Old Souls: An Outdoor Lifestyle Shop
James and Tara Caroll have upstate adventurers hooked with Old Souls, their outdoor lifestyle shop and fly fishing depot in Cold Spring, NY. James’s longing for a fly shop, coupled with Tara’s affinity for small town life, led them to open on Main Street two years ago. Lining the shelves and crowding the tables are reputable, USA-made products – from Lodge cast iron pans and Shinola watches to Filson bags and Danner boots to Yeti coolers and Pendleton blankets. “We’re a store for all needs – field, stream, camp and home; we sell unfailing goods that you won’t have to buy again,” James says. “Our store is a stance against disposable culture.”
In addition to running the shop, James works as an expert guide, leading fly fishing day trips in the Catskills, going so far as to pick travelers up from the train station to take them straight to the Delaware or Beaverkill rivers. “There is a strong fly fishing community in New York City, but a stereotypical notion is that it is very expensive. Around here, with the fly shop open, people really come out of the woodwork.”
Photos by Emma Tuccillo, Words by Sylvie Morgan Brown
“The shop's design is warm and casual, very inviting. The aim was for people to feel as if they are browsing through an old cabin in the woods rather than a store full of products. Guests are greeted with a hardy hello and often passed a cold brew, especially on Friday evenings and weekends.”
“Tara and I standing in front of our cutting/charcuterie board collection. The boards are made in Vermont of Eastern White Ash. Behind me is the Legend Of The Hudson Highlands Map, designed by our friends at Thunderwing Studio.”
“The fly fishing department in the back of the shop is where I spend most of my time at Old Souls. Outdoor apparel, packs and bags are peppered throughout the space, and our easterly wall is all essential camping, hiking and survival gear. The wooden kayak was made here in Cold Spring, and all of the woodwork in the shop is reclaimed from regional sites. The Elk antler chandelier was my father's, it was on his screened-in porch upstate while I was growing up.”
“In the fly shop you'll find everything an angler needs to spend a day or a week on the water. As an outdoor guide, I am lucky enough to lead fly fishing trips in the Catskills, as well as to some remote locales around the world. Our fly fishing travel program is beginning to take shape, which is really exciting for me.”
“The slingshots! These might be one of the most popular items in the store, people see them and are instantly nostalgic. They have provided a lot of fun and mischief around the shop.”
“Working with an iconic American brand like Filson is a real kick for us. Tara and I both grew up in families full of hunting and fishing men and everyone wanted Filson gear. As a kid, I dreamed of owning a few of their pieces someday, so it’s funny to think we now own a store full of them.”
“We didn't want Old Souls to be strictly about the outdoors, and so we put together a pretty nice collection of home goods that we consider essential to country living. Cast iron and enamelware are the main event, but Tara also found some incredible glass bowls and accessories made in Ohio, as well as fine Turkish linens, barware, and tableware. When we opened the shop, Tara had no experience in retail at all. Watching her grow into her role at Old Souls has been amazing. It might sound like I'm trying to score points here, but my wife is an incredible partner.”
“I head up our fly fishing program as well as our creative direction. Being from Buffalo originally, one of our cards had to feature a Bison. In the fly shop at the back of our space, you'll find that our rods, reels, knives, and fishing tools, are all made in the USA. We carry fly rods from two manufacturers only: one out of Montana and one out of Colorado. Each rod is still painstakingly made by hand, one at a time.”