To call Dick Cabela an important figure in the outdoor sporting world is an understatement. His business may very well have outfitted & supplied more outdoor sportsmen & women than any one else. Last year alone, Cabela's sales brought in $3.6 billion in revenue.
But, of course, it didn't start out that big. The business got started back in 1961 when Dick offered some flies through the mail. That was a huge success & gave him a customer base to begin selling outdoor supplies to interested buyers. The rest, as they say, is history. The business did nothing but continue to grow through the years.
Now as a custom rod maker, my rods & business stand in direct opposite of the model that Cabela's uses. I hand make each rod to specific requests of my clients while Cabela's sells mass-produced rods where cost is the one of biggest factors in designing the rod to keep prices low. This might lead you to believe that I don't care for Cabela's as a business, but that would be wrong. I have the greatest respect for folks like Dick Cabela & the business that he created. Just consider how many different people he helped to enjoy the outdoors. Think of all the folks who took up fly fishing (or hunting, camping, etc) & geared up through a Cabela's catalog. No, my custom rods don't stand against that because sooner or later many of those anglers are going to want a custom rod. In that way Dick Cabela did more for bringing people to fly fishing than many. For that alone, I'm thankful to him.
Our thoughts & prayers are with his family & loved ones.
To read more about Dick Cabela & his business, click HERE.