Fly fishing business hooks new home at sporting estate

A Yorkshire fly fishing business now has a base from where it can help anglers land the catch of their dreams.

Barbless Flies, an online business specialising in barbless fishing flies, has taken a three-year lease on The Cart Shed – a shop and office on The Dawnay Estates at Wykeham, near Scarborough.

The business has been selling barbless flies to anglers across the world from a small office since being established by Richard Fieldhouse in 2012.

However, with global orders on the rise, it outgrew its former premises earlier in the year leaving fly fishing fanatic Fieldhouse looking for somewhere new.

The former IT consultant said: “I started Barbless Flies after a conversation with a fishing pal about the availability of barbless flies. It gave me an idea.

“So, I had some made and put them on an online forum and immediately got around 60 or 70 orders. That’s how the business was born.

“By the mid-2010s, I was becoming disillusioned with the IT industry and decided I wanted to build Barbless Flies to a point where I could make my passion my profession, but I knew that would take around four to five years.

“I put a lot of work into it, alongside my son Jack, and we just got to the point where we were able to do that in February, and then COVID hit.”

Despite the initial disruption of the pandemic, once lockdown began to ease, Fieldhouse found orders once again flooding in.

It was while looking for bigger premises that he found The Cart Shed, which consists of two open plan offices – one for him and one for his son – as well as a shop.

Although the business specialises in selling fishing flies, Fieldhouse said it will also act as a social hub for anglers where they can meet, grab a coffee and talk all things fishing.

David Steel, chief executive of Dawnay Estates, said: “The Dawnay Estates offers some truly spectacular field sports across the Estates at Wykeham and Danby so partnering with Barbless Flies is a really good fit for us.

“Richard has a tremendous passion for, and knowledge of, fly-fishing so he will be a fantastic asset for The Estate and everyone who comes here to visit their shop.

“We’d like to warmly welcome him and Jack to The Cartshed and the thriving rural economy at Wykeham and wish them both the very best of luck with the business.”