Nelson's Fly Rod and Reel - Pierce
Darv and Jake Nelson, father and son, have turned an impassioned hobby into a full-fledged business. Living within a mile of one of the best fly-fishing streams in North America, Darv and Jake grew up fishing on Kelly Creek outside of Pierce, Idaho. Kelly Creek has been profiled in national fly-fishing magazines as a must for any avid fly fisherman. Pierce is located toward the headwaters of Kelly Creek and is a favorite spot for anglers to get local information and up to the minute advice from locals on hatches and weather.
Due to this seasonal interest, Jake began building custom fly rods and tying indigenous flies in a spare room in the family home several years ago. As the business grew so did the need for expanded space. The Nelson’s also saw a void in the local town for a retail location that would cater to the out-of-town fishermen and hunters. It was this void that prompted Jake to approach the ISBDC with his idea to open a retail shop with a fly rod production room in the back. Darv and Jake’s dream was a location where sportsmen of all types could stop in, drink coffee around a woodstove, swap stories and buy all of their fishing and hunting equipment in one spot.
With the help of the Lewiston ISBDC office, Darv and Jake put their business plan together in the spring of 2001. Once the plan was complete it was submitted to the Clearwater Economic Development Center (CEDA) which in turn loaned the Nelson’s enough money to purchase inventory, acquire two city lots on Pierce’s main street, and to construct a retail building. Being entrepreneurs at heart, Darv purchased an old abandoned lodge and moved it onto the main street lots. The summer and early fall were spent renovating the structure into a warm and appealing retail location. By late fall, the inventory arrived, the interior was finished and the Nelsons opened for business in time to catch the end of the local hunting season.
Plans are in progress for a grand opening in spring of 2002 and Jake is busy building rods and tying flies in anticipation of the busy season. The Idaho SBDC has also helped them with Christmas flyers and marketing as well as helping develop cash-flow projections and inventory needs. With the local Pierce economy hard-hit by jobs lost in the logging industry, many local people have commented on the positive impact the new retail presence on main street has had on their small business owners and entrepreneurs. The Nelsons have been a testament to the spirit of entrepreneurship, especially when faced with a declining local economy. Concentrating their business on out-of-town sportsmen who have disposable income is the only way they saw a local business being successful. They have stated that without the help of the Idaho SBDC and CEDA, their dream of small business ownership would never have been realized.
