Wade On In

Great Blue Heron Outdoors was born from the love of wading waters and exploring rivers, streams, and wetlands. For us, wading is standing in a flowing stream casting a fly or carefully maneuvering through the moonlit predawn waters to set decoys. It's stepping into the waters of a blueline after a long hike to find it. It is pulling a canoe to shore or pointing out a crawdad on the pebbled creek bed to a delighted child. Wading expresses every aspect of appreciating our water ways.

We were inspired to facilitate these experiences and are pleased to provide the gear necessary to Get Your Feet Wet. We believe that education and shared participation in activities are key elements of a strong conservation ethic. Sharing with the community our love of nature and waterways has been our biggest motivator.

We look forward to knowing you,

Bob + Great Blue Heron Outdoors Team

Why Coffee and Fishing

One of our most cherished values is connection. We wanted to create a space for outdoor lovers to come together—to share thoughts, ideas, favorite fishing spots. We also wanted a place where our non-fishing friends and family members can feel at home as well.

Fostering Community

Engagement

We believe it's important to Wade On In and Get Your Feet Wet. We want to engage with our environment without leaving a trace.

Patience

Like the great blue heron, we emphasize patience. Our wading and paddling is quiet, observant, and deliberate. We often think of our activities as "waiting" sports.

Simplicity

Whether we are selecting gear or planning an activity, we value simplicity. We are self-sufficient and enjoy our activities with minimal gear.

Respect

We are respectful to our environment, the animals we pursue, and each other. We believe in being generous, inclusive, courteous, and kind.

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From the beginning, we have been driven to foster a community that is engaged, patient, simple and respectful.

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Spirit of Place

Place is important to us. That includes physical aspects of place as well as cultural and community aspects. Place can be ordinary or distinctive; natural or man-made. Great Blue Heron Outdoors is built around lakes, streams, rivers, and wetlands and those places are important to us. But also important is our physical “place“ in downtown Lawrence where our retail store and coffee shop are located.