I asked to catch trout, and I caught trout! Beginning to end I had a wonderful experience booking with Tom. It was my first time fly fishing and Tom was an amazing teacher. Being on the boat for less than an hour I caught my first fish. Tom knew exactly where to go to catch specific species and knew how to do it AND teach it quickly. He was so obviously experienced it was a joy to be one of his clients and learn from him! He also rowed a boat up and downstream the river like an Olympian, lol. He knew so much about all the fish, birds, bugs, too. He was super nice and gave me the guidance I needed to catch what I wanted and was endlessly patient, kind, and encouraging even with all the mistakes I made. As a woman who has been on other charters where the guides treated me inferior to men, I had the opposite experience here. Tom went above and beyond to make sure I had an exceptional time. We will be booking again. read more

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It should be noted I rarely leave reviews about a business unless I've experienced exceptional service or extremely horrible service. With that being said, I can't rave enough about the Reel Anglers Fly Shop and the owner Tom. I first met Tom a few months ago. I called his shop and was looking for a guide for the Lower Yuba River. I had been there several times and couldn't figure out how to fish it. I looked online and saw several other guides, but I chose Tom because of past reviews, his knowledge/experience with the River and the conversation I had with him over the phone. We met on the River. Tom was on time (ready to go) and eager. I brought a friend with me who had zero fly fishing experience. Tom spend about 15 minutes with him and showed him the basics. His teaching method was perfect. He didn't overload my friend with a ton of information, but gave him enough to grasp the concept and build on it. We fished the full day. Tom provided an excellent guide service 2nd to none. He told us where to cast (provided additional instruction to my friend about casting), told us to mend the line when needed, put new flies on when needed, dressed the flies, and he rowed his butt off. My buddy and I had plenty of opportunities to hook up but we missed them. No fault to Tom. Needless to say we did not get skunked! We had an awesome time on the water and like I said the service that was provided was top notch! The review doesn't end there. Due to my experience with Tom, I thought I would visit his fly shop in Grass Valley - it's about 20-30 minutes away from where I normally fish. His shop was well organized and had all of the gear you would need for fly fishing. I've mentioned this before, but Tom's knowledge really shines. I asked him what flies he recommended. He picked out a few - that day I got several to the net on the flies he picked out. Lately, I haven't had the chance to go to the fly shop so I made (2) phone orders with him. Here's why I'm writing this review - there was a mix up on getting my order shipped by Tom's local shipping business. My package was sent to Tom's fly shop instead of my home. I called Tom on Thursday of this week and told him I didn't receive my package and that I was heading to the River on Friday. Tom told me he would meet me there, give me flies that I would need, and at no charge. I couldn't believe it - because of that I will be a customer for life! I'm looking forward to the next drift trip with Tom! Thanks again!! read more

On a recommendation of a fishing buddy I emailed Reel Anglers on their website about scheduling a guide. I waited two weeks and when I did not receive a reply I called the owner, Tom. Information was again exchanged and I was promised contact in the next few days. Again, no reply. So the process was repeated with Tom who offered the same reassurances. Ultimately, I called on a Sunday speaking to his stand-in who was very apologetic and, as you might guess, took my name and promised contact from Tom. Of course he never called. I would not trust this group for anything, least of all with my money and reservations. read more

The owner Tom is honest and insightful. He doesn't try to over sell you and is extremely helpful with information and generous with time. I highly recommend this shop for its integrity, knowledge and willingness to help the aspiring fly fisherman. Thank you Tom Dan Hagerty read more

I was greeted at the door by the owners dog Rufus. Friendly dog and owner (Tom). The shop is well appointed with everything you will need wether you are an expert or novice. Tom is very knowledgeable. On this day he was more than willing to share his knowledge of the Yuba, American and Feather rivers. We also chatted about Scott's Flat. Also if you need a guide he can help with that as well! read more

Reel Anglers Fly Shop - Your the best source of info! - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Grass Valley, California

Very disappointed in the customer service of this fly shop. I placed a phone order with Tom Page (the owner) for a small amount of custom flies around the middle of March. I told him I needed them for a fly fishing trip in the middle of April. He said he would have them in the mail within a couple of days. Since then, I've made approximately 7 phone calls to Tom, the last one around May 5th, asking about the flies. Each time I got a different excuse as to why he hasn't sent them out yet, and a promise that he would get them sent out right away. As of May 30th, I still have not received the flies. Because I was reaching the point where the long distance phone calls were costing me more than the flies, and because I wasn't sure I'd ever get them, I cancelled the order. With customer service this bad, I wonder how this fly shop remains open. read more

I did a float trip on the Lower Yuba with a friend of mine and Tom from Reel Anglers in Grass Valley was our guide. It was my first float trip, but I can't imagine having a better experience on the water in 10 tries. Tom was professional, fun, and very knowledgable. My fishing buddy and I were pretty rusty and Tom had his hands full fixing wind knots but he was happy to help us and did it very quickly. We didn't have any wasted time goofing around. He got us on the water, rigged us up, and away we went. When fishing was slow, Tom jumped out of the boat, rummaged through the rocks in the shallows, jumped in the boat, tied on a new fly, and bam, fish on. Amazing. Tom had us on fish all day, was very pleasant, a very good instructor (when asked, or when we were struggling), and I have to say, worked his butt off rowing for us ( for 8 hours!) It was so windy on one stretch he had to turn the boat around and row to go down stream. If we had luck on a good section we floated, he would row upstream to the top so we could do it again. Multiple times! When the evening hatch came off, the whole day shifted and the adrenalin pumped. What a blast. Oh, and did I mention that this trip was donated by Tom for a local charity! Come on! Tom, thanks again to you and Reel Anglers. First class and top notch. We can't wait to come back. Wes M. read more

I'm the friend Wesley fished with. What can I say, Wes said it all. Tom was great. He was knowledgable, helpful and worked his tail off for us and as Wes said, he didn't make a dime off this trip. My wife bid on and won this trip for me at a charity event and it wasn't until a year and a half later that I was able to go on the trip. I was worried that the shop might not still honor the certificate, but no problem with Tom. It too was a first time guided float fishing trip for me and well worth his standard fee. Now I can't imagine doing it any other way. It was one of the best days of fishing that I have ever had and it was super windy!! That's how good Tom is and how hard he worked for us. Thanks again Tom - I hope to do it again soon. read more

Reel Anglers Fly Shop - Just one of the beautiful Rainbows I caught with Tom. - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Grass Valley, California

Stopped in with a buddy before heading up the North Fork of the Yuba. I've been wanting to swing by for the past couple years, but this was my first opportunity to do so. Planned to quickly grab a few flies, but ended up chatting with a couple guys in the shop for a while. Good times! Bottom line is that this is a great little shop. Solid flies and materials selection. Worth stopping by if you're in the area. read more

Reel anglers is a great shop! The owner is always very helpful and knowledgable. It is the only store I recommend to people in the foothills. If you ever need advice, tips, help, or anything Tom will be there 100% read more

Super friendly and knowledgeable shop. Tom is great and willing to spend the time on advice and tips for a great day on the river. Stocks just about everything you could need. read more