Emerald Water Anglers

Being new to fly fishing i wanted a place where i could ask lots of questions. Dave spent ½ an hour with me going over all the gear i was looking for. We also talked about places to go saltwater fly fishing for sea run cut throat. He was patient and knowledgeable. The service was great. I will be looking into one of their trips once I get a little more experience.

This place is amazing! The manager kept the place open late so that my husband and I could find some hats for skiing. They had an awesome selection of beanies and baseball caps. If you visit West Seattle you must stop by this shop! #makeyourownadventure :)

Place to go if looking for equipment/​information in the world of fly fishing. Joined Dave and others on a trip to New Zealand that only increased my interest in spending more time on the water. I started with Dave casting in a parking lot and have not looked back since.

Now I am really «hooked.» I recently caught my first steelhead on the Deschutes with a guide that EWA recommended, so of course when I came back I had to get my first spey rod. A beautiful Echo 7 wt, and of course spun it up with great reel, backing, line, head, etc! I went out on the Sky the next day. Also, EWA gave me a 3 hour spey lesson with purchase (although you are supposed to take the lesson first and get a credit toward your purchase!). Great shop, great guides, great lessons and activities.

After years of booking trips with EWA I finally decided to provide a review. Best outfitter in Washington for both local trips and international. I’ve been to many international destinations with Dave and have more coming up this year. Top notch gear on the trips and extra support as needed. They really care about their clients and develop relationships.

Dave McCoy, Reid and the rest of the staff at EWA are truly an asset to our West Seattle community. EWA is more than a fly shop; it aspires to be and is becoming a nexus of our local fishing community. It’s refreshing to walk in the door, plop down on a weathered couch, relax and catch up on our local waters, events or plan a trip. The vibe is warm, welcoming and authentic. Advise and guidance is given freely and is helpful to both experienced anglers and novices alike. No ego or attitudes here. Their gear is well selected for quality and value and you’ll be well attended to and feel great about shopping local. I’ve fly fished over 40 years, seen the ‘old days meet new ways’ and EWA still embodies the spirit, passion and camaraderie of our sport.

I’ve been on two trips with Emerald Water Anglers and Dave. Both times they were a blast! This lasted trip was last minute and wanted to get a Spey casting lesson as well! Thank you Dave for being a very patient teacher and just an all around great guy to fish with!
Their trips are great and the shop is amazing. I can’t wait to come back and give that Winston Microspey another go! Highly recommend Emerald Water Anglers for guided trips, gear and the pure enjoyment of fly fishing!

Can’t speak to the guiding, but these are good folks and a nice shop; I do know that.

Just returned from epic trip hosted by the folks at EWA Seattle. 4 days floating the John Day River for wild steelhead. What an experience!
The guides are knowledgeable, patient, amazing casting instructors, killer fly tiers and just all around awesome folks. There wasn’t a boring or frustrating moment with them at all. They were constantly teaching us about the river, the environment surrounding us and of course the fish, what they eat, how they behave, when they like to travel in the river, where they like to hole up and so on.
The camping accommodations were exceptional. Two anglers per tent set off in the distance away from the main camp for some quite and each and every tent plot had a killer view. The fires in the evening, the kitchen tent… All incredible.
The food is killer too. Get off the river, the fire is already lit for you to have your cocktail besides while it warms your toes. Then, head into the kitchen tent for some cheese, sausage, vegetables and what ever else they have spread out for you. Dinner? It never sucked, that is for sure. From NY stripsteaks to home made putannessca, it was all good to the last bite. Oh wait, yes, there is more. There is homemade dutch oven dessert every night. Yes, I wrote every night.
All of that was capped with some wild steelhead brought to hand.
Simply an unforgettable experience.

I was new to fly fishing, excited to learn how to cast before my first fishing trip. It was like fate when I found a casting lesson from emerald water on one of the popular coupon websites. I called to setup a time to do the lesson and was disappointed when I learned the person teaching them would not be available in the couple of weeks I had before the trip. No worries, it was fun nonetheless. When I returned I called and left numerous voice mails with them, again attempting to setup a time to get my lesson. Finally I was able to reach someone who said that the person I needed to speak to was not available but that he would leave a message to have him call. A couple weeks went by, I called again because my coupon was going to expire. Again they told me the person who taught the lessons was unavailable, apologized for my experience and assured me he would contact me. This time I left my email address and phone number, hung up with a PROMISE of returned call… To this day, I am still yet to receive any contact from employees at emerald water. I am thoroughly disappointed with the customer service. I had several friends that were all getting into fishing and was prepared to refer several lessons to them. It is sad they don’t value discounted lessons, and would rather lose the business than spend the time to honor their agreement. All I have is a worthless piece of paper that promises me a casting lesson.

Great shop, great brands and inventory with an even better staff that is always friendly and extremely knowledgeable. It’s a great addition to West Seattle and I strongly recommend stopping in. Quite possibly the best Fly Shop around already.

Shout out to Dave for his fabulous Customer Service. Its hard to find good customer service and I just wanted to let you guys know that he was honest and very helpful. Thank you Dave.

My new fav place. So glad EWA went retail! Staff is amazing and the shop has all the little touches. I won’t be ordering online anymore since Dave McCoy and his staff have done all the research for me to bring all the right products front and center and supporting the little man. I love my Recycled Waders backpack. Great idea! I can bring in my waders for a 10% discount on their products. I have my eye on the Alki Gear Bag for my farmers market trips and camping!

What a fantastic way to learn a city! I was in Seattle over Labor Day weekend and looking for some fun outdoor activities — cue Emerald Water Anglers. We had never fly fished before, but have always wanted to learn. We left a message for Dave and he returned our call a few hours later. He asked us some questions about what we looking to do/​learn/​etc. and we decided a half day guide trip was what we were looking for. He passed our contact info along to one of his guides (Ted) and we were all set. Super easy booking process!
Ted gave us a call to go over specifics and to make sure everything would be covered. We discussed experience levels (absolutely none) and if we would be up for some slight hiking to get to some better fishing spots (absolutely). We meet Ted near Snoqualmie, geared up (he brought everything), and hit the water.
With no experience, Ted coached us through what we were fishing for, basic casting techniques, and where to aim. He was super patient, very informative, and you could tell how much passion he had for the sport. He brought this amazing fresh smoked salmon (and by fresh, he caught and smoked it the week before) and made some epic snacks with it. He probably didn’t expect for us to eat as much as we did, but it was so delicious…
We went to 2 different spots and each caught a few trout. In between teaching, guiding, fixing snapped lines because I enjoyed hooking trees, and dishing out salmon, Ted also snapped some amazing photos. We received them a few days after the trip and

Such a great way to learn how to fly fish! My husband is an avid angler and is reluctant to take me out, so this 2-​hr. casting clinic was perfect. I was able to get my feet wet (no pun intended) and circumvent the initial frustrations that I would have had with my hubby teaching me the basics.
My father, who has fly fished before, also came with me to the clinic. It was great for him too. Since the classes are so small, you truly get one-​on-​one attention. Great for true beginners and those who have a little experience and are looking for expert advice on honing their craft.