner. Even though suburban Kansas City is located
about one hundred miles from the closest trout stream, Rainbow has the genuine
feel of a fly shop. There are new folks
that are looking for gear to pick up before a trip to Alaska and folks that are
new to the area and trying to figure out how to fly fish without trout
water. Then there are the regulars. The guys that know how to find crappie near
the banks of Blue Springs Lake and the guys that know where the bass hang out
in the mornings at James A. Reed in Lee’s Summit. The fact is, it doesn’t matter who you talk
to, you are going to probably learn something about a new fishing spot, help
someone learn about a new fly, or just kill some time talking about the sport
that drew you in to a fly shop in the first place.
Rainbow has the feel of a mom and pop store because that’s
what it is. The store was established in
1989 and Matt has been involved with the operations since the doors
opened. You can find Matt in the store
almost every day (except Mondays, they are his day off) and to call him helpful
would be a gross underestimation. He’s
let me test out some of the pre-owned fly rods prior to a purchase and really
helped me figure out what I was looking for in a rod. He’s also able to do some things that the
bigger stores (okay, Bass Pro) has had to cut for budgetary reasons. Matt is a great casting instructor and always
makes himself available to help novices to experts whenever someone asks. There are also weekly fly tying get-togethers
on Saturday mornings, but he has set me down in front of a vice on a whim to
show me a new technique or how to tie a new fly. There are also fly tying lessons on Thursday
nights at 7:00 PM.
The fly shop carries Winston, Temple Fork, Redington, Echo,
Douglas, Loop, and Orvis fly rods along with a wide range of pre-owned rods and
reels. You can find Lamson, Temple Fork,
Redington, and Orvis reels that can be paired with Scientific Angler, Cortland,
Wulff, Airflo, Orvis, and Rio fly lines.
Waders, vests, leader, and tippet are also offered as you might
expect. What I like most about the store
is the incredibly large variety of fly tying materials. I routinely find things there that I have
never even heard of before while at the same time finding the basics that I
rely on for most of the patterns that I rely on.
While all of the big company names and products that are
offered are all well and good, that’s not why I go to Rainbow so often. If going fly fishing is like going to church,
then a trip to Rainbow Fly Shop is like going to Sunday school. It’s where I go for fun and for
inspiration. When I want to share a
recent fishing story, I know I can go there to tell my tale and probably get an
equally entertaining story in return from someone. Most of all, I go to Rainbow because it’s fun
and because I will run into someone that shares the same passion for fly
fishing as me. Sometimes I walk out with
a used rod or some rabbit strips but I always walk out with my batteries
charged and ready to hit the water. If
you’ve never visited Rainbow before, I highly suggest you put it on your list
of things to do. Here is the contact
info in case you need it.
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rainbowflyshop.matt?fref=ts
4621 S. Shrank Dr.
Independence, MO 64055
816-373-2283
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