A Grand Slam for Independent Fly Shops

Independent fly shops are the backbone of this industry. They're also carrying more weight than ever. Insurance costs climb, coverage gets more complex, and the data that could help a shop compete tends to live everywhere except where an owner can use it.

The Fly Shop Insurance Collective is a response to that. AFFTA, TrackFly, and Cross Current Insurance have formed a strategic alliance built around three practical benefits: advocacy, lower insurance costs, and real-time industry data.

AFFTA's piece is straightforward. Any participating retailer receives a free one-year membership that includes industry advocacy, education, networking opportunities, and growth strategies. It's the collective voice and business-development support that independent shops rarely have time to build on their own.

Cross Current Insurance is assembling shops into a more competitive insurance program tailored to the specific risks fly fishing retailers face daily, from slip-and-falls to cyber threats to property losses. The work is serviced by insurance professionals who are also anglers, so the people reviewing your coverage understand the business. The process is low-commitment: share basic info, let them benchmark pricing and find gaps, and decide what's best for your shop. No pressure, no obligation. As the group grows, the group's leverage grows with it.

TrackFly rounds it out with real-time intelligence. By connecting your existing point-of-sale system with a couple of minutes of setup, you join a data community already representing nearly 30% of the core specialty fly fishing market. That means seeing exactly what's trending in your market and coordinating more closely with brand partners to avoid stockouts and reduce excess inventory. All at zero cost to retailers.

Three organizations, three strengths, one goal: keep independent fly shops strong.

Learn more at CrossCurrentInsurance.com/flyshop, or call Rollin Schuster at 860-559-0697.