Orvis
American family-owned retailer and manufacturer specializing in fly fishing, hunting, sporting goods, outdoor clothing, and related experiences.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Orvis is an American family-owned outdoor retail and mail-order business founded by Charles F. Orvis in Manchester, Vermont, in 1856. The company began as a fishing-tackle shop and developed into one of the oldest continuously operating mail-order retailers in the United States. Its historical identity is closely associated with fly fishing, especially fly reels, bamboo and graphite rods, flies, tying tools, waders, and instructional education. Over time, Orvis expanded into hunting equipment, shooting sports, outdoor clothing, dog products, home goods, travel, and adventure services. The company’s early growth was driven by technical product development and direct communication with anglers. Charles Orvis began distributing catalogues in the nineteenth century, well before the rise of the major American general-merchandise mail-order houses. His 1874 reel patent became an important milestone in fly-reel design, while the company’s bamboo rods and large range of artificial flies helped establish Orvis as a specialist authority. Charles’s daughter, Mary Orvis Marbury, led the fly department and helped organize the company’s knowledge of fly patterns. Her 1892 book, Favorite Flies and Their Histories, transformed customer correspondence and field knowledge into an influential reference work. After financial difficulties during the Great Depression, Orvis was purchased in 1939 by a group led by Dudley Corkran. The business was revived through new product lines, retail expansion, military production during the Second World War, and investment in rod making. Corkran hired Wesley Jordan, whose work included a process for impregnating bamboo rods with Bakelite to improve resistance to weather and decay. Orvis later entered fiberglass and graphite equipment as those materials reshaped the fishing-rod market. Leigh H. Perkins acquired Orvis in 1965 and made the company’s family ownership a defining feature. Under Perkins and subsequently his sons, Orvis expanded its direct-mail operation, opened stores and schools, developed modern fly-fishing equipment, and broadened its outdoor lifestyle proposition. The company introduced the CFO fly reel, graphite rods, fly-casting schools, shooting instruction, sporting-clays facilities, dog products, and a growing range of clothing and hunting goods. It also built a network of endorsed lodges, guides, outfitters, and sporting destinations under the Orvis-Endorsed and Orvis Adventures programs. During the late twentieth century, Orvis pursued acquisitions and partnerships involving brands such as Gokey, British Fly Reel, Redington, Ex Officio, Scientific Anglers, and Ross Reels. Some of these businesses were later sold or divested. A rebranding effort around 2000 sought to unify the portfolio around a recognizable outdoor way of life rather than allowing acquisitions to obscure the Orvis identity. The company also expanded internationally, particularly in the United Kingdom, while retaining a strong American base. Conservation has remained central to Orvis’s public positioning. The company has supported fisheries, rivers, wildlife, hunting habitat, and outdoor-access organizations, and it has described conservation as both an ethical commitment and a business responsibility. Its activities have included long-term support for waterways such as the Battenkill River, partnerships with conservation groups, educational programming, and financial contributions to projects connected with fishing, wildlife, and habitat. In the twenty-first century, Orvis continued to combine specialty retail, e-commerce, catalogues, manufacturing, instruction, travel, and content publishing. The Orvis News publication evolved into a digital editorial platform covering fishing, hunting, dogs, conservation, and travel. The company also introduced programming intended to broaden participation in fly fishing, including women-focused educational initiatives launched in 2017. The COVID-19 pandemic brought layoffs, furloughs, executive pay reductions, and suspended board compensation in 2020. Simon Perkins, a member of the Perkins family’s next generation, became president that year. More recently, Orvis has emphasized operational focus and digital engagement. It moved its corporate headquarters to the Manchester campus in 2024, announced workforce reductions and store closures, and discontinued its traditional catalogue as part of a shift toward digital communications and sustainability. Its United Kingdom retail presence was also substantially reduced, with the Stockbridge store retained while the company placed greater emphasis on fly fishing, travel, schools, and outdoor experiences. Orvis remains active as a specialist outdoor brand, retailer, manufacturer, educator, and conservation-oriented company.
History
Orvis began in 1856 when Charles F. Orvis opened a fishing-tackle shop in Manchester, Vermont. The business was located near the Equinox House, a hotel operated by Charles’s brother, and benefited from the area’s appeal to visiting anglers. By 1870, Charles had moved the operation into a factory building on Union Street and was distributing catalogues to customers. This early direct-mail activity became one of the company’s most enduring commercial practices. Product innovation shaped the company’s early reputation. Charles received a patent for a fly-reel design in 1874, and later historians have regarded the reel as a landmark in American fly-reel development. Orvis bamboo rods were also highly regarded in the late nineteenth century. The business expanded its fly department under Charles’s daughter, Mary Orvis Marbury, who helped systematize fly patterns and customer knowledge. The company’s catalogue eventually offered hundreds of fly designs. Marbury’s 1892 book, Favorite Flies and Their Histories, drew on correspondence from anglers and became an important early reference work. After Charles Orvis died in 1915, his sons Albert and Robert managed the company. Orvis mechanized parts of its bamboo-rod production and continued to sell rods and flies, but the business collapsed financially during the Great Depression. Following Robert’s death in 1939, only two employees remained. That year, investors led by Philadelphia businessman and sportsman Dudley Corkran bought the company and restored its operations. Corkran expanded the range beyond fishing tackle, opened the first Orvis retail location in 1941, and secured wartime work producing ski poles for American ski troops in Alaska. Corkran hired Wesley Jordan to lead rod production. In 1946, Jordan developed a Bakelite-impregnation process designed to protect bamboo rods from weather and rot. After the war, Orvis competed in a changing market in which fiberglass and later graphite increasingly challenged traditional bamboo. The company marked its centenary in 1956 by opening a flagship store in Manchester and continued developing rods, reels, and flies. Leigh H. Perkins purchased Orvis in 1965 after extended negotiations with Corkran. Perkins expanded the company’s educational and direct-marketing activities, establishing the Orvis Fly-Fishing School in 1966 and adding schools in other regions. The company introduced the CFO fly reel in 1972, expanded into graphite rods, launched shooting instruction, and developed products such as the Orvis Dog Nest bed. Perkins also encouraged the exchange of customer mailing lists with other mail-order businesses, strengthening the company’s catalogue-based growth. During the 1980s, Orvis opened additional stores and fulfillment infrastructure, expanded fly-casting education, and developed sporting-clays activities in the United States. It introduced a long-term product warranty and continued to position itself as both a technical manufacturer and a lifestyle retailer. In 1990, it acquired Gokey, a hunting-boot maker. By 1992, management had passed to Perkins’s sons, Leigh H. “Perk” Perkins Jr. and Dave Perkins. Orvis had by then grown substantially in employees, stores, dealers, and sales, although exact financial figures are not repeated here without a dedicated financial source. The 1990s brought further diversification. Orvis supplied waders and vests for the production of the film A River Runs Through It, launched a website in 1995, partnered with Jeep on a Grand Cherokee Orvis Edition, acquired a majority interest in Redington, and purchased British Fly Reel. It later acquired Ex Officio and obtained the Scientific Anglers and Ross Reels businesses from 3M. Ross was subsequently sold to Mayfly Group. The company’s acquisition program increased its scope but also created concerns about whether the different businesses fit clearly under one identity. Orvis therefore undertook a rebranding effort around 2000 to emphasize a coherent outdoor lifestyle, and it later sold Ex Officio and Gokey. Orvis’s activities expanded beyond products. The Orvis-Endorsed Lodge, Outfitter and Guide Program began in 1984 with a small group of Rocky Mountain operators and developed into a network of fishing and wingshooting guides, lodges, and outfitters. Orvis Adventures later organized fishing trips, wingshooting, schools, and partner-led outdoor travel. The company also operated shooting grounds at Sandanona in New York, Pursell Farms in Alabama, and Hill Country Shooting Grounds in Pennsylvania. Conservation has been a continuing part of the company’s institutional identity. Early Orvis activities were connected to fisheries and waterway management, while Leigh Perkins made conservation giving a prominent corporate value. The company has supported organizations and projects involving rivers, trout, salmon, wildlife, habitat, and access to outdoor recreation. It has also published books and editorial material, including the long-running Orvis News newspaper, which became a web publication in 2010. Orvis maintained retail, mail-order, catalogue, and digital operations in the United States and United Kingdom. The company introduced programming aimed at increasing women’s participation in fly fishing in 2017. The pandemic caused layoffs, furloughs, executive pay reductions, and suspended board compensation in 2020; Simon Perkins became president in May of that year. In 2022, the company announced a major reduction in its UK retail operation. In 2024, it moved its headquarters to the Manchester campus and announced further workforce and store reductions. Ending its traditional catalogue represented a significant change for a company whose identity had been tied to direct mail for more than a century. Orvis continues to operate as a private, family-owned specialist outdoor business with interests in fly fishing, hunting, shooting, clothing, education, travel, and conservation.
- 2024
Headquarters moved to Manchester campus
[1]Orvis moved its corporate headquarters to the Manchester campus and announced operational streamlining.
- 2020
Simon Perkins becomes president
[1]Simon Perkins assumed the presidency during the company’s pandemic-era restructuring.
- 2010
Orvis News becomes a digital platform
[1]The company launched the Orvis News website covering fishing, hunting, dogs, conservation, and travel.
- 2000
Brand reorientation
[1]Orvis began a rebranding effort to consolidate its acquisitions and focus the company around a distinctive outdoor lifestyle.
- 1995
Orvis launches its website
[1]The company established a formal online presence as digital commerce began supplementing catalogue sales.
- 1984
Orvis-Endorsed program established
[1]The company created its lodge, outfitter, and guide endorsement program.
- 1972
CFO fly reel introduced
[1]Orvis introduced the CFO, an exposed-rim, lightweight fly reel that became a signature product.
- 1966
Orvis Fly-Fishing School established
[1]The company opened its first fly-fishing school in Manchester, Vermont.
- 1965
Acquisition by the Perkins family
[1]Leigh H. Perkins purchased Orvis, beginning the company’s long period of Perkins-family ownership.
- 1939
Dudley Corkran-led purchase
[1]Investors led by Dudley Corkran acquired and revitalized the financially troubled company.
Products and positioning
Premium specialist outdoor brand combining heritage fly fishing, sporting goods, outdoor apparel, education, travel, and conservation.
Fly-fishing equipment · 1856
Fly rods and reels
Fly rods and reels are Orvis’s historic core products. The range has included bamboo, fiberglass, and graphite rods, along with reels spanning traditional and modern designs. The company’s technical reputation was built through early patented reels, bamboo craftsmanship, graphite development, and products such as the CFO reel. These products are sold alongside lines, leaders, waders, tools, and instructional support.
Fly-fishing equipment · 1870
Flies and fly-tying equipment
Orvis sells artificial flies, fly-tying tools, materials, and related accessories. Its fly department became particularly influential under Mary Orvis Marbury, and the company has employed professional fly tyers and authors to develop and explain patterns for different fishing conditions.
Outdoor apparel
Waders and fishing apparel
Fishing apparel includes waders, jackets, vests, shirts, footwear, and accessories designed for freshwater and saltwater angling. The category supports Orvis’s equipment business and its instructional and travel programs, where customers often need complete clothing systems rather than individual tackle items.
Hunting and shooting · 1939
Hunting and shooting products
Orvis offers hunting clothing, shooting apparel, field accessories, and related equipment. Its shooting-business activities are supported by company-operated grounds offering sporting clays, hunting, fishing, and instruction, as well as by the Orvis-Endorsed network of wingshooting guides and lodges.
Pet products · 1976
Dog products
Dog products became part of Orvis’s outdoor-lifestyle assortment, including the Orvis Dog Nest bed introduced in the 1970s and later dog accessories. The category links the brand’s hunting and field heritage with companion-animal ownership.
Outdoor travel and experiences
Orvis Adventures
Orvis Adventures organizes or markets fly-fishing and wingshooting trips, group travel, schools, and access to partner lodges and guides. It extends the brand beyond merchandise by selling expertise, planning, instruction, and curated outdoor experiences.
Marketing campaigns
- 2020Orvis Saltwater Fly Fishing Festival
United Kingdom
Orvis held its first UK saltwater fly-fishing festival in Chichester, linking instruction, community, and specialist fishing culture.
Outcome. Added a recurring event format to the company’s UK fishing activities.
- 2017Women-focused fly-fishing education initiative
United States
Orvis introduced educational events intended to encourage greater gender equality and participation in fly fishing.
Outcome. Expanded the company’s inclusion-oriented educational programming.
- 1967The Orvis News
United States · United Kingdom
Leigh Perkins established a company newspaper that developed into a long-running editorial and content-marketing channel for fishing, hunting, dogs, conservation, and travel.
Outcome. The publication later transitioned into the Orvis News website and related digital media.
Brand decisions
2024
Shift from catalogues toward digital engagementStrategyBackground
Orvis pursued operational streamlining and cited digital engagement and sustainability considerations.
Action taken
The company announced an 8% workforce reduction, selected store closures, and the discontinuation of its traditional catalogue.
Aftermath
The decision marked a major change for a company whose direct-mail catalogue had been central to its identity for generations.
2022
Consolidate UK retail operationsStrategyBackground
Orvis reassessed its UK physical retail footprint and sought to concentrate on fly fishing and experience-led activities.
Action taken
The company announced the closure of all UK stores except the Stockbridge location and closed its Andover office.
Aftermath
Sporting adventures and festivals were intended to continue despite the reduced store network.
2020
Pandemic workforce restructuringStrategyBackground
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted retail and broader consumer activity.
Action taken
Orvis announced layoffs and furloughs, reduced executive pay, and suspended board compensation.
Aftermath
Simon Perkins became president in May 2020 as the company managed the changing operating environment.
2000
Refocus the brand around outdoor lifestyleStrategyBackground
A series of acquisitions had expanded Orvis into businesses whose identities did not always align clearly with the parent brand.
Action taken
Orvis began a rebranding effort intended to make the company synonymous with a distinctive outdoor way of life.
Aftermath
The company subsequently divested some acquired businesses, including Ex Officio and later Gokey.
Recent events
- 2024
Orvis relocates its corporate headquarters to Manchester[1]
Other
The company moved its corporate headquarters to its Manchester, Vermont, campus, which also contains its flagship store, outlet, fishing school, and rod shop.
- 2024
Orvis cuts jobs, closes stores, and ends its traditional catalogue[1]
Other
Orvis announced an 8% workforce reduction, selected store closures, and the discontinuation of its long-running catalogue while emphasizing digital engagement and sustainability.
- 2022
Orvis reduces its United Kingdom retail footprint[1]
Other
Orvis announced the closure of most UK stores and offices, retaining the Stockbridge store and continuing selected fishing, adventure, and festival activities.
- 2020
Simon Perkins becomes Orvis president[1]
Leadership change
Simon Perkins, representing the third generation of the owning family, was appointed president during the COVID-19 period.
- 2020
Orvis announces pandemic workforce measures[1]
Other
The company announced layoffs and furloughs, while executives took pay reductions and the board suspended compensation.
- 2017
Orvis launches women-focused fly-fishing education initiative[1]
Campaign · Other
The company introduced educational events intended to improve gender equality and participation in fly fishing.
Sources2 sources
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