Fishing Accommodation Hopkins River

Sportsman seizes opportunity, buys his favorite store

A loyal customer at Rivers & Glen Trading Co. in Surrey Center since it opened in 1999 and later an employee, Hopkins took over the store in August 2010.

"It was my favorite store, and it still is. I like to wear and buy everything in the store, so I figured I can get it cheaper if I worked here," Hopkins said.

Located at 387 Highland Ave., Rivers & Glen Trading Co. is a specialty retail and fly fishing store that sells clothing, fishing equipment and accessories. Hopkins has been fly fishing for 16 years and said he loves running a store related to one of his favorite hobbies.

"It's fun to be able to go to work and look forward to it. It's a joy to come to work, and it's a joy to work with the people I work with," Hopkins said.

He said that he didn't expect his first year of business to go so well. "It's a slow and steady growth, which is good. As long as it remains slow and steady, it's going to be more stable in the long run," Hopkins said.

The area has several locally owned, outdoor retailers, including Broadway Tackle and Escape Outdoors, but each one has its own niche, he said.

"We're more compliments to each other than competitors. We all like to do the same thing, but it's three different approaches to doing it. We're all friendly and have a great time with each other," Hopkins said.

Hopkins said he enjoys leading his team of five employees, who are mostly part-time.

"It's hard to find good employees, and I've been blessed in having five wonderful employees that basically allow me to relax a little bit more. Being responsible for portions of their income is absolutely 100 percent worth it when you have good employees that provide a great service to you. It's never a problem writing a paycheck," Hopkins said.

Judy Crisman has worked at Rivers & Glen for nine years.

"I think Walker is great to work for. He's bringing a lot of enthusiasm to the store, and he's just really good with people. Walker being on-site and being so involved in the fishing; he brings a new insight to how things are done," Crisman said.

Ken Williams has been shopping at Rivers & Glen since 2001.

"I think he's done a great job changing it out. He's got a lot more lines of stuff, a big variety -- fishing supplies, hunting supplies and nice clothes to wear. Walker's got good taste," Williams said.

On the farm

Hopkins grew up in Thomson, the oldest of his brothers. His mother, Liz, was a homemaker, and his stepfather, Bill, was a cattle farmer. His father, Vic Grout, was a banker.

Fishing Accommodation, Hopkins River | Extended Stay Hotels

If you are planning your dream fishing vacation, you will want to insure that you have the proper fishing accommodation, Hopkins River has some of the best accommodations available. In the nearby town of Warnambool, you will find access to not only to the fishing sites but also to all of the accommodations needed by fishermen visiting the area.

The fishing community will find that the town of Warnambool, offers the visiting fisherman, all of the accommodations that they will look forward to when the fishing day is done. Warnambool offers you beautiful parks, gorgeous gardens and great places to visit such as shipwrecked boats and the delicious seafood at the areas restaurants.

The town offers the fishing accommodation for the fishing community, offering them cafes and events as well as great entertainment. There is a really great pastime for the family of the fisherman, children will want to spend many hours watching the whales or going on one of the many tours. You can go on a tour and learn about different aspects of the fishing community.

Another fishing accommodation Hopkins river also offers accommodations for the fishing community in the form of places to stay. You will find cute little apartments, you can stay in the caravan park, you can stay at one of the many homey bed and breakfasts and the hostels and high class hotels. Wherever you want to stay, Warnambool has everything you need. You will also find that it has places that fits your budget and your taste.

You may also enjoy the shopping choices, you will find that in South West Victoria that Warmambool is one of the top retail centers in the area. You will find that there is even some extended hours for shopping on the weekend so that you can get everything ready for the trip out on Saturday morning early. You can also check out the Central Business District, and spend the day checking out the shopping complex and having some thing to eat or kicking back and relaxing at one of the bars or the many nightclubs.

The biggest accommodation you will want to know about is the fishing itself. If you are a beginning fisher or you have children there are some great fishing opportunities that are great for the beginner and designed to have maximum enjoyment, you will also find there are many types of recreational opportunities in other areas of fishing such as estuarine and saltwater types of fishing.

One important thing to remember when you are taking advantage of the fishing accommodation, Hopkins river requires you to have a fishing license, you will need to talk to the Visitor Information Centers they will help you find it in the town of Warmambool.

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