Welcome to America’s newest independently owned fly shop!
Trout Unlimited Business member Black Dog Outdoor Sports in Glenville, N.Y., held its official Grand Opening from March 24-27. Owned by Steve Borst and his son Colin — and ably backed by Steve’s son-in-law Scott Meyer — a much desired niche is now again filled in an area of upstate New York inexplicably devoid of a full-service fly shop for several years now.
But more importantly — and in a way that makes Trout Unlimited proud to work with owners like Steve and Colin — Black Dog’s Grand Opening was as much about supporting the local fishing and conservation communities as it was about building a business.
Located in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains, Black Dog Outdoor Sports is close to everything from the storied trout fishing of the Battenkill, the intense landlocked salmon runs off Lake George and Lake Champlain, the fabulous smallmouth bass fisheries of the Mohawk and Hudson rivers, and the countless small streams teeming with feisty brookies waiting to slam a caddis imitation. It is also located about as near as one shop can be to a “crossroads” of Trout Unlimited, with no fewer than seven chapters within a one-hour drive.
As a Trout Unlimited Business member from its first day, Black Dog Outdoor Sports used the opportunity of its Grand Opening to support a priority effort toward which many local TU chapters have committed countless hours and substantial funds — namely the Battenkill Home Rivers Initiative (HRI). The Battenkill HRI formally began in January 2020 and represents for Trout Unlimited a full commitment to restoring and sustaining the Battenkill watershed for current and future generations.
Led by TU staffer Jacob Fetterman and supported by donations and volunteers from the New York Council and Clearwater, Adirondack, Home-Waters and Southwestern Vermont chapters, the Battenkill HRI employs an ecosystem-based approach to prioritize reconnection, restoration and protection throughout the watershed. To support this commitment, Black Dog Outdoor Sports hosted a four-day fundraiser for the Battenkill HRI that both raised significant local awareness of TU’s efforts on a watershed that helped give birth to American fly-fishing and raised significant funds as well.
I’d be remiss if I failed to mention that Black Dog Outdoor Sports is also located within sight of Stratton Air National Guard Base, home of the 109th Airlift Wing and the world’s only ski-equipped aircraft capable of servicing both the Arctic Ice Cap and Antarctica. In addition to supporting TU’s conservation efforts, Steve and Colin are also tremendous supporters of the Trout Unlimited Service Partnership which serves and engages our nation’s first responder and military communities. To honor these members of the military community, TU proudly offers to the men and women of the National Guard a free one-year membership to Trout Unlimited. Thanks to Black Dog Outdoor Sports, members of the 109th are already joining TU through Steve and Colin’s promotion of the Service Partnership.
All of that in the first week of Black Dog Outdoor Sports! We can’t wait to see what next week has in store! It’s with great pride and thanks that we’re pleased to feature Steve and Colin Borst, Scott Meyer, and the entire Black Dog Outdoor Sports Team as Trout Unlimited Business members.
Black Dog Outdoor Sports
Schenectady, NY 12302
(518) 355-8923