Bill Drewry started fly fishing when he was a little boy, growing up in a family that traveled around the world to fish. The love for the sport — and art — of fly fishing has carried long into adulthood, so when a business catering to fly fishing enthusiasts came up for sale, Drewry didn’t have to think twice.

“It was a passion and a hobby that I turned into a business,” said Drewry, who bought Poulsbo-based Peninsula Outfitters five years ago and has since been expanding it.

Going from a hobbyist to a business owner catering to hobbyists is not always an easy transition, but Drewry had a nice advantage. While living in California, he owned a wine business for 12 years.

“I feel fortunate to have the retail background. Unless you have a business background, it can be tough,” he said. “I like niche businesses because we can focus on what we know and can offer a better customer experience.”

Drewry said he loves retail but he also has another advantage — he can balance his work in the shop with being outdoors. He is one of the guides for the guided fishing Peninsula Outfitters offers, and is also a boat captain who takes customers out on his boat (boating is another longtime passion of his).

Since Drewry bought the business, he has about doubled the retail offerings and added more classes. In April, he took another step to growing the business: He expanded the space, doubling it to a total of about 1,000 square feet. The expansion will allow him to add more merchandise as well as have some breathing room for the fly-tying classes hosted inside the shop.

“From the moment I bought the shop, I knew I needed more space. It was a matter of how to make it happen,” he said.

With that complete, his next effort will fall on the company’s website. The site, at www.peninsulaoutfitters.com, already has extensive information on classes and products, and online orders can be shipped all over the world. But Drewry sees more potential, including incorporating social media. “We want to reach out to a broader audience,” he said.

The store’s selection has “everything you need for fishing,” from high-end rods (including the Sage brand manufactured on Bainbridge Island) and various fishing gear to apparel. The shop also caters to the do-it-yourselfers and is stocked up with a variety of fly-tying supplies. Fly-tying classes are scheduled regularly, as are more advanced classes for fishermen who want to make their own custom rods.

“We want to cover it all, from the beginner to those customers who travel all over the world; we want to outfit them,” Drewry said.

Drewry employs two other people at the shop as well as instructors and guides. The classes offered include, among others, an introduction to fly fishing hosted at Trophy Lake Golf & Casting, and an introduction to local beach fishing. The guiding trips range from fishing on local lakes for trophy rainbow trout, to trips on Drewry’s 18-foot Boston Whaler for coastal cutthroat trout. A couple of times a year, Drewry also takes a small group to Montana.

When Drewry captains his boat with customers, the trips are enjoyable for him but far from relaxing. “It’s a lot of work. You’re responsible for people’s fun and safety and there’s a lot of pressure to make it successful,” he said.

And although he tries to schedule these outings as often as possible, he said he never gets tired of boating and fishing — he makes sure he does burn out on the job by taking time off for himself or with the family (and is likely to be out on the water, fishing or boating, during those “down times.”)

Fly fishing, he said, is one of those hobbies that a person can have for a lifetime, and there’s much more to it than meets the eye.

“There’s an art form to fly fishing beyond catching fish,” Drewry said. “…It can also be very competitive — there’s a physical and mental aspect to it.”