Two guys, friends and fishing buddies, Dave and Andrew, spent time chatting over many cups of coffee. One shared a dream and the other realized the value of it. After months of batting around the idea, and marketing research, a plan was formed. The concept of OBX on the Fly came to life. The idea of being “First in Flies” came to mind as not only the reality — for being the first full-service fly shop on the Outer Banks — but also as a tie into our love for the state of North Carolina and our passion for fly fishing. We've been thrilled to see our plan come to fruition in the years since. These days OBX on the Fly is a staple name in Outer Banks fly fishing. On any given day you're likely to find Andrew at the shop or on the other end of a phone call. Dave's involvement has changed over time, but he'll still stop by every so often to run classes or just talk fishing.

 

Andrew

I learned to fish in the streams and lakes of Colorado. Until moving to Virginia during my elementary school years, trout and trout fishing was all that I knew. As a youngster I got frustrated, while fishing watching the trout eat bug after bug from the surface all the while ignoring my lures. No one I knew fly fished so I learned to improvise by using a leader behind a bobber, tied to a dry fly. It worked! I did finally learn to fly fish while in high school and developed a passion for it. As I got older fly fishing got moved to the back burner, so to speak, when I discovered saltwater fishing. Until I retired and moved to the Outer Banks, I had no idea that one could catch saltwater fish on flies. Fortunately, I met my friend and business partner, Dave, and he informed me otherwise. I am excited to meet other fly fishermen, swap stories and ideas, and to help others to discover what I have now learned.


 

Dave

I was introduced to the woods and water by my grandfather. I grew up spending my summers catching bluegills at the family’s lake house in the mountains of Pennsylvania. My love for fishing continued as I grew older and I was eventually introduced to fly fishing. I spent as much time as possible wandering the mountains and streams of Northeast Pennsylvania and the Southern Catskill Mountains of NY. My favorite fly waters included the Lackawanna, Lehigh, Upper Delaware, Beaverkill and Willowemoc rivers. Now I can be found exploring the waters of the Outer Banks in my kayak and fishing the surf or sounds for speckled trout, puppy drum, or anything else that will take my fly.


 

Ender

Sadly, Ender unexpectedly passed away on 8/20/22. As heartbreaking as it is to have lost him, he's still with us in spirit, whether in the shop or out on the water.

Ender was born on 12/12/12 in Germany. He was adopted at 14 months old and spent the next 3 1/2 months in training to be a service dog. He loved the beach, his human, his family and fishing. He couldn't wait to go fishing! If he had thumbs and a driver's license, he would have gone fishing everyday. He could hardly contain his excitement when we would get a bite. He didn't want to eat the fish, though. He was a firm believer in catch-and-release. He was such a good boy. He will be missed!