Trading a meeting at the office for standing beside a river teaching how to cast a fly rod has turned work into a glorious adventure.

His specialty store, situated in the Willow Glen Plaza at Almaden Road and Curtner Avenue, is the largest sole supplier of fly-fishing gear in the South Bay. He sells more than 600 flies and also makes 12 of his own variety, supplies rods and waders and offers classes and guided trips.

Fly fishing has evolved from using insects for bait to using brightly colored lures that resemble Christmas tree ornaments, employee Matt Begin says. But it's a sport for purists and more conservation-minded individuals, he says.

"You're more focused on the experience than the product," he adds.

And Malech says, "If you want to catch fish for dinner, go to Costco."

Not only is fly fishing more challenging than bait fishing, but the better places to fish are catch-and-release only, Malech says.

Most of the nearest trout fly fishing is two to five hours from San Jose, but one of biggest misconceptions is that fly fishing is only standing in a river to land trout, he says.

Almost any fish except bottom-dwelling ones can be caught on a fly rod and can be fished at oceans, lakes and rivers, he adds.

Another perception about fly fishing is that it is expensive, but it doesn't have to be, Malech notes. A beginner can stock the needed equipment for around $100, he says. And he highly recommends taking a lesson to learn how to cast so it won't be a frustrating first experience.

"A good analogy is trying to golf without instruction," he says.

And even people who have been fly fishing for 30 years continue to perfect their sport.

"It's not something you can conquer in a week," he notes.

Malech watched as new enthusiasts hopped on board after the 1992 movie A River Runs Through It created a new awareness of the sport. While fly-fishing sales quadrupled "overnight," they slowly tapered off, he says, but they still continue to grow steadily every year.

He attributes that to the numbers of conventional fishers who tire of making an easy catch and want to cross over to a higher echelon of fishing, he says.

And that's where he and his employees' expertise can help. Many of them are past customers who have the skills of and familiarity with fly fishing. This know-how was exactly what he wanted to pass along to his customers when he opened a store.

It's also how Andy Benkert became an employee. He came to the store to supply his frequent fishing trips and asked Malech if he needed help. Now he's teaching one-hour casting sessions and guiding in the water classes.

And it's the advice that customers come for. Erwin Bol, who has been fly fishing for 10 years, has been driving down from Danville for the last six years because he wants "the honest advice and service Tom gives," he says.

He's selecting a lighter-weight rod to fish smaller streams and wants to learn from others' experience rather than just ordering it cheaply online, he says.

Most of Malech's customers are from San Jose, but some drive from Fremont, Morgan Hill, Santa Cruz and Salinas. Only a small percentage of shoppers live in Willow Glen, he says.

"It's a destination business," says Malech, adding that adequate parking and proximity to the freeway factored into his location choice.

His store is a place he likes coming to every day. And with a shop that serves fellow hobbyists, Malech says his 3,000 customers are all his friends.

Being able to lead fishing trips to exotic locales in Canada, the South Pacific and South America hasn't been too bad either, he adds. "I went from wearing a suit in high tech to wearing waders in Patagonia," he says.