Why I Bought Firehole

The Long View // A series on life, legacy, and what it all means

I didn’t plan on buying a fly-fishing company…

I discovered Firehole Outdoors four years ago at my local fly shop, Deerfield Fly Shop, in Deerfield, Massachusetts.

I wasn’t looking for it. I was just restocking - replacing flies I’d lost to trees and rocks and the occasional decent fish. But something about the packaging caught my eye. Clean. Simple. And right there on the front: 100% barbless.

I picked up a pack of hooks, and wondered why they felt different. Turned it over. Read the description. Purpose-built for barbless performance. Not just de-barbed. Designed from the ground up to fish barbless.

I bought three packs that day. Then I went home and tied a dozen flies.

They worked. More importantly, they felt right in a way I couldn’t explain.

Why Barbless Matters

I’ve fished barbless for years. Not because I’m trying to make a statement or prove anything. But because I want to minimize handling and stress on the fish. I want them back in the water as quickly as possible, with the best chance of survival.

Barbless isn’t just a hook style for me. It’s a commitment. To the fish. To the water. To doing this the right way, even when no one’s watching.

So when I found a brand that didn’t just offer barbless hooks as an option, but made it their entire identity? That mattered.

Over the next four years, I kept coming back to Firehole. More hook models. Tungsten beads. Every time I tied, I reached for Firehole first. It became the foundation of my fly box.

The Announcement

I happened to be scrolling Instagram one afternoon in August 2025 when I saw the post.

Joe, the founder of Firehole, was closing the company.

I read it twice. Then again.

It wasn’t a business decision. It was personal. Life had dealt him a hard hand, and he’d made the difficult choice to step away. I understood it. But I was also crushed.

I sat there for a minute staring at the screen.

The brand I trusted, this small, family-owned company that had quietly built something meaningful, was going away.

And I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

The Decision

I’d been thinking about getting into the fly-fishing industry for years. Not as a guide or a shop owner, but from the manufacturing side.

I’m a farmer.

I run Nourse Farms, a multi-generational berry plant nursery in western Massachusetts that ships to growers across North America.

I’ve spent over 20 years building and running agricultural companies. I work in physical goods. I understand supply chains, inventory, production cycles, and the patience required to build something that lasts.

But I’d never found the right entry point. Until that Instagram post.

I reached out to Joe within an hour.

“Would you consider selling the company instead of closing it?”

We talked on the phone. Then we met in person. Then we talked some more.

We hit it off. Joe understood that I wasn’t some investor looking to flip a brand. I was a customer. A fan. Someone who believed in what he’d built and wanted to see it continue.

Six weeks after that first message, we closed the deal.

What I Saw

I didn’t buy Firehole because I thought it was broken. I bought it because I thought it had potential that hadn’t been fully realized.

Joe built something real. A product line that fly tyers trusted. A reputation for quality and innovation. A community of loyal customers who cared deeply about the brand.

But running a company is exhausting. And sometimes, all it takes is fresh energy and a different approach to unlock what’s already there.

I saw a brand that could grow. Not by abandoning what made it special, but by leaning into it. By restocking inventory. By reconnecting with the community. By telling the story.

I saw a company that aligned with how I think about business: long-term perspective, patience, hard work, focus. The same principles I’ve applied in agriculture for two decades.

And I saw an opportunity to build something that mattered. Not just a company that sells hooks and beads, but a brand that helps build community around what we love about this sport.

What I’m Building

I’m not here to reinvent Firehole. I’m here to honor what Joe built and build on top of it.

Same manufacturing partners. Same quality. Same commitment to barbless performance. But with full inventory, consistent availability, and a renewed focus on the community that made this brand what it is.

And that community starts with the fly shops. The shop owners who stocked Firehole on faith, who handed packs of these hooks across the counter to customers like me - they're how I found this brand in the first place. Rebuilding the dealer network and showing up for the shops that showed up for Firehole is core to what we're doing here.

I want Firehole to be more than a product. I want it to be a reminder of why we do this.

It’s not just about the fishing. It’s about being present. Paying attention. Taking a step back from the constant noise of modern life and spending time in places that matter.

It’s about craft. Patience. The satisfaction of tying your own flies and watching them work on the water.

It’s about respect. For the fish. For the water. For the people who share it with us.

The Long Game

I’ve been fly fishing for over 30 years. Tying flies for just as long. This isn’t a side project or a hobby business for me. It’s the foundation of what I hope to build in this industry.

Firehole is the first step. But it’s a meaningful one.

Because if I can take a brand that was on the verge of disappearing and turn it into something that lasts - something that serves the community and stays true to its values - then I’ll have done what I set out to do.

I’m playing the long game. Just like I do on the farm. Just like I do on the water.

Patience. Focus. Hard work. And a belief that if you build something good, people will show up.

Why It Matters

When I saw that closure announcement, I felt something I hadn’t expected: responsibility.

Not because I owed Joe or the brand anything. But because I was a customer who believed in what Firehole stood for. And if I wasn’t willing to step up and try to save it, who would?

So I did.

And now, just a few months later, the website is live. The inventory is stocked. The ambassadors are lined up. The community is responding.

Firehole isn’t closing.

It’s just getting started.