Fairhope Fly Shop

If you frequent Fairhope, you’ve probably seen Spencer Johnson out on Church Street teaching a beginner how to cast a fly rod. It certainly adds some local flavor to the town. Fairhope Fly Shop is tucked away behind what is now Willow + Gray Home, formerly The Church Mouse, at 14 Church Street. Here he sells everything you need to get started on your fly-fishing journey, including teaching you how to cast. He also teaches fly-tying classes throughout the year. Be warned, his classes include homework!

Spencer is an interesting guy who has had an interesting life. On his 10th birthday when fishing in a pond on the family farm in Macon County, Alabama, Spencer got hooked on fly fishing. That fateful day, he landed eleven blue gills that weighed over twelve pounds collectively. His first fly rod was from L.L. Bean.

As young man, Spencer was a fierce 5’ 6” offensive guard playing football at Tuskegee High School and is still the only player from that school to make all-state two years in a row. He also tried his hand at golf, but in junior high, his friends paid him not to play the back nine.

He farmed for a while, raised quail, organized group hunts, and entertained corporate clients as a fishing guide before his brother-in-law convinced him to move to Fairhope, Alabama. That’s when he and his wife, Mary Ann, simultaneously opened an antique business, The Church Mouse, and Fairhope Fly Shop. That was 23 years ago.

Each year, he and Mary Ann would travel to England, Scotland, and Ireland to buy antiques for The Church Mouse, and Spencer would take the opportunity to go fly fishing. His big regret is he never landed a Scottish salmon. Even as an accomplished fly-fisherman, it wasn’t until he met Lefty Kreh twenty-one years ago at The Fly-Fishing Show in Denver, Colorado that he learned how to improve his cast. 

Lefty Kreh is arguably the preeminent fly fisherman of our time and Spencer will tell you “Lefty Kreh’s cast is the most important thing I’ve learned about fly fishing". There are many techniques to properly cast a fly, and Spencer teaches his customers how to do so without injuring their rotator cuff in the process. Think polished 2x4 board perfectly parallel to the ground… There is the roll cast, the double haul, and kayak casting is a whole different animal.

His store is small but well equipped for even the advanced fly-fisherman. Spencer has rods, reels, line, backing, nets, clothing, footwear—anything you need. He carries brands like Bauer, Courtland, Echo, G-Loomis, Guy Harvey, Hardy, Nautilus, Scientific Angler, Temple Fork, Van Stall and Waterworks-Lamson. But his passion is tying flies and they are spectacular!

Spencer sits at his desk and shows me flies he has tied, explaining which ones are good for catching different fish. The Artic Fox is a beautiful fly for Big Mouth Bass and Pompano that are running along the Gulf beaches right now. They resemble a sandflea but with bright colors to attract the fish. They are great for Sheepshead as well. Mantis Shrimp Clouser Minnows are popular around here and can be tied using different materials and colors, depending on what you’re after. Then there is a bright, rather large gold mylar fly that “is the best” for redfish. 

Spencer’s Fly-Tying classes are limited to 4 or 5 people and are held one day a week for five weeks. And as I mentioned, there is homework. He’s been teaching fly-tying classes for 23 years and has taught hundreds of people. “If you tie a fly, you will fish,” is his motto. Frankly, I’ve tied flies before and found it part art, part science, a lot of fun, and absolutely therapeutic! 

Stop by and say hello to Spencer. He’s a colorful guy, loves this area we call home, wants to see us do better about keeping our rivers and bays clean and healthy. And if you want to better understand why fly-fishermen and fisherwomen are so passionate about their hobby, read Harold Raines Fly Fishing Through the Midlife Crisis. If you’re serious, check out Lefty’s Little Library of Fly Fishing by Lefty Kreh or many of the other books on fly fishing he wrote.

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