Hooked on the High County
“Our goal... is to be inviting, to be friendly, and make sure folks see the fly fishing industry – the sport, the experience of it –- as not one that your granddad does because he’s old and rich… Instead it’s a growing sport in demographics and especially in those that are younger.” So make room y’all, the new world of fly fishing is here! Alex Dale, owner of Foscoe Fishing Company & Outfitters, has been pushing for equal representation of younger generations and women out on the waters for years.
Like many dwellers of the High Country, Alex’s father spent his summers working here and winters working in Florida. So the family traveled back and forth every year before finally deciding to move to the mountains full time when Alex was just 10 years old. At 12 his father first taught him how to fly fish, and he’s been hooked ever since. (Pun intended)
In fact, he owns not one but two fly shops and guide services; one in Linville called Highland Outfitters, and the one we visited for this week’s #instaboonies, Foscoe Fishing. He founded Highland Outfitters after realizing that fly shops in the area were scarce despite the large community. It was through this fishing community that he met Slate Lacy, owner of Foscoe Fishing, who was in the midst of moving away from the area to be closer to his family. So Slate offered the business to Alex. “He wanted to keep Foscoe in local hands,” explains Alex. “Foscoe Fishing has either been a guide service, fly shop, or both since 1985.”
After that conversation things moved pretty quickly, and Alex was the official owner by March of 2017. And with this new ownership came new perspectives and focus. “We try to be matter-of-fact about the responsibility we all share when enjoying the resources that are our public lands. Our guided fishing trips are a great way to experience the beautiful rivers in our area and we make sure our customers understand the value in keeping them as pristine as possible. The relationship between local businesses and their community should be more than supply and demand. It can also include discussion and awareness around the impact we have as anglers on the rivers.” Alex says, “Our goal as a guide service is to be aware of the strain we put on the local watershed and mitigate the damage that can bring. We try to educate those who shop and fish with us on best practices like cleaning gear and taking care of the fish before releasing them. We are always working to engage more with the community to develop a relationship that promotes open communication.”
Alex and his employees often deal with the popular misconception that fly fishing is expensive and you have to be an expert to enjoy it. “We want to simplify it and make it affordable,” says Alex. Foscoe Fishing offers many services including helping with new knots, sharing tips and tricks for keeping a rod in good shape, teaching different practices on how to fish, and offer clinics that teach you all of these things and more. The goal of their business is to invite anyone to come and feel comfortable in their shop.
“As this sharing generation comes through, we have this push of online experience that really exemplifies exactly what we do in the store. Which is sharing photos, talking about where you last went, and the comradery that comes along with that.” Alex believes that Boone is the perfect place to foster this comradery, because a sense of belonging exists naturally here.
“I grew up here, met my wife here, and we started a family here. I've always known this would be my home and knew that I wanted to run my own business. I simply saw a vacuum in the market that I was working in and decided to fill it. Since then it's evolved into a way for me and my family to be a part of something bigger. It's provided us with work, but also amazing relationships with other local businesses and professionals, some of which we now call friends. That is an invaluable bonus to owning a business in Boone.”
As with many of our beloved #boonies, Alex went to Appalachian State University. Go Mountaineers!