Yeager's Sporting Goods basement showroom floor in Bellingham, stocked with boats from an earlier era of the store's 105-year history. (Photo: Yeager's Sporting Goods)
OUTDOOR
REPORT
PNW Daily will be live at Yeager’s Sporting Goods on Saturday, Sept. 5, from noon to 2 p.m. to celebrate the store’s 105th anniversary. Westy will be serving free hot dogs, and our friends from 92.9 KISM will also be broadcasting live from noon to 2 p.m.
BELLINGHAM, Wash. — A lot has changed in 105 years in Whatcom County. The one thing folks that live here know hasn’t changed, if you want to know how to catch a fish and what to use to catch it, Yeager’s Sporting Goods is the place you go to find out.
As the first cool, rainy days of September have arrived, this year is a little different. Yeager’s Sporting Goods is marking the unofficial kickoff to salmon season with a 105th anniversary celebration.
The Labor Day Weekend Sale will include discounts across fishing, boating, apparel, footwear and outdoor gear. But it also will give shoppers a chance to step into local history with items on display and for sale from the store’s 105 years of legacy.
For shoppers planning to get outside this fall, some of the biggest deals include 35% off bass rods, 50% off shrimp traps and 50% off floaties.
Last-season winter gear from the Yeager’s ski shop is also 50% off, including bibs, pants, undershirts and other cold-weather clothing.
105 Years of Outdoor Adventures
You can see the history on the walls as Ira Yeager started the business in 1921. After selling Evinrude outboard motors from his garage, Ira’s family encouraged him to open his downtown Bellingham store.
The business eventually expanded into fishing and hunting equipment and moved to its Northwest Avenue location in 1958. His grandsons now own the company.
Yeager’s owner Kristin Uhrig, Ira’s granddaughter, said that the Labor Day sale would serve as the centerpiece of the anniversary celebration.
“The big sale is going to be Labor Day weekend. So we’re combining the Labor Day with the anniversary sale. Like you said, 105 years that it’s been owned by the same family, and we still work here. We’re still trying to keep Grandpa’s dream alive.”
— Kristin Uhrig, Yeager’s Sporting Goods owner
The anniversary celebration also brings some of Ira Yeager’s personal belongings out of storage.
An estate sale in the store’s basement includes some of his boats, motors and Pendleton clothing. The collection will remain part of the celebration through September.
“It’s going to be kind of like an estate sale. We’re going to be having some of Grandpa Ira’s things downstairs, some of his motors, some of his boats, some of his Pendletons. Everybody knew that Grandpa wore the Pendletons.”
— Kristin Uhrig, Yeager’s Sporting Goods owner
Uhrig said the collection offers customers a chance to see a more personal side of the man who built the business.
“So all of that stuff will be in the estate sale, and it is going to be downstairs in Yeager’s, and it will run from Labor Day Weekend through September. So you’re going to want to come and check out that. It’s going to be super cool.”
— Kristin Uhrig, Yeager’s Sporting Goods owner
This Outdoor Report is sponsored by Yeager’s Sporting Goods, located at 3101 Northwest Avenue in Bellingham.
Summer clearance meets fall gear
As summer merchandise moves toward clearance, Yeager’s is bringing in warmer clothing and gear for the rainy months ahead.
The store carries outdoor apparel for men and women, including rainwear, footwear and layers suited to the Northwest climate. Its women’s apparel selection is particularly tailored to the local Bellingham lifestyle, with brands and styles chosen for customers who spend time both outdoors and around town.
The men’s department also includes workwear for customers preparing for wetter and colder conditions.
Yeager’s also has a particularly deep selection of Lems footwear. The Boulder, Colorado-based brand is known for lightweight, flexible shoes and boots, including waterproof models. Yeager’s selection gives local shoppers an opportunity to compare a broad range of Lems footwear in person.
The store’s current online selection includes the Lems Boulder Summit waterproof boot among its most popular products.
Locally made boats and kayaks
The Labor Day weekend sale also comes as new watercraft arrive at Yeager’s.
The store has newly stocked locally made MOCEAN kayaks, adding another Bellingham connection to its paddle-sports department.
Yeager’s is also offering an in-store-only discount on Dogfish Boats, locally made Bellingham boats designed for fishing, crabbing, hunting and recreation.
Dogfish Boats are built around an 8-foot rotomolded hull designed for stability and easy transportation. The boats are made in Bellingham by a local manufacturer.
That makes the boats an especially Northwest addition to a store whose history began with boating equipment.
This Outdoor Report is sponsored by Yeager’s Sporting Goods, located at 3101 Northwest Avenue in Bellingham.
Salmon season is arriving
The fishing department may be one of the busiest areas of the store as local salmon seasons move into fall.
Coho are beginning to arrive in the Nooksack River, while king salmon are arriving in the Samish River this week. That puts anglers in the middle of the seasonal transition at the same time Yeager’s is marking down summer merchandise and preparing for fall.
Yeager’s says its fishing staff has experience across Pacific Northwest fisheries, species and seasons. The store also emphasizes hiring local outdoor experts who can help customers choose gear based on how and where they plan to use it.
That local expertise has been part of the business since its earliest days.
Toyland gets another chance after the fair
Families also have a reason to make a stop at Yeager’s this weekend.
Toyland has remaining merchandise from the Whatcom County Fair, giving families who missed the fair another opportunity to find toys and games.
The basement department has long been known for its classic toy selection. Past coverage by The Bellingham Herald described the department as focusing on wooden train sets, board games, puppets, puzzles and other traditional toys rather than electronic games.
Free hot dogs and a Bellingham tradition
Saturday will bring another piece of Yeager’s history to the anniversary celebration.
John “Westy” Westerfield, who has been connected to Yeager’s since he was a boy visiting Ira Yeager’s downtown store, will serve free hot dogs outside the store during the anniversary celebration.
“And on the Saturday of the anniversary sale, Labor Day weekend, Westy is going to be here serving free hot dogs out front, so you don’t want to miss that either! Free hot dogs!”
— Kristin Uhrig, Yeager’s Sporting Goods owner
The celebration reflects a business that has grown considerably since Ira Yeager began selling boat motors from his garage but has kept its local identity.
Today, Yeager’s still operates from the location Ira Yeager bought in 1958 at 3101 Northwest Avenue in Bellingham. They don’t carry marine outboard motors anymore, but so many kids grew up going there to begin their fishing, hunting, boating, camping, skiing and other outdoor pursuits.
For Yeager’s, the Labor Day weekend is more than just a sale, it’s a time when orca are swimming in Bellingham Bay and as the rain has returned, salmon are moving into local rivers connecting us each to each other and our home.
We see the new addition to the pods as they make their way toward Lummi Island, following the tide and chinook. New young boys walk through the door at Yeager’s eager to have their chance to catch a coho like dad.
Frequently Asked Questions
PNW Daily brings you The Outdoor Report as part of the ongoing series sponsored by Yeager’s Sporting Goods.
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