A little more than four months ago Miles Zimmerman and Scott Ferguson were toying around with the idea of opening their own fly shop.

Then a week later Ferguson approached his friend about seriously going into business. Zimmerman simply replied, “I’m your man.”

The next week Ferguson was already angling for retail locations and in three short months the two had managed to open Trout Creek Outfitters in downtown Truckee.

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“It all fell into place really quick and almost too easily, but it’s been really amazing so far,” said Zimmerman.

The outbreak of COVID-19 made it difficult to get some items in, according to Zimmerman, but the duo still were able to hit their goal of opening during Father’s Day weekend, and have since added another employee, Scott Koper, while reeling in new customers at the fly shop located at 10115 Donner Pass Road.

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“Come on in and we’ll definitely get you set up with the appropriate gear for your situation, talk to you about fly selection and what’s going on on the river,” said Zimmerman.

“A number of people come in thinking we sell bait,” he added on the store’s selection of fly gear. “We’ve actually been able to convert them, which is pretty awesome.”

Zimmerman, who worked at Mountain Hardware & Sports for eight years, said customer service is paramount to the store’s success, and through that, he’s been able to convince customers that may have been looking for hooks or live bait to give fly fishing a shot.

Trout Creek Outfitters is now open for business seven days a week, operating from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The store will also be open during winter months, which Zimmerman said is often an overlooked time for fishing in the region.

“There’s ample opportunity throughout the year, even in the dead of winter,” said Zimmerman. “If the snow conditions aren’t the greatest on the mountain, you can definitely get out and do some fishing on the Truckee.”

During summer months, Zimmerman recommends getting out early in the morning when water temperatures are still cool and fish are more active.

Moving forward, he said Trout Creek Outfitters plans to offer classes on subjects like fly tying. The store is also posting a regular fishing report on its website and is offering a guide service through Matt Heron Fly Fishing.

“No matter what time of year it is, we can definitely get you on some fish,” said Zimmerman. “Come on in. We’re looking forward to spreading the stoke of the sport and just getting people out there.”

For more information, visit http://www.troutcreekoutfitters.com.

Justin Scacco is a reporter for the Sierra Sun. Contact him at jscacco@sierrasun.com or 530-550-2643.