PDF - Angling Trade

Transcription

PDF - Angling Trade

the buzz on the flyfishing biz
®
INSIDE
THE SPRING 2014 ISSUE
Jim Murphy’s Candor/Jungle Angling/War on
Culverts/Creating a Nonprofit/Competitive Fly
Fishing/Inland Oceans/Our Leg Up on Golf,
and More....
March 2014 AnglingTrade.com
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CONTENTS
Features
Departments
Editor
26 Murphy’s Law After departing
6 Editor’s Column
Managing Editor
Hardy & Greys, Jim Murphy offers some
candid insights on fly-fishing businesses,
coexisting with conventional gear companies,
and the state of the market. By Geoff Mueller
What We Have that Golf Never Will. The
golf-to-fly-fishing analogy is easy to make
on many levels. But there are some things
anglers have that duffers never will.
By Kirk Deeter
36 Culvert Crisis We need small
streams, because they are the “home waters”
for many anglers. But obsolete and poorly
designed culverts literally stand in the way of
good fishing. Orvis and TU are teaming to
tackle this new challenge, and 1,000 miles of
habitat will open as a result. By Erin Block
Kirk Deeter
[email protected]
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
8 Currents
The latest people, product and issues
news from the North American fly-fishing
industry, including an update on a major
milestone win in the fight against the
Pebble Mine.
38 Jungle Boogie Anglers have been
traveling to South America to fish for peacock
bass for decades, but the whole jungle
scene is about to blow wide open as new
territories and new species become available.
We haven’t seen anything yet. Will product
manufacturers follow this journey to El Dorado?
By Kirk Deeter
40 Competition Sells It might not
be everyone’s cup of
tea, and some think
“competitive fly fishing”
is an oxymoron. Then
again, some are making
a lot of money in this niche. By Morgan Lyle
42 Set Up Your Own Local
Nonprofit Do you need an advocacy group
By Chris Santella
Furimsky’s New Jersey fly fiesta has
become the winter gathering of the
industry clan. By Jay Cassell
34 Book Reviews
Fly Fishing on the “Inland Oceans,” and a
(real) epic work on steelhead.
Reviewed by Kirk Deeter
46 Backcast
California Needs Another Drink.
By Geoff Mueller
Photos unless noted by Tim Romano
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
Fax: 303-495-2454
[email protected]
Mail Address:
PO Box 17487
Boulder, CO 80308
Street Address:
3055 24th Street
Boulder, CO 80304
AnglingTrade.com
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AnglingTrade.com / March 2014
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30 Opinion
Tom Bie
Ben Romans
Steven B. Schweitzer
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CONTRIBUTORS
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TURQUOISE
Chris Santella is the author of the “Fifty
Places” series from Abrams, and a frequent
contributor to The New York Times (as well
as Angling Trade). A television adaptation of
Fifty Places To Fly Fish Before You Die is now in
production with World Fishing Network.
Erin Block lives in the mountains of Colorado
and is a librarian by day, writer by night, and
avid fly angler on her days off. She is the author
of The View From Coal Creek: Reflections on Fly Rods,
Canyons and Bamboo (Whitefish Press 2012), is
a contract fly designer with Umpqua Feather
Merchants, news curator for MidCurrent, as well
as an editor-at-large for TROUT Magazine. Her
writing can also be found on her blog, http://
mysteriesinternal.blogspot.com.
303-690-0477
AT editor Kirk Deeter is also an editor-
at-large for Field & Stream magazine. He also
currently serves as the editor of TROUT magazine,
the national publication of Trout Unlimited. His
work has also appeared in The New York Times,
Garden & Gun, the Denver Post, Big Sky Journal,
SaltWater Sportsman, and elsewhere. He’s the author
of the best-selling Little Red Book of Fly Fishing, and
the Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing for Carp.
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Geoff Mueller is Angling Trade’s editor-at-large,
and he’s also senior editor of The Drake. Geoff
is one of the most talented writers and editors in
fly fishing these days, and we affectionately refer
to him as “The Mule” because he shoulders a
heavy load for this magazine
Morgan Lyle is a regular contributor to Fly
Tyer, American Angler and TROUT magazines,
and he writes columns on fly fishing for the
New York Outdoor News and The Daily Gazette of
Schenectady, N.Y., along with his blog, “The
Fly Line” (www.theflyline.wordpress.com). He
moonlights as the assistant director of public
relations at the C.W. Post Campus of Long
Island University.
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EDITOR’S COLUMN
What We Have that
Golf Doesn’t Have
Ah, spring at last.
As the azaleas and cherry blossoms
bloom back east, and the Rocky
Mountain snowpack begins to melt
and fill rivers, and the little boys and
girls walking to the school bus stops in
Wisconsin get their first good whiffs of
mud since they went trick-or-treating
last October (I speak from personal
memory)… my spirit inevitably is
bolstered by two things—fly fishing
and golf.
After all, I see them as essentially the
same sport, one version played mostly
wet, the other mostly dry. (Then
again, if you golf like me, they can
both be pretty wet). Both sports were
born in the British Isles centuries
ago and remain steeped in tradition.
And both cater to the same type-A
personality that finds it impossible to
truly recreate unless they are tackling
challenges and solving problems…
cursing the wind, reading the lies, ever
intrepid as they march along the links
and streams.
For better or worse, these high-strung
legions are also convinced that employing technologies—graphites and
6
metal alloys, new tapers and shifting
centers of gravity by millimeters in
any direction—can cure their performance ills (not that a good swing or
casting stroke is completely obsolete
yet). Alas, fly fishing and golf share
more than a demographic; they share
a mindset.
No doubt, there’s much more of that
mindset and money in the golf world
than in fly fishing. Our $800 million (or thereabouts) industry pales
in comparison to the $5.6 billion in
“golfer supplies” sold every year. (I
personally contribute handsomely in
this regard by replacing lost golf balls
alone.) Add things like revenue from
golf facilities (greens fees) at nearly
$29 billion, and other economic drivers like television revenues and real
estate, and it really becomes an apples
and oranges comparison.
Some in the angling world think
emulating golf is a path for success.
Pay-to-play… private resorts… tournaments… how-to books and magazines… exclusive real estate… yeah,
we do some of that too. But before
we fall into the trap of thinking
the grass is literally and figuratively
greener in the golf world (okay, I’m
done with the sappy puns now), we
should understand something.
Golf is shrinking.
Golf “goods and services” revenues
in 2011 were down 9.4 percent from
2005. Much of that had to do with
the real estate market crash, but it’s
worth noting that the number of
facilities in America (mainly courses)
shrunk from over 16,000 to 15,751 in
six years.
And therein lies what fly fishing has
that golf never will. Would you be
willing to give up 200 rivers over
the next six years? We never have
to build another course to keep our
sport alive and well. I can’t even
begin to estimate how many fishable
waters Americans have in sum, but
oceans aside, it’s a helluva lot more
than 16,000.
And we don’t have to sink billions in
capital to keep it running. Sure, we
need to invest in conservation; we can
and should open even more water and
make resources cleaner and better.
But we don’t need to cut the grass
and pump water to the fairways, and
manicure the sand traps. We just need
to let Mother Nature do her thing to
keep what we already have in good
shape—and leave access to most of
it open—for us to have more than
enough to play on for generations.
Everything we need has already been
“built,” and it’s all around us. And
most of it is free.
Another advantage I think fly fishing has over golf is something we
don’t have, and that is the scorecard.
There’s something inherently beautiful about a sport where nobody keeps
score other than the person who plays
it. You either catch the fish or you
don’t, but in the end, it doesn’t really
matter. Sometimes, believe it or not,
I cheer for the fish. I never feel like I
“lost” after a day of fishing. Even if I
got skunked.
Some would have us think that tournaments and competitions are good
things for trout fishing, and I suppose
that might be true. I’m not against
any of that, and we cover that topic
later in this issue. It’s at least worth
a look.
But in then end, I would warn that it
is important for this industry to realize that the keys to the future don’t
revolve around reinventing this game.
The future rests in appreciating the
simple, natural things that have been
its essence all along. at
Kirk Deeter
Editor
CURRENTS
This effort has involved many from
the fly-fishing world, and it could
Pebble Mine: We Might Just Win ultimately become the greatest
environmental victory for both
This Thing.
commercial and recreational fishing
Please… don’t anybody hang a
in all of our lifetimes. What this
“Mission Accomplished” banner
most recent EPA action means for
off their boat or in front of their fly
all practical purposes is that for the
shop just yet.
first time, the prospect of this mine
project actually happening is less
But the “mouse that roared” may
than the prospect of the region being
have done so just loud enough
preserved for fishing and hunting.
to convince enough people in
enough right places that putting a
It isn’t a baked cake, not by any
potentially poisonous pit mine in the stretch. The mine interests (who
Happenings
of the project actually going forward.
An EPA watershed report produced
last year makes clear that mining in
this area would damage vital salmon
habitat and, in the event of spills or
accidents, could put that habitat in
danger in perpetuity.
Many conservation organizations
naturally lauded this decision. Trout
Unlimited, which did much of the
heavy lifting on this campaign,
released the following:
“It is difficult to overstate the
significance of this announcement,”
said TU president and CEO Chris
Wood. “If the EPA follows through
on this, it will rank as one of the most
significant conservation achievements
of the past 50 years.
“This announcement that the EPA
is looking to protect Bristol Bay
from industrial scale mining is the
perfect demonstration of how TU
members use fishing, conservation
and community to protect and restore
important trout and salmon fisheries,”
Wood added.
headwaters of the most prolific wild
salmon fishery in the world is, in
fact, an incredibly bad idea.
In case you missed it, the battle to
protect Alaska’s Bristol Bay from the
proposed Pebble Mine took a major
turn for the better on February
28, 2014, when the Environmental
Protection Agency put the Clean
Water Act into action. That could
halt the mine project for good.
8
have billions at stake) have already
vowed to fight this to the bitter end.
But the EPA has acknowledged
for the record that the mine is
potentially bad medicine for the
natural resources in this region,
and the EPA has officially set an
extremely high (yet fundamentally
reasonable) bar for the mine
interests to clear if there’s going to
be any more serious consideration
“With regard to community
specifically, this was a ‘made in
Alaska’ initiative. TU worked with
native corporations, native villages,
and the commercial and recreational
fishermen and women from Alaska
to build support for protecting Bristol
Bay. Overwhelming majorities of
people from these constituencies
support protecting the fishery.”
TU, and this industry as a whole,
should be proud. Those of you who
have donated your efforts, spread the
word, and advocated in defense of
Bristol Bay should be most proud.
continued on next page...
CURRENTS
But don’t consider the fight over,
and do not give up the ship. Fight
harder. Share the message with
your clients. Encourage them to
fight harder.
We have an opportunity to actually win
this one. Our grandchildren would
thank us for that. We’re the “favored”
team now. Let’s finish the job.
Another TU Win: Denver
Water, Trout Unlimited, Grand
County reach agreement on
river protections for Moffat
Project.
Denver Water, Trout Unlimited
and Grand County recently
announced agreement on a package
of river protections designed to
keep the Fraser River and its trout
populations healthy. The Mitigation
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and Enhancement Coordination
Plan brings to a close several years
of discussions over the proposed
Moffat Collection System Project
and its potential impacts on the
Fraser River. All sides hailed
the stakeholder agreement as
a breakthrough that balances
municipal needs and environmental
health. Trout Unlimited called the
agreement “a victory for the river.”
“This package of protections and
enhancements, if adopted in the final
permit, gives us the best opportunity
to keep the Fraser River and its
outstanding trout fishery healthy far
into the future,” said Mely Whiting,
counsel for Trout Unlimited. “This
pragmatic agreement underscores
the value of a collaborative approach
to water planning — one that
recognizes the value of healthy
rivers. It shows that, working
together, we can meet our water
needs while protecting our fisheries
and outdoor quality of life.”
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overseen by a management team
that includes Denver Water, Grand
County, Trout Unlimited, Colorado
Parks and Wildlife, the Colorado
River District and the Middle
Park Water Conservancy District.
Upon the project permit being
issued, the management team will
implement an extensive monitoring
program to assess stream health
based on specific parameters
including stream temperature,
aquatic life and riparian vegetation
health. Water, financial and other
resources committed by Denver
Water through project mitigation,
the Colorado River Cooperative
Agreement and other agreements
will be deployed to prevent declines
and improve conditions where
needed.
“In an effort to move past a
disagreement on impacts from the
Moffat Project, Grand County
reached out to Denver Water and
Trout Unlimited to propose additional
environmental mitigations,” said
Lurline Curran, Grand County
manager. “To all parties’ credit, this
effort has succeeded.”
“The Fraser is a river beloved by
generations of anglers, boaters and
other outdoor enthusiasts —it’s the
lifeblood of our community,” said
Kirk Klancke, president of TU’s
Colorado River Headwaters chapter
in Fraser and a longtime advocate
12
for the river. “As an angler and
Fraser Valley resident, I’m gratified
that this agreement keeps our home
waters healthy and flowing.”
The package includes environmental
enhancements and protections to
ensure the Fraser River will be
better off with the Moffat Project
than without it, said Denver Water.
The Moffat Project will improve the
reliability of Denver Water’s system,
which serves 1.3 million people in
the Denver-metro area.
The centerpiece of the agreement
is Learning by Doing, a monitoring
and adaptive management program
Learning by Doing is an effort to
manage an aquatic environment
on a permanent, cooperative basis.
Notably, the program will not seek a
culprit for changes in the condition
of the stream, but will provide
a mechanism to identify issues
of concern and focus available
resources to address those issues.
Mitigation measures to prevent
impacts of the Moffat Project on
stream temperature and aquatic
habitat will also be implemented
through Learning by Doing.
“Like the Colorado River
Cooperative Agreement, this plan
represents a new, collaborative
way of doing business together
when dealing with complex water
issues,” said Jim Lochhead, CEO/
manager of Denver Water. “Since
the beginning of our planning for
CURRENTS
the Moffat Project, we set out to do
the right thing for the environment,
and we believe coming together with
Trout Unlimited and Grand County
on the Mitigation and Enhancement
Coordination Plan demonstrates
a monumental step in making the
river better. It’s satisfying that after
more than 10 years of study and
discussion, Trout Unlimited and
Grand County have stayed at the
table with us in good faith.”
Denver Water, Grand County and
Trout Unlimited have submitted
the Grand County Mitigation and
Enhancement Coordination Plan to
federal and state agencies charged
with permitting the Moffat Project
and have requested that it be made
part of the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers’ permit.
The Final Environmental Impact
Statement for the Moffat Project
is expected by the end of April,
and a final permitting decision by
the Army Corps of Engineers is
expected in early 2015.
TU’s Moyer Elected to
Freshwater Fishing Hall of
Fame
Working on Capitol Hill, Moyer
has helped protect and restore
trout and salmon for more
than two decades.
Editor’s Note: After running those last two
stories, it only seems appropriate to point
out a well-deserved honor for a person who
works so hard on environmental issues for
all of us. On a personal level, it continues
to be an honor and privilege to work with
Mr. Moyer. Kudos...
Steve Moyer, Trout Unlimited’s
vice president for government
affairs, was elected to the National
Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame’s
2014 class for a career spent
working to protect and restore
America’s trout and salmon habitat
from Capitol Hill.
In more than 20 years as a political
advocate for trout, salmon and
clean water, Moyer has compiled an
impressive list of accomplishments,
ranging from protecting large
western landscapes to removing
dams that have blocked salmon
migration for generations to
the incorporation of strong
conservation language in important
legislation, like the Farm Bill.
Moyer first came to TU in 1992,
and since then, he has been
instrumental in efforts to improve
fish habitat—and fishing—all over
America. For instance, he has:
• Helped the U.S. Forest Service
establish a strong fisheries
management program by
advocating for increased fisheries
funding and encouraging the
inclusion of fisheries science into
the agency that was traditionally
managed for timber harvest.
Given that many of this country’s
best fisheries are located on U.S.
Forest Service property and are
publicly accessible, this effort not
only protected some of America’s
most cherished rivers, but also the
opportunity to fish them.
• Helped garner grassroots
support for federal funding for fish
habitat protection and restoration
programs, like the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service’s Fish Passage
Program, which has removed
approximately 950 fish passage
barriers and reconnected more than
15,500 stream miles, opening up
countless new fishing opportunities.
• Helped pass a landmark omnibus
land protection bill in 2009 that
included the creation of the
new Copper-Salmon Wilderness
in southwest Oregon and the
protection of 1.2 million acres of
the Wyoming Range from future oil
and gas drilling.
• Worked to reauthorize the Farm
Bill in 1996, 2002, 2008, and
again this year, ensuring vital
conservation funding is available
to the agriculture community to
assist farmers and ranchers wishing
to protect water quality and the
irreplaceable fisheries that bisect
their lands.
• Helped to defend the fish passage
provisions of the Federal Power Act
which has led to fisheries restoration
across the nation, such as the dam
removal projects on the Sebasticook
River in Maine, which now boasts
the largest population of migratory
herring in America. He was also
instrumental in the removal of two
dams on Maine’s Penobscot River,
which will eventually open more
than 1,000 miles of habitat for
endangered Atlantic salmon and
a host of other ocean-going fish,
14
Word has a way of getting around
among fishing professionals.
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CURRENTS
including striped bass and shad. In
Washington state, Moyer helped
support the removal of the Elwha
River Dam—today, salmon and
steelhead are repopulating the river
above the old dam site. All of these
projects have improved not only fish
habitat, but fishing opportunity.
In addition to his work on the Hill,
Moyer has also worked closely with
TU’s volunteers—at one point,
he was TU’s volunteer operations
director. Today, TU’s volunteers
contribute about 700,000 hours
of volunteer time on the ground
to make fishing better through
restoration and reconnection all
across America.
“I’m honored and humbled to
receive this award, and I am
extremely grateful to the Freshwater
Fishing Hall of Fame for it,” Moyer
said. “All that I have accomplished
would not have been possible
without the splendid relationships
I have enjoyed with TU volunteers
and staff, members of Congress
and their staffs, conservation
organization friends, and state and
federal agency partners. I am very
fortunate to have had such a good
run, but let’s all remember, there is a
lot of work left to be done.”
Orvis to Open Its Annual Guide
Rendezvous to the Public: April
3-5, 2014 in Missoula, Montana
For the past 28 years Orvis has
held a Guide Rendezvous, an
event for Orvis-endorsed guides to
network and compare notes. Many
16
seminars and workshops take place
over the course of these three-day
gatherings, covering topics from
CPR, boat and vehicle safety, and
habitat protection to social media
and casting instruction.
This year, Orvis is throwing the
gates wide open, inviting all
professional guides, Orvis-endorsed
or not, to attend the seminars and
Guide Olympics, taking place April
3-5, 2014.
Missoula is once more the host of
the rendezvous. With its strong
fly-fishing culture, collegiate
atmosphere and outdoors heritage,
“Zootown” is the perfect stage for a
gathering of guides.
After the business part of the
rendezvous, Saturday April 5,
2014, will see a celebration worthy
of Montana’s fly-fishing culture.
The entire town of Missoula—
and anyone else who cares to join
in—is invited to the “Down the
Hatch” festival at Caras Park, a
party alongside the Clark Fork
River. Down the Hatch vendors
include various food peddlers, Smith
Optics sunglasses, Big Sky Brewing,
NRS, Scientific Anglers, Sawyer
Paddles, Hog Island Boat Works,
Adipose Boatworks and many
more. Performances by the popular
local band “Lil’ Smokies” promise
to create a ruckus and encourage
dancing.
Saturday evening will be topped
off with the Orvis Fly Fishing Film
Festival at the Wilma Theatre. Hank
Patterson of YouTube fame will
kick off the evening, encouraging
anglers and guides to learn to laugh
at themselves before we get into
the depths of fishy filmmaking.
A modest $10 donation enters
participants into a raffle for a
variety of “big kid” prizes, including
a Helios 2 rod outfit, a trip to El
Pescador Lodge in Belize and
various guided trout fishing trips in
Montana. All proceeds go directly to
Montana Trout Unlimited for their
habitat protection work.
For more information on the Guide
Rendezvous, visit www.orvis.com/
ogr, or for the Down the Hatch
Fishing Festival visit www.orvis.
com/dth.
DamNation Debuts at SXSW;
Pre-Orders Available
DamNation made its world premiere
at the South by Southwest music,
film and interactive conference in
Austin, Texas recently. The film,
directed by Ben Knight and Travis
Rummel (Felt Soul Media) involved
three years of hard work and
production, focusing on the issue of
obsolete dam removal in America.
The project’s executive producer is
Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard.
Here’s the SXSW description:
“This powerful film odyssey across
America explores the sea change in
our national attitude from pride in
big dams as engineering wonders
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internet-based strategy will be
consistent with the Museum’s mission
to offer public access to the research
and information about the art,
literature, and artifacts that represent
angling history.
to the growing awareness that our
own future is bound to the life and
health of our rivers. Dam removal
has moved beyond the Monkey
Wrench Gang. When obsolete dams
come down, rivers bound back to
life, giving salmon and other wild
fish the right of return to primeval
spawning grounds, after decades
without access. “DamNation”’s
majestic cinematography and
unexpected discoveries move us
through rivers and landscapes
altered by dams, but also through
a metamorphosis in values, from
conquest of the natural world
to knowing ourselves as part of
nature.”
You can use promo code DNPRE
and save 15% when you pre-order
DamNation from Vimeo On Demand.
This offer is open to the first 2,500
pre-orders so don’t delay. Your
credit card won’t be charged until
the digital version of DamNation is
released in early June, 2014.
Purchasing DamNation through
Vimeo On Demand will give you
18
access to the film online and on
popular mobile devices, tablets and
connected TVs, all in full HD.
Stay tuned for more news on tour
dates and film festivals.
Company News
AMFF Announces Outreach
Program
The
American
Museum
of Fly
Fishing has
announced
its 2014
initiative
to expand outreach through the use
of digital technology. AMFF, with
the help of its Junior Committee, is
expanding its communications and
marketing strategy to ensure that a
wider and younger audience becomes
engaged, and to help maintain its
position as an important member
of the fly-fishing community. This
According to AMFF executive
director, Cathi Comar, “In the past
the Museum made this content
available to the public through its
quarterly journal The American Fly
Fisher (published since 1974) and
through exhibitions in its Leigh H.
Perkins Gallery as well as periodic
traveling exhibitions across the
country. With the launch of our
current website in 2012, we now
have the opportunity to make this
information available globally
online.” Through a grant received
by the Institute of Museum and
Library Services, AMFF will soon
make its earlier journal issues
available online, and the Museum’s
first online exhibition will be
launched this June.
The Museum intends to hire a
communications manager to oversee
this crucial initiative. The person in
this position will develop the website
as a place for people to spend time
daily or weekly reading articles,
watching videos, viewing pictures,
and learning about the sport—
similar to how a visitor would tour
the Museum. All forms of social
media will continue to be part of this
initiative with more frequent and
targeted postings. Anyone interested
in applying for this position should
review the full job description at
www.amff.com and submit their
resume as soon as possible.
The American Museum of Fly
Fishing was founded in 1968 to
collect, preserve, interpret, and
present the history of fly fishing.
The Museum is accredited by the
American Alliance of Museums and
is one of only five accredited Vermont
museums and the first sporting
history museum in the country to
receive this prestigious honor. AMFF
is open to the public year-round
and hosts several community events,
demonstrations, and presentations
throughout the year.
Umpqua Introduces Improved
Leader, Tippet (and Packaging)
Umpqua Feather Merchants
(Umpqua) has launched a
revamped and improved line of
leaders and tippet materials in
new, contemporary packaging.
Umpqua’s leader and tippet
manufacturing partner has invested
in cutting-edge equipment that
allows for more accurate tolerances
during the extrusion process,
providing even greater consistency
and reliability in the materials and
designs.
“We feel that Umpqua Leader and
Tippet offers the angler the perfect
blend of strength to suppleness
ratio.
The official announcement of the
improved leader and tippet product
lines coincides with Umpqua’s
launch of the redesigned packaging
system. The new leader packaging
reinforces Umpqua’s 40+-year
approach to enhance the angler’s
experience and performance, with
every leader package displaying
the distinguishing, product-specific
information (type of leader, length,
strength, etc.) at the top of each
package. This allows anglers to
sort through all of their leaders
Books & DVDs
Hardcover: $24.
00
AMFF is located at 4070 Main
Street in Manchester, Vermont.
Please contact Christina Cole with
any questions at [email protected] or
call the office at 802-362-3300.
Affordable impulse items for
anglers of all types & budgets
Autographed copies of
John Gierach’s new book!
12 copies = 46% discount
24 copies = 46% FREE FREIGHT
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“We didn’t sacrifice on either
strength or suppleness,” said Riley
Cotter, Umpqua sales manager.
Over the past year and a half,
Umpqua has been integrating
new and improved product into its
previous generation of packaging.
ANGLER’S BOOK SUPPLY 800.260.3869
Featuring the very best books, dvds,
calendars & gifts that fly-fishing has to offer.
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CURRENTS
and select the desired one, without
having to remove multiple leaders
from the vest/pack pocket.
All new leader and tippet products
started shipping to dealers in the
new packaging beginning the week
of March 3, 2014.
RIO Products Expands Spey
Offering
RIO Products continues to expand
its offerings in its spey line category
with the addition of the new RIO
Scandi Shooting Head and the
Scandi VersiTip.
The RIO Scandi is an easy-casting,
Scandinavian-style shooting head
designed for effortless distance and
great presentations. The heads are
available in a multitude of weights
from 210 grains to 640 grains and
in lengths between 27 feet and 40
feet to cover all fly rod options and
angling situations. The RIO Scandi
is salmon colored and features a
bright orange rear section that
makes it easy to determine the
front end from the back end. The
series has an MSRP of $54.95 and
incorporates the previous Steelhead
20
Scandi and AFS Shooting Heads
into a single group.
The new Scandi VersiTip is a short
(23-25 foot) floating Scandi body
packaged with a selection of 15foot long, tapered, interchangeable
tips in a versatile line system.
The four tips that come with the
straw-colored body are Floating,
Intermediate, Type 3 DC (Density
Compensated) sink, and Type 6
DC sink –allowing anglers to fish a
multitude of options with changing
fishing conditions. The Scandi
VersiTip is perfect for anglers that
use rods of 13 feet and longer and is
available with an MSRP of $119.95
in sizes 7-11.
Each of the two new Scandi
shooting head families utilize
RIO’s unique, ultra-low stretch
ConnectCore technology for the
utmost in casting control and
sensitivity. They also have an Easy
ID tag printed on the front end of
the head for quick line recognition.
A neat, bullet-proof welded loop
on the front and back end of both
line series allow for the fastest of
rigging. Find both offerings at your
nearest RIO dealer. A short video
that illustrates both these new lines
can be found at https://vimeo.
com/70431251.
Beaverkill Rod Company
Expands Distribution
The Beaverkill Rod Company, Inc.
announced that it will be expanding
its distribution model in the West
Coast. In response to the growing
success of existing West Coast
sales and the traction of its current
product line and mission, West
Coast presence will now include a
dedicated sales team and account
services within that territory. This
West Coast expansion comes on
the heels of the recently completed
expansion at their corporate
headquarters in New York.
Beaverkill has seen tremendous
growth in interest for their current
“Legacy” fly rod offerings,
innovative tech gear, merchandise
and blank sales from anglers,
guides, lodges, fly shops, and
custom rod builders based on
the West Coast since opening
operations July 2012. That
interest has quickly translated into
increased sales and a formidable
customer base in that area.
Recognizing the growth in this
region, BKROD is expanding
its presence to include dedicated
account service personnel, a rodbuilding facility, and a robust
inventory of the complete line
of Beaverkill products to support
the existing infrastructure of sales
and marketing efforts within that
territory. The expansion’s progress
will be overseen by Nathan
Niebergall. Nathan has been
working closely with the president
of the Beaverkill Rod Co., Anthony
Magardino, for over a year
establishing a business strategy, and
plan moving forward to execute a
successful launch for this exciting
new expansion.
Far Bank Taps Kleiner to
Head Marketing
Far Bank Enterprises recently
announced that it has hired Tag
Kleiner as its new vice president of
marketing for Sage, Redington,
and RIO Products. Kleiner joins
Far Bank after 10 years as the
global director of marketing at
Smith Optics.
“It wasn’t an
easy decision
to leave the
family at
Smith, but I
felt like this
was a great
opportunity
to join
passionate
brands that
have tremendous growth potential,”
says Kleiner. “I’m really looking
forward to joining the team at Far
Bank and using my experience and
enthusiasm for fly fishing to build
upon their momentum.”
In all, Kleiner spent over 17 years at
Smith eventually working his way up
to lead the brand’s global marketing
effort. During his tenure driving
marketing, Smith’s business doubled
while launching three new product
categories and two new sub-brands,
all while defending its position as
the number one goggle brand in
North America.
“Tag is a perfect cultural fit for
Far Bank and he has the experience
and expertise to take our brands
to the next level,” comments
Far Bank CEO and president,
Travis Campbell.
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CURRENTS
GRACE Rods Benefit Casting
for Recovery
really believes in the mission of
Casting for Recovery.”
“The GRACE rod expresses Sage’s
enthusiasm to help breast cancer
survivors the best way we know
how—by building an elegant fly
rod that’s comfortable to cast,”
comments Sage marketing manager,
Eric Gewiss. “We couldn’t be
happier about the success of the
GRACE rod and our contribution
to this great organization.”
Sage partnered with the breast
cancer non-profit Casting for
Recovery (CfR) in 2013 to raise
funds for the organization. Sage
committed a portion from every sale
of the GRACE rod to go directly
to CfR to support its work. Sage is
pleased to announce that $14,050
was raised for CfR through the 2013
GRACE program.
Casting for Recovery is dedicated
to giving women powerful tools to
overcome the mental and physical
challenges of being diagnosed with
breast cancer. The CfR quality of
life program takes women on multiday retreats and teaches them to fly
fish at no cost. Donations allow CfR
to offer its programming to more
women in need of support.
“We’re thrilled about the success
of the GRACE rod, and so grateful
for the generous contribution from
Sage,” says Whitney Milhoan,
the executive director of CfR.
“The GRACE rod is beautiful and
performs with the same amazing
quality Sage is known for, but what
makes this partnership extra special
is knowing that the team at Sage
22
Costa Releases Limited
Edition OCEARCH Gear to
Support 2014 Shark Tagging
Expeditions
Costa Sunglasses continues
its ongoing partnership with
OCEARCH, a non-profit
organization actively researching
great white sharks and other
oceanic apex predators, with
the release of custom designed,
limited edition gear supporting
the program. A portion of the
proceeds from the sale of Costa’s
OCEARCH shirts and hats benefits
the organization’s collaborative
research expeditions around
the world to study and advance
knowledge on the ocean’s giants.
OCEARCH is known for its
groundbreaking tagging of great
white sharks and other apex
predators, working with worldclass fishermen, researchers and
corporations like Costa in an effort
to support governments and their
fisheries in need of hands-on access
to large, mature sharks. Its online
Shark Tracker allows scientists,
researchers and educators a firsthand look at the species’ migratory
patterns and other data. Tagged
great white sharks Mary Lee and
Katherine, both originally spotted
in the waters off the coast of
Cape Cod, Mass., have routinely
pinged in up and down the Atlantic
coast, near locations including
Charleston, S.C., Savannah, Ga.
and Jacksonville, Fla.
In 2014, OCEARCH is on a
mission to South America, visiting
the Galapagos Islands, Chile, and
Brazil to expand its tagging efforts
to include yellow fin tuna, wahoo,
rainbow runner, skip jack, while
also working with white sharks
and tiger, hammerhead, bull,
blacktip and silky sharks, among
other species.
“Costa’s support allows us to
create video content so that the
world can see what happens on
expedition. They see it on the
Expedition Blog and by following
Costa and OCEARCH on Facebook
andTwitter. Costa brings our
collaborative shark research into
everyone’s home and onto their
mobile device, in near real time,”
says Chris Fischer, OCEARCH
Founding Chairman and Expedition
Leader. “With the new line of Costa
Limited Edition OCEARCH gear
they are expanding their support
so more work can be done for
the ocean.”
Most recently, in the Galapagos
Islands, the OCEARCH team tagged
a mature female blacktip shark,
weighing 186 pounds and measuring
over seven feet long. Costa named
the shark “Judy,” after Judy Ferguson,
one of Costa’s founders.
Costa custom designed the new
t-shirts, and a limited edition
OCEARCH trucker mesh hat, to
raise awareness and proceeds for the
research tagging program. These
exclusive short sleeve t-shirts range
from small to XXL, and retail for
$24. The navy blue trucker hat,
depicting an image of a great white
shark, retails for $17.
“We support the OCEARCH mission
to replace fear with facts when it
comes to learning more about the
ocean’s giants,” said Al Perkinson,
vice president of marketing for
Costa Sunglasses. “The more we can
understand about how the oceans
function, the better equipped we’ll be
to help protect them.”
Costa’s limited edition OCEARCH
gear is available now online at www.
costadelmar.com.
Howler Brothers Unveils Fresh
Spring Threads and Updated
Website for 2014
Howler Brothers launched its Spring
2014 apparel line on Tuesday,
March 4th with four new styles of
men’s shorts and shirts, and updated
colors and patterns throughout the
line. The Howler Brothers Spring
2014 apparel line, which is available
on the all-new HowlerBros.com and
at retailers across North America,
blends functionality and modern
design with the soul, passion and
timeless style of water sports such as
surfing and fly fishing.
“Now in its fourth year, Howler
Brothers is continuing to offer fresh,
innovative and original pieces,”
said Chase Heard, Co-Founder of
Howler Brothers. “The new pieces
reflect the forward thinking and
continued growth of the brand,
but still honor the heritage and
core principles upon which Howler
Brothers was built by keeping
versatility, functionality and
attention to detail at the forefront.”
In conjunction with the new
spring products, Howler Brothers
is launching a more user-friendly
website with a refreshed aesthetic.
CURRENTS
The new site offers a mobile
version, making it easy to shop on
the go, especially for limited-run,
high-demand items like Howler
Brothers’ popular License Tag
Belt Buckles and Oxide Whiskey
Tumblers—items that sell out
nearly as soon as they’re in stock.
To learn more about Howler
Brothers and the new Spring 2014
products, check out the updated
website at HowlerBros.com, or join
our Facebook page.
Finn Utility Launches Akkord
Spey Wallet
Ryan McDonald, the founder
of Finn Utility, announces the
introduction of the Akkord Spey
Wallet. Designed for the serious
spey fly fisher, the Akkord Spey
Wallet holds up to nine Spey heads
or leaders in a simple-to-access
accordion design. Constructed from
waxed shelter cloth and 18oz. twill,
this wallet is a classic to help keep
any quiver organized. Finn also
offers a slightly larger 11-pocket
version for guides.
Finn Utility is a new fly-fishing
product company based in
Jonesville, Vermont, on the
banks of the Winooski River.
The company is focused on using
the highest quality USA sourced
natural materials including waxed
canvas, leather and brass, which
are locally handcrafted. The
product line includes side bags,
fly wallets, and duffel bags. Finn
Utility is dedicated to respecting
the traditional aesthetic with a
24
touch of modern. Their mission,
simply, is to create classic, durable
and useful products that will last a
lifetime. Founder Ryan McDonald
grew up on the Rangeley Lakes of
Maine, where his grandfather was
a guide, and has spent a lifetime in
the outdoors.
Specs:
Weight: 5 oz.
Height: .75”
Length: 6”
Depth: 6”
Volume: holds 9 spey heads or
leaders
MSRP: $79.95
Retailers please inquire about
wholesale pricing and our order
incentives. See http://finnutility.ebeans.net/shop/spey-head.html
Is South Florida Your Top
Dream Destination?
Hawaii, Florida, Texas, California,
Costa Rica, Mexico, Guatemala,
Panama, Alaska—all offer worldclass fishing. But according to a
survey conducted byAnglerSurvey.
com, South Florida remains the
top dream destination of would-be
traveling anglers with 43 percent
of those surveyed choosing it as the
location they would most prefer to
fish if they had the opportunity.
The popularity of South Florida
was followed by Costa Rica with
just over 18 percent of respondents
selecting the Central American
country as the place they would
go. Next on the list was Mexico
with 12 percent, followed by the
Bahamas with just over 12 percent
and Panama with more than five
percent. Nearly 12 percent of
those surveyed said they had no
preference, while 11 percent said
they wouldn’t choose any of those
places. Additional destinations
written in by anglers included
both salt- and fresh-water fishing
locations such as Texas, California,
Alaska, Minnesota, Alabama and a
handful of others.
“By virtue of being tropically
located, but still a part of the
United States, South Florida
certainly offers a certain appeal
to a lot of anglers not wishing to
deal with the cost or additional
concerns of international travel,”
says Rob Southwick, president
of Southwick Associates, which
designs and conducts the surveys at
HunterSurvey.com, ShooterSurvey.
com andAnglerSurvey.com.
“Efforts by all travel destinations to
improve convenience, contain costs
and hassles and provide a strong
sense of security can boost their
sportfishing tourism dollars.” at
25
While all of the asked about
destinations offer superb
fishing—49 percent of responding
anglers said that was one of the
chief reasons they chose their
respective dream fishing location—
there are other factors that may
have helped South Florida edge
its competition. In addition to
perceived great fishing, other top
reasons for choosing the place
respondents selected include less
hassle to get there with 22 percent
selecting that motivation, 21
percent cited feeling “more secure”
at the location as a concern and 20
percent pointed to the cost of travel
as a factor.
feature
Murphy’s Law
After parting ways with Hardy &
Greys, career fly-fishing insider Jim
Murphy gets real about the state of this
business, where the opportunites lie, and
where the pitfalls linger.
Written by Geoff Mueller
Few individuals have helped steer
the course of the fly-fishing industry
with more entrepreneurial verve than
Jim Murphy. To say the 62-year-old
Boston-native has been around the
block is an understatement illustrated
by more than 20 years of managerial
and ownership roles at Thomas &
Thomas, Redington, Albright Tackle
and, in more recent times, as president
of Hardy & Greys North America.
Murphy took the latter gig in 2008,
establishing a team of dedicated
employees at offices in Lancaster,
26
Pennsylvania, and was instrumental
in bringing the 142-year-old company
up to present. Under his leadership,
Hardy introduced anglers to a new
era of the venerable tackle mainstay
that included an aggressive rollout of
technically-advanced hardgoods—
such as the Sintrix series fly rods—
backed by a rebranding of classic,
UK-made reels like the Perfect.
In 2012, talk of Hardy & Greys’
impending sale made the rounds,
and we wondered what it meant
Murphy and his ilk, and the forward
momentum of the company, not to
mention the future of other core
brands that continue to be swallowed
by entities with deep wallets and large
non-fly-fishing portfolios.
At the turn of the year, Murphy
delivered his resignation, returned
to Stuart, Florida, and, true to form,
has spoken to us candidly about the
challenges and opportunities ahead.
Here’s what he had to say.
AT: Tell us about the sale of Hardy &
Greys to Pure Fishing. What was your
role in the lead-up?
JM: The process, in my mind, was a
bit baffling. They [Hardy] announced
publicly that the company was for sale
and that they’d be soliciting bids in
an auction-type process. I fought that
decision… as hard as I could at the
board level. It was a very open process
that really meant a freezing of our
business in the States, when compared
to other less-publicized acquisitions
like SA [Scientific Anglers] taking in
Ross Reels.
What prospective buyers, mostly
American, found was a complex
company that wasn’t as simple and
potentially fun to own as it might have
seemed at first glance. And it drove
the enthusiast, qualified-party buyer,
out of the process.
Pure Fishing had expressed its interest
in buying Hardy from the get-go,
and from my standpoint I found it to
be a difficult prospect. They’re the
most successful fishing company in
the world, they’re very large, very
profitable, but they really participate
in a different category than Hardy—
not only in fly fishing, but in the
specialty market.
AT: In the end, Pure Fishing won
the game and purchased the brand
in July 2013. Discuss the potential
implications.
JM: The jury is out and I don’t really
know who’s on the jury. If it’s a jury of
stockholders, who want to maximize
their investment for maximized
returns, they might have a different
roadmap to success than I would.
I believe that Hardy is worthy of a
significant presence at the highest
levels in the marketplace… We had it
with the British reel business, in the
innovative performance reel category,
and certainly in the rod category
with Hardy & Greys, where we were
very successful. It was a great team
of individuals, some of whom had
worked with me all the way back to
the beginning with Redington. It was
a cohesive team from shipping to
customer service to operations to sales
to marketing.
And that’s all gone. There’s nothing
left of that.
AT: It’s common in this industry to
hearken back to “The Movie” and
the heyday that followed the release
of A River Runs Through It in the early
1990s. How has that boom affected
where we are today?
Then we had the economic bubble
through 2007, which sustained the
growth of the industry until the
collapse in 2008. And you’re left
with all these companies that had
unsustainable growth, and had grown
into much larger companies. All of a
sudden they were faced with creating
a business plan based on shrinking,
while still being profitable.
From a business-planning standpoint
that is a very difficult task. Shrinking
is a challenge. It goes to morale and
core principles and to R&D and
marketing.
AT: You recently said there is a
reason why 75 percent businesses in
the U.S. are small businesses. What
did you mean by that?
JM: When you look at large
businesses, they have two sets of
clientele: They have their customers
and they have their stockholders….
The interest of the stockholder is not
always the interest of the customer.
Large companies tend to build
businesses that increase the value
of the equity investment of the
stockholder. Whereas a small
company, without two sets of clients
to satisfy, with potentially two very
diverse sets of interests, can focus on
putting the customer at the top of
the paradigm.
So I believe that when it comes to
personal service and responsive
product development, customer
service with dealers… all of that,
I think the smaller business has a
greater advantage over the bigger
business… At the end of the day,
large businesses often end up buying
these small businesses that end up
disappearing, frankly.
AT: Let’s expand that idea to the
fly-fishing industry as a whole. Do you
feel that we can coexist successfully
with the conventional tackle market,
for instance? And how?
JM: Sitting beside all the flyfishing brands is an industry that is
at least 20 times the size. They’re
in the fishing business. They’re in
the fishing stores. And so we look
to diversify our revenue base by
joining the conventional market. The
prospects of the fly-fishing market
growing at anything more than two
or three percent a year are probably
unrealistic, and so [companies] have
moved over.
Some have been successful. Some
have been partially successful. And
some have failed. But I think it makes
sense from a strategic department to
try to diversify your revenue sources.
The other way to achieve this is by
augmenting your route to market,
building products that will go to
Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops… and
that’s tricky, too.
Dealing with mom and pops across
600 or so industry fly shops is a
relationship business. It’s a business
where usually the manufacturer has
the upper hand and there’s leverage
in terms of product placement, credit,
receivables, and distribution—it’s
really a manufacturer-driven model.
When you do business with the [big
boxes], it’s good business, but it’s not
the same business. Now the retailer
gains leverage and even a superior
position in terms of long-term
27
JM: The Movie produced a bubble
of interest that provided historically
high growth levels. And it was a
bubble way beyond the subsequent
bubble that sustained it for a while.
We saw double-digit growth of the
major players during this period and
certainly Redington was part of that.
Quite simply, people went out of
the movie theater, into fly shops,
and spent a grand. A fair portion of
those compulsive male buyers—who
inflated the market—eventually left it
to go windsurfing or biking, migrating
from one expenditure to the next.
That’s male shopping. It’s just the way
it is.
feature
strategies. You have to know how
to run co-op, pay for catalogs, how
to buy space in stores, lower prices,
increase margins, and deal with
higher volumes. All of these present
significant challenges to practitioners
of the specialty trade.
AT: What are some of the pitfalls for
retailers and manufacturers?
JM: As routes to market diversify,
retailers are competing more and
more with the big doors. Some
retailers are, and some retailers are
not, up to the challenge. And some
are just bitter and angry about it. And
then you have manufacturers with cut
margins, the allowances they have to
give the big boxes are challenging…
and they may have overestimated
their return on investment.
What happens then is they stop
investing in R&D. Second thing to go
is sales and marketing. Third thing
is to tighten up terms so cash flow
is healthier. And all of those [cuts]
fundamentally weaken the market.
Whether we have the equipment, the
training, and even desire to respond
reasonably is a question that has yet to
be answered.
AT: Where do the potential
opportunities lie?
JM: [To be successful] you not only
have to like it, but you really have to
know this business—from product
categories that offer opportunities
to routes to market that work to
materials coming out of the science
world. If you don’t know them
AN AGENCY THAT WEARS WADERS, NOT SUITS.*
thoroughly and completely, you’re
going to go out of business.
There’s no breathing room here at all.
But I’m optimistic because I think
every market has opportunities. You
have to be able to identify them,
which means you have to know
more about the fly-fishing industry
than you ever did before. Significant
opportunities include material science
like nano and carbon applications
that will change what people expect
out of a fly rod. Just in durables
alone—for rods and reels—there are
opportunities to build products with
improved performance.
But it won’t be done by the companies
that are on their heels, trying to shrink
and still make money. at
www.takeittoeleven.com
*unless it’s summer
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3/14/14 12:07 PM
Exactly how hard is it to come to work each morning and surround
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go a long way in explaining why over the last 65 years, St. Croix has
emerged as America's largest manufacturer of premium-quality fishing
rods. Our position has been earned by a very unique set of variables.
b St. Croix is family owned and managed.
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b St. Croix, with our two state-of-the-art rod factories,
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From conception to inspection – through unmatched customer service –
the focus remains the same: To build THE BEST RODS ON EARTH.
Opinion
Perspective:
Somerset at 22
Written by Jay Cassell
The New Jersey fly-fishing show has become the
winter must-attend event for fly businesses in the
region and beyond.
Last January, I made my annual pilgrimage to the Fly Fishing Show in Somerset, New Jersey. Now in its 22nd year,
the show has become the fly-fishing event of my year. How
did this come to pass? Why has this show taken on superstar status? What’s going on here?
To get to the bottom of this, I tracked down Ben Furimsky, whose father, Chuck, and a partner, Barry, started the
show back in 1992. Ben, who is co-director of the show, is
also co-owner of The Angling Bookstore in Crested Butte,
Colorado. The Bookstore always has a huge presence at
the show, featuring hundreds and hundreds of new books,
plus an author signing table, where you’re likely to run into
such fly-fishing superstars as Lefty Kreh, Dave Whitlock,
and Cathy Beck signing their latest works.
“We had a great show this year,” Furimsky told me a week
after the show. “Attendance was up and the show floor
was sold out. I also thought there were some great looking booths and the layout included about everything you
would ever want for fly fishing. There were more than 250
exhibitors. Plus, the media presence has really increased
30
as the show has become recognized as the most important
one in fly fishing.”
Furimsky told me that the annual average attendance at
the three-day show is 11,000, though much depends on
factors beyond their control, including the weather and
whether the Super Bowl is taking place on the Sunday of
the show.
It’s easy to see why Somerset draws so many people.
Strolling down the aisles, you pass booths for fishing rod
companies such as Sage and Temple Fork, reel companies
such as Hatch and Hardy, line companies such as Scientific Anglers and RIO, plus destination booths featuring
lodges and outfitters from as far away as South America
and Alaska, to as close as the Delaware River and Montauk. Then there are the dozens of fly tiers, crafting their
favorite offerings, to rare book and bamboo rod purveyors,
to fine art dealers. Trout Unlimited is there, as are the
Theodore Gordon Fly Fishers. The list goes on.
“There are more than 275 presentations given throughout the show,” Furimsky continued. “We offer 10 private
classes with the experts, but there are other classes offered,
such as those at the Learning Center sponsored by the
Federation of Fly Fishers, where they teach fly tying and
casting all day, every day.”
Want to learn how to fish for steelhead in upstate New
York? Nymph fish small streams? Fly fish for stripers in the
surf ? Improve your double haul at the casting pond under
the watchful eye of someone such as Bob Jacklin or Bob
Clouser? You get the idea: This is a flyfisherman’s indoor
paradise.
Why exhibit?
As a fly fisherman walking the aisles, I don’t need to ask
myself why I attend Somerset. It’s all things fly fishing,
at a time of year when actually fishing is not much of an
option. I get to see the stars, check out the new gear, and
sense the positive vibes from fellow attendees who are cut
from the same cloth as me. But what do the exhibitors get
out of it? I took a sampling…
The first person I spoke with was Sara Low, whose new
book, A Guide’s Guide to Angling Mistakes, was published last
fall by Skyhorse Publishing. Low, a licensed fishing guide
who spends much of her time in the waters of the Catskill
Mountains, is on the board of directors of the Theodore
Gordon Fly Fishers. “I’ve been going to the Somerset
show for the past 13 years, before that on and off for another five,” Low said. “I go to connect with people in the
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Opinion
fly-fishing industry and avid anglers, to see the latest gear,
to learn through seminars and clinics from masters in the
field.” At the TGF booth, Low also signs up new members
for that 50-year-old, New York-based conservation group.
Marla Blair, who first came to the show 13 years ago because renowned tier Dick Talleur told her it was “the show
to attend,” always has a table in the fly-tying section of the
show. A licensed guide who fishes the Farmington River in
Connecticut and the Westfield in Massachusetts, Blair says
she always does good business at the Somerset Show and
the Fly Fishing Show in Marlborough, Massachusetts. “I
see many of my regular clients, who want face time (as I do)
and to look at my calendar, to book a day of fishing. I also
meet people who are interested in lessons and guided trips. I
receive a great deal of references from all the shows I do.
“There is always great energy at the (Somerset) show,” she
concluded. “Last year was a great show, and this year it
was more of the same. Was it upbeat? Oh yeah!”
Tom Rosenbauer, the marketing director of Orvis Rod &
Tackle, goes to “see buddies, meet with people I know will
be there, see what’s new with the competition, what consumers are looking for…and to buy some fly-tying materials for myself !”
Rosenbauer added that the Somerset show is the only
consumer show where Orvis takes out a booth. “We do
it here because it has the most people and is the most
engaged show.”
The last exhibitor I spoke with was Trish Manney, sales
director of Stackpole Books. “Stackpole committed to
exhibiting in a booth a few years ago,” Manney told me.
“The decision followed sending a representative each year.
Stackpole and publishing partner Headwater Books are
committed to fly-fishing books, so we come to learn more
about the trends, check out the new technology, and gather
the latest information.”
Headed out the door at the end of show hours (6 pm), I
bumped into long-time fishing buddy, John Genovese. The
former president of the Croton Watershed Chapter of
Trout Unlimited (in the Hudson River Valley), Genovese
lives two and a half hours north of Somerset (as do I). “I
come every year with a bunch of guys from the chapter,”
he told me. “It’s a long drive, but this is a great show. If
you’re a fly fisherman, this is the place you have to be.
They’ve got everything right here.”
As Ben Furimsky told me, “One of the biggest reasons
the Somerset show is so successful is that it was the first
of its kind. It’s also based in an area that is easily accessed
32
internationally and in the middle of the most densely
populated section of our country.”
If you’re in the fly-fishing industry, whether you’re a gear
manufacturer, fly tier, book seller, guide, lodge owner,
bamboo rod maker, or dealer of fine arts, this is where you
need to be. If you’ve never gone, start making your plans
now. If you’ve gone before, I don’t need to say more.
IN THE BEGINNING…
Gary Edwards has been a licensed guide in New York State
for more than 30 years, spending most of his time taking
clients steelhead fishing on the Salmon River, a tributary to
Lake Ontario. Edwards, who also guides in Pennsylvania,
told me what the Somerset show was like back in the beginning, 22 years ago…
“I was working with Loomis Rods at the time, on their pro
staff,” he told me. “They invited me to come to the show.
We got here the night before, and I remember we were
sitting on the big crates with all the rods in this huge empty
building and I said to the rep, ‘This is crazy! A flyfishing-only show? And look, this place is hard to find, there’s no signs,
nobody is going come here. We’re going to be sitting here
tomorrow playing cards!’ Well the next morning I came to
show about 10 o’clock. I had to park half a mile away and,
when I got to the show, there was a fire marshal standing at
the door. It was so crowded that they’d only let one person
go in when one person came out! It was absolutely elbow to
elbow to elbow. I sure had to eat crow with everybody that
next morning. But the show has just been gangbusters ever
since. Every year it’s just jam-packed.
“I really don’t know what the attendance numbers are, but
it’s a great show. They always have lots of good speakers
and celebrities that show up here. It was actually that first
year that Chuck Furimsky invited Lou Troupe, Gary Borger,
and a few other guys (including myself) to dinner. Gary and
I have been good friends ever since – and have fished all
over the place together. A lot of good things, a lot of good
friendships have come about because of this show.
“There’s now a big waiting list to get into the show. And
then, of course, from this show, which was their first one,
they opened up other ones. I remember when they first
opened Denver, they invited us to go there and do seminars.
Denver was very similar to this, and has been every year;
just elbow to elbow. They now also have shows in Marlborough, Massachusetts; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; WinstonSalem, North Carolina; Pleasanton, California; Lynnwood,
Washington. It’s really grown, and is very well supported.”
at
RECOMMENDED
RECOMMENDEDREADING
READING
Recommended Reading
Reviews by Kirk Deeter
It’s becoming clearer and clearer that
the most successful fly-fishing books
these days either A) tackle a unique
subject with a fresh perspective and
format that hasn’t been done before;
or B) are so darn substantial in depth
and presentation that that they are
instant “artifacts.” Simply put, print is
indeed alive and well, and hard-copy
books can be effectively sold through
fly shops… if the authority, insights
and end packages transcend anything
else that can be gleaned via surfing
the Internet. Here are two examples
of book projects that fit that bill:
Fly Fishing the Inland
Oceans
By Jerry Darkes
(Stackpole, $29.95)
I grew
up on
the Great
Lakes, and
though I
now live in
Colorado,
I remain
mesmerized
by these
waters. So
I suppose
I was a sucker for the subject matter
when I heard Jerry Darkes (who has
contributed to Angling Trade) tackled
North America’s arterial waterways
from a fly perspective. That said, I
was also a skeptic: Of all the rivers and lakes, even oceans, that have
been fished and written about over
the years, there is scant little on the
34
Great Lakes, and I wasn’t going to fall
for some pretender who didn’t have
his act together… not when it came
to my home waters.
Why are the Great Lakes tough
to write about? Because they’re
hard to figure out. They’re huge.
There are so many different fish
to chase… the nuances here rival
anything you’ll encounter in the
salt, and yet it’s a freshwater fishery. Imagine trying to take all the
lessons from the saltwater flats, and
meshing that in a way that makes
sense with all to be learned about
fishing freshwater rivers and lakes.
Then amplify that times 100.
That’s what Great Lakes fishing
can be. That’s not to suggest that
the learning curve is prohibitive.
The rewards to be caught from the
shores of the Great Lakes can rival
any fishing experience to be had,
anywhere. There just hasn’t been a
clear tutorial to follow… until now.
Darkes absolutely nailed this book.
It’s rock-solid. And Stackpole
framed the substance in a package
that it deserves. From western Lake
Superior to eastern Lake Ontario,
Darkes presents a very compelling
dictum on the where, how, when
and what of Great Lakes fishing. I
love the fact that this revolves heavily around warmwater species like
smallmouth bass and carp. But it
also hits all the salmonids. Suggested flies, lines, approaches...
all here.
In my mind, this region is the most
underrated, underappreciated
freshwater fly-fishing resource in
the United States, and by writing
this book, Darkes ably handed anglers the keys to the kingdom.
He also gave them a reason to put
the upper Midwest on the list of
classic destinations.
Wild Steelhead: The
Lure and Lore of a
Pacific Northwest Icon
By Sean M. Gallagher
(Wild River Press, $150)
Just like some motion pictures are
best experienced
by watching them
on a big screen,
certain fishing topics, like the sacred
steelhead fishery in
the Pacific Northwest, are deserving
of a thick, detailed visually compelling
book rooted in great copy. Wild Steelhead
is that package.
By virtue of its subject matter, this was
certainly another tall hill to climb for
the author. But Gallagher did it justice.
And then some.
I loved the introduction by Thomas Pero,
and the foreword by John McMillan. But
what ultimately won me over was the total
package… the presentation. And that all
clearly revolves around respect. Respect
for a tradition. Respect for a culture. This
book connects the dots between a fish
species and a way of life... that distinctive
steelhead culture, with tremendous effect.
This is one of those book experiences that
leaves you thinking and dreaming after
you close the cover at night. Which is,
perhaps, as it should be, because it is so big
(actually two thick, hardbound volumes)
it’s impossible to digest in one sitting.
Best to delve in and out. Much like a
real steelhead angler would in his or
her journey through this realm in the
natural world. A bit here, a bit there…
in the end, a mosaic of thought that
transforms the soul.
These books are ultimately “why”
books, and the great writing and images
throughout more than justify both the effort (by author and reader) and expense.
This is a genuine artifact indeed. at
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feature
Bringing Back the Small Stream
An initiative by Orvis and Trout Unlimited will open 1,000 more miles
of opportunity in America.
Written by Erin Block
One of the best assets a fly shop
can have is a local and healthy small
stream. If there is a hook in fly
fishing, a point of addiction where
there’s no turning back, I’ll posit
that many times a small stream is it.
Especially for youth or beginners,
these feeder creeks are places where
you can get by with minimal gear and
where the trout are eager and willing,
albeit perfectly palm sized.
36
But when you’re at that point, when
you’re at the start, it doesn’t matter
how big the fish is or how far you have
yet to go; what matters is that you can
bring a fish to hand. On your own.
These are the places of independence,
the places where many firsts happen,
like a tree carved with initials, we
remember the pools and runs where
we were successful. Also those where
we were not. And so we return to
good spots again and again, for there
are many things to learn there…
even still.
Small headwater streams of Colorado
are the places etched into my
beginnings: branches of Boulder
Creek and high lonesome forks of
the Saint Vrain. My homewaters,
the places that are close, within a
20-minute drive time radius, tops.
These were the places I first went to
hone my skills and learn to observe,
to prove I could lay a cast without
spooking gin-clear pools, match my flies
to nature’s, tie a knot that would hold.
To prove I would not fail (or get lost), at
least not every time.
For many folks, introduction to flyfishing comes through a friend, spouse,
or family member, by a guide of some
sort ushering them on their way. But
eventually the time comes when they’ll
want or need to have a go solo, and in
many cases, small streams allow the
space, independence, and curiosity
necessary for creating lifelong anglers
who will resultantly become ardent
conservationists. Small streams, you
might say, can work very well as a
gateway drug.
Frequenting waters brings the luxury
of knowledge, you read them as you
would a family member or close
friend out of sorts. Initial indicators
of trouble often arise on small streams
and the first receptors are homewater
anglers and guides. They’re our first
line of defense, observing changes in
the ecosystem, habitat degradation,
and population decline. They’re also
the first to reap the benefit of an
ecosystem restored.
As macabre as that is, it’s true. And it’s
also true that the fly-fishing industry
relies on just the opposite: alive and
Perhaps one of the most significant
threats to fisheries in the United States,
yet also often the most overlooked,
are the barriers created by culverts on
headwater streams. The problem is not
that they are there per se (for we can’t
escape their necessity), but how they
are—as when giving advice, critique,
or criticism, successful reception is
all in the delivery. Corrugated metal
piping has been the most prevalent
fish passageway system used in these
situations, but it presents navigation
and swimming obstacles, insufficient
water depth, and inevitable erosion
that creates “hanging” culverts making
passage impossible.
In one way or another, salmonid species
all use small streams—to find cooler
water temperatures, food, or spawning
grounds, small streams are an essential
part of their life history. That is, if they
can get to them. And for sustainable
fisheries to exist, it’s necessary they do.
Culverts impede not only fish passage
but also prevent downstream flow of
gravel needed for spawning redds, and
woody debris that provides rearing
habitat, protection from predators, and
help in preventing stream bank erosion.
Less obvious to the naked eye,
impassable culverts lessen the genetic
diversity of populations isolated
between stream segments, therefore
increasing risk of genetic drift and
inbreeding which has shown to
negatively affect fitness and ability
to evolve along with environmental
change. Without genetic variation or
possibility of natural replacement, these
populations will face extinction.
However, the problem is being brought
to the forefront and aggressively
addressed by Orvis and Trout
Unlimited through the 1,000 Miles
Campaign, which aims to reconnect
1,000 miles of fishable streams by
removing outdated culverts, and in
place, to engineer and install fish
friendly passageways. These retrofits
are perhaps one of the best returns on
investments per conservation dollar,
as reconnecting spawning habitat
improves health of the ecosystem,
increases fish population, and expands
angling opportunities.
Working from a database of watersheds
across the country identified by Trout
Unlimited as most in need of culvert
improvement work, the 1,000 Miles
Campaign has reconnected over two
hundred stream miles and has more
than twenty projects in progress or
completed to date.
Now for the third year Orvis has
renewed a grant to match dollar-fordollar contributions up to $90,000,
aiming for a total of another $180,000
in 2014. More information on the
program and how to donate can
be found online at the 1,000 Miles
website: http://www.orvis.com/intro.
aspx?subject=11061
Gaining back headwaters is
something every fly shop, guide,
and angler, whether they fish small
streams or not, must be concerned
with addressing as it affects not only
the health and persistence of the
immediate population, but those
downstream in larger rivers and
stillwaters as well. And whether
introduced for the first time or
once again after many years, the
Orvis/Trout Unlimited 1,000
Miles Campaign reconnects fish
with waters, and anglers with new
stretches of fishable streams. For the
fly-fishing industry, this just makes
good business sense. at
37
Now I’ll make no claim of business
savvy, but there is one thing I see
clearly: In order to achieve long-term
success, you must have something to
offer for a need/want that is sustained.
Perhaps my understanding comes
from growing up with my dad’s wit,
and somewhat dark humor. He’s a
businessman, a good one, and his field
of expertise (and indeed success) is
the funeral industry. Through rough
economic times he reassured us, his
family, that his job would be safe,
people will always die.
healthy fish. For without them, our
trade shows would be moot, magazines
archived to history, waders consigned as
plumbing getup, and our rods relegated
to unstrung nostalgia as wall hangings
of good times past.
feature
It’s a Jungle Out There
If you’re looking for an exciting new frontier for
fly fishing, you’ll find it in the mud of the South
American jungle.
Written by Kirk Deeter
These are but two examples of a
new trend that’s bringing fly fishing
to indigenous people in developing
nations. The premise is very simple:
The native people live in some
of the most pristine, untapped
natural reserves in the world. They
inevitably face the encroachment of
industry, be that agriculture, mining,
timber cutting, etc. By creating an
ecology-based alternative (like catchand-release fishing operations), these
tribes can realize economic benefits,
still adhere to their traditions and
culture, and the natural landscapes
can be preserved.
In 2008, I took a trip that forever
changed my perceptions of fly
fishing and writing. I went to
Bolivia and ran up the Rio Secure,
camping in tents and fishing for
dorado and pacu with a crew from
Untamed Angling and their native
guides. I eventually penned a story
titled “In Search of the River Gods”
for Field&Stream magazine, and
Untamed would created a lodge
there called “Tsimane,” which
now ranks among the elite angling
operations in the world.
Two years ago, I went on a trip to
Guyana with Al Perkinson of Costa
38
and Oliver White of Nervous Waters,
among others, this time to chase the
elusive arapaima—the largest, scaled,
freshwater species on the planet. We
did indeed catch wild arapaimas on
flies, but the real story was on the
natives in the Rewa region, who are
trying to create a viable sportfishingbased economy there. You may
have seen some of this in the short
film Jungle Fish, which claimed
high honors at the Sundance Film
Festival. The villagers now operate,
with Costa’s continuing support,
an eco-lodge and a very limited,
exclusive fishing business.
Now, the assumption (and it’s a big
one) is that development, in one
form or another, is indeed inevitable.
In which case it may be better to
introduce fishing as an economic
driver, because the alternatives
may include clear-cutting forests,
digging pit mines, poaching and
illegally trading animal products,
drug trafficking, and so on. For
the record, these projects have
received some government support
(though not without some intense
negotiations in Bolivia). Most
importantly, the natives themselves
have embraced the projects.
The really interesting thing—and
what the American fly-fishing industry
should know—is that these two
operations only scratch the surface
of what is about to happen. Yes,
Americans have been travelling to the
Amazon, Venezuela and elsewhere
to fish for peacock bass and such for
decades. But the South American
scene is about to explode, specifically
as more agreements with indigenous
tribes open vast swatches of
previously unexplored and unfished
water. In other words, we ain’t seen
nothing yet.
drainages hold more species of fish
than the entire United States does.
And the fish are exciting. Jungle
angling is a sport unto itself, because
the adrenaline levels are so elevated.
Remember that almost everything
in the jungle wants to eat everything
else, from the smallest bugs to the
jaguars. That’s certainly true with
fish. Thus, fishing for apex predators
is an entirely different ballgame than
an angler would use swinging for
steelhead in the Pacific Northwest.
The clothing the luggage, the
eyewear, and so on that can be
specifically tailored to jungle fishing
is only limited by the imagination.
Granted, any trip to the jungle is a
life adventure for most anglers. We’re
talking about undeveloped regions
in developing nations. Some places
being explored are political hotspots.
Costa, for example has helped
to secure a grant to expand the
sportfishing model throughout the
Rupununi region in Guyana.
Marcelo Perez, CEO of Untamed
Angling based in Buenos Aires,
Argentina, has been at this effort for
years. In fact, it is fair to say that
this angler-explorer-diplomat is the
South American mastermind of
implementing this model, and he is
currently in negotiations that will
establish lodges in several fisheries he
simply describes as “mind-blowing”
(though we won’t say where yet
because the negotiations are ongoing).
If things go according to plan, the
result could be a wholesale paradigm
shift in the way American anglers
view adventure travel.
For example, I think it’s fair to assume
that the next “quest” species many
anglers will want to add to their
bucket lists is the pacu—a veritable
freshwater permit that eats berries
and plants, is extremely shy, yet a
dogged fighter. Arapaimas will be to
anglers what the Marco Polo sheep
is to hunters—one of the greatest
trophies found in very limited
quantities in the wild.
Another interesting consideration is
whether or not major manufacturers
are going to follow the trend by
producing jungle-specific gear. For
example, Oliver White, Matt Breuer
and others had to figure out how to
catch those arapaimas, and they had
to devise their own flies (peacock
bass imitations on large circle hooks)
to get it done. Throwing 2/0 flies
with lead dumbbell eyes at 30-pound
dorado requires a different kind of
rod action, line, and leader than
Travel to the major cities is actually
not that difficult or long (compared
with trips to Russia, Africa, or even
Patagonia). And the quality of lodges
that can be set up in these places,
leaving minimal footprint yet still
involving power, Internet, clean water
and fine food, is actually remarkable.
But this won’t be for everyone.
Jungle angling will, however, be
enough to capture the interest of a
lot more people than it does now,
and smart fly-fishing businesses are
going to want to keep a careful eye on
the opportunities that emerge in the
coming months and years. at
39
Now add species most Americans
haven’t heard of—yatorana, arowana,
and the toothy payara included—and
it’s easy to see that the scene could
blow wide open. After all, those river
what most anglers are used to, even
seasoned veterans of the tarpon flats.
feature
Getting Competitive:
Can Tournament Fly Gear Drive Business?
Written by Morgan Lyle
prevent “dropping” fish. The Euro
anglers also had access to extraheavy tungsten beads, which weren’t
as widely available here then as they
are now.
“Eventually I was buying enough
of this product that these guys
considered me a distributor, so I was
getting the lowest price,” Compton
said. Back in home in the States, “I
was driving around and selling them
out of my car at regional events
around the country.”
Back in 2006, when Fly Fishing
Team USA was getting serious
about competing against the
European anglers who ruled the
international competition flyfishing circuit, Kevin Compton
of Cleveland found himself
tying flies for the American
competitors at that year’s world
championship in Portugal.
It was his first exposure to the
specialized nymphs the Euro anglers
used in competition: slim but heavy,
40
able to sink quickly and buggy enough
to attract trout. Compton met local
tiers, examined their fly boxes over
drinks in the afternoon while the
competitors were out on the rivers,
and learned a whole new style of flytying... and came home with an idea
for a whole new niche market.
“We needed, first of all, quality
manufactured barbless hooks,” he
recalled. The rules of the Federation
Internationale de Peche Sportive
Mouche forbid barbs, so European
manufacturers were making barbless
hooks with wide gaps, long spears
and slightly upturned points to
Eight years later, Compton is the
proprietor of Performance Flies,
specializing in fly-tying materials
and terminal tackle for the growing
American competition fly-fishing
market—and especially for the purely
recreational angler who wants to
incorporate comp-style tackle and
techniques in his or her own fishing.
“I want the attention of the average
tier from Omaha, Nebraska, who
wants to try some barbless hooks
and tungsten beads,” he said. “The
newness, the novelty of stuff, the
hooks with upturned points and black
finishes—they’re different and they
have a lot of pop to them. I think
the niche I’ve hit is the desire for
something new, the fact that different
flies work—and on pressured fisheries,
which is almost everywhere, having
something new is often the ticket.”
The business decision is paying off.
Compton sold twice as much in 2012
as in 2011, 90 percent of it to noncompetition anglers.
few yards of leader and a weighted
nymph or two.
He’s part of a trend in the fly-fishing
industry. Noting the ever-growing
profile of Fly Fishing Team USA, as
well as the TroutLegend fly-fishing
league on the East Coast, and recently,
veteran competitor Anthony Naranja’s
announcement of a Pro Fly Angling
Tour series of tournaments in 2014,
the industry has begun responding
with the tools of the comp trade, such
as 11-foot nymphing rods, 20-foot
leaders, sighters and tippet rings, jig
hooks for nymphs and tying products
seldom seen in American shops.
Sage’s ESN (European Style
Nymphing) line of rods has a lot of
fans among the comp crowd and
those who enjoy comp tactics for
their personal fishing. The company
considers it a niche rod, like its bass
fishing fly rod line. Then again,
comp-style fishing has a well-placed
advocate at Sage: Russ Miller, a rod
designer and member of Team USA.
“The way I see it is very similar to
where the Spey market was 12 years
ago, except with a higher ceiling
for potential for growth,” said Joe
Goodspeed, fly-fishing product
manager for Cortland Line Co. “I
think the potential is very, very big.
There are trout streams you can use
these techniques on very successfully
all across the country.”
“Personally, I am someone who
nymph fishes about 200 days a year
and I don’t do any competition,” said
Goodspeed, who designed Cortland’s
Competition Nymph Rod line. “I’m
the same type of person as a growing
segment of the industry that’s not
directly involved in competition
but likes to make themselves more
effective using the techniques.”
Word about comp techniques and
tackle has spread through fly-fishing
media coverage of Team USA and
Youth Team USA (which took the
team and individual gold medals
at the 2013 world championships
in Ireland), along with the growing
visibility of TroutLegend league
competitions on public water in
Pennsylvania, North Carolina,
Georgia and New York.
Celebrity anglers like George Daniel
of Pennsylvania, author of Dynamic
Nymphing: Tactics, Techniques and Flies
from Around the World, and Devin
Olsen of Colorado have done much
to spread the word. Kevin Compton
counts A-list anglers and tiers,
including Ed Engle, Lance Egan,
Loren Williams, Daniel, Rich Strolis,
Mike Schmidt, Eric Stroup and Steve
Parrott, on his pro staff.
Compton, whose book, Contemporary
Czech Style Nymphs is scheduled to
Compton doesn’t advertise.
Performance Flies doesn’t even have a
Facebook page. But demand for Euro
style gear is nonetheless on the rise
among the fly-fishing public.
“They’re paying a little attention to the
competitive forums, and hearing about
it on regular forums,” he said. “The
more guys who tie with these really
photogenic comp hooks and post their
flies on forums, people say, ‘Wow, where
can I get that?’ I’m a one guy show and
last year I was spending almost eight
hours a day packing orders.”
Set In Our Ways?
Angling Trade recently polled its
readers via the monthly Angling
Trade E-News electronic newsletter
(if you haven’t already subscribed,
visit anglingtrade.com... it’s free),
simply asking “Does Competitive Fly
Fishing Sell Product?” The answers
were pretty divided. A whopping
60 percent of over 130 respondents
chose the answer, “Heck no. It’s a
small gimmick niche that runs counter
to my fly-fishing philosophy and I
want no part of it.” Twenty percent
chose, “Heck yeah. I’m selling more
product in this niche, even to noncompetitive anglers, and I think it’s
a good way to expand the sport.”
Sixteen percent chose, “It’s not my
cup of tea, but I’m willing to give it a
try,” and four percent were undecided
or ambivalent. at
41
While competition fishing can
encompass dry flies, streamers and
lake fishing, nymphing is the most
common method. FIPS-Mouche
rules also forbid split shot and strike
indicators, so competition anglers
practice direct-contact nymphing,
using extra-long rods to hold extralong leaders off the water for great
drifts and sensitivity. The rods flex
at the tips and will load with just a
“I think more people are getting into
this Euro style of fishing,” said Miller,
who finished third at the 2013 U.S.
National Championship in Colorado.
“All it takes is one time to see how you
can really put up some big numbers
on the water and be far more effective
in a short time. It’s something totally
new and different than what they’ve
done before. It really takes fishing and
makes it fresh again, and fun.”
be out this summer, has begun
distributing flies tied by European
tiers. His flies retail for $2.95, “and
you get tungsten and a premium
barbless hook,” he said. “I pay
more than others would pay for a
fly from Thailand, but I can still
make a comfortable margin on
their work.”
feature
Starting a Nonprofit to
Protect Your River:
Lessons Learned from the Deschutes River Alliance
Written by Chris Santella
In December of 2009, an underwater tower
was completed upstream of Pelton Dam,
which regulates flows to the lower Deschutes
River. The tower is the culmination
of a long, complex and costly effort to
reintroduce Chinook and sockeye salmon
and steelhead to the upper Deschutes,
Metolius and Crooked Rivers, which
combine to form the lower Deschutes.
Essentially, it mixes water from different
levels of the reservoir to arrive at a release
temperature of 58 degrees, six degrees
warmer than pre-tower temperatures.
In July of 2010, guides in the lower reaches of the
Deschutes noticed that fewer “early” steelhead were
showing up in the river, a result, they surmised,
of the warmer water temps. As new water release
42
protocols continued over the next few years, other
changes began to surface. Insect hatches were sparse
where and when they were once robust. Turbidity
had suddenly become an issue. There was a new
type of algae covering the rocks in riffles. Bats
and swallows were less commonplace. The trend
continued the next few summers.
“I came upon a notice for a meeting about the changing
river conditions,” said Greg McMillan, a passionate
Deschutes angler who resides in Bend. “I attended the
presentation which was given by Don Ratliff, a senior
biologist with Portland General Electric [which owns
2/3 of the Pelton Round Butte Dam; the other 1/3
is owned by the Confederated Tribes of the Warm
Springs Reservation of Oregon]. I left more confused
than when the meeting started. I decided to organize
a second presentation so Don would have more time to
present his understanding of the situation, and guides,
outfitters and other stakeholders would have more time
to ask questions. This second meeting led to more
meetings as we tried to determine what was going on.
It wasn’t just the water temperature that had changed,
but the water chemistry. The Deschutes River Alliance
was born of these meetings.” (McMillan serves as
president of the DRA’s board of directors.)
Officially established in August of 2013, the DRA
will protect the river and its recreational assets for
both present and future generations by designing
collaborative, science-based solutions to basin-wide
threats that may adversely affect the health and function
of the lower Deschutes River and its tributaries. High
priority projects for 2014 include:
• Conducting an expansive research program that
evaluates temperature, water chemistry, insect, and
algae populations throughout the lower 100 miles of the
Deschutes River. This work will build a broad baseline
of river health and help determine if the lower river is
imminently at risk.
• Water quality and biological sampling will take place
at the mouth of every tributary to the lower 100 miles
of the Deschutes River. This work will help identify
sources of risk to water quality and biologic health.
• Aerial mapping of algae and thermal profile will be
conducted. This detailed profile will identify the extent
of health and/or risk.
• Work collaboratively with ODFW staff to survey
and evaluate red band trout populations, work not
conducted since 2000.
1. Gather up others who share your passion for the
place. If protecting this fishery is your idea, agree to
be the organizer. If it was a joint idea, pick one person
who will be the registered agent for the start up and the
others will be incorporators. This may seem trivial, but
in some states—including Oregon—the formation of a
non-profit must follow a fairly strict protocol; see # 5.
2.
Define your vision for being successful. Where do
you want to be when you can declare success? What
will the world look like if you accomplish your mission?
Will there be no more invasive species, water temps that
never eclipse 62 degrees, so many trout that you can
walk across the river on their backs?
3. Write a Mission Statement for your group. The
mission statement should explain the “where” and the
“what” you are doing. It will provide not only guidance
for your group’s efforts, but a yardstick with which to
measure your progress.
4. Give your group or effort a name. Use your State’s
Secretary of State’s Business and Corporate Registry to
see if anyone has already registered your name. Before
the Deschutes River Alliance was the Deschutes River
Alliance, a number of different names were bandied
about, including Lower Deschutes River Coalition. In
the end, Alliance seemed to be more inviting to the
river’s various stakeholders. As in product marketing,
a great name can’t make an organization appealing or
successful on its own… though a bad name can make
brand building an uphill battle.
5. Carefully pick your board members. Beyond
collecting seed money for getting the organization
off the ground, a strong board can give you instant
credibility in your community (and beyond), and
43
Having a vision of how to save a river is one thing.
Giving that vision a focus and legal imprimatur is
something else. “Every river needs a friend,” Dave
Moskowitz, DRA’s co-founder and executive director
added. “Since friends sometimes don’t last forever, and
the river will flow indefinitely if taken care of, friends
need a plan to make sure their original vision flows for
as long as the river does.” Fresh from the process of
launching DRA, Moskowitz and McMillan shared some
of the more prosaic steps that will prove handy as you
set out to create the organization that will safeguard the
well-being of your favorite river.
feature
also give you the brain power, skill sets and energy
you need to hit the ground running. A dream
board would include an attorney; a CPA or finance
professional that understands the nuances of a
spreadsheet (for DRA, this person is Rick Trout); a
scientist (or two) with knowledge of the watershed
in question (Rick Hafele and Steve Pribyl); a writer,
designer or communications professional who can
assist with outreach (Ed Hepp); and some community
leaders who can reach out to others in the community
to let them know what you’re up to. The community
leaders the DRA recruited—including John and
Amy Hazel, Tom Larimer and Damien Nurre—also
reached out to their client bases to solicit support, a
huge benefit for a fledgling group. It probably goes
without saying that the ideal board will be ready to
work beyond attending a once-a-year meeting.
44
6. Call a meeting of all of the key people you have
recruited who share the same vision. One person
must propose a motion to “formerly organize” and the
assembled group must select an organizing committee.
Those assembled either volunteer or are picked as the
organizers and the larger assembled group authorizes
the organizers to:
a. Adopt a name
b. Adopt a mission
c. Select a registered agent
d. Select the principal incorporators
e. Authorize the organizers to draft and adopt bylaws
f. Set the number of Board positions
g. Set variable terms for Board positions
h. Authorize the organizers to draft and adopt a conflict
of interest policy
i. Authorize Board committees
j. Authorize the establishment of a banking account if
you plan to raise funds and spend them on achieving
your vision
(NOTE: This is how one must proceed in Oregon;
protocol may vary in other states.)
7. Incorporate your group. In Oregon, you can do
this online on the Secretary of State’s Business Registry.
You’ll need to enter the organization’s name, who the
registered agent is, a physical address for that person
and a mission statement. Then you’ll need to pay your
state to register your group (online usually). This is a
simple form and most states have a questionnaire that
once complete and the fee is paid, acts as your official
“Articles of Incorporation.”
8. Draft operating bylaws for your organization.
Bylaws describe how your organization is going to
conduct its business as a corporation. Bylaws are your
operating manual for how you organize your group
to do what you want to accomplish. There are many
examples of bylaws that you can draw from (some
good templates reside at http://form1023.org), but
there are specific chapters the bylaws must address,
including provisions for the number, term, qualification
and removal of Directors; the duties, terms and limits
of Board officers and committees; and where an
organization’s assets go if the organization dissolves.
9. Create a logo for your organization that captures
10.If you are going to raise or spend more than
$10,000 annually, you need to apply for tax-exempt
status with the IRS. Most river conservation groups
11. Establish an operating budget. The budget is
derived from the scope of activities the organization
aims to accomplish. Costs can be generally broken
down into mission-related expenses and administrative
or “back office” expenses. Given heightened scrutiny
of non-profits (thanks to scandals at some poorly run
organizations), it’s important to maintain a reasonably
low administrative, back-office or “overhead” expense
relative to mission-related expenses. Most organizations
will need to spend funds for communication and
education (often described as “outreach”) and these
activities are more mission-oriented than administrative.
Administrative expenses are the supplies, equipment
and services needed to put communication, advocacy
and science projects into action. at
45
your vision, mission and name in a compelling,
graphical manner. Think how your logo will be used
down the line—on your website, in your brochures…
and on any hats or other “swag” you may create to
reward/incentivize supporters. Remember—a cool hat
or t-shirt can generate good buzz for your organization.
will be public benefit organizations and should seek a
determination that they are tax exempt under IRC 501
C-3. This designation will allow your group to raise
money without paying taxes upon those monies, and
likewise make any donations tax deductible. You need
to download IRS Form 1023 and begin the process
of completing the application. Obtaining tax-exempt
status is extremely important; without a 501 C-3, most
foundations and large gift individual donors will be
hesitant to support you. Obtaining your 501 C-3 status
is a complicated and lengthy process; even if you have
an attorney or tax expert on your board, you’ll probably
want to hire outside assistance, as this is more than
you’d want to ask as a pro bono favor. Before forming
as our own group, we considered a few other options
for obtaining tax-exempt status. One alternative was
to attain Waterkeeper status (http://waterkeeper.org).
If you meet their strict criteria, your organization can
raise funds using their tax exemption (in accounting
parlance, Waterkeeper acts as a fiscal agent). The
downsides are twofold: 1) Waterkeeper takes a
percentage of any donation that’s accepted on your
organization’s behalf. 2) By accepting Waterkeeper’s
conditions, your organization cedes oversight to
Waterkeeper. In the end, DRA opted to pursue 501
C-3 status on its own. Though the application has been
received by the IRS, their review is still in the works, as
the Internal Revenue Service is 18 months behind in
processing applications.
BACKCAST
plans designed to protect California’s fish
populations, including Central Valley
salmon runs and ESA-listed Delta smelt.
In the dewatered Delta alone, there are
currently many, many endangered and
threatened species. Included in the mix:
steelhead and two runs of Chinook.
Water Über
Alles
In California brown has
become the new blue
Written by Geoff Mueller
Drought isn’t a complicated
phenomenon. It coughs dust, kicks dirt,
and thrives on long spells of rainlessness.
Turning one around, on the other
hand, can be a tough prospect—as
Californians know all too well.
Below the stark red lines indicating
“historical average” on the state’s major
reservoirs is a dearth of blue. And
succumbing to the inevitable, Governor
Jerry Brown in January issued a statewide
emergency declaration, urging citizens
to turn back taps by 20 percent: “We
ought to be ready for a long, continued,
persistent effort to restrain water use,”
he said. And those words made sense,
considering the state’s long, continued,
persistent effort to piss it all away.
The Governor’s water emergency
spiel also housed a kicker aimed at
imperiled wildlife. Digging deeper into
the language, we learned it exempted
state regulators from compliance with
the California Environmental Quality
Act (CEQA), as well as water quality
46
CalTrout fired off its “drought
manifesto” in the days that followed.
Based on work to promote “resilient
fish populations,” the call to arms
underscored an ugly battle that’s
been exacerbated by climate change,
weather variability, and rampant
agricultural want.
“The statewide emergency
declaration,” said Curtis Knight,
CalTrout’s conservation director,
“allows the governor to move water
around easier. But the truth is that
during extended cycles like this, there
isn’t a lot of water to move anywhere.”
That sobering lack was glaringly evident
in an anemic American River. On the
lower section, upstream of downtown
Sacramento, flows plummeted from
seasonal averages of more than 2,000
cfs to about 500 in January. A month
later, California Department of Fish
and Wildlife (CDFW) pulled the plug
on American River fishing (in sections)
to give anadromy—notably returning
steelhead and salmon—a chance against
increasingly claustrophobic conditions.
CDFW’s Charlton Bonham nailed
it: “Under these extreme drought
conditions, it’s prudent to conserve and
protect as many adult fish as possible
to help ensure the future of fishing in
California.” The department went on
to slam doors on 14 north and south
central-coast rivers. Bans included the
Big Sur and area streams in the south,
the main-stem Eel and Smith to the
north, and on the Russian River in
Sonoma and Mendocino counties.
That’s a lot of meanders to sidestep,
and across all-of-the-above, stressed,
stacked, vulnerable fish point toward
California’s contemptible water
inefficiencies. At the top of the heap,
agriculture powers an unending
demand-exceeding-supply scenario.
According to a 2009 article in
The Economist, 80 percent of statedesignated water flows straight
toward ag. Much of that sweet nectar
stems from the State Water Project
(SWP)—the backbone of California’s
water-delivery system. Searching for
a life raft in a crusty sea of brown,
SWP recently announced it would
temporarily suspend water delivery to
the 25 million people and 1 million
acres of farmland it services, mostly
south of the Delta.
At Lost Coast Outfitters, San Francisco’s
newest fly shop that may have chosen
the hardest year in history to open,
optimistic owner, George Revel, is using
the drought as a means to enlighten fly
rodders. He’s building comprehensive
online reports, for instance, showing
anglers what’s fishing, and what’s not.
“The biggest thing for me is education,”
Revel said. “That means trying to
explain to customers the water politics in
California and why we need to be supervigilant over the next couple of months.”
Looking to the sky for a solution,
something extraordinary happened. It
rained. It poured. And recent storms
hosed parts of the state with more than
10 inches of rain. In addition to flash
floods and power outages, the Sierra
Nevada received much needed snow
and the Yuba River’s primary reservoir
rose 14 feet. “The bad news,” said
Ralph Cutter, owner of the California
School of Fly Fishing in Nevada City
and Truckee, “is that it’s still 150 feet
below normal for this time of year.”
In California, this new normal
continues to bore its heels into the
dry hardpan. While the dream of
water über alles has been reduced
to puddles and more desperate
politicking across the state. at
Four Reasons Why TROUT
is the Best Buy in Fly…
1
It has the largest sustained
print readership in the
space.
2
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spend and act).
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best CPM value of any
publication that covers fly
fishing.
egacy of
shable water.
4
Money spent in TROUT
supports the organization
that protects the resources
that sustain fly fishing.
If you haven’t checked out
TROUT lately, make a
point to do so. We don’t
do how-to. But we’re also
not strictly a conservation
publication. TROUT is a
lifestyle publication that
covers the conscience of
angling in America. And
we’re growing...
For advertising
information:
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