|
Contact Information:
813 Bethel Rd.
Columbus, Ohio 43214
(614) 451-0363 phone (614) 451-0709 fax
888-451-0363 TOLL FREE
e-mail admin@madriveroutfitters.com
Mission Statement-
Mad River Outfitters is working hard to serve as "the source" for everything needed for your flyfishing experience.....from tackle to flies, from classes to guide service to destination trips. We also take great pride in offering knowledgeable and honest advice when it comes to your pursuit of the sport of fly fishing.
Along with companies like Orvis, Patagonia, Filson, Barbour, Simms and other fine vendors, we are proud to provide the best products, outstanding service, and knowledgeable instruction and advice. Customer Service has always been a benchmark of Mad River Outfitters and we pledge to do our very best to make your experience with us as pleasant as possible.
Not to mention, you simply won't find a more extensive selection of flies, fly fishing tackle or fly tying materials in the entire Midwest!
Our staff looks forward to sharing our expertise and enthusiasm for the sport of flyfishing with you in the near future.
Company History-
Mad River Outfitters was founded on December 1st of 1994 by current president/operator, Brian Flechsig. Brian has been a fly fishing guide and in the fly fishing business for most of his adult life. He came to Columbus, Ohio from Cincinnati, Ohio where he was the manager of a fly shop there. After realizing the need for a better shop, and better service in the midwestern region......he moved to Columbus and opened MRO. With the help of some great employees and friends along the way, Mad River Outfitters has become one of the largest and most recognized names in the fly fishing business. In 2002, Mad River Outfitters was nominated as "Fly Shop of the Year" out of over 400 dealers in the U.S.
Our Staff- Click the names below to know more about who you are dealing with
Updated February 2010!
Brian Flechsig
Brian Flechsig tied his first fly and caught his first fish on a fly rod when he was seven years old. Today, from his fly shop in Columbus, Ohio,which he founded in 1994, Brian outfits sportsmen, teaches classes and guides groups on fishing trips to some of the world’s best places to fish. He has been in the fly fishing business for most of his adult life. Brian is one of America’s new generation of fly fishing personalities and has been featured in a series of fly fishing instructional videos from Mad River Media, including the new title, Carpin’ with good friend Dave Whitlock. Regular guest appearances on the popular television show “The Walker’s Cay Chronicles” with Flip Pallot, have made Brian one of the most recognized names and faces in mid-western fly fishing arena.
He is the author of “The Fly Fisher’s Guide to the Mad River”, Ohio’s  premier trout stream and is active in many conservation activities and efforts to bring the sport of fly fishing to everyone. He has also just recently released an acoustic music CD entitled “River Songs”, and acitvely plays music when he can.
Brian oversees the entire operations of Mad River Outfitters along with his sister companies Mad River Media and Patagonia Trouters USA. He is very versed at many aspects of fly fishing....and holds a special passion for saltwater. He served as our head guide at the Wilds for 8 seasons and is also passionate about largemouth on the fly. He also still finds time for a few days on the Mad River in his AuSable River boat.
Brian can now be found on Myspace and Facebook!
Be sure to see MRO on Facebook too!
Andy Jensen
Andy grew up in California fly fishing for wild trout in the pristine headwaters of the Owen's River, as well as the saltwater monsters of the Pacific Ocean. He has years of experience fishing for many types of local fish including trout, bass and steelhead, eventually turning to carp as the most constantly challenging and rewarding gamefish. He has spent the last several seasons researching the best pieces of carp fishing water in central Ohio, and began professionally guiding other anglers in 2007.
Andy joined our sales team here in the shop in the Spring of 2009. He has quickly worked his way up the ranks and now serves as our General Manager. He's the boss around the shop! He will also be doing some limited guiding this year about the Fly-N-Carp- check it out Here!
Lou Eucker
A fishing fanatic, Lou grew up around Cincinnati fishing streams and lakes throughout southern Ohio. By the time he was seven he was throwing flies at sunfish and bass in local streams and ponds, and he has not looked back since.
With a passion for not only the outdoors but also for science, Lou studied fisheries in college, and has been lucky enough to have some great jobs working both locally and out west with fish and conservation. Now he is out of the science field and doing what he really loves, helping people learn to catch fish and enjoy the outdoors.
Though Lou can often be found throwing flies at trout in the Mad river, he is always looking for the next species to add onto the list. In the spring and summer he can be found stalking carp one day and striper fishing on the Ohio river the next. After working on the west coast he has developed a true addiction to swinging flies with two handed rods for steelhead. Having honed his skills on such fabled western waters as the Rogue, Trinity, and North Umpqua Rivers, he hopes to spread the relaxed style of the swing to our waters here in Ohio.
We are really excited about what Lou brings to MRO. He will be in the shop on a regular basis as a salesman and will also be in charge of our new and updated "Fishing Reports". He will be the "go-to" guy for current conditions and if he's not in, you can read about in online. He will also be heading up our Two Handed/Switch rod department and teaching some related classes as well.
Pat Kelly
Pat has been a lifelong customer of Mad River Outfitters....so much so that we finally had to put him to work!
At the age of 3, Pat began fishing for bluegill and bass on his family property in Southern Ohio. Around the age of 10, he fell in love with the art of fly fishing and fly tying. Since then he has spent most of his time honing his skills on our local waters chasing everything from selective trout on the Mad River, aggressive Musky in Southern Ohio and the wily carp every where in-between. He has also spent a lot of time down on the flats of Florida's East and West coasts chasing everything from Redfish to Permit. After graduating high school he pursued a career as a chef but soon realized that it was cutting into his valuable fishing time.
Pat has been working as a salesman in the shop since Summer 2008 and will soon be teaching some classes and doing a bit of guiding as well. He is great to work with! He loves to teach and share his knowledge with others.
Jim Andrix
For almost 13 years, Jim Andrix was as much a staple in the shop as our dog bear! He has been as faithful an emplyee as anyone could ask for.....and also one of our most talented.
Jim has been fly fishing since the early sixties and is truly a pioneer in many aspects of the sport.....he just does it quietly. He is our resident warmwater expert and will gladly tell you that he is not much of a trout fisherman but would much prefer a smallmouth bass. He is also an excellent carp fisherman and has been featured in the Mad River Media DVD- "Carpin" with Brian Flechsig and Dave Whitlock. He is also known for developing the now-famous Jim's Lil' Bugger....one of the most versatile flies of all time........ which has recieved national acclaim in recent years.
As of Spring 2010, Jim has taken an early retirement and plans on enjoying the actual fishing part of his life. He will still be around the shop on occaision and may be available for local smallmouth guiding. He will be missed on a daily basis but we are also very excited about the fact that he actually gets to go fishing now! Best of Luck Jim!
Neil Neidhardt
Neil Neidhardt has been working at MRO since the spring of 1995. He is a central Ohio native and grew up fishing the local waters. He has since had the opportunity to travel and fish some of the exotic places that this job has led him to. A clinical psychologist by trade who now serves as an adminstrator at a local college, Neil is one of the most interesting and exciting people you will meet in a fly shop. He is also known for his expertise on the Barbour and Filson clothing lines.
Neil works part-time in the shop and has for almost fifteen years. As of Spring 2010 you will likely see him again on some Saturday shifts at the shop.
He considers himself a Mad River "lifer" and we do also!
Dick Davidson
Dick's life-long passion for fly fishing began at age 8 in Wyoming and Montana when size #16 flies were considered very "small" flies. He has fished from New England to the Blue Ribbon streams of the West and also in Alaska. During his college years, Dick combined fly fishing and backpacking to fish infrequently visited waters located in the scenic areas of the Bighorn Mountains, the Teton Wilderness Area, The Wind River Mountains and in Glacier and Yellowstone Parks. Dick is also an avid fly tyer and enjoys teaching fly tyers of all ages who are new to this hobby. At age 10 he was a commercial fly tyer, selling Joe's Hoppers to his neighborhood friends, until he exhausted his dad's supply of Herter's fly tying materials. Today, Dick's favorite fly fishing destinations include the Mad River in Ohio and the Montana Mother's Day Caddis hatch.
As of September 2008, Dick is now back with us as Fly Tying manager and general computer geek.. He will also be teaching fly tying classes as usual and helping out with the new Entomology class. He is also very instrumental part of making sure the "technical" aspects of Mad River Outfitters work.......he knows computers as well as he does hatches!
Graham Stokes
Like many of our staff, Graham has been a customer at MRO since day one. An avid fly angler for more than 15 years, in 2006 he realized that his day job was cutting into his fishing time so he left the corporate world to pursue his dream of becoming a "professional fly fisherman".
Although based in central Ohio, and originally from England, he regularly travels to Chaffee County, Colorado where he fishes, floats and guides on the upper Arkansas River.
Graham joined our staff in January of 2007....and we are really lucky!
He works part-time for the shop as a Guide and Instructor. He is available as an MRO Guide for Trout on the Clearfork, Erie steelhead and local largemouth and smallmouth bass. He teaches our Into to Fly Fishing schools these days and is a much sought after instructor....for good reason. He is also our "Boat, Float Tube and Kayak" manager here at the shop. If you need a boat....he's your man! He has really become an integral part of the workings of Mad River Outfitters.
Mike Schmidt is known by all of his friends as a fish junky.....every spare moment not on the water is occupied by some aspect of fly tying. From the time he could walk he was constantly being taken out on Lake St. Clair, Lake Huron, up Michigan's West coast rivers, and into the Upper Peninsula in search of fish. Regardless of where he is, Mike is always thinking about new techniques, fishing locations and fly patterns/applications to enhance the next trip.
Mike is a commercial fly tyer for his own company, Angler's Choice Flies, and is a signature tyer for both Jag Fly Co. and the Nymph Head pro team. Throughout the year Mike teaches fly tying and fishing techniques at a number of clubs and retail locations throughout the Midwest while maintaining his residency here at Mad River Outfiters. In addition, he spends the winter months traveling to present and tie at fly fishing shows around the country.
Mike will be serving as a fly tying consultant for us here at the shop. He will also be teaching some classes including our 4 week, Intermediate/Advanced Fly Tying Course. He will also be doing some custom fly tying for us and filling some fly orders! We are thrilled to have him as part of our staff.
Map to the store-
* Please note that our address has changed to 813 Bethel Rd. instead of the 779 as pictured on the map!
**Notice: Starting on 4/20/08 we will be CLOSED ON SUNDAYS until the Holiday Season-
****We will be open Sundays from 12:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m. from Thanksgiving to Christmas****
Mail Order/Special Orders-
Mad River Outfitters offers free shipping on all mail orders/e-orders over $25.00 and on all special orders! For out of state customers, we can save shipping and state sales tax......this is a deal that can't be beat. If you want to buy it, call us and we'll get it to you.
Shopping from catalogs can be risky. You sometimes don't quite know what you are getting or if it will fit, and then wind up paying large sums in shipping back and forth. Telephone operators usually can't give you sound advice on your fly fishing needs and are not familiar with the individual products.
Buy from professionals who have used and are familiar with the products!
Also remember.....we can special order any item from any of our vendors. If you don't see it in the shop, or online, simply drop us an e-mail or give us a call and we will be happy to help!
Mail ordering is easy! Simply check out our online store and see for yourself!
Online Store!
Check us first!
Free Shipping on all orders over $25.00!!!
The Finest in Quality Fly Fishing and Outdoor Products-
Orvis- Total commitment to quality products and service since 1856. The Orvis 25 year guarantee turns your fly rod outfit purchase into an investment! Free shipping on all orders placed from any Orvis catalog.
Patagonia- Style, quality and endurance are evident in everything that Patagonia makes. Every product guaranteed for life! Period! One of the best outdoor related companies on the planet if not the finest!
Filson- Rugged upland hunting gear and real, durable style for casual wear. A legend since they started outfitting for the gold rush!
Barbour- "The Best British Clothing for the Worst British Weather". Classic clothing of lasting quality for the outdoor enthusiast.
Columbia Sportswear and Woolrich- Great quality clothing and outdoor wear at great prices.
The Very Best that Fly Fishing has to Offer-
Simms, SAGE, Umpqua, Tiemco, Orvis, Temple Fork Outfitters, Scott, Winston, Ross, Tibor, Abel, Teeny, Wulff, Scientific Anglers Mastery, Whiting Farms, Fishpond, RIO.......
.........and many, many more
Expert Services-
Professional Guide Service-
Stream Reports- On local waters including the Mad River, Clearfork River and Erie Steelhead
Special Programs by Nationally Recognized Experts- Programs of special interest scheduled throughout the year on fly fishing, fly tying and other subjects
Destination Trips- full booking agency for hundreds of fly fishing destinations around the world
Newsletter and E-News- keeps you informed and up-to-date on programs and products
Professional Instruction-
-
Complete Professional Guide Service- Trout, Steelhead, Largemouth, Smallmouth, Carp, Salmon
| 
