Wapsi: Heaven or Hell?

Wapsi Hell. That's what Daniel Drake at Little River Outfitters affectionately calls the inventory and ordering process from our largest supplier of fly tying materials. My first day on the job included receiving an order from Wapsi, but it was nothing compared to future orders. Daniel said that I was just in Wapsi purgatory at that point. Later in the week when I put in my first Wapsi order I had a foretaste of what was to come.

The order was large, one of the larger ones this year in fact. This next week, probably tomorrow, it will arrive at the shop, and the real agony will begin. Everything must be checked against the packing list and our order form to make sure we get everything we ordered and everything they say was shipped. Once I know what we actually have, everything must be put into the computer so we can actually sell it, and anything without a label needs to have one made. Then I have to get everything out on the shelves. Really it isn't that bad, but when it arrives I'll probably be sweating for awhile...until 5:00 p.m. that is when I'll be out the door headed for a stream.

East Prong Little River

The evening on-stream therapy sessions really help to put Wapsi or anything else in perspective. Standing in the middle of silvery ribbons of water catching wild trout have a way of making any kind of hard work seem insignificant. Besides, not everyone can say that they love their work and even with a large order to deal with, working in a fly shop is better than a lot of other jobs I could be doing. Maybe it should be called Wapsi heaven instead...I won't yet though since I have yet to receive an order of any size. In the meantime, I'll be catching more wild browns on a #8 stimulator...

Wild Brown, Caught on a #8 Yellow Stimulator