Bass, Bars, Billfish, Baristas
Recently our friend Jennifer Wiessner and her 14 year-old son Breton visited from Maine. Breton may be young and spindly, but he’s an avid and accomplished rock climber. Coincidentally, just a week before they arrived I noticed on our local Vienna Foodies Facebook page that there is a (relatively new?) shop near our house called Basecamp Coffee Roasters – a climbing-themed coffee shop which happens to be connected to and affiliated with Vertical Rock Climbing and Fitness.
Their motto: “Coffee. Community. Climbing.”
It seemed like the perfect activity for a blustery cold Sunday morning. Blustery, that is, by Virginia standards. In Maine it’s more like a perfect day for swimming. Breton got to show off how fit and skilled he is, and I got fatter with a pastry and a latte (skim, for the record). It also turned out the World Cup finals was on as he climbed, so it turned out to be three activities for the price of one (or two).
It made me wonder, however, why there are not more fishing-themed bars. After all, I assume that our numbers are at least comparable to those of climbing nuts. Judging by the amount of crap we buy, there’s certainly plenty of disposable income. Furthermore, we’re all storytellers and many of us appear to have downed a pint or two.
Then I heard Matt Stefan talking on YouTube about Taps and Tackle, a store in Stevens Point, Wisconsin that has an incredible selection of musky gear as well as microbrews on tap. It’s a brilliant idea – a gathering place where you can stock up on critical “needs” which also happens to provide the social lubricant to get you to spend and divulge more. Truly a bucket list destination.
Why aren’t there more bars that cater directly to the fishing crowd, not just in terms of location, but also with respect to décor and purchase options? When I lived in New York City, there was a popular downtown bar called “Live Bait.” Alas, you could not buy leeches, nightcrawlers or jumbo wild golden shiners there. It is now closed. There used to be a restaurant in the Georgetown section of DC called “Tackle Box,” which as far as I could tell did not have a terminal tackle section. It too is now shuttered.
I do recall visiting what was then Byron Velvick’s bar in Del Rio, Texas, circa 2012 and it was bassed-out to the max – Triton fold-down seats at the bar, fishing-themed menu items, and personalized messages from top pros on the walls. I don’t believe it is still there.
So what other bars around the country and around the world are designed specifically to draw in the fishing crowd? I’m not talking about those that just happen to be at or near a great fishery, those inside a marina, or those that have a mounted fish or two, but rather drinking establishments that are meant to attract and celebrate those who are completely immersed in the sport in general, or one particular facet of it. Is there a list of them somewhere?
If there’s not one near your home waters, or close to your next fishing destination, you can always build one out of a boat transom. Those not handy enough to do it themselves can order from one of the following companies:
