Featured Local Businesses
Blue Mountain Gunsmithing and Sales: new pro shop in town
| Business |
A unique ‘pro-shop’ is open on Mackenzie Avenue—a combination of professional gunsmithing and fishing reel repairs, shooting products and quality fly fishing equipment. You can find expert advice, suggestions and information all year round from gun smith Glenn Ford and fly fishing expert Jack Simpson.
(Jack Simpson and Glenn Ford)
Jack at Sandpiper Fly Fishing has joined forces with Blue Mountain Gunsmithing and Sales, creating the perfect ‘pro shop’ for a wide range of outdoor enthusiasts and collectors. Glenn and Jack offer winter seminars on hand-loading, gun maintenance, fly tying, fly rod building and pro fly fishing clinics.
Glenn said that Blue Mountain offers repairs and custom work on firearms, new stocks and barrels, custom muzzle work, fluting on barrels and gun bluing. “And if we can’t buy the parts for a gun that we need, we build them,” he explained.
“We do long guns, rifles, shotguns, handguns, bolt actions, semi-automatic, pump, single-shot and break action. We stock guns, ammunition, gun loading supplies and high-end fly fishing gear.”
He said that he’s been ‘smithing’ on site since early this year. His doors are officially open and he has welcomed Jack Simpson to help set up a combo pro shop that now that includes rods, reels, line and flies.
Opening Blue Mountain reflects Glenn’s life-long interest and passion for shooting. “I enjoy handgun shooting and shorter-distance rifle shooting—I grew up doing it. I really enjoy time at the gun range here. I hunt and also do archery and bow hunting,” he said.
“We have customers who do competition shooting, clay shooting, long range shooting, three-gun competition sports and handgun competitions.”
He explained that some people don’t shoot, but are passionate gun collectors. “They love the history and the tradition, and they search for unique guns,” he said, adding that there is a big range of interests in his customers. “Some enjoy hunting, some want to protect themselves, and some just like to collect.
“It’s been great to learn things like evaluating a gun’s actual worth: the market value. I’ve been learning how to find out about a specific gun—when it was built and its history. Guns are family heirlooms, and people want to have them restored. I had a guy bring in a ‘cowboy’ gun that belonged to his grandfather to get it restored,” he continued.
“It’s been very interesting. There are a lot of women getting into shooting. I bought my wife a gun when we got married and she immediately kicked me on the range—she loved it and found her ‘own’ gun.”
He said that women want to go hunting and carry a rifle on horseback. “I like seeing women get comfortable with guns--it's practical,” he noted. “It’s good for your stress level to spend time at the range. You come away happy.
“I think our country is stronger for people owning guns. It lets people see that they can do their own hunting. It’s a great skill that people can learn to do on their own and with their families. It’s a time to get outside and develop some new skills, and it gives you confidence,” he said.
“When you know that you can shoot, you know that if you had to, you could shoot a deer to feed your family or defend yourself. People can choose something they want to master. They can dive in deep or just make it recreational.”
Jack Simpson from Sandpiper Fly Fishing said that there are strong appeals for fly fishing. “I love the challenge of discovering what a trout, almost always invisible to the human eye, will ‘take.’
“People like the whole puzzle--systematically and methodically solved through observation, the study of feeding habits, entomology, available habitat of the fish's environment,” he explained.
He said that fly fishing is a ‘great fit’ as a Cariboo pastime because the Cariboo Region has the most extensive network of accessible quality and trophy rainbow trout stillwaters in the entire world.
“People tell me they love it because of the never-ending challenge and the contest between a fly fisher and the fish,” he continued. “It’s great just to get out and away from people and enjoy a day in natural surroundings. “The amazing concept that one can tie up something that will trick a fish into believing it's an edible bug.”
He noted that in the overall fly fishing experience there can be both physical and intellectual involvement and challenges. “This is year around as well as a life-long pursuit of knowledge,” he said.“Fly fishing itself, the outdoor activity on a body of water, can be solitary or can involve others as a social activity. It's my choice.”
The Blue Mountain Gunsmithing and Sales ‘pro shop’ is located at 365b North Mackenzie Avenue, next to the Mackenzie Building Centre, and Jack and Glen can be reached at 250-392-2515. You can visit their website at www.bluemtgunsngear.ca
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
