1. sports
2. fishing
3. fly fishing

®
Inside the
Spring 2013 Issue
Getting Smart About Point of Sale/The Adventures
of Oliver White/Innovative Fundraising/The Things
We Should Agree Upon/Great New Books/The
Royal Treatment... and more.
April 2013 AnglingTrade.com
April Vokey for Patagonia® | Photo Jeremy Koreski
NEW BRANDS
NEW BUYERS
NEW PERSPECTIVE
FLY FISHING AT
SUMMER MARKET | JULY 31 - AUGUST 3, 2013
Salt Palace Convention Center | Salt Lake City, Utah
Open Air Demo | July 30, 2013 | Jordanelle Reservoir, Utah
Find out at outdoorretailer.com/Fly
CONTENTS
®
Features
Departments
Editor
22 Man on a Mission: Oliver
6 Editor’s Column
Managing Editor
White Is Oliver White the next face of fly
fishing? He’s gone from guide to hedgefund
guru, to owning a lodge in the Bahamas.
He’s also a world traveler, and one of
the team that figured out how to catch
arapaimas with flies in Guyana. In other
words, he’s done it all, and he has sharp
opinions on the future of the industry.
By Geoff Mueller
Let’s Agree How in the world can anyone
make a living off of rivers and lakes (or
oceans) if they aren’t actively engaged in
protecting the resources that make fly-fishing
possible? By Kirk Deeter, Editor
8 Currents
The latest people, product and issues
news from the North American fly fishing
industry, including the run-up to the trade
show season, water forecasts for key
regions, a piece by Walt Gasson.
21 Book Reviews
26 Against the Tide Joel La
The latest from AT’s own Romano, Mueller,
and Santella, from the best “be the fish”
observations ever, to the hot hatch
happenings that cannot be missed.
Follette and Royal Treatment Fly Fishing
prove you can start a new operation in a
busy market—even when economic times
aren’t so hot, but competition (especially
online) is. How? By following several core
strategies to a “T.” By Pinky Gonzales
Tim Romano
[email protected]
Art Director
Tara Brouwer
[email protected]
shovelcreative.com
Editor-at-Large
Geoff Mueller
Copy Editors
Mabon Childs, Sarah Deeter
Contributing Editors
Tom Bie
Ben Romans
Steven B. Schweitzer
Contributors
Pinky Gonzales , Geoff Mueller,
Chris Santella, Steve Schweitzer
Photos unless noted by Tim Romano
30 Beyond the Rubber
Chicken Banquet Tired of auctions and
stuffy sit-downs, but in need of some fresh
fundraising ideas (that may also happen to
protect natural resources in the process)?
From golf to carp, the options have never
been more interesting. Here are two
success stories. By Chris Santella
Kirk Deeter
[email protected]
38 Backcast
Access. The issue isn’t going away.
Yet what’s happening right now will set
precedents we’ll all live with for years.
By Geoff Mueller
Angling Trade is published four times a
year by Angling Trade, LLC. Author and
photographic submissions should be
sent electronically to
[email protected].
Angling Trade is not responsible
for unsolicited manuscripts and/
or photo submissions. We ask that
contributors send formal queries in
advance of submissions. For editorial
guidelines and calendar, please
contact the editor via E-mail.
Printed in the U.S.A.
Advertising Contact: Tim Romano
Telephone: 303-495-3967
34 Knowing Your Customers
One Transaction at a Time.
Mail Address:
PO Box 17487
Boulder, CO 80308
Street Address:
3055 24th Street
Boulder, CO 80304
AnglingTrade.com
3
AnglingTrade.com / April 2013
Going beyoned POS and CRM to create
a deatailed understanding of who is
buying what and why, then leveraging the
information you generate yourself for more
sales. By Steve Schweitzer
Fax: 303-495-2454
[email protected]
CONTRIBUTORS
New for 2013
Geoff Mueller is Angling Trade’s editor-at-large
and senior editor of The Drake. His latest book,
What a Trout Sees, takes readers below the surfaces
of rivers to teach priceless lessons. AT managing
editor Tim Romano contributed photos for the
project, so we (understandably) gave it a glowing
review in this issue.
The Outfitter
Steven B. Schweitzer is an Angling Trade
contributing editor and our resident bird dog
reporter, who sniffs out the latest on trends and
issues that impact the retail side (he broke the
hair-hackle story, remember?). He’s also the
author of A Fly Fishing Guide to Rocky Mountain
National Park.
See the complete line at
mountainriverlanyards.com
15353 E. Hinsdale Circle, Unit F,
Centennial, CO 80112 / 303.690.0477
This is your TargeT
and we’ll have his
full aTTenTion
Chris Santella is a regular contributor
to Angling Trade, as well as many fly-fishing
magazines and the New York Times. His “Fifty
Places” books are legendary, however he has two
new titles out this spring—The Hatch is On! and
Why I Fly Fish… which we also wrote glowingly
about in this issue of the magazine.
Pinky Gonzales is the latest addition to
Angling Trade’s stable of writers. He is the founder
of Upriver Solutions, a Portland, Oregonbased marketing firm that specializes in helping
startups and small businesses navigate the waters
of growth, management and marketing. When
he’s not working, you’ll usually find him on the
Deschutes, Sandy or Clackamas Rivers.
a gold mine of fly fishing
Tips, desTinaTions, gear
reviews, eTc. by The people who
bring you salmon & steelhead
journal and traveling angler.
don’T be lefT ouT.
to advertise, contact
pat hoglund
503-284-4383
[email protected]
EDITOR’S COLUMN
Three Things
We Might All
Agree Upon
There’s absolutely nothing wrong
with debate and different opinions.
Heck, without people in this industry
wrestling with things like direct sales
by manufacturers, online retailing,
foreign manufacturing versus “made
in the U.S.A,” trade shows, which
products are gems and which are
busts, and battling (or partnering with)
the big boxes… well, Angling Trade
wouldn’t have as much to write about.
For the record, I’m not worried that
we’re going to run out of fodder any
time soon.
AnglingTrade.com / April 2013
But it occurs to me that we’d all be
better off if we officially got on the
same page with regard to a few things.
For starters, let’s decide, once and for
all, on a grammatical standard for our
sport. Is it fly fishing, or flyfishing, or
fly-fishing? That might sound trivial,
but as a wordsmith (and someone
who edits magazines where writers
inevitably use all three styles), I think
a little across-the-board consistency is
long overdue. How can we promote
our sport if we can’t all say what it is
the same way?
6
Fly fishing seems most common, so
that’s my fallback. But separating the
two words identifies this pursuit as
some sort of subspecies of fishing—
which might be fine. After all AFFTA
put fly fishing with “all fishing” in
the context of the upcoming ICAST
trade show, and many think that was
long overdue.
context. If we retreat from the policies
and laws that allow public access in
places where that is indeed precedent,
this sport will shrink, and many
businesses will die. It’s just that simple.
Which is why AT keeps hitting the
access issue in every edition, including
this one, with an eloquent “Backcast”
commentary by Geoff Mueller.
Flyfishing as one word (the standard
that Field & Stream has used for years)
implies a separate, distinct craft. I
have no problem with identifying this
pastime as its own unique endeavor
either. But then the baitwhackers
(one word) will consider us snobs.
Lastly, we should build more
consensus around (and involvement
in) conservation issues, beyond
the Pebble Mine. I’m now editor
of TROUT magazine for Trout
Unlimited, so I’m on this soapbox
with reason. I know people have had
beefs with TU over the years, but
I flat-out don’t know how one can
ignore being involved with the group
(or another conservation organization)
that protects the natural resource
“bank” from which many businesses
make their withdrawals.
The hyphenated version is a copout,
in my mind, unless, of course, it’s
used as an adjective, which is the rule
when two words are separated in a
noun context in the first place. Okay,
enough of the Strunk & White lesson.
I don’t care what we do. But let’s
be consistent. We can have a real
“conclave,” take a vote, count the
ballots, burn them, and when the
white smoke wafts out of some
riverside cabin, the world will know
that we’ve finally decided to take
ourselves seriously.
The issue of stream access is deadly
serious, however, and one that we
definitely must build more consensus
around. I know… there are plenty of
guides, outfitters and landowners who
make a pretty penny by taking clients
to “pay-to-play” rivers and lakes. And
I’m not suggesting that we’re going
to ever create a “wade anywhere, any
time” paradigm that stretches from
coast to coast. I don’t know that we
even want to do that if we could.
But I do think we need to do a better
job of protecting the public right to
fish on places that are available right
now. Loss of access means loss of
opportunity. And loss of opportunity
will lead to loss of business in a broad
I get letters all the time… “I’m not
actually a TU member, but I want to
complain about...” Or, “I don’t pay
dues to Stripers Forever, but I have an
issue with…”
You can play on the field, or you can
sit on the sidelines and boo the team.
Up to you. But your credibility—
and our collective credibility as an
industry—is ultimately measured
by how much skin is actually in the
game. Right now, the “80-20 rule”
applies. A few are doing most of the
heavy lifting for many.
If we lighten the burden by building
more broad-based consensus around
no-brainer issues like having clean
rivers, and allowing the public the
opportunity to actually fish them, this
sport is going to grow, whether we call
it flyfishing, fly fishing, or fly-fishing. at
Kirk Deeter
Editor
CURRENTS
Issues and Happenings
OIA: Outdoor Recreation is Key
to Economy
Outdoor Industry Association
(OIA) recently released figures
quantifying the economic impact of
outdoor recreation in all 50 states,
with a separate report for each
state that tallies direct spending,
jobs, salaries and tax revenue. This
data demonstrates that outdoor
recreation is an important driver of
state economies, supporting jobs,
businesses and communities.
The state-by-state figures expand
upon a national report OIA
published in June 2012, which found
that nationally Americans spend
$646 billion each year on outdoor
recreation, directly supporting 6.1
million jobs and generating nearly
$80 billion in tax revenue.
AnglingTrade.com / April 2013
“Outdoor recreation is a growing
American industry that produces
significant economic benefits,” said
Will Manzer, chair of the OIA
board of directors and former CEO
of Eastern Mountain Sports. “For
example, Americans spend almost
twice as much on outdoor recreation
as they spend on pharmaceuticals
each year. And outdoor recreation
supports more than twice as many
jobs as the oil and gas industry.”
Outdoor recreation creates diverse
jobs in product development,
manufacturing, marketing, logistics,
sales, retail, public land management,
guiding services and more — and
also supports service sector and other
jobs when people spend money on
trips and travel-related expenses
associated with outdoor pursuits.
With nearly 140 million Americans
participating in outdoor activities
each year, outdoor recreation is
8
a larger and more critical sector
of the American economy than
most people realize. The outdoor
industry can continue to generate
jobs and be an economic driver in
the United States if parks, waters
and trails are managed as a system
designed to sustain these economic
dividends for America.
• Casting demonstrations throughout
the day with Lefty Kreh.
Virginia Fly Fishing Festival Set
Company and Product
News
• Children’s catch-and-release trout
pool with native brook trout.
For a complete list of activities, please
visit www.vaflyfishingfestival.org.
REC Handling Global Sales for
Wheatley
Fly-fishing and outdoor enthusiasts
will converge on Waynesboro,
Virginia, to celebrate the 13th
Annual Virginia Fly Fishing Festival,
April 20-21. The event will take
place from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
each day, rain or shine.
REC Components and Richard
Wheatley Limited recently announced
the successful transfer of all RWL
manufacturing assets to REC’s facility
in the United States. Prior to this, the
manufacturing of all RWL products
had been done in England since 1860.
Since April 2012, the entire range of
The Virginia Fly-Fishing Festival is
the largest outdoor fly fishing event
in the country that offers on-stream
instruction. Daily admission tickets
are $20 for adults, kids 16-andunder are free. Weekend passes are
available for $35.
The film Where the Yellowstone Goes,
will be featured at Court Square
Theatre in Harrisonburg, at 7 p.m.
Friday, and is sponsored by Trout
Headwaters, Inc.
Saturday and Sunday highlights
include:
• Over 40 exhibitors, including
Orvis and Temple Fork Outfitters,
will demo the latest in fly-fishing
equipment, merchandise, guide
services, and destinations.
• Casting and fly-tying classes with
Ed Jawarowski and Bob Clouser.
RWL aluminum fly boxes has been
made in REC’s Connecticut factory.
REC acquired all manufacturing
assets located at RWL’s Malvern,
UK, facility and moved them during
the first quarter of 2012 to REC’s
Stafford Springs, Conn. facility. Prior
to this, several key REC staff spent
weeks at Malvern in training to ensure
that the hand made, heirloom quality
of the RWL product range would be
maintained.
continued on next page...
CURRENTS
In addition to being responsible for
manufacturing and North American
sales, REC will handle global
sales for the entire RWL product
range. All RWL products are
currently in stock and available for
immediate shipment.
breast cancer at no cost to them,
we are grateful for this partnership
with Sage. These donations allow
us to expand our program to more
women in need of support.”
Orders and customer inquiries
should be directed to REC’s sales
manager Paul Howarth (sales@rec.
com). All RWL products may be
viewed on the company’s website
(www.rec.com). The company’s
full contact details are indicated
below where all dealer, trade, and
distributor inquiries may be directed.
Said REC president Alan Gnann:
“REC is honored to assume
responsibility for the manufacture
and global sales of the entire
Richard Wheatley, Ltd. product
line under this time-honored,
heritage brand. We look forward
to serving the needs of our dealers,
distributors, and private-label
customers worldwide and meeting
with them in Vienna (EFTTEX) and
Las Vegas (ICAST / IFTD) where
REC will be exhibiting.”
Sage Launches GRACE
AnglingTrade.com / April 2013
Sage Manufacturing recently
released the GRACE fly rod.
Building on a history of selling
a pink rod with proceeds benefitting
breast cancer recovery and
research, Sage will donate a portion
of each rod sale to Casting for
Recovery (CFR).
“Casting for Recovery is a non-profit
organization dedicated to giving
women powerful tools to overcome
the challenges of breast cancer,”
noted CFR executive director Lori
Simon. “Because the CFR quality
of life program is provided to
women of all ages and stages of
10
(1/16”), #12 (3/64”), and #14 (1/32”).
These new shades add to the versatility
of the existing lineup: Holographic
Black, Holographic Orange,
Holographic Red, Holographic Silver,
Gold/Silver, Red/Green, Copper/
Blue, Peacock/Orange, and Pearl.
Tiers now have fifteen colors at their
disposal for creating attractive bodies
and ribs, adding flash to wings and
tails, producing tough and attractive
wing cases, or serving as a base for
spun bodies.
See www.uniproducts.com for more
information.
RIO Intros New Tarpon Lines
The GRACE rod is made using
a slender profile rod blank in an
iridescent pink color, with pink and
black wraps and a pink aluminum
reel seat. It is available in one
size—an 8’6”, 5-weight in a 4-piece
configuration. The rod is fast-action
but with a soft feel. Retailing at
$495, Sage is donating $50 of each
rod sold to Casting for Recovery.
New Mylar Colors from UNI
UNI-Products, a leader in the
supply of spooled fly-tying
materials, announced the addition
of two colors to its very popular
UNI-Mylar line. The new colors—
Holographic Light Blue and
Holographic Chartreuse—are
available in three widths: #10
RIO Products has launched Tarpon
Technical and Tarpon Short floating
lines.
The Tarpon Technical is a floating
line with an extended head of
60 feet that is designed for more
advanced casters and ideal in calm
conditions. The long head length
makes this a fantastic line for pickups at distance and for repositioning
second shot casts to traveling fish.
The Tarpon Technical line is
available in WF10F through WF12F
line and is built on a medium stiff
core featuring a hard, tropical,
AgentX coating that ensures the line
does not wilt in the heat. Welded
loops on both ends of the line allow
anglers to rig easily.
The Tarpon Short Floater has an
ultra-short front-loaded head making
this line simple to load and cast.
Perfect for beginners or for fishing
on cloudy days, the powerful front
taper casts large, heavy flies and
punches into the wind with ease.
Available in WF10F through WF12F,
this line also has the AgentX hard
continued on next page...
CURRENTS
tropical coating and welded loops
making it a fully featured line for
tarpon anglers.
Both lines retail for $79.95 and can
be purchased through RIO Products
dealers.
Peak Reports Banner Year
PEAK Fishing has announced that
its sales have reached a record level
for the fourth consecutive year.
According to brand manager Al Ritt,
PEAK Fishing’s sales were up more
than 28% in 2012 over 2011.
Ritt also said: “2012 was also our
fifth consecutive year of increased
sales. Sales in 2012 were more
than three and one half times what
our sales were as recently as 2007.
Given the economic challenges faced
by the U.S. during that same period
we are very excited by this trend.
Additionally sales in 2013 continue
to trend upward from 2012.”
Beaverkill Rod Company
Launches Website
AnglingTrade.com / April 2013
Anthony Magardino, president
of the Beaverkill Rod Company
announced the launch of the
brand’s new website at www.bkrod.
com. The new website offers vivid
photography and a streamlined
user experience. It features enhanced
resources and functionality designed
exclusively for the fly fishing community
and a new simplistic e-commerce option
for its customers worldwide.
12
“Our online angling audiences will
now experience a more vibrant and
seamless view of the Beaverkill Rod
Company’s rod, apparel and gear
offerings,” said Magardino.
Environment
Renewables Bill Gets a Second
Chance in New Congress
Bill would direct funds toward fish,
wildlife, counties and states Congress continues to recognize
the value of hunting and angling
with the reintroduction of a bill
recently by Reps. Paul Gosar (RAZ), Mike Thompson (D-CA),
Joe Heck (R-NV), and Jared Polis
(D-CO).
The bipartisan bill
would put royalty money from
public land wind and solar energy
development toward conserving
the pristine fisheries and healthy
herds of pronghorn, elk and deer
the West are known for.
Also important to note is the
money this bill would funnel to
counties and states, many of which
voiced support for the bill in
its previous introductions.
This
legislation underscores the fact that
sportsmen and women don’t have
to choose between the need for
domestic energy and the need for
healthy habitat. “We want our public lands to be
great places to fish and hunt,” said
Keith Curley, director of government
affairs for Trout Unlimited. “This bill
would help ensure that when wind
and solar energy development occurs
on public lands, there are resources
available to protect and restore
habitat and secure public access in
the affected areas.”
The bi-partisan Public Lands
Renewable Energy Development
Act, H.R. 596, would bring wind
and solar energy in line with other
forms of energy development
on public lands by establishing
a royalty payment system and
sharing half of the revenues from
development with state and local
government. Another portion of
the revenues would be placed in a
conservation fund to protect and
improve habitat and create access
for hunters and anglers. Finding a balance between
energy development and habitat
conservation is important to
communities that rely on jobs
from both the energy and outdoor
recreation sectors. A report released
by the Department of the Interior
showed recreational visits to public
lands alone generated nearly $48.7
billion in economic activity and
supported 403,000 jobs nationwide
in 2011. So it goes without
saying that maintaining those
lands is important.
“We are already seeing wind and
solar play a role in our public lands.
But right now we lack the resources
to balance energy development
with fish and wildlife conservation,”
Curley said. “This bill gives us some
security that as we move forward,
the lands that we as hunters and
anglers value will be protected.”
Bristol Bay: Where Do We
Stand Now?
From Scott Hed, executive director
of the Sportsmen’s Alliance for
Alaska:
“The battle to stop the proposed
Pebble Mine project continues to
gain momentum, with now over 870
continued on next page...
CURRENTS
is incompatible with the existing
resources and economy of Bristol Bay.
AnglingTrade.com / April 2013
hunting and angling groups and
businesses signed onto our efforts in
support.
The EPA recently announced it
plans to have the peer review panel
re-examine the Draft Bristol Bay
Watershed Assessment which has
been updated based on input from
the peer review panel and the public.
They also will open another round
of public comment on the updated
Assessment. They plan to do this
in the next few months. We believe
that this is redundant, and only
delays the protection of this fishery.
As the calendar has turned to 2013,
I wanted to provide a quick snapshot
Our focus is turning to President
of where things stand today, and
Obama and the White House. It is
what needs to happen to push our
efforts across the finish line this year. the President that we must convince
on this issue. He must see that
As you may know, the EPA issued
protecting Bristol Bay is good for
its Draft Bristol Bay Watershed
fishing and hunting, it’s good for
Assessment last spring. Over
American jobs, it’s what the science
230,000 public comments were
suggests be done, and it’s within
submitted (with 90%+ in favor
EPA’s power and responsibility to do
of EPA taking action to protect
so. It must be done sooner, rather
Bristol Bay and its incredible fish
than later.
and wildlife resources, as well as the
thousands of jobs that are dependent We are sending this message to the
upon them) and a panel of 12 expert White House directly, but we are
also calling on Senators from states
scientists reviewed the Draft. The
Draft concluded that even under the where we’ve got a lot of support –
best-case-scenario (if something the asking the Senators to contact the
size and scale of Pebble Mine could White House and urge them to move
now to protect Bristol Bay.
be built and operated in a place
like Bristol Bay, and do so safely
If you happen to be in contact with
over its lifespan), there would still
your Senators in the coming months,
be significant impacts to the region
please let them know directly how
and its fishery resources. In fact,
important this issue is to America’s
even under those rosy assumptions,
sportsmen and women. With
up to 87 miles of salmon streams
your help, and with your Senators’
and 4,300 acres of salmon wetland
support, we can win what will likely
habitat would be destroyed. It only
be viewed as the signature fishery
gets worse if there are problems,
conservation battle of our lifetime.
ranging from small to large, during
the construction and/or operation
Shannon’s Fly and Tackle
of the mine.
receives TU’s first Gold Level
Nomination
We believe that this document shows
what we’ve known all along. That
a large-scale mining operation
14
Unless you’re from central New Jersey, you may not know Jim Holland,
George Cassa, Eric Hildebrant Jr.
and the crew at Shannon’s Fly and
Tackle. And that’s too bad, because
you’d like these guys. They’re people
who live for fishing, and what’s
more, these guys care a lot about
their home water. They’ve proven
that where it counts - out there in
the stream, or in their case, in the
South Branch of the Raritan, the
Musconetcong and the Pequest Rivers near Califon, NJ. That’s what
prompted the Trout Unlimited’ s
Ken Lockwood Chapter to nominate
them as TU’s first “Gold Level” TU
Endorsed Business for their ongoing
commitment to conservation in New
Jersey and their long-time partnership with the chapter in creating and
protecting cold, clean, fishable water
for future generations.
The TU Endorsed Business program is the offspring of TU’s old
“Outfitters Guides and Businesses”
program, a cooperative marketing
deal for outfitters, fly shops, lodges
and others in the angling business.
In exchange for advertising in print
and online, plus a drift boatload of
other benefits, the business becomes
a partner with TU in promoting
conservation. Gold Level members
go one step farther through involvement with local chapters, councils or
TU National. Walt Gasson, director
of TU Endorsed Businesses says,
“When it comes to going the extra
Orvis Extends Matching Grants
The Orvis Company, Inc. of
Manchester, Vt., announced the
four recipients of its annual Orvis
Customer Matching Grants, two of
whom are continuations from 2012.
The cornerstone of Orvis’ perennial
commitment of 5% of its pre-tax
profits to protecting nature, this year’s
grants are targeted to raise $430,000
or more for these projects, and are
part of a more than $1 million
commitment to conservation and
other philanthropic causes this year.
Orvis has awarded cash grants—
coupled with a challenge to raise
customer contributions up to
equal amounts—to the following
organizations:
• Trout Unlimited, to continue
its multi-year collaboration with
Orvis to establish the Orvis/Trout
Unlimited 1,000 Miles Campaign,
which will reconnect 1,000 miles of
stream passage for fish in watersheds
throughout the United States over
the next several years. Previously
known as the Orvis/Trout Unlimited
Culvert Fund, this project will open
up waterways through the repair,
modification and/or removal of
culverts and other obstructions
which prevent fish from accessing
vital upstream spawning habitat.
• The Petfinder Foundation, for its
programs benefitting animal shelters
and providing homes for rescued
dogs across America. Another
repeat, this program, whose goal
is to ensure that no adoptable pet
is euthanized for lack of a loving
continued on next page...
5 SRP
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HC/SC: $2
DVD: $29.95 SRP
mile for fish and the people who care
about them, nobody does it better
than the guys at Shannon’s.” Good
job, guys.
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A REPUTATION YOU CAN BUILD ON
CURRENTS
home, was so popular with Orvis
customers that it exceeded its goal
twice over in 2012.
• The Stop Pebble Mine campaign
will be Orvis’ top conservation
priority for 2013. “The Pebble Mine
(in Bristol Bay, Alaska), if developed,
would certainly become one of the
worst environmental risks on the
planet and would permanently scar,
if not destroy one of America’s
most majestic natural resources,”
said Orvis CEO Perk Perkins. Orvis
will partner with Trout Unlimited
in their campaign to convince
Washington and the EPA to block
the Pebble Mine.
• The Battersea Working Dogs
Programme is Orvis’ first ever
matching grant in the UK, where
the company has more than 25
stores, mails approximately 5 million
catalogs a year, and operates a UK
version of its website. This initiative
continues a proud legacy of placing
once unwanted dogs into valuable
service, training animals for police,
security and rescue service as well as
for medical and military assistance.
“I am always gratified, but never
surprised by the willingness of
our customers to contribute
meaningfully to our conservation
efforts,” said David Perkins, vice
chairman of Orvis. “Together over
the years we have achieved some
remarkable results, and that’s why our
commitment of 5% of pre-tax profits
is not only a commitment to protect
nature, but is a commitment to our
customers. Each year, we carefully
select partners whose programs meet
our common goals, and we highly
commend these four outstanding
programs to our customers and to
the general public, through these
matching grants and the year-long,
multi-channel promotional campaigns
we have committed to them.”
Throughout 2013, Orvis will feature
each of the four grant programs
in its catalogs, website, and retail
stores, as well as in other print and
online promotions, social media and
its conservation blog. Each partner
organization will also feature the
grant program in their marketing
channels. These promotional efforts,
coupled with the matching funds
from Orvis, provide a remarkable
opportunity for customers,
organization members and the
general public to amplify their
contribution to the protection of
nature through these programs.
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In addition to the company’s
matching grants, Orvis will donate
over $500,000 this year in smaller
grants to conservation organizations
including The Nature Conservancy,
American Rivers, Theodore
Roosevelt Conservation Partnership,
The Conservation Fund, Atlantic
Salmon Federation, Bonefish-Tarpon
Trust, Ducks Unlimited, Ruffed
Grouse Society, Rare Conservation,
Project Healing Waters, Casting for
Recovery, National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation and others.
Over the past 25 years, Orvis
has raised and contributed in
excess of $14 million for a wide
variety of conservation programs,
from Kodiak Island, Alaska, to
the Florida Everglades; from the
Mountain Gorillas of Rwanda to
the great Coral Triangle of the
South Pacific; and in dozens of vital
fisheries through America and the
world. Details of this and past years’
Orvis Customer Matching Grant
projects can be seen at www.orvis.
com/commitment.
About Trout Unlimited –
The Orvis/TU 1,000 Miles
Campaign
For the second year in a row, Orvis
will make a cash grant of $90,000 to
match its customers’ contributions
up to the same amount, to raise
a total of $180,000 or more. The
Orvis/TU 1,000 Miles Campaign is
dedicated to repairing or modifying
culverts throughout the United
States. Outdated, damaged or
impassable culverts—the passages
that connect streams underneath
roadways everywhere—are a major
threat to all species of trout and
other cold-water fish, often blocking
passage to vital upstream spawning
habitat. Thousands of culverts
around the country need to be
3/14/13 2:44 PM
Stop Pebble Mine
that will most benefit from a
concerted effort to replace culverts. In
2012, the campaign’s inaugural year,
five culvert projects were completed
in Vermont, New Hampshire, Oregon
and Idaho, and five more have been
funded and will start construction
this spring in Massachusetts, Maine,
Virginia, Wisconsin and Idaho. An
estimated ten additional projects
will be funded with the 2013 grant
and fundraising campaign. Both
organizations share a vision for a
sustained, multi-year investment in
the Orvis/TU 1,000 Miles Campaign
with the goal of opening up 1,000
new miles of fishable streams across
the country in the next several years.
Intended for location at the
headwaters of Alaska’s pristine
Bristol Bay, what would be the
world’s largest open pit gold and
copper mine represents one of
the greatest environmental threats
to nature on the planet. Bristol
Bay is home to the world’s largest
sockeye salmon run, which sustains
an entire ecosystem, including
many iconic species such as grizzly
and black bears, bald eagles
and river otter. In a region that
averages one 5.0 earthquake per
year, containment of 10 billion
tons of toxic mine waste behind
proposed earthen dams is far too
great a risk to take. A long-awaited
study by the EPA is due this year,
which is expected to recommend
that action be taken by the White
House under the Clean Water Act
of 1972 to condemn the proposed
Pebble Mine. In addition to its
own financial support, and in
cooperation with a campaign led by
Trout Unlimited, Orvis intends to
elicit the support of its customers,
matching their donations up to
$50,000 for total goal of $100,000,
to champion the cause and take
action in Washington, DC.
People News
Jennings Steps Down from
AFFTA Board
Long-time board member Gary
Jennings announced his retirement
from the seat, after five years of
service. After a career in resort
and hotel development in Florida,
Jennings shifted his attention to
conservation and communication.
He acted as the regional director for
the Coastal Conservation Association
and eventually became the publisher
of Fly Fishing in Salt Waters, a role
he currently holds. With AFFTA,
he served in the positions of vice
chairman, as well as communications
and membership chairs.
Jennings noted the evolution he
witnessed within the industry during
continued on next page...
17
AnglingTrade.com / April 2013
replaced or modified. Compared
with dam removal, these relatively
low-cost, high impact projects,
according to Trout Unlimited
president and CEO Chris Wood,
“make fixing a culvert so that fish
can pass one of the best investments
we can make in trout recovery.”
Funds raised through the Orvis/
TU 1,000 Miles Campaign will go
toward the engineering and repair
or replacement of culverts and
will provide the necessary private
matching funds needed to secure
additional public funding. Each year
TU will determine a list of watersheds
CURRENTS
his noteworthy stint on the board:
“The most marked change since
I became involved with AFFTA is
the way consumers and stores do
business . . . The internet and the way
consumers and dealers do business
has completely changed business
models. Both have more options to
buy elsewhere than ever before.”
David Heller will fill Jennings’
seat. He has served on the board
in the past, bringing a seasoned
perspective to the position.
Heller holds more than 25 years
of experience in the fly fishing
industry. He acted as president
and co-owner of Ross Reels USA/
Ross Worldwide Outdoors and
after selling the company to 3M, he
joined Newdea, Inc. as director of
global development.
Heller was recently named vice
president of sales & marketing at
R.L. Winston Rod Company.
Watt to Rep Winston
Jeff Watt has been appointed
as Winston Rod Company’s
representative for Missouri, Kansas
and Nebraska.
AnglingTrade.com / April 2013
RIO Adds Three to Advisory
Team:
Pete Humphreys is a popular
Michigan river guide and casting
instructor, specializing in swinging
flies for Great Lakes steelhead
on the world famous Muskegon
River. Pete fishes all over the
world including Norway, Scotland
and most of the steelhead rivers
in British Columbia such as the
Dean and the Skeena tributaries.
He is an expert Spey caster and a
respected teacher, demonstrating
casting at Spey gatherings, fishing
shows and teaching Spey schools
in the Midwest. He is one of the
few instructors internationally to
18
hold Federation of Fly Fishers
(FFF) Single, Two-Handed and
Masters Certification and is also an
innovative and avid fly tier.
Topher Browne is a fly casting
instructor and has guided
professionally for trout in the
Rockies and Atlantic salmon in
Quebec. In 2011, Topher published
two books: 100 Best Flies for Atlantic
Salmon and Atlantic Salmon Magic –
which won a Silver Medal for the
Best Sports/Recreation Book of
2012. Topher fishes extensively
for Atlantic salmon in Canada,
Iceland, Norway and Russia and for
steelhead in Oregon, Washington,
Idaho and British Columbia. Topher
is also a professional fly tier whose
flies have appeared in a variety of
magazines and books. He currently
serves as an ambassador for both
Sage and Patagonia.
Taught by his grandfather, Aaron
Jasper picked up a fly rod at the age
of six and has not put it down since.
Aaron presently fishes in excess of
200 days a year and says that his
greatest accomplishment is making
all of his knowledge accessible to
the average angler. In 2006, he
created the website and forum,
www.troutpredator.com, with the
goal of bringing exceptional fishing
information to the average angler.
Aaron has been published dozens of
times in national publications such
as American Angler and Fly Tyer. And
in addition to writing articles he
has released three DVDs on various
facets of nymph fly fishing.
In Memoriam
Frederick W. “Will” Brundick, V,
passed away in a tragic accident
at his home in Crystal River on
the 15th of February, ten days
short of his 33rd birthday. An avid
outdoorsman, and as a licensed
captain, he was a professional
fishing guide on the Nature Coast of
Florida chasing the giant tarpon and
redfish with his fly rod “Grits.” Will
is survived by his best friend, soul
mate and wife, Ditte’, whom he met
while going to school in Tallahassee.
A private memorial service will
be in Crystal River. The family’s
request that donations be made in
the memory of Capt. Will Brundick
to the Tarpon DNA Study, 1600
Ken Thompson Pkwy., Sarasota,
FL 34336, the Coastal Heritage
Museum in Crystal River, or Angels
for Allison in Jacksonville.
We’ve Lost One of the Greatest
Writers This Sport Has Ever
Known
John Henry Merwin, one of
America’s preeminent fishing
writers, died at age 66 on
Wednesday morning, February 20.
He lived near the famous Battenkill
River in Dorset, Vt., and died
peacefully, surrounded by his family,
at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical
Center in Lebanon, N.H.
Veteran fishing editor for Field &
Stream magazine, Merwin caught
everything from piranhas in the
Amazon to Atlantic salmon in
Ireland, where his guide conceded,
“You are an elegant fly caster…
for an American.” He wrote or
edited 15 books on fishing, including
Stillwater Trout, the unparalleled The
New American Trout Fishing, and bestselling Trailside Guide to Fly Fishing.
Born in Norwalk, Conn., on
November 9, 1946, to Eleanor
Treadwell Merwin and Augustus
White Merwin, John grew up
with his two younger brothers,
and said, “This is awful.” He was
soon working to improve it as
managing editor. In 1979, out of his
basement, he launched Rod & Reel
magazine (now Fly Rod & Reel) to
provide content with “a higher level
of intelligence.” He followed that up
with Fly Tackle Dealer, the industry’s
first trade magazine.
John divorced and later married
Martha Poole, the love of his life,
and began a 30-year adventure of
camping, fishing, gardening, and
raising children together. Martha
gave birth to their son, Sam, in 1985.
Thomas and Augustus Jr., in an
old millhouse on a Wilton, Conn.,
family farm, which is now Merwin
Meadows Park.
John started fishing with his father
at age 3 and never stopped. “From
the time Dad put a fishing rod in his
hand, he was obsessed,” say brothers
Tom and Gus. “We all shook our
heads; all he cared about was
fishing.”
After attending the University
of Michigan, and becoming a
newspaper reporter, he married
Angela Pizza in 1970 headed to
Vermont to try his hand at living
simply. Angela gave birth to a
daughter, Emily, in 1974 and a son,
Jason, in 1978. John tended cows,
pigs, and chickens, and backpacked
his young kids to the river to fish. He
was a newspaperman, photographer,
carpenter, organic farmer, and new
father of two. It proved complicated.
Merwin cut his own path into the
fishing industry (and everywhere
else). In the mid-1970s, he picked up
an issue of Fly Fisherman magazine
As executive director of the
American Museum of Fly Fishing
in the mid-1980s, John fished
and worked with the legends of
American angling, editing The
Compleat McClane, The Compleat Lee
Wulff, and The Compleat Schwiebert.
In 1994, he wrote The New American
Trout Fishing—the rare literary how-to
book, linking the refined traditions
of flyfishing writing with the modern
how-to information age. “He spun
tales reminiscent of Robert Traver,
Roderick Haig-Brown, and Thomas
McGuane, while explaining the
sport’s finer points with supreme
clarity,” says Kirk Deeter, Field &
Stream editor-at-large and editor of
Trout magazine. “It is the best modern
book on trout fishing, period.”
That same year, Merwin began an
almost 20-year relationship with
Field & Stream magazine, landing
the coveted title of fishing editor in
continued on next page...
CURRENTS
2003, reporting on every facet
of the sport with fierce honesty.
Gruff, erudite, opinionated,
tireless, and constitutionally
candid, he was a force on the
angling scene, pulling the levers of
the industry from a lawn chair in
rural Vermont.
well as what you didn’t understand
about work and life. “He could be
blunt in his assessments, but that was
just his New England way of saving
time,” says former F&S editor Slaton
White. “In truth, he only played
the curmudgeon; he was a patient,
gentle teacher.”
“John was, quite simply, one of
the most knowledgeable and
experienced all-around anglers in
the world—a genuine expert, but
more: He was the standard-bearer
of integrity in fishing journalism,”
says Anthony Licata, editor of
Field & Stream.
“John had the ability to be friend,
mentor, and father all in one
afternoon of fishing,” says Garden &
Gun editor David DiBenedetto. “His
influence on a generation of writers
and editors, including myself, will be
felt for many years.”
On the river, he was an artist and
teacher, one who could explain
succinctly why your casting stunk, as
John is survived by his wife, Martha;
son Jason, daughter-in-law Milena
and granddaughter Cassandra
(Barnard, Vt.); daughter Emily
(Quincy, Mass.); and son Sam
(Brooklyn, N.Y.); as well as his
brothers Thomas (New York, NY),
and Augustus Jr. (Marlow, N.H.).
He was cremated, and his ashes
sprinkled along the Battenkill. By
John’s request, there was no service.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a
donation in his name to your favorite
fishing or outdoor cause.
The family extends heartfelt thanks
to Doctors Sterling and Gentler
and staff in the ER and ICU at
Southwestern Vermont Medical
Center in Bennington, Vt., and
to Doctors Franklin and Merrens
and staff at Dartmouth-Hitchcock
Medical Center. at
(written by Dave Hurteau)
RECOMMENDED READING
What a Trout Sees, The View From
by (AT editor-at-large) Geoff Mueller
(with photos by AT managing editor
Coal Creek:
Tim Romano, Lyons Press, $24.95,
globepequot.com)
Reflections on Fly
Rods, Canyons,
and Bamboo, by Erin
Why I Fly Fish
, by Chris
Santella (Stewart, Tabori & Chang,
$19.95, abramsbooks.com)
Block (Whitefish Press, $17.50,
whitefishpress.com)
Here’s the fundamental question
that floats through every trout angler’s mind: “What is really going
on under the river surface?” And
while many (myself included) have
donned the scuba mask and taken
a look, then tried to impart some
practical fishing advice, I contend
that nobody has pulled off the
complete lesson with more aplomb
and effect than Geoff Mueller does.
I wear my affection for Erin Block’s
writing talents on my sleeve. I
first took notice of her work when
reading her “Mysteries Internal”
weblog, and have decided that
Erin doesn’t just talk the talk… she
walks the walk (as a writer first,
then angler). She lives (and fishes)
the high country to the fullest, and
shares the raw emotions therein
with exceptional eloquence.
Chris Santella has done more to
tease angler’s fancy on the exotic
and exciting “wheres” of this sport
than anyone (by way of his Fifty
Places to Fly Fish Before You Die, and
the Fifty More sequel), but now he’s
landed squarely on the “why.”
As a regular contributor of flyfishing stories to the New York Times,
he’s better positioned to do that
than most.
The premise of this book, as with
all of Santella’s work, is straightforward. He asks a number of people,
ranging from familiar angling personalities (like Lefty Kreh) to (other) writers, actors, sports heroes,
politicos and business icons, exactly
what makes fly fishing special for
them. The answers from some may
surprise your customers. This book
reinforces a common bond that has
many of us standing in wild places,
waving long sticks at fish. And it’s
a natural-born seller for fly shops. at
*Excerpted with permission from
TROUT magazine.
21
AnglingTrade.com / April 2013
The world is filled with “how-to”
books. And some stand the test
of time, while others prove to be
what they really are—topic-du-jour
treatises meant to move paper at a
price. But there really is no better
angling lesson to be learned than
the “Be the Fish” lesson. It will
vault anglers up the learning curve
faster than any other. Mueller’s
writing is crisp and honest, and
Tim Romano’s images make the
whole thing pop. What a Trout Sees is
a flat-out must.
Small streams in the high country
and bamboo angling culture are
topics best reserved for grizzled
old men who brag about wearing
the same rubber hip boots they
bought in the mid 1970s, right?
Well… maybe not. Some of the
best writing on the angling “soul” is
being produced by a woman who’s
younger than those hippers, and
willing to bear her feelings with
clean, insightful prose in a way
that most graybeards haven’t quite
figured out.
feature
Next Stop:
Unknown
An evolving fly-fishing world, according to Oliver White
AnglingTrade.com / April 2013
Written by Geoff Mueller
22
The bus is a packed cherry-red double-decker en route from Buenos
Aires to the Ibera Wetlands in northeastern Argentina. Oliver White,
all gangly 6-foot-3 of him, is sprawled out to my left. I throw him an
elbow on the off chance he might turn over and regale me with stories,
ranging from Siberian chopper missions to prehistoric arapaima in the
jungles of Guyana. But it’s a no-go. The dude is passed out. I holster my
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voice recorder for the time being and follow suit. We
awaken the next morning in the town of Mercedes.
Families cruise dusty streets on motorcycles. Small
children ride their parents’ laps in shotgun position.
The world looks different here. But it’s the anomalies
that keep White pining for the next adventure.
AnglingTrade.com / April 2013
By now you’ve likely heard the name. The rakish
33-year-old was profiled in Forbes last year, an
article detailing his moves from Jackson fishing
guide to Bahamas lodge owner via a chance hookup with hedgefund wizard Bill Ackman. White has
become the fly-fishing face of Costa Sunglasses, his
lanky silhouette casting
tight loops across azure
oceanscapes as part of
recent ad campaigns.
Or you may have caught
him on the big screen,
wrestling 200+ pound river
monsters as a member
of the trailblazing crew
that brought Guyana
conservation efforts to the
forefront in the acclaimed
film Jungle Fish.
fish. He began guiding to support the habit and
upon graduating from UNC he continued the gig,
foreshadowing a career he never anticipated.
“Guiding was my way to be outside and explore and
as soon as I got into the destination travel part of it, I
just kept getting sucked back in,” White says.
In addition to the emprise, White enjoyed the personal
interactions, where he sourced intellectual stimulation
from chance meetings with a string of dynamic
characters. Being a fishing guide put him on a level
playing field with high-caliber clients, allowing him
to shoot-the-shit with
a CEO of a Fortune 50
company, for instance,
just like he’s a normal
guy.
“Your goal isn’t to get a
job or make yourself look
better,” White explains.
“You want clients to have
a good time. You want
them to catch fish. And
you want to impart some
knowledge. It’s one of the
few times they are not the
expert… and a kid from
college is.”
In a short time, White
has catapulted onto the
scene—a curiosity in a
graying world of fly-fishing celebrity. Low-key, downto-earth, and all business, the philosophy-majorcome-globetrotting-lodge-operator fishes more than
most. This particular three-week mission started in
Patagonia for sea-runs and will end in dorado-laden
waters. Upon return, there is scheduled downtime
at his home in Boone, North Carolina, followed by a
stint in the Bahamas to plan for upcoming seasons in
Abaco and South Andros. Venezuela is next on the
itinerary. Then surf camp
in Costa Rica. The list goes on. At the core of it all is
the drive to make an impact and it’s been a journey in
the making.
White found himself in a similar scenario in 2003, a
college kid with an advanced degree in the sea-run
trout of the Rio Grande. The star pupil, of course,
was hedgefund manager Bill Ackman, and they hit it
off. Ackman
had never seen a fish outside an aquarium. White
delivered a 20-pound brown into his neophyte hands.
Exactly one year later, they were working under the
same Manhattan roof—a role reversal that propelled
White into the shark-tank. Ackman saw something in
the kid. White—with no economic training—hung up
waders, shelled out for a suit, and pounced on an Ivy
League opportunity.
White started fly-fishing life as shop rat in Boone.
He waded his first Bahamas flat at as a teenager and
was captivated by clear blue waters and powerful
Today, White has fond memories of fast times in the
Big City. As a multi-million-dollar business analyst
he picked up a few tricks along during his two-year
24
immersion. He is adept at crunching numbers and
evaluating profit potential, and he’s parlayed those
skills into successful operations abroad. Five years
later, his outlook on the fly-fishing industry is positive,
but also hardened to a degree due to unforeseen
elements—from hurricanes to lawsuits to downturns—
that can upend margins in a blink.
Riding the economic instability of recent times, with
many destination entities claiming booking declines
of upwards of 30 percent, White is seeing a return
to normalcy and a solid annual uptick. The reasons
are two-fold: those with the means to book a $5,000
week of bonefishing at Abaco Lodge have been
generally less effected when it comes to spending
power. The other stems from the fact those who fish—
no matter what their bank statements say—continue
to feed the impulse. The game, too, is in flux. In a
saturated market, weaker businesses have folded and
consolidated. And the model for success, according to
White, has changed.
“The days of being a passionate, great angler making
you a lucrative commodity are long gone. The
difference is the guys with the passion and aptitude
also need to have business savvy. I think you’ll find the
players just keep getting stronger and stronger.”
This culling of ineptitudes can be seen as a positive
across the board, especially in service-based areas of
this industry. But if the end goal is to see more sticks in
the river and on the poling platform, it’s time for tuneups elsewhere. As someone who still dabbles in the
guiding arena, White sees the role as critical in making
the sport more attainable.
If guides and shops are critical to demystifying fly
fishing, there’s still something to be said for the
“In addition to fly shops and guides the film industry
has been a real catalyst,” White says. “The film tours
are selling out in all locations and really have reach.
It’s fly fishers bringing their friends and it’s new people
getting exposed to something they otherwise wouldn’t
have seen because it’s cool.”
Film is a great vehicle for exposure and White knows
the results first-hand. With his face on the billboard,
so to speak, he says segueing into a media persona has
been daunting, but it’s an important facet in redefining
his role as a rod-toting ambassador.
“It makes you more conscious of how you want to
portray yourself and the message you want to convey,”
White says. “I want people to see that fly fishing is fun
and that you can do it forever. I’ve guided guys in
their 90s and it goes to show that this is a life-long
sport. The conservation message is also critical. The
answer is to protect these places so they exist beyond
us, in perpetuity.
“Whether you vote with your dollars or with your
feet, whatever you’re capable of committing is
important. If all of us carry a little of the load, we
can get a lot done.”
So far, White is comfortable with hefty freight.
He’s currently busy exploring potential business
opportunities, including lodges in Mexico and
Montana to add to the arsenal. He’s traveling and
shooting with Confluence Films this spring. And
fishing remains the top priority, adding more miles to
a bursting passport mostly because it’s fun, it can be
done, and in that lies the ultimate message. at
25
AnglingTrade.com / April 2013
“It’s hard to be a newbie in the sport,” White says,
“showing up in Bozeman, walking into a fly shop, and
expecting to get the best guide. Those individuals are
booked-up well in advance. And often the guy you get
stuck with often has no business taking you out. That’s
the disservice in the industry—the people that need
the most help are getting the wrong help. Try to go
fishing in the Keys with Steve Huff. For most, those
opportunities just don’t exist.”
mystery or elusive nature of the sport. The adventure
travel movement, perhaps, embodies those elements
best. We consume exotic on the big screen and are
compelled to venture out and experience it. Being part
of Jungle Fish allowed White to breathe that potential
from two distinct angles—behind the screen as a
player in motivating indigenous communities toward
fisheries conservation and sustainable economic
development. And on the other side of the ticket,
selling the adventure lifestyle to a new breed. Film,
White says, is a key component in propelling a younger
base to back up an ever-aging clientele.
feature
Case History:
Inside Royal Treatment Fly Fishing photo: Dale La Follette
Making Your Own Tide Rise
Royal Treatment Fly Fishing Bucks the Trend
AnglingTrade.com / April 2013
Written by Pinky Gonzales
26
In the late fall of 2010, Joel La Follette took on a challenge few would deem sensible. He opened a fly shop
in the depth of the Great Recession, during a time of
tremendous change in the industry and in the face of
increasing competition for customers, both online and
across town. And yet, “after three Christmases,” as he
puts it, Royal Treatment Fly Fishing is not only surviving
in West Linn, Oregon, it is thriving and helping to raise
awareness and appreciation for fly fishing throughout the
entire region.
continued on next page...
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feature
Because he is famous for his weekly
newsletters that cover everything from
fishing reports to customer photos, tips
on tying and lists of upcoming events,
I expected La Follette to gush about
his outreach efforts as the source of
Royal Treatment’s continuing success
when I interviewed him.
“It’s quite the opposite,” said Joel.
“The fly shop has become a social
destination for a lot of people, and
the newsletter is just informing them
what’s going on this week. We’ve
always tried to be a welcoming place.
It says ‘Welcome Home’ on the door,
and we mean that. So, when people
come in and they’re asked, ‘Do you
want a cup of coffee?’ (Saturdays we
have homemade cookies in here),
what’s not to love about that?”
that the future of our sport is based
upon new anglers joining and it’s not
so much the ‘saving all the secret spots
for myself.’”
For the “fly-curious,” as we all once
were, it can be overwhelming to learn
the many new terms, grasp the role
and function of each piece of equipment and eventually get to a point
where you’re making your own decisions on what to use and where. The
shop that gets excited when a newbie
walks in the door will be the shop that
builds a great reputation with a loyal
customer over the long run.
To my surprise, La Follette’s philosophy even extends to his direct competition. After personally having had a
“I think we’re all in this business
together,” he said. “There are no secrets. Somebody’s figured it out before
you. Or maybe you have rediscovered
something, but someone else is going
to come along and do the same thing.
“What we need to do is to work—obviously to promote our businesses as
best as possible, but we need to also
make sure that the health of other
businesses like ours is strong because
they’re also creating fly anglers.”
They say a rising tide floats all boats.
It’s the phenomenon that occurs when
a group of people band together to
build a whole scene out of a common
interest, a community. La Follette
reinforces the point by telling the story
La Follette’s approach embodies the
true purpose of marketing. It should
be an expression of who you already
are and what you already do. It’s relatively easy to amplify the good things
a business has going on, but those who
struggle to keep customers coming
back or who sacrifice in-person service
for online opportunities are missing
the point.
I asked Joel to dig a little deeper into
the role of communication in building
a business from scratch.
AnglingTrade.com / April 2013
“I think that the fly-fishing industry
as a whole has gotten an elitist label.
It’s important that shops that are
really serious about being successful
overcome that and try to make their
shop and their offerings as userfriendly as possible.
“All of us in the industry need to
remember that we are making a living doing something we absolutely
love, and there are a few people that
understand that and pay it back by
volunteering their time or sharing in
a class session… they also understand
28
disappointing experience at another local
establishment recently, I ribbed him for
some “off the record” commentary on
the “folks across the way.” His response?
of a friend who owns a shop down in
Salem, Oregon.
“He called me recently and needed
something for a customer that was
not available,” he said. “I happened
to have it, so we did a trade. He’s
happy, I’m happy and his customer
is happy. In the end, that’s what’s
important—not necessarily making a sale personally, but making
sure that the fly-fishing customer
is happy no matter where they’re
shopping. Maybe it’s a dated philosophy, but I think it’s a philosophy
that found a home in simpler times
and I think there are people today
that gravitate to that.”
And how can a modern-day fly shop
owner compete with the instantly
accessible aftermarket available online or through similar shops selling
the same things in a virtual world?
“You know, the thing is, if you
build a customer base that is loyal
to your business, they’re going to
come to you. I find that there are
going to be people that think price
is all there is. Well, that’s fine. One
day they will understand, when
their little neighborhood fly shop
goes away because they didn’t support it, that maybe you were getting
some value. I don’t feel ‘in competition’ with the online retailers.”
That’s not to say that La Follette is
oblivious to the value of a professional web presence.
“We’re working on our own
online presence, but what we’re
trying to do with that is to make
it the same experience as when
you’re in the shop.”
www.millstreamproducts.com/
2013catalog.pdf
Millstream
®
[email protected]
603-647-4003
street address. For someone who finds
the site while doing some research
or planning a trip to the area, this is
a warm and welcoming first impression. Some folks still prefer the phone,
and during business hours at least,
someone is always on hand to pick up
within a ring or two.
For those stalkers who prefer to glean
their insights from the shadows, the
site delivers there, as well. From the
always-up-to-date Special Events
page to the auto-delivered Current
Conditions section. But here’s a pro
tip: If you want in on that worldfamous newsletter, be sure to join the
list. Archived versions are eventually
posted on the site, but for all the latebreaking action, it’s your inbox you’ll
want to keep an eye on.
Rounding things out are a collection
of photographs taken on various
rivers in the area organized by place,
species and special events. These are
features you would expect to find on
any quality fly shop website, and yet,
it’s amazing how often the simple
things get overlooked in the course of
everyday business.
Royal Treatment isn’t slouching
when it comes to social media,
either. Boasting nearly 700 local
anglers and an above-average engagement from customers, Royal
Treatment’s Facebook page serves as
a place to extend the lines of communications between the company and
its customers.
Like everything else that drives La
Follette, when it comes to promoting
his business, it simply comes down to
sharing the experience. “What I have
found throughout my career fishing
is that if you have a particular spot
that holds fish consistently and you
remember the features of those spots
or what makes that spot special, you
can apply that same intelligence to
another river and another time,”
he said.
What better way to summarize the
Royal Treatment approach to customer communication, education
and outreach? The shop owner who
caters to an ever-learning customer
base, uses technology to reinforce who
the company is and what it does, and
understands that serving the collective
whole will result in more customers
for everyone will be the one who succeeds—even in a down economy and in
the face of stiff competition.
For more about Royal Treatment Fly Fishing, visit royaltreatmentflyfishing.com. at
29
AnglingTrade.com / April 2013
That sounds like a pretty sensible
approach, but let’s take a look at
how that unfolds on their official
website, RoyalTreatmentFlyFishing.
com. For starters, right smack in
the middle of the home page is an
invitation to visit the shop in person,
complete with a phone number and
IT’S
TIME!
feature
Going Beyond the Auction
Innovative Fund-Raising Events Can Help Conserve
Resources and Bring You Closer to Customers
Written by Chris Santella
AnglingTrade.com / April 2013
The Bug Launcher—A Casting
Golf Course
I’m frequently asked by my angling friends to attend auctions
that help to support the various
conservation organizations in
my region—WaterWatch, Native Fish Society, Western Rivers
Conservancy, the Freshwater
Trust, among others. I used to
try to attend at least a few each
year, spreading around what
little largesse I had to spare.
More recently, I’ve taken to donating a few books if invited—
or making a note to remember
said organizations during their
end-of-year donation outreach.
Maybe it’s one too many rubbery
chicken breasts and half thawed
out cheesecakes.
Maybe’s it one too many shadowboxes
of elegantly tied steelhead patterns.
Such events even have the potential to
be fun!
30
Maybe it’s too many similar affairs for
my kids’ school and soccer teams.
Let’s face it: I’m suffering from auction
fatigue. And I bet I’m not alone.
Still, the conservation organizations that
help protect the waters that we rely on
for our livelihoods need every dollar they
can scare up to keep moving forward.
New grass-roots, money-making ideas
can inject new interest into fund-raising
efforts, and create an event where retailers and guides can rub elbows with
clients in a relaxed social atmosphere,
building closer ties.
Mike McCoy, a retired school teacher
in Glide, Oregon, spends much of his
time fishing for and guiding anglers to
steelhead on the North Umpqua, which
literally runs through his front yard.
Looking for a way to give back to the
fisheries organizations that are doing
good work, he came upon the idea of
the Bug Launcher—a fly casting event
he’s hosted on his property the past four
summers. “Beyond getting someone
to write a check for an organization, I
think that it’s more important to engage
a number of people about our fisheries,” he said. “The only way to have a
meaningful impact—to save what we
hold dear—is in gathering more people
around the fishery.”
BUsiness:
www.TU.org/TUe
Become a TU Become
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B Usin es
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T U . o r g /T U e
feature
to fit the course to what they have. You
can do it in a park, on a football field;
you just have to be able to set up targets.”
The first three years of the Bug Launcher, proceeds went to the Native Fish
Society. The $800 raised from the 2012
event went to the Wild Steelhead Coalition. “We had about 30 participants
this past year,” McCoy added. “I have a
finite amount of space, so it can’t get too
much bigger, though I could probably
accommodate 50 guests. I promoted
the Bug Launcher through personal
invitations and flyers in local fly shops.
My wife and I invested about $200 for
the barbecue. I’m happy to make that
donation, and the fly-fishing people that
come by are fun to be around. I think it’s
a positive experience for everyone.”
AnglingTrade.com / April 2013
The Carp Slam
One Saturday in July, McCoy sets up
a 13 “hole” fly-casting course (this past
year with the help of his granddaughter).
The hole is a hoop; participants get five
casts (with a bit of yarn in lieu of a fly)
from three different “tee boxes” at each
casting station to hit the target. You are
assessed a “stroke” for the number of
casts it takes to land the yarn in hoop
from each tee. (For example: if you land
the yarn in the target on your second cast
from the blue tee, on the third cast from
the white tee and on the fourth cast from
the red tee, your score is 9 for the given
hole. If you fail to land any casts in the
hoop from a tee, your score is 6.) Some
of the holes require back casts through
gaps in the brush or presentations that
drop below overhanging branches.
Some of the holes are anchored in the
river; during one Bug Launcher event, a
steelhead came up and grabbed a yarn
ball that was outside the target! (It seems
the participant should’ve been awarded
some extra credit.) Guests donate whatever they wish to participate; Mike and
his wife Jan keep the grill going with hot
dogs and hamburgers and keep the cool32
ers stocked with beer and soda. Prizes—
including a rod (donated by TFO) and
some original artwork—are awarded to
the players with the two lowest scores.
“With the river right here, I have a pretty
special piece of terrain to work with,”
McCoy continued, “though you can do
it anywhere. People in other locales have
If you’ve ever been to Denver, you’ve
likely seen the South Platte. In its upper
stretches, the river is regarded as one of
the Front Range’s finest trout streams;
in town, it’s historically been treated as a
sewer. Despite the abuse it’s received, a
handful of local anglers have long known
that the South Platte fostered life…
and believed it could get better. “Most
Denverites didn’t think of the river as a
fishery,” Todd Fehr, treasurer and past
president of Denver Trout Unlimited,
recalled. “We thought that the right
event could help change that perception. When two members, Tim Emory
and Fred Miller, suggested a carp-fishing
tourney on the South Platte, I thought it
was crazy. This was in 2006, very long
ago in carp years. Casting flies for carp
was an underground sport then. But we
didn’t have any other ideas.”
fishery through feature stories in the
Denver Post, among other media outlets.
Even Mayor (now Governor) Hickenlooper has attended the event, acting as
kickoff speaker in 2010.
So the Carp Slam was born.
Put on a Show!
The Carp Slam is a one-day, pro-am
tournament held each August along
two miles of river in downtown Denver. Fifteen teams (one amateur angler,
one guide) fish one of 15 beats; winners
are determined by the total number of
inches of carp brought to hand. Funds
are raised through a combination of
entrance fees (each team member must
raise a minimum of $250) and sponsorships; lead sponsors, Wells Fargo and
Trout’s Fly Fishing, have been involved
since the early days. “Getting sponsors is
a laudable goal, but it’s tough for a parttime organization like Denver TU,” Fehr
continued. “We don’t want to always
have our hand out. Will Rice, one of our
local carp enthusiasts (and now director
of marketing at Trout’s Fly Fishing) came
up with the idea of social fund-raising
around the event. [Participants get
friends/colleagues to donate to support
their efforts.] It was a major component
of our Carp Slam revenue this year.”
Chances are you know someone in your
local fishing community who has a little
garage band. Maybe a few people.
Why not get a few of these garage
bands together and put on a show? (It
always worked for Mickey Rooney and
Judy Garland.)
By almost any assessment, the Carp
Slam has been a huge success. Tourney
slots sell out months before the event.
In 2012, more than $25,000 was raised
to address improvements to the urban
sections of the South Platte. Trout’s
is selling more carp-fishing gear yearround, thanks to the spotlight shed on the
local fishery. And hundreds of thousands
of greater Denver residents have been
exposed to the river’s possibilities as a
“The Carp Slam helps get more people
using the river,” Fehr added. “The more
people who use it, the more people will
care about it. People need urban places
to experience fishing if they’re going to
be encouraged to explore further away
places. It starts at home.”
That’s exactly what I did last year with
angling writer (and sometime drummer)
Rick Hafele. We found a music venue in
Portland that had a day with no bands
booked—enlisted the support of our
bandmates (Garry Meziere & Tomorrow
for Rick, Catch & Release for me) and
made the gig. Guests donated $8 at the
door (which all went to Water Watch and
Native Fish Society) and bought their
own drinks (which made it worthwhile
for the bar, which would otherwise have
been closed). We promoted the event
(“Rock ‘n Roll for Fish and Water”)
through our networks of friends and on
a few Portland-area, fly-fishing oriented
bulletin boards.
It was no 12-12-12. But we had about
50 guests and raised $200 for each of the
conservation organizations… and got
to see some of our fishing friends gather
together off the stream. at
feature
Knowing Your Customers
One Transaction at a Time
Beyond POS and CRM (Point of Sale and Customer Relationship Management)
Written by Steve Schweitzer
Do you think you are
“Next Gen” customer and
sales savvy? Then take
this simple five-point test
to find out.
1. At my cash-wrap POS, I can:
a. Ring up a sale, but sometimes the
SKU isn’t in our database or the
system says I have no inventory.
POS means Piece of S*** to me.
b. See my customer’s key dashboard
facts at a glance including last
purchase and purchase history.
c. Walk around my store with my
customer and ring up sales as I
consult with him/her.
2. My website sales are:
AnglingTrade.com / April 2013
a. Insignificant to my overall sales.
b. Growing and/or difficult to
manage.
c. Integrated into my POS and
CRM customer accounts.
34
3. When new customers
purchase from me, I:
a. Say thanks and hope they come
back.
b. Ask them a few questions about
their needs, and hopefully
remembering to and hope I
remember for next time.
c. Send out an email or letter
welcoming new customers,
possibly including a coupon for
their next purchase.
4. How social media savvy
are you?
a. I’m in kindergarten: I may have a
Facebook or Twitter account but
rarely use it.
b. I’m in 6th grade: I have an
account and I log in to LOL with
friends.
c. I’m a high school senior: I have
an account and I use it to chat it
up with my friends and recruit
them into my activities.
5. Mobililty is:
a. B
eing able to get out of bed in
the morning.
b. “A” new high-grade gasoline.
c. T
he new way customers prefer to
research and buy.
It’s a simple and obvious test. If
you answered A for most all of
the questions, you have ample
opportunity to develop new sales
channels and bolster old ones. If
you answered mostly “B”, you are
somewhat aware, but maybe scared
of the time or cost investment to go
to the next level. If you answered
mostly “C”, you are a thought
leader and early adapter of the Next
Gen CRM, which is knowing your
customer one transaction at a time.
Next Gen CRM & POS
Integration Defined
Next Gen CRM & POS integration
is not about integrating the apps
together on a PC at your cash
wrap. That was done a decade
ago. Next Gen CRM/POS is about
going to the customer, where the
greater cash flow. One of the most
critical attributes to know about a
customer is how likely they will be to
advertise for you via word of mouth?
In other words, how can you track
your customer’s happiness quotient
when he’s (she’s) not shopping in your
store? Before social media tracking
this was difficult; today it is easier.
Simply integrate a healthy social media
campaign that continually solicits
feedback from your customers.
customer wants to buy and when
the customer wants to buy. It’s
about using social media to capture
customer habits. It’s about using
your web sales channel as a virtual
cash wrap. It’s about following
around new customers (virtually
speaking) like you are their shadow.
In the 80’s and 90’s CRM was a
buzzword that inflicted sores on
shop owners like a cheap saddle on
a trail mule. Today, CRM isn’t just
an app that integrates with your
POS, it’s a much larger animal
that requires integration of many
outside and often free sources that
capture customer attributes and
habits. Social media channels and
mobile devices are at the forefront
of the Next Gen CRM mindset.
Example: Let’s say you just ran a
shop promotion that discounted last
year’s inventory to make way for new
inventory purchases this year. It was
a smashing success. You had the
store packed each day and most old
inventory was cleared out making
way for new. But we all know that
customers are not loyal, and are fickle
at best. Did the customers walk away
telling their friends they got a steal of a
deal or did they walk out saying that’s a
great fly shop?
Let’s look at three different ways
Next Gen CRM can help your fly
shop compete in today’s fast-paced
consumer-driven world.
1. Integration of POS, Web
Sales, Loyalty Programs,
Communications Plans
is really a commoditized product
within a good POS system today.
If you don’t have a current POS/
CRM system, consider upgrading
before moving onto the next
steps. Leading-edge CRM systems
consider the implications of
social media such as Twitter and
Facebook.
2. Social CRM—Social Media
as a CRM tool
Where POS is all about tracking
sales and inventory, CRM is all
about tracking customers’ habits and
the cash flow they provide you. A
happy customer equals more wordof-mouth advertising , which equals
continued on next page...
35
AnglingTrade.com / April 2013
The first step to becoming Next
Gen CRM savvy is to lay a core
foundation capable of supporting
future, more advanced ways of
capturing and keeping customers.
This means ensuring all your
sales channels feed your POS
consistently and near real-time.
Web sales should integrate into
your POS. Administration of sales,
discounts, coupons and loyalty
programs should all be centralized
in your POS. The acid test is if
you can see all-things-sales about
your customer base in one system,
then you are on the right track.
Now, this all assumes that your
POS has CRM capabilities built
within, as most do today—CRM
Measuring the customer happiness
quotient is easier with social media,
and less invasive than going directly to
the customer with a mostly ineffective
and time-eating follow-up phone call
or email blast. Post something on
your Twitter and Facebook accounts
soliciting feedback about your recent
big sales bash. Monitor the comments.
If you have captured the Twitter and
Facebook accounts of your customers,
or have “friended” them, there are
plenty of free or near-free web-based
apps to monitor keywords across your
friend base looking for comments
about your shop, sale, event, etc. It’s
like being their shadow, even at night.
You’ll quickly be able to monitor if
your customers are providing you
word-of-mouth gold or grit.
feature
• Blogs are important; but take work.
An outdated blog is like an expired
coupon – worthless.
3. Mobility – The Way Customers
See It
Social CRM for Fly Shops
• Don’t waste your money with
Groupon or LivingSocial. Giving
away margin at the expense of
volume isn’t a sound principle.
• Receipts should have website,
Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter
contacts printed on them.
How many times have you seen
a customer on their smart phone
checking prices on a product you
carry? I admit I am one of them.
Online stores have changed the face of
customer relationships, even right in
your shop as they peruse your inventory.
Information is power. A customer can
click on a smart phone, scan a barcode
and know more about the products you
are selling than you do. Exceptionally
agile customer service is the willingness
to learn what information is out there
and committing it to memory, or at least
knowing quickly how to retrieve it on
your customer’s behalf.
• Use Facebook and Twitter as instant
consumer feedback channels.
If you only take one thing away
from this article, note this: the
Pictured: Key West Permit.
Reel in hand: Nautilus NV G-9.
Photo by Sam Root 2010.
®
MADE FOR THE SEAS.
NOT OVERSEAS.
smart phone is the new face of
engagement: Forrester Research
published a study in 2012 that
predicted there will be one billion
smart phones worldwide by 2016—
in the US alone, 257 million smart
phones and 126 million tablets.
Having a retail operation that
supports mobility requires some
planning upfront. Mobility requires:
• A wireless backbone in your shop;
necessary for the next two items.
• Can your POS be ported over to a
mobile device or tablet? Can you
follow your customer around the
store, ringing up sales and doing
research for him/her?
• Storage and transactions become
cloud-based. You can retrieve your
store results anytime, anywhere.
Seven Parting Thoughts
1. Have a system… it doesn’t
have to be fancy. Keep track of
your customer’s buying habits—
knowing what and when he/she
buys, and how (what method he/
she prefers).
2. Develop analytics that
mean something. Analytics
capabilities don’t add value. It’s
the actual analyses that deliver
the value. Take the time to study
and know your data. Define
customer segments on value, not
on the antiquated income level or
age slicers. Bucketize customers
based on these value buckets
using your own value parameters:
Premier, Preferred, Potential,
Core, Basic, Infrequent. Build a
strategy to migrate each bucket
of customers to the next higher
level up; don’t try to migrate all
customers all the time.
3. Define customers based upon
their progress to repetitive
loyalty (traditional marketing
funnel). What stage is each of
your customers in: Awareness >
Consider > Purchase >Usage
>Loyalty?
4. Build a relationships plan for
#3. Reach out to the customer
when the customer typically won’t
stop in or buy—give them reason to
stop in. This means you must have
the customer’s contact info: address,
phone number, email address, twitter
account, Facebook account, etc.
5. Develop a predictive engine
from your collective POS and
CRM data. With just a year’s
worth of POS and basic CRM data
(ensuring you cover a full seasonal
cycle) you have all that you need
to build predictions on how your
customers will behave in the future.
6. Use Social CRM: Monitor
and continuously deepen the
relationship; customer loyalty is
developed based upon how well you
respond to your customer’s needs
and how well you can predict their
needs in the future (goes beyond
suggestive selling).
7. Build a baseline: So you think
you deliver good customer service…
have you asked your customers?
Survey them. Know where you are
and what you need to strengthen.
Yes, this all takes work – and lots of
it. Successful retailers invest the time
and the effort employing many of the
tactics above. The result is knowing
your customer one transaction at a
time and building a loyal following
along the way.
Besides being chief gumshoe for AT, author
Steve Schweitzer is a process management
consultant, where he learns of corporate
challenges and translates them into lessons
for the fly-fishing industry. at
BACKCAST
to criminal trespass offense on public
waters that flow through private
property—with the exception of
anchor-free floating.
Utah Will Set
a Precedent
Rallying for progressive
public access across
the nation
Written by Geoff Mueller
AnglingTrade.com / April 2013
Stream access. It’s something we
harp on a lot around here. And with
good reason. When rights to public
waters come under fire, the effects
ripple through the whole sphere.
Shrinking public access kills recreational
opportunity, strips away community,
stresses bottom lines and, more than
anything, offers a great reason to fight.
The public access battleground is far
reaching, but as of late, it continues to
come back to Utah. Earlier this year
the Utah Stream Access Coalition
(USAC) made us aware of HB68, a
backdoor attempt by Rep. Kay L. McIff
to entrench a preexisting bill aimed
at barring public access to more than
400 rivers and waterways in the state.
The USAC has been busy challenging
HB141 via two separate court cases.
Should HB68 have passed, those
lawsuits would have died, making fly
fishers, such as you and I, susceptible
38
Moreover, should Utah legislators
adopt a worst-case scenario mindset,
it opens the doors for other states to
follow. (Similar public access-prohibitive
legislation is already on the table in
South Dakota, for instance.) On Friday
Feb. 15, however, it was good news
streaming from the Hill, with more than
200 fly fishers stepping up to rally for
the access cause. HB68 was withdrawn
and the USAC’s compromise bill
is finding traction in the form of
sponsorship by Rep. Dixon Pitcher,
introducing legislation modeled after
Idaho measures that allow anglers to
access navigable public streams.
While penning this article, USAC
board member Chris Barkey called
me from his home to lay it out.
Having just returned from Capitol
Hill, huddling with legislators
behind closed doors, and after
cracking a beer and taking a second
to decompress, he relayed that
HB68 was at the time stuck in rules
committee.
fortunate to have a passionate group
like USAC fighting the good fight. But
on a national level there’s much more
that could be done to secure waters for
future generations of anglers.
Next door in the climbing world, where
good crags remain hot commodities
across the country, the Access Fund
was formed in 1991. Building on
strength in numbers, the national
advocacy organization represents more
than 2.3 million climbers nationwide,
with a mission to keep climbing areas
open and conserve the climbing
environment. The fund takes a multipronged approach, providing guidance,
education, and resources to local groups.
In special circumstances, it’s also in
the business of acquiring and holding
property on behalf of the climbing
community. These are all novel ideas,
highly applicable to the greater flyfishing community. The Access Fund
has been successful in implementing
them. And it’s a model worth exploring.
“Compromise,” Barkey added, “is
the power word at the moment, but
politicians are sneaky so we will have to
continue to monitor the situation daily.”
In the past, our greatest national
conservation engine, Trout Unlimited,
has been notoriously non-vocal on
the public access front. Lately TU has
come around, advocating for increased
funding for programs that purchase
voluntary easements and access to
land from willing sellers. It’s a small
part of a sweeping overall mission that
ranges from Pebble Mine to fighting
environmentally damaging drilling
interests in the country’s hinterlands.
All highly worthy opponents and
appreciative efforts but Access
Unlimited, TU is not.
Across the country, public access law
varies starkly from state to state. If only
we all could live and fish in Montana,
life would be good. But many of us
don’t. We fish states such as Colorado,
Wyoming, and Pennsylvania, for
example, where access to rivers is
at a premium and heavily favored
toward private interests that hold the
keys to the locks. Utah anglers are
Consider this: If states such as
Utah—not out of the woods yet—
fall, it sets a far-reaching precedent.
Banding together as an industry and
a community of access leaders and
advocates means more muscle to
deliver knockout punches when and
where needed. Consolidate the already
effective fragments. Bolster the base. It’s
our best play moving forward. at
“McIff is passing out a ‘white paper’ to
legislators to try and explain himself but
word is it is finding little support,” he
said. “We hope to continue to peel away
the onion layers from McIff ’s weak if
not dishonest legislation from this year
and HB141 from 2010.”
TWO IS GREATER
THAN FOUR
It all adds up – wading, walking,
climbing over gunwales…most
wader failure occurs due to
abrasion of the four inner and
outer leg seams. Our innovative
SSC (single seam construction)
reduces wear by eliminating two
seams and routing just one up
the back of each leg, significantly
increasing wader durability.
See the Rio Gallegos Zip-Front and other SSC waders: patagonia.com/fishing
Introducing the CIRCA. Born of Konnetic technology, its radically narrow blank
gives it a hypnotically smooth slow-action tempo that’s still delightfully crisp and
accurate (so you know it’s a Sage). Add greater dry fly proficiency to your arsenal
by daring to go slow. What happens next will surely be a blur.
sageflyfish.com