Reel Life

It’s great that a lot of people have a good experience with The Reel Life. That’s not my case. I signed up for the fixed-​fee six-​Saturday Intro to Fly Fishing. On day-​one, the head-​guide publicly committed to me personally: «We will teach you how to cast a fly-​rod.» Great! That’s what I want to learn. He did not follow through. On day 2 we had our only group lesson. It was at the ballpark, wind to our backs, 15 to 20, gusting to 30. Not a learning environment for a fly-​rod. Over the next four Saturdays, I received less than 15 minutes of personal instruction — total. Inadequate is an understatement. After the class was over, I wasn’t subtle in expressing my dissatisfaction. They contritely offered to meet with me for an in-​the-​park casting lesson «free of charge.» How nice. No thank you. I had paid them for «On-​the-​water instruction…» I had paid them to teach me how to cast a fly-​rod. In return they provided negligible time and, in the end, wanted to give instruction in a park. I’m washing my hands of The Reel Life’s negative energy and moving on to find a positive experience in fly fishing.
To set your expectations for the Intro course: Out of 20 students about half did not attend the final day and the majority never caught a fish. I sincerely hope they treat you better.

I have a booked three trips with the Reel Life and each time I had fun and caught plenty of trout. Their guides are very knowledgeable and will offer pointers on how to cast, what flies to use, and how to set your hook. I highly recommend their services for anyone interested in fly fishing in New Mexico.

This place is the real deal. Ivan (owner) was extremely helpful. I got dialed in with some great gear. He also shared some of his favorite spots on different rivers. Can’t wait to book a guide trip for me and my dad with them.

Before I even began fly fishing I called both shops in Santa Fe, High Desert Anglers (HDA) and The Reel Life (TRL) to find out about good fishing spots. After being treated poorly over the phone by HDA, because I wasn’t a fly fisher, I called TRL and received great customer service. They told me good spots to fish and where to get live bate. Flash forward a couple months and a good friend of mine (Charles J. A fellow reviewer) had gotten me addicted to fly fishing. I went into TRL to simply try on waders and boots (with intent to order them online), but the owner offered me an amazing deal too good to pass on. He did so because he could see I was just getting into the sport and knew I would be back for any other fly fishing needs I had. Which was true. I ordered a backpack through them recently because they deserve the business, rather then ordering it directly on the web. They truly care about their customers and I have never felt shy to ask any questions, especially because I am beginner. If you are beginner or a pro this is your shop. They treat everyone so kindly, answer any questions, and offer competitive prices. I will continue to buy all my gear from them. Visit their shop, they deserve the business and recognition for being the best fishing shop in town! Thank you Reel Life crew, you guys have helped me get addicted to this amazing sport!

After just having finish a scathing review about High Desert Angler, now I’d like to tell you what the Reel Deel is in Santa Fe for fly fishing. The Reel Life was one of the best customer experiences I’ve had in Santa Fe and know that anyone going in to make a purchase will be treated as well as we were treated. Even though we were only purchasing some flies, you would have thought we just purchased an $ 800 rod! They were so personable and helpful to us fly fishing neophytes, it was a really great customer service to say the least. They won’t try to upsell you into something you don’t need or want. Please give them a shot and save yourself from some of the worst service in Santa Fe at High Desert Angler, THE ABSOLUTE WORST.

I love the shop and the people. They put me on some great trout fishing. Very knowledgeable and very helpful.

After going to high desert angler and being treated like an asshole (because of my budget) I went to the reel life. Ivan and Pete have been more than helpful in getting me set up for fishing in New Mexico. Unlike high desert they truly have gracious service and actually helped me stay within my budget. Pete even recommended I go with a rod that was less expensive temple fork outfitters rod instead of the orvis (150 opposed to 300+). Every time I go in and get flies or small accessories they still treat me as a valued customer. Any question you have they will answer. Wether it be about what flies to use or where to go, they are very knowledgeable and accommodating. I really can’t say enough great things about this shop and the people who work there.