One of the great stores has no walls and, in fact, isn’t even a store at all.  Consider the Andrews of Arcadia stall at Spitalfields Market in London.  Every Thursday, John Andrews sets up his booth of vintage fishing tackle and it couldn’t be improved on by all the art directors on Madison Avenue.  Antique angling wares—bamboo rods, cork floats, checkered sailing flags, restored reels, the odd canvas bucket—all laid out perfectly, priced fairly, and described with care and not a trace of snobbery.  It’s a very sweet thing.  Then lunch across the street at St. John Bread & Wine, and you’re enjoying the better part of civilized life.

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April 1 is the beginning of trout season here in New York. Conditions don’t really pick up until later in the spring, but that doesn’t stop the faithful from lining the banks for a crack at the first fish after a long winter.

Here are the essentials for your time on the river—note the absence of the dreaded vest. Unless you are an accomplished guide or a decade-long member of AARP, you are forbidden to wear one.

SCOTT A SERIES FLY RODS

Most exalted makers are blindly devoted to their high-end rods at the expense of their value line. Not so Scott. The Montrose, CO company does right by those who rightly expect a $300 rod to do what’s asked of it.

BROWN TROUT

Trout are the gentlemen of fish—some anglers even wear ties, out of respect, while pursuing them. We don’t go that far, but the selective species are perhaps the most dignified ambition in the fishing pantheon.

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