Mad River Outfitters

The guide service is one arm of a full line retail fly shop established in 1994 that has grown into one of the larger fly fishing businesses in the Midwest. Brian Flechsig is founder and president, and he had been guiding for several years before the store opened. The retail side carries rods, reels, waders, apparel, flies and tying materials, ships free on orders over $50, and runs a toll free line for customers outside the state. Nine guides are listed on the staff page, with specialties spread across brown trout, steelhead, smallmouth and largemouth bass, carp and pike, so a single roster covers cold water, warm water and Lake Erie work. The company also schedules classes and destination travel, keeps an events calendar, and operates Midwest Fly Fishing Schools as a separate teaching program.