WILLIAMSBURG — Brooklyn Rod & Gun, a well-known private fly-fishing and social club, is closing after five years on Kent Avenue.
Club organizer Chris Raymond told DNAinfo New York that it was unclear why the club — and the tenant they subleased from — were being booted out of the space, though he assumed rent prices had something to do with it.
The closing was first reported by Bedford and Bowery.
The club, which opened in 2009 at 59 Kent Ave., will shutter after the new year.
"It feels like a venue to some people, but it's more of a community to a lot of us," Raymond said.
Raymond has said that the club, which started as a weekly hangout for friends, was inspired by the self-made community centers and social clubs of the 1980s.
The venue ended up hosting a variety of events for the public, including movie nights, readings, workshops and live music. It now has 102 members.
Until it closes, Raymond and other members will be trying to document the club's life as it is and hosting a few more events.
Raymond said he's feeling "pretty melancholy" about the news but is trying to stay positive. He's looking for options to reopen in a different space and wants any members or guests who know of potential spots to reach out.
But the space itself matters less than the community that the membership built, he said, adding that the club may continue without a brick-and-mortar location.
"I can’t forget that we started as just a bunch of friends looking for community," he said. "And I need to keep that in mind looking forward."
