Angling Trade Issue #27 Spring 2014

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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the buzz on the flyfishing biz

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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 kirk@anglingtrade.com

Tim Romano tim@anglingtrade.com Art Director

Tara Brouwer tara@shovelcreative.com 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 editor@anglingtrade.com.

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 tim@anglingtrade.com 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

to help protect and enhance your local fishing water? Here’s how to make that happen.

30 Opinion

Tom Bie Ben Romans Steven B. Schweitzer

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CONTRIBUTORS

Real Men Wear

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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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.

AnglingTrade.com / March 2014

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

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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.

AnglingTrade.com / March 2014

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.

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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...

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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.” continued on next page...

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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.

AnglingTrade.com / March 2014

“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

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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 continued on next page...

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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

AnglingTrade.com / March 2014

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, continued on next page...

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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.”

AnglingTrade.com / March 2014

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

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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 continued on next page...

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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.

AnglingTrade.com / March 2014

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

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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.

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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.

AnglingTrade.com / March 2014

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

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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. continued on next page...

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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.

AnglingTrade.com / March 2014

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. continued on next page...

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

AnglingTrade.com / March 2014

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

AnglingTrade.com / March 2014

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.

AnglingTrade.com / March 2014

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 continued on next page...

27

AnglingTrade.com / March 2014

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

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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

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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?

AnglingTrade.com / March 2014

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 continued on next page...

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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.”

AnglingTrade.com / March 2014

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

AnglingTrade.com / March 2014

(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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Bringing Back the Small Stream An initiative by Orvis and Trout Unlimited will open 1,000 more miles of opportunity in America.

AnglingTrade.com / March 2014

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.

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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

AnglingTrade.com / March 2014

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.

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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

AnglingTrade.com / March 2014

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

AnglingTrade.com / March 2014

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.

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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.

AnglingTrade.com / March 2014

“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

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AnglingTrade.com / March 2014

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.”

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Starting a Nonprofit to

Protect Your River: Lessons Learned from the Deschutes River Alliance

AnglingTrade.com / March 2014

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 continued on next page...

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AnglingTrade.com / March 2014

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.

AnglingTrade.com / March 2014

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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.

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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

AnglingTrade.com / March 2014

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.

AnglingTrade.com / March 2014

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

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