Parks' Fly Shop facts for kids
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| Fly Shop and Outfitter | |
| Industry | Fishing |
| Founded | Gardiner, Montana 1953 |
| Founder | Merton J. Parks |
| Headquarters | 45°1′51″N 110°42′19″W / 45.03083°N 110.70528°W,
Gardiner, Montana
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United States
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Area served
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Park County, Montana and Yellowstone National Park |
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Key people
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Walter Wiese, Head Guide; Matt Minch, Fly Designer |
| Products | Custom Flies |
| Services | Guided Float and Wade Trips |
| Owner | Richard Parks |
Parks' Fly Shop is a special fishing store in Gardiner, Montana. It's a place where people can buy fishing gear and get help from expert guides. This shop has been open since 1953 and is the oldest family-owned business in Gardiner! It's located at 202 2nd Street.
Contents
History
Merton J. Parks (1916-1970) loved to fish and tie his own fishing flies. He was very good at it! In the late 1940s, Merton worked in the paper industry in Cloquet, Minnesota. But his real passion was fly fishing and fly tying. He was an amazing trout fisherman in the streams near Lake Superior. His fly-tying skills were so good that his friends asked him to make flies for them. So, Merton started a small business selling flies by mail.
Starting the Business
In 1947, Merton and his family visited Montana and Yellowstone National Park. There, he met another famous fisherman, Dan Bailey. Merton decided to leave his paper job and move his family and fly-tying business to Montana. With Dan Bailey's help, Merton opened Parks' Fly Shop in a small store in Gardiner, Montana, in the summer of 1953.
Dan Bailey said in 1978 that Merton was a great sportsman and fisherman. He also said that Merton quickly became a good friend.
The first fly shop was small and stayed at the W. Park Street location for less than a year. In 1954, Merton moved the business to a small store on S. 2nd Street. This building had been moved from an old town called Cinnabar, a few miles north of Gardiner. By the early 1960s, Merton moved the shop into a more permanent building. This is its current location at 202 S. 2nd Street. It shared the building with the U.S. Forest Service offices.
Growing the Shop
Parks' Fly Shop was one of the first in the area to offer guided float fishing trips on the Yellowstone River. In 1955, Merton guided his first customers using a rubber raft from the army. He soon switched to wooden rowboats and then aluminum boats. In 1978, his son Richard started using fiberglass drift boats for clients.
The shop still sells custom flies by mail today. But its main goal has always been to help local and visiting anglers fish the Yellowstone River and Yellowstone National Park waters. Since it opened, flies and fly fishing tackle have changed a lot. Parks' Fly Shop helped its customers switch from bamboo fly rods to fiberglass, and now to graphite rods. When the shop first opened, fishing lines were made of silk, and leaders were made from silkworm gut. Flies were tied with fur, feathers, yarn, and floss. Today's flies use new combinations of fur, feathers, and many synthetic materials.
A Family Business
Merton's son, Richard, grew up in Gardiner. He became a skilled professional fly tyer and fly fishing guide while working for his father. In 1966, Richard graduated from Montana State University. After college, Richard served in the U.S. Army for three years. He was a boat operator in Virginia and South Vietnam.
After his military service, Richard wanted to get a higher degree. But he ended up running the fly shop in Gardiner instead. Merton passed away in 1970. His wife kept the fly shop until 1985, when Richard took over the business. He still runs it today.
What Makes Parks' Fly Shop Special?
One of the most lasting things Parks' Fly Shop has given to fishing is the Parks' Salmon Fly. This fly is an improved version of an older fly called the Sofa Pillow. It helps fishermen imitate the giant stoneflies, also known as Salmon Flies, found in the Yellowstone River and its smaller streams. In 1954, Merton Parks thought the old stonefly imitations weren't good enough. So, he created the Parks Salmon Fly. This fly is still popular and used today. Charles Brooks, a famous Yellowstone fly fisherman, said the Parks' Salmon Fly was one of his top three stonefly imitations.
Today, Parks' Fly Shop is known for many new custom fly designs. These are made by fly tiers Walter Wiese and Matt Minch.
Helping Anglers and Rivers
Being close to Yellowstone National Park gave Merton and Richard a great chance to become experts on the park's waters. In 1998, Richard put all his knowledge into his second book, Fishing Yellowstone National Park. This book is still being printed and is now in its third edition.
In 1980, Richard Parks helped start the Fishing Outfitters Association of Montana. This group helps fly fishing guides across the state. It also works to protect Montana's fish and their homes through its conservation fund.
Protecting Our Rivers and Nature
Merton Parks, along with Dan Bailey and Bud Lilly, helped create the first Montana chapter of Trout Unlimited. This group works to protect coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. Richard is still an active member of this chapter today. He is also a member of the Federation of Fly Fishers.
Working for Conservation
Richard Parks has been a long-time member of the Northern Plains Resource Council. This group works to protect Montana's water quality, family farms, and ranches, and its way of life. He was the chairman of the council from 1991 to 1993. In 1983, Parks Fly Shop and Richard Parks became founding members of the Bear Creek Council. This group worked to get local support for changes to an old mining law from 1872. In May 1990, Richard received an award for his work on an issue involving a gold mine. This award was from the Greater Yellowstone Coalition.
See also
- Angling in Yellowstone National Park
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