FlyTalk

In addition to One Percent for the Planet, over the past 3 years Patagonia World Trout t-shirt sales have generated 350K in grant funds for groups working to preserve wild fish and their habitat. Being green is also not just about how much money you give away either. Patagonia uses recycled content in virtually every product, has been using only organic cotton since 1996 and a great deal of the product line is now recyclable. Stack it all up and the brand does more for fish and the environment than any other fly fishing brand. Could someone explain to me why Simms makes the list of green fly fishing companies?

Wow! I thought this was supposed to be a fly fishing blog, but it seems to have been hijacked by Koolade drinkers from the Daily Kos.

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ok dumb ass, the iraq war for starters, pipe lines through europe, contracts to all his buddies. you have to be an idiot to think the democratic congress that still had no majority control had anything to do with the economy, 1 year in and the ship was sunk and is still sinking. Idiot, finance, so your a finacial advisor, gee that is a tough gig to get, any body with a heart beat can get that job, no whonder you guide. Go curl up with your rod and cheney and do everyone a favor, don't have kids cause we don't need anymore self proclaim know it alls. You would know a fact if you saw one. You just go to church and believe what ever your preacher says.

i had a pet smallmouth that used to eat live minnows and nightcrawlers out of my hand. even ate my pet frog.

My very first open, freshwater SCUBA experience (1964)had us sitting on the bottom in 10' of clear water. Dug out 2 clams, mushed them together and held them out for the fish. So delighted, I started to chuckle/laugh and lost my mouthpiece. Damn near drowned. What a pleasure to see it done again.

Bluerabbit,

Huh? I'm not sure I know what a "marine preserves" is, is that made with apricots?
Nice comments though! Here's another example of gulability when it comes to the media. Not a single fact stated here, just regurgitated hatred from the media about a man you know nothing about. And you have the audacity to point out MY political ideology. Accusations and opinions do not constitute hard facts!
Stop throwing stones!!!

WHAT!!!!!!!!!! Cheney?????.

This is an outrage. As for Mr Red I suggest you do some more reading, Cheney set aside a few acres in his home state and then trashed the rest of the country as VP, just as Bush is setting aside some marine preserves that have no conflict with BIG OIL, does not make you an environmentalist. Cheney is a thug and should be in Jail, irregardless of your political ideology.
Of all the poeple that they could have chose and they are quite possibly narrowing it down to Cheney, SICK.
Lets hope he makes it to a Bird Hunting synopisis 1st, maybe if he shoots someone in the crowd after leaving office and now as a civilian he will be hauled off to his own prison cell.

blah,

I get pretty good reception under this rock of mone! Funny how that works. You sit in your enlightened bungalo with your head in the sand like so many others, ingesting the crap that they feed you, waiting for Nirvana to suddenly appear and all to be well. And I actually think about what info comes my way, from both sides, and think about it, scrutinze it, investigate it, and make my own decisions about how things really might be!
I'll give yo the same opportunity Tim gave me, tell me one person Cheney stole from or killed! I'm pretty sure the guy he shot didn't die! And if you've ever willingly paid for gas to fill up your gas tank, that's not thieft! Once again lots of accusations and opinions, NO FACTS!!!
You say he's been killing and robbing from the entire planet for the past eight years, I guess you didn't hear that the Bush administration has given more money and aid to continent of Africa than any person or party in the history of mankind!!! Look it up, even with your head buried in the sand, you can find that out!!!
Proof of the crashing economy can directly be associated with the current democratic congress and senate. It's so strange how the economy was great, sorry, exceptionally great, until after the democrates took controll in 2006. After all, they are the ones holding the purse strings, not the administration. But you knew that of course!!!
And as for being a guide, I do it part time for fun. My regular job makes me lots of money, probably from people like you who can't figure thier own finances out on their own because their heads are, once again, buried in the sand!

You have to be living under a rock if you think Cheney is a decent human. I don't give a F*** if he likes to hunt or fish, he's a theif, killer, and one of the biggest pieces of crap on the earth. If you get your news from a fly fishing article it's no whonder you think he's a decent guy, to bad him and all his buddies have been killing and robbing from the entire world for the last 8 years. And if you need proof look at the failed economy and the effect on the world economy, but I'm sure as a guide your pockets are lined with cash like his, only you worked for yours. Lets see how your business is this summer when no customers come out west cause their asses are unemployed and broke. Just like your goona be...........cheers my friend under the rock, or in your case you just forgot to get get off the river and understand how the world works. Good luck this summer, as Dick and his slimey budz are gonna be the only customers you have, and then lets see how you like them when they sink hooks in your head all day, and then say woops.

That is cool!!

I had a great uncle with a small farm pond that had a largemouth trained to eat out of his hand. Old Hank was the fishes name (Cletus was my uncle). Anyhoo, Clete could call and that fish would come swimming from wherever it was in the pond. I think winter kill may have finally taken old Hank, that or he foundered (feeding Hank became a bit of a neighborhood attraction).

Pretty snifty video!

Guadalupe River tailrace is hot right now. 20" rainbows are common.

Bob,

American Museum of Fly Fishing. AMFF. No guns, no hunting, no hunters saftey being given. I hope they are serving beer because if the attendees at this event are anything like the bloggers on this post...

"I digress via Stella Artois"

Best line of the whole thread...

I will salute your wit via Optimator (tonight, I hasten to add as it's 8 a.m. here and I'm not in college any more...) only because my local house of fine and not-so-fine spirits is out of Stella at the moment...

Red:

Will Dick Cheney be conducting a Hunter Safety Course at the AMFF meeting? Perhaps the course could be given after Cheney has "a beer" for lunch?

One last thing I omitted in my last post: the Aviators that Dick Cheney wears when he is skiing have those sweet glacier glare resistant leather doo-hickeys on the sides. I'm also pretty sure he has a hip sack loaded with protective UV ointment and hand warmers.

OK, now I'm done. I swear. Sorry Tim. Sorry Red. I digress via Stella Artois.

Riceman

All the other statements aside, I don't ever want to be near Cheney. Anyone who can pull the trigger, shoot someone and not take full responsiblity for it.......nuff said.

The Weekly Standard = neocon propaganda.

Talk about a crappy journalism. Red, if this is all you read I feel pity for you. Open your eyes man. The rest of the world sees it. Why can't you.

Thank god, Bush, Dick, and all his cronies will gone in a couple of weeks. We might even get our country back...

Wow! Fllogger just went Huffington/Drudge - BigE/Tupac - Oregon/Great Lakes Steelhead all wrapped into one. Layeth the smaketh down y'all!

Honestly, I'll chalk this one up to "winter doldrums." Still... I like it. For the record: I'm still fairly certain that if Cheney skis... he wears a pair of tight Levi 501s... probably a pair of white rear entry Nordica boots as well. And a one-piece. Something Fluorescent. Maybe turquoise. And a pair of aviators.

Rock on politicos!

Riceman

If you look up the most recent studies on media bias, you will be very interested to find out where The Washington Post, The LA Times, and the New York Times stand. These are three of the MOST liberal newspapers out there and located in the most liberal parts of the country! Just look at the titles of the articles, "Dick Cheney's last-gasp fight against clean air"! Come on, you think this is going to be a objective peice? Think about were your getting this stuff! Please!!! And suggesting that the evil emperor Cheney has his hands in the cookie jar is NOT a provable fact, it's an accusation. Journalism is lost!!! If you think here-say can be backed up or would stand up in court, I'm very sorry my friend, not gonna happen.
As far as being scrutinized, Cheney has been strangely absent from the media the last seven years, except for the attack pieces that seem to find their way on to the nightly news networks and papers op-eds. He may be the most camera shy politician on the planet.
If you read the Weekly Standard article, you would know that this piece, like I stated before, was a look at this man through the eyes of a flyfisher/journalist. It's not a political crack piece, just a good story about a man who loves the sport. You might be suprized to find out that he is a human after all.
I look foreward to seeing you on the river, I think we probably have more in common than you might think, ask Deeter and I'll see you on the Colordo!

I have two thoughts on this... first, the AMFF would be pulling in lots of money to have the former VP attend, I saw this at a fundraiser for Quayle back in the mid 90's. People don't necessarily look at the enviromental policies, but more the chance to be in the same room as a VP or President. The second thought is that this may become a publicity stunt for the AMFF to try and pull in the money. Just keep clear of the muzzle when he turns :)

I once hit the aforementioned house with a golf ball back in '03....

just saying

Red,

By the way - The Weekly Standard? Talk about biased. I'm just subscribing to provable facts. Nothing else.

I agree that there's always something more. Always. It's just hard to dispute facts that can be backed up. We are talking about someone who has every move scrutinized.

I tell you what. If we ever find ourselves on a stream together I'll take your advice and not discuss politics or religion. I have a feeling we'd only get into trouble.

You asked for one, I gave it to you! If you want to toss it up to self serving, be my guest. I don't care if anyone likes him or not (nor does he), just think about what your subscribing to.
As a guide, I always laugh when some know it all brings his wife or family on a trip, walks tall like he knows what he's doing, sends me off with the family only to come back after his wife and 7 year old are slaying trout, and asks for help cause he hasn't even gotten a strike. No matter how much you know about something, there's still more. Same with politics and the media. You don't have to like FOX News, but you might get a better picture of what's going on if you diversify your media inputs once in a while.
I guess this just strengthens the old saying, you don't dicuss politics or religion while fishing. Even the best freinds will disagree.

whoop-dee-do. He protected a National Park?

I would think Yellowstone would be safe from even him. If you look a little closer into this move he added these acres after originally wanting to open it up to drilling. My guess... Well, he does own a house awfully close to this area. Hum? He loves to fish around here too. Hum? Self serving? I dunno...

naked women in the boat is a passion I can get *ahem* behind...

!!!

Tim,

I'll give you one. He added 671,000 acres to Wyoming wilderness by introducing legislation in both the 97th and 98th Congress BANNING OIL AND GAS LEASING and protecting Yellowstone National Park. Does that make anyones ears hurt to hear some truth? I hope so.
By no means do I think Cheney is an angel and should be honored by the AMFF,
but I do think they looked into this before making a choice as to who to invite. My point is this, the media labeled Cheney from the start as an evil oil puppet master, and so it was! Does anyone ever look into these accusations and articles for the truth? No, the LA Times says it's the truth, so it is! Don't bother to decifer the political agenda of a journalist, they are all un-biased! Right? We should all be just a little skeptical when ingesting information put out by any media.
If the readers of this post want a look at Cheney through the eyes of a fly fisherman/journalist, Matt Labash of the Weekly Standard spent a day on the river with VP Cheney and wrote the article, "The Passion of Dick Cheney, fishing the Snake River with the Vice President". It's a great article and should be read by everyone on this blog. Read this and tell me that anyone with this much passion for our sport could possibly be the same man the media makes him out to be! Pay close attention to the eighth from the last paragraph.
Media drives the mood of the country, and politicians should worry about making a difference instead of playing to the media!

Red,

Do me this favor. Tell me one positive this that Cheney has done for fishing in America. Just one. The hard facts are that he's done nothing but drag us back decades in the fight to save our wild places.

I can think of a multitude of other people that should be considered before that oaf.

Richard,

What's disGusting about it?

Like I said, this is speculation from an unnamed source that Cheney will be attending this meeting. IF true it's a slap in the face to fly fishers all over the nation. He's done nothing but harm to our fisheries. Why would they celebrate him?

Now if you're suggesting that the Washington Post, New York Times, LA Times aren't credible sources on Mr. Cheney's atrocities I suggest calling them out on it and see how far you get.

Last time I checked those we're pretty stand-up newspapers reporting hard facts.

I like how once the media depics a person as evil, they can so easily insert his name into a biased newspaper column and all the sheep beleive it to be the honest truth. You all should look into these "articles" before you post references to them and find out the facts. If you honestly beleive these finger pointers called journalist are telling you the truth 100% of the time, I've got some snake oil that will cure global warming!!!

Check your information and your source. This is discusting

Once you think you've seen it all....
Inviting Dick Cheny as the "honored" speaker at AMFF is like having Bush as the honored speaker at the National Mensa convention
I think it's an ugly rumor. Can't possibly be true.

If true, I am enraged! Are these people completely nuts! The only place Cheney should be invited to is counseling outside his prison cell. He and his puppet, Bush, have done more damage to our land and sport than any other administration in our history. If AMFF is actually going to do this, the entire membership should resign!

Tom

Riceman,

I've seen that one too. We dubbed it perhaps the greatest bumper sticker of all time.

So funny...

I saw a great sticker on a chairlift tower this past weekend in Silverton, CO:

"Dick Cheney Skis in Jeans."

It works on so many levels.

Riceman

(Stolen contact info from Buster)

Let the AMFF know how you feel...

Catherine E. Comar, Executive Director
American Museum of Fly Fishing
4104 Main Street
Manchester, Vermont 05254

Telephone: 802-362-3300
Fax: 802-362-3308

[email protected]

Maybe because his efforts could directly result in Flyfishing and all it's traditions becoming only relics in a museum?? Maybe they see him as good for business.....(wicked sarcasm, in case it doesn't translate).

I'll be at ISE in Denver KD, I'll stop by for a few, and if it's not too crazy, I may enter the distance casting comp.

Hell, come to my river this spring Deeter,
You ever caught a carp on a size 22 dry fly that was as big as you're arm?
Welcome to my home river...

Good Luck,
Alex

Done deal. Ramcatt... coordinate with Mr. Rice, and we're all going carpin'.

I can digg that. I cut my teeth in the headwaters of the Ohio River... so I think I have built up an immunity.

CarpBum Inc has big plans this year.

Ramcatt: Deal - but you can't complain about the potential for infectious disease from the fish that you touch. You can think it in your head but can't mention it on the water. Cool?

Riceman

I find it hard to believe that some say they cannot "afford" a litle more $$ for quality products. I have a neighbor who drives the "usual" F250 with all the bells and whistles, the ATV to go hunting and all the other "junk" and he whines because the Sims / Patagonia products cost a few bucks more. He prefes to shop @ Winco and not @ the local farmer supporting CO-Op, prefers the few cents cheaper carrots from Brazil, he also has the ever present "American" flag plasted on the back on his truck, I suppose the Truck ( $40,000 ), ATV ( $5,000) and Winco shopping list is the American way...
I say if those who are selling products to fisherman, more specifically FLYFISHERMAN and do NOT support serious and real ( Read: Sceince based ) conservation then they will not get my hard earned $$$.
As for those who call those of us "Elitists" becuase we make real world decisions based on facts and research to make our decisions then so be it...

It's time more "Outdoorsmen" support serious and real conservation and those companies who have the guts to put their $$ where their mouth is...

Patagonia alomst went broke some years ago, even then they did NOT waver from their core principals like conservation, taking care of their employee's, self critisism regarding the products they produce and what effect they have on the world around them, LONG BEFORE IT WAS COOL AND CHIC....

Hey Blue, Chicago muskie show is this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for us... here is the link. www.chicagomuskieshow.com I'm going are you?

Riceman... i'm there

You just have to promise not to wear the orange glove.

I lobbied for "Carp Talk" but they're making me write about trout, and bonefish, and tarpon and all the other trash fish.

Love seeing the carp and primus junkies on this board!!

Ramcatt, next time you're in Dtown let's fish!

Riceman

Who should i talk with about my travel arrangements for the Carp panel?

I fear my invitation/ticket/hotel info was lost in the mail.

Tim, I'm going to take a stab at Chessapeak Bay Bridge Tunnel after a quick google search.....used to fish for flounder near there when I was a wee lad.

I think, seeing that you live so close to one of the prettiest places on earth, you might just as well stay put.

i just spent the weekend in west yellowstone and didn't feel a tremor or see a single bit of smoke, steam, or lava. since i live within the 200 mi radius, should i evacuate? NOT ! ! !

i just spent the weekend in west yellowstone and didn't feel a tremor or see a single bit of smoke, steam, or lava. since i live within the 200 mi radius, should i evacuate? NOT ! ! !

Yea- conditions would be miserable at best.

CBBT?

CBBT rockfish

Reds in Louisiana and in Mosquito Lagoon, Arkansas tailwaters, delayed harvest streams in NC.

summer in NZ

Tailwaters!!!!!

Thing is, I think we all at least consider the conservation factor... at least a little. Okay, so you think it inflates prices... you think companies use cause-related marketing to drive a margin. You're right. Not in all cases. But some. You don't want to pay X more for a product, having factored that in... that's perfectly understandable. But you thought about it.

Was "morons" the wrong word? Understand that part of my job here is to drive a dialogue... if that means raising hackles, so be it. I still think the person who flat out fails to consider conservation in any purchasing decision... no factor, whatsoever... not even a thought... well, I don't agree.

And anyone who knows me knows that I'm all about "Stuff That Works." Check this out...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwvbBK2QaA4

Heck... there's an ad campaign for a smart fly company... "Stuff That Works." But I reckon there probably aren't enough guys like me out there who like kicking back and strumming Guy Clark tunes after a day on the water to make that happen.

San Diego Bay is on fire. 40-100 fish days. Sunshine and a lot of fun on lightweight tackle.

RP,

Well put. and yes, one percent of Gross sales not just profit. Oops.

bano pool. Brown trout

Matt,

Thanks!

Agreed. I need to fish a lot more and shoot it, and bring my friends. I'll get right on it...

Winter Great Lakes steelhead.

Brown trout below hydroelectric dams in Arkansas: the White, Little Red, and Norfork Rivers are producing 24" browns on a regular basis

Swift River just went from C&R (Catch and release) to C&K (Catch and Keep) up here in MA. So the fishing will be good for another week then the fish will be sparse until July 1st when the C&R starts again.

"Also, if you're talking about 1% for the planet it's not one percent of one percent. It's one percent of profits. Trust me I know because I'm a member, and yes it can be a chunk of money."

Tim, it is 1% of gross sales, not profit.

Matt, Just because Patagonia gives back millions to the environment does not mean they can afford it. Read Yvonne Chouinards book, "Let my People Surf" before making assumptions and see what really makes the man/company tick. When 1% was founded, by Yvonne and Craig Matthews, it was looked at by them as a "tax" not as just a goodwill gesture. Just like all the other taxes that any company has to pay, Patagonia and the other 1,000 or so members decided they would sign up and be held accountable for their giving practices. Unlike others that "say" they give back, 1% members are bound by contract to give, based on annual sales, not profits that, yes, may have been cooked.

Back to the topic, it seems that a bunch of folks state they want quality over environmental commitments, and the same names like Patagonia and Simms keep coming up. Are there really 2 other companies out there in the same market (angling) that can stand up to the quality and guarantee that they both offer? The fast answer, Nope! So why not buy from them, you may pay a little more, but, for the most part, you do get what you pay for. And the money that they give back to environmental causes directly affects you in your outdoor pursuits. Win/Win situation.

I went to the grocery store yesterday to pick up some coffee and narrowed my choices to 2 brands, both taste great, but it came down to the fact that one was a 1% member that supports the Snake River Fund (which I guide and make my living from), so I spent the extra .50 cents. Why not do that with all your purchases that fall within your budget? It would make a huge difference to the environment that you and I exploit for either business or pleasure. I am sure that if you had a choice between 2 products in a similar price range, you would not purchase the one that is known to support PETA, would you?

Kirk, maybe "morons" was the wrong word. Except for the people that bitch about the cost of fishing licenses and leave their trash on the stream. Can't think of the proper description to use at this time, but it is definitely not "angler."

I'm not telling you where I am going fishing.

Winter run Chinook in the sacramento?

redfish in louisiana?

Uhh... Steelhead in Ohio's lake Erie Tributary's?

"over-priced" is relative to your own personal economy, matt. retail pricing is according to costs, desired profit and what the market can bear, these companies are not government institutions, they are private enterprises whose purpose is to provide products and services at a profit.

obviously patagonia, orvis and simms are doing just fine with their current pricing or they'd be out of business, so i think it's subjective for you to comment on those company's pricing of their products. if you can't afford or choose not to buy them, that's certainly your right, but to say they are "over-priced" says more about you than it does about the products. just like anything else, nobody is forcing you to buy anything.

Tim, I wasn't referring to the One percent for the planet program, I was saying that corporations that claim to "give back" often use the .0001 claim while charging you 10,000 times what they actually should be charging. Patagonia is only one of thousands of manufacturers out there, and when you see when they give back millions, everyone should take notice as to how can they afford to do this in this economy? I've been involved in government and private sector for years and haven't seen a company that wasn't using every trick in the books to make as much money as possible without having the liabilities for the money they have taken in. I've looked at Patagonia, Orvis, Simms, and lots of other manufacturers products, too many of them are way overpriced for the quality and value of that product, because it's named after a renound company that gives back. That's what I am referring to.

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I'll just say that being green costs alot of money, and I do what I can, but I don't consider my green for green when I buy fishing products.

Had one, and just like Alex says, you can't give em away, I managed to conviently lose mine in an apartment move once......

If you buy cheap gear, great. If you prefer more expensive gear good for you as well. I think the thought here is if given 2 like products that you would buy the one that supports our the envoronment. A percent is a percent and any money that one of these companies is willing to take out of their pocket and put into pursuits that I love calls for a little consideration in my book.

Cool video, love the scenery.

We need more of this and less of Deeter referring to us responsible sportsman names.

Several blogs this month seem to have moved more to the yuppie side of flyfishing, which I say has surprised me since your propensity for carp fishing. Patagonia and Simms ought to give someone some money for conservation considering how overpriced their products are. I prefer value products and american made when possible. That being said if aesthetics, quality, features, and price are all equal I would lean towards the conservation company. But alas many time those who provide money for conservation have to market the fact that they are consevation minded and hence have overpriced products.
And guys seriously this holier than thow anyone who doesn'y buy brand X that supports conservation is a moron thing is kind of an arse this to say.

Matt,

Patagonia has given 31 million dollars to conservation since they started doing it. I think your math is a little fuzzy my friend. Also, if you're talking about 1% for the planet it's not one percent of one percent. It's one percent of profits. Trust me I know because I'm a member, and yes it can be a chunk of money.

i'm real nice with da compuder

i'm real nice with da compuder

WHAT?! no carp?

WHAT? ! no carp?

Blue Rabbit and Deeter, you should re-read my original comment. I am very conservation minded, otherwise I wouldn't have taken on the jobs I have with the local TU chapter, but the part you missed in the first place was referring to those of us sportsmen who are consumers who don't buy into the "a percent of a percent goes to" but will buy quality products, not for the name, but for QUALITY, groupling us in the class of "morons". That in itself has proved that you lack the professionalism to research out who you are actually referring to.
As for the "one percent" if you read this word for word, I wrote "one percent of one percent" that means .01 times .01 which equals .0001, which translates in dollars, $.01 (one cent) for every $100. That's not much at all, $.10 per $1000, $1.00 for every $10,000. Now I'm not a professional economics person, but I do know that if you are making $10,000 in profit over operating expenses, $1.00 of that is nothing to a company, unless you are run by your P&L statement (Profit and Loss) and Taxes on the profit, so being a smart CEO business person, they would find ways to make the $10,000 profit become $1.00 or $.01 profit. Thus this is part of the reason why we are in the state we are in now.

Matt.

What do you deem a "Small Percentage"....1% adds up to ALOT of $$$$. I suggets you connect to
http://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org/en/

1% for the Planet puts it's money where it's mouth is....

I buy most if not all of my fly fishing gear from Patagonia becuase it was / has been pushing for the environment BEFORE it became "Cool"...

I am also curious when the Southwick did the survey who do they deem an "Angler".

Oh yeah, thats the good stuff. Helping my winter time blues out good.
I like the scene at 0:36 with the green water and waterfall, nice stuff.

Matt nobody is forcing anyone to buy anything... but with all things being equal (and they often are), don't you think it's worth at least paying a little attention to which companies are putting back into the resources you fish?

I mean, talk about wanting something to "last" ... how about you include the river in that mix? Isn't that kinda what Trout Unlimited is all about, Mr. President?

wags, well no. I have to be honest. We didn't catch anything, although we didn't really try to hard. It was really cold and we just wanted to see this stream that we'd heard so much about for the past couple of years.

Green=Hoax? I'm not sure I follow.

What's the Hoax? What can be wrong with companies reinvesting in conservation projects or making products that are friendlier for wetlands, rivers, etc...

I would guess that most, if not all, the brands I buy as well as who I buy them from support conservation in one way or another. I was always taught that no matter what you buy, or through whom, you were supporting conservation through a self imposed tax started somewhere back in the early 1900s. The tax was on all sporting good equipment and was for the sole purpose of conservation. Anyone know the Act, and if that tax is still in place? Is the money still being used as intended, or is it going to buying up old railroad tracks to make "rail-trails"?

Tim,

I spend a long weekend in the Smokies every spring. The rhodis are really beautiful when they are in bloom. Of course, those beautiful blooms will also eat flies. My wife planted two in front of the house a couple of years ago during a landscaping remodel. I've told her many times they would look more natural with some 6x and a few flies strung out in them. She does not seem to see the humor. My question is did you catch anything?

Green=Hoax

It would be interesting to know what fly fishing brands don't support conservation...I would think that the list is very small...

I buy what I buy because I like it, it works well, it will do what I need, and most likely because it is sitting on a sale rack. If the manufacturer supports conservation, I commend them, but I can't say I have ever made a decision between 2 items based on which does and which does not.

If every outdoor company supported conservation of fisheries and wildlife resources, this would not be an issue and the impact would be that much greater. But its probably just a pipe dream.

I agree with Matt here. I dont care what they do with the money I give to them, as long as I'm getting quality gear that will work and last. Does that sound moronic to anyone? Then I also give more money to conservation efforts. But I find these to be two totally different subjects

Joey, I know you're a Longhorn and I'm a Sooner, but can I come to Patagonia fishing with you some time?

Oh, and I forgot to mention, uhh, you'd have to spot me the coin, but maybe I could trade it out in some guided, uh, rough fish trips on a few of our fantastic NW Oklahoma rivers...

Patagonia. Rub it in, cornboy. I hope Rick Barnes develops a flaming case of the 'roids...