Prego Cutty- What did it eat?

What did this Cutty eat? Ambassador Fett caught this freak of nature on an undisclosed location in Montana last weekend. Now we're calling on all Ambassadors to give us your opinions about what this Cutty ate.

A) a bullfrog
B) a muskrat
C) a duckling
D) a ________________ (fill in the blank)

Fly Shop Guy’s: Back to the Basics

Believe it or not, not everyone who works in a Fly Shop is familiar with the term “customer service”. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people in retail (this includes all the fly shop guys and gals out there) fail to do some of the most basic things. You all know what I’m talking about. That awkward silence in a store, you can feel those eyes squinting at you, judging you; the sales clerk on the cell phone who avoids eye contact; the fly shop guy who makes you feel stupid for asking a question, or tries to one-up you during a casual conversation. Everyone has stories of bad shopping experiences. During my tenure as a Fly Shop Guy, I’ve seen and experienced most of it, and I’ve done my best to learn from all of it. For those aspiring Fly Shop Guys, those old bitter Fly Shop Guys, and their employers, take a moment to get back to the basics, and take this for what its worth:

1) Greet the Customer- When someone enters the shop, regardless of who they are or who they aren’t, regardless if you’re on the phone or with another customer, take a brief moment, and say “Hello”. This at the very least, let’s the customer know you’ve acknowledged them, you are aware that they are in your store, and there is someone they can approach (you) if they need assistance.

2) Engage the Customer- If you’re not helping another customer, this should immediately follow your greeting. It could be something generic like “How are you doing today?” Or if you’re confident they are an angler, “Have you been fishing lately?” I typically train all my employees to try and engage the customer with conversation, preferably casual, in order to start a dialogue and increase the customer’s comfort level. Few things are more off putting than a sales clerk that is either “too busy” to take the initiative and time to talk with a customer.

3) Make yourself available to the customer- Sometimes customers require a little space. While the sales clerk that is “too busy” to engage the customer can be off-putting, a clerk that launches directly into a rehearsed sales pitch can be equally unpleasant. Thus, if a customer responds with the generic “just browsing”, that’s perfectly okay, introduce yourself and offer your assistance with something like, “Great, my name is honky, please let me know if you have any questions.” Then you can give the customer space, but not too much space. Hence, making yourself available. You’ve already verbally offered your assistance, now don’t turn around and walk to the other side of the store, or get on the computer, etc. Stay within sight, making it easy for the customer to make eye contact, and making yourself available for questions if the customer does have them. Often times, giving space allows customers time to acclimate to the store, thinking of questions as they browse or becoming more inclined to engage you and actually shop.

4) Thank customers for their time and their business- This is so basic, and so important. You need to make your customers feel appreciated. Whether they buy something or not, is irrelevant. If they come through the door, you need to thank them. “Thanks for stopping bye”, “Thanks for thinking of us”, are two very easy ways to thank a customer who does not purchase anything. Yes, sometimes the guy that stops bye every week to milk you for information and hardly ever buys can wear on your nerves, but thank him anyway. If a guy buys one fly or one eight hundred dollar fly rod, it’s important to say thank them equally. “We appreciate your business,” or a simple “Thank you” can go a long way with a customer.

These are by no means revolutionary customer service concepts, as stated before, these are the basics. So why is it so hard for so many of us to employ these basic principles on a daily basis? When it boils down to it, it’s just a matter of being polite and respectful. Remember that retail is a service industry, and we are all there to serve the needs of our customers. In specialty retail, like fly shops, this is what sets your store apart from your competition and allows you to develop lasting relationships with your customers. It’s those relationships that distinguish the brick and mortar fly shops from big box stores and online competitors, and it’s ultimately what’ll make you or break you. So if you haven’t done so already, get back to the basics. Put it this way, your customer service should be so good; your mom should like to shop there, even if she doesn’t fly fish.

Sunday Southern Chicken Dinners

Blanco River Smallmouth

God Bless Texas! We knew there was something special about that state. It appears they've named a river after us that's full of trophy smallies!

Moss Man Prophecies

On a recent exploratory Brim fishing expedition down an unnamed river in Virginia, a Blanco Honky Ambassador experienced the follwing unusual series of events:

"The float started off great" stated the Ambassador, "My guide was doing all the right things... the only tough call was to crack a cold one or keep fishing, and as tempting as those al fresco's really were, the brim fishing was off the chain."

However, as the float progressed, things started to get weird. "My guide just started chuckling to himself" stated the Ambassador, "...and when I asked him what was so funny, he responded by cracking open another beer".

As the fishing remained steady, so did the copious amounts of river snot and didimo. Several nice Brim were taken on topwater poppers. Next thing was next, suddenly the Ambassador realized they weren't alone on their float, "There were eyes in the trees" he said, "...and then a couple of 'em started showing up on tubes wearing shirts with no sleeves."

Then evidently the guide started to tossing these guys beers and talking to them as if he knew these gentlemen. "I started to get a little worried, and then just as I thought I had recognized one of the guys from the fly shop the day before..."

Blanco T-shirt Spotting

Awe, that's cute. Blanco Honky Ambassador, John Tarpey sent us this inspirational pic of a little Lady Fish. "The Tarpon have moved out of the Glades for the most part," said Ambassador Tarpey, "However, as you can see, there is some sweet Lady Fish fishing down here". Well, looks like with the Silver King heads out, the trash fish move in. Don't they call those babies "Poor man's Tarpon"? Keep up the good work down there Tarpey, and we'll give you props for dwarfing this fish (a little) with your 6'6 frame and the behind-the-back shot.

A Blancoism

Take me somewhere, where the sun is warm, the drinks are cold, and the fish are wet...

First Date with "The Gambler"

posted on craigslist In the Portland area (earlier this year)

To the woman that crapped in my car. ( NE Portland )

We met on Craigslist so I am hoping that this post finds you. I know that it could quite possibly be the most humiliating first date that you have ever been on, but I am willing to look past that.

I thought we had chemistry sitting at McMenamins sharing that basket of Cajun Tots while drinking the Terminator Stout. I really felt like there was a connection there. I found you to be intelligent and witty and looked forward to further conversation with you.

At some point in life, everyone has gambled on a fart and lost. It just happened to be on a first date in the passenger seat of my car. Please don't feel bad.

The package I sent you with Pepto the next day and the note that said "First dates are always a crap shoot. Call me" was meant to be funny, not offensive. I have gambled on a fart and lost on multiple occasions.

The first time I did it was very memorable. It happened when I was five and sitting on my uncle's lap. I am lactose intolerant, but love cheese. I probably win 95% of the time, but I don't think anyone wins 100% of the time. That's why they call it "gambling". I'm the last person to judge you for crapping your pants.

In fact, I am impressed by your boldness. The timing on the other hand, could have been a tad bit better...like when you're not sitting on a heated leather seat...

What I am trying to say is that if you want to go out again, I would be more than happy to take you someplace where we can get a meal that is high in fiber and less taxing on the digestive tract.

I await your call, Tad

P.S. - If you shat yourself on purpose to end the evening early. Touché

Bucktooth- A Speckled Trout

Your Monthly Moment in Waders

Once in a blue moon, every Yellow Dog has it's day. The other day, it just happened to happen while this Yellow Dog chica and Blanco Honky Ambassador, Anne Johansen, was wearing her waders. Congratulations Anne, putting a rock on the finger means (in the words of someone other than us) you don't have to, you don't have to let that "are you going to propose or not awkwardness" linger.

Bobbing for Brown Trout: A Russian Past time

While in Russia, President Obama has managed to make an agreement for both countries to reduce their nuclear arsenal by better than 25%. In addition, Mr. Obama has been appealing to Russian Leadership and the general population to be more receptive and welcoming of Westerners to help ease any past, present and future tensions, "The Cold War is over", said the President in a recent speech. A Blanco Honky Ambassador, and member of the White House Press Corps, traveled with President Obama to Russia, and though there isn't any new breaking political news, the Ambassador did manage to find time to do a quick color story for Blanco Honky. Evidently, when not drinking vodka, selling weapons to war lords or walking around with fur hats on their heads; Russians enjoy a nice game of bobbing for Brown Trout. We think the pictures speak louder than words for this story...

Young Guns

Blanco Honky Ambassador Captain Scott Owens emailed us his latest You Tube video. On this video we see a true Young Gun stick a nice Red on the fly. Always nice to see the up and coming anglers of tomorrow in action today.

Red, White and Blue

So what does it mean for you? Lot’s of other countries utilize the same three colors in their own flags, but none are associated as strongly with these four words, “Red White and Blue”. In those four words, America, the U.S., the United States of America, is mentioned. The shear power behind those four words, in those three colors; that in itself makes Old Glory remarkable. The power to evoke a response, an opinion, an emotion, it’s quite impressive, really. Almost as impressive as this sweet Richard Simmons dance move.
The symbol of the American Flag has got to rank right up there globally with the Peace Sign, the Cross, the Ying and Yang, the signs for Restrooms in airports and the Blanco Honky Guy. Though there is no legally defined designation of how each color is defined. Unofficially(according to this dude’s website), the colors were to represent the following:

White: Signifies purity and innocence

Red: Signifies valor and braveryBlue: Signifies Vigilance, perseverance, and justice But for the rest of the world, from various cultures, religions and socio-economic backgrounds, our flag and the colors it bares may represent something entirely different. For instance, red may resemble Baywatch. After all, hasn’t Blanco witnessed this through first hand accounts by one of our Ambassadors on one of our expeditions to Chile? So take white for example. Surely the rest of the world recognizes us as a nation of tremendous fishing for Whitefish. Where else in the world can you go out when the river is half frozen over and catch your limit of Whitefish? Where? We’ll tell you where honkies, America, that’s where.

And blue. Blue, Blue, Blue, Billy Blue...... Is it our pristinely polluted waters that have so many of us Brownlining, for prozac induced carp? Nah, it’s Blue Jeans you silly honkies. That’s what we’re known for, and Blanco Honky is okay with that. Denim happens to be worn pretty awesome-ly just about everywhere. And think of it’s diversity (jorts, pants, jants, jackets, vests, shirts, sleeveless shirts, etc.) as symbolic of the diversity of this great nation. In synopsis, have a great fourth! South American Rednecks, Whitefish and Blue Jeans; Reggie Jackson, Whitey Ford and Bill Buckner, or Naiveity, Bavery and Chuck Norris. France, Great Britain, Liberia, Mullets. Whatever the colors mean to you, wherever you are in the world today, it’s The United States of America’s Independence Day. Blanco Honky loves you no matter what country you come from. That’s the beauty of drinking rum drinks and starting your own nation, like the Blanco Honky Nation. So honk-on honkies, and buck-up blancos, and tip back a cool one for whatever nation you find yourself in station!

Blanco + Big Hole = Whitefish

Two of Blanco Honky's most well respected Ambassadors fished the Big Hole this past weekend and had an "Epic day". Surprisingly, the Big Hole is famous for being a trash fish (trophy trout) river, but these Ambassadors dug deep and pulled out some true beauties in true Blanco Honky fashion. "We double teamed the whities" said one Ambassador, and the best part was"they never even saw us coming"! When asked what they were hitting on, the Ambassadors were a little tight lipped. However, we did manage to pry enough info out of them to know they were using bead head nymphs with little white wings. Good job guys and keep up the good work!