Connect
To Top

Meet Sarah Briam of The Next Eddy in Salida

Avatar photo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Briam.

Sarah, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have always been an ‘outdoorsy’ kind of girl. Adventurous as well. After college, on a whim I moved to the Cayman Islands to work for the Ritz Carlton. I had never been around such a high level of guest service in my life. It amazed me and it challenged me. After two years working hard and playing hard in the Caymans, I realized I had stumbled upon a job that gave me a way to travel while maintaining full time employment. So, I set my eyes on the property in Avon, Colorado.

I made the move in the fall of 2007 trading in turquoise water and white sand beaches for lush forests and snow packed mountains. I was in love! As soon as summer rolled around, I was introduced to the Arkansas River, just a valley or two over from the Vail valley. I entered raft guide training that summer lived in a pop-up trailer in the shadow of 14 thousand foot mountains. I had found my niche. For the next six years I served fancy martini’s in Vail in the winters and smashed eager tourists down whitewater in the summers.

Throughout my time in Colorado, my love for the outdoors continued to grow and I found new ways to enjoy it. I discovered fly fishing and not long after that I met a guy named Colin who loved fly fishing too. Funny how those things tend to go hand in hand. Colin and I worked the next few years in the Vail area, always for other people, building their businesses with our passion and expertise. We knew we wanted more, so we decided to try it out for ourselves and we decided that Salida was the spot. In the spring of 2018, we made the jump to the Arkansas Valley and opened our fly-fishing shop, The Next Eddy.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
We opened our business two years ago and have worked our tails off ever since. Colin and I didn’t know a lot about running a business when we decided to start our business, but we had passion and we had tenacity. Don’t ever let someone tell you starting a business is easy! But don’t ever let them tell you it’s not worth it either.

The first year we worked seven days a week at our business while also working second jobs. We were exhausted and seemed to never have enough time for anything. But we also realized we were building our brand and a name for ourselves during this time. It was imperative that the experience our guests received when they came into our shop or when they went out on a guided trip was the one, we were curating for them, which meant Colin or I needed to be there. We learned quickly that our brand was us.

Through this hard work we have been able to ride out some tough waves. From historic low flows on the river to historic highs, and now a pandemic and mandated shut down. It has been rewarding in the last few months to see locals and repeat guests reaching out to make sure their new favorite fly shop is hanging in there, and we are! We have worked hard to get to where we are now. I believe because we never cut corners, we are prepared for what’s to come. We are set to recover and still hit our third year stride!

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Our business is more than just a fly shop and guide service. We are a part of the community and when you come here, we want you to feel a part of that community too. Too many times we see people intimidated by the sport of fly fishing. There is a stigma that it is a sport for the rich and that is entirely not true. Something I saw in Vail all too often and I see here in Salida, is residents and locals not participating and enjoying the incredible resources in their backyards because they don’t know where to start or think they can’t afford it. We want people to know the river that pulses through this valley is for them too! And sure, you can spend $1000 on a new fly rod, but you definitely don’t have to! We pride ourselves in having startup kits and affordable gear for all levels of anglers.

Our guided trips are for every level of angler, whether you are just learning or consider yourself a novice. Our guides are extremely knowledgeable and craft the trips around you and what you would like to get out of it. The guided trips are a great way to explore the beauty of Colorado.

We sell more than just fly fishing equipment as well; we sell products that go along with our river lifestyle. From personal floatation devices to grilling accessories, from outdoor guide books to Pendleton bags and blankets; we sell products we love and use every day in our outdoor lifestyle. There is a little something for everyone at The Next Eddy. We all got our start somewhere in our love for the outdoors. We want to help ignite that passion in people and help them get out there!

Pricing:

  • 2 Hour Walk and Wade Fly Fishing Trip for 2 people, $215
  • Half Day Walk and Wade Fly Fishing Trip for 2 people, $320
  • Half Day Float Fishing Trip for 2 people, $400

Contact Info:

Suggest a story: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.

 

Related Items

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in