We here at Team Flylords are stoked to see more and more brands in fly fishing committing to reducing their environmental impacts and leveraging American grown raw materials into their products. Flood Tide Co. has recently done this by committing to manufacturing their performance blend shirts from 40% recycled plastic from bottles and 100% US-grown cotton in their cotton products.
“While already members of 1% For The Planet, Flood Tide Co. Apparel is now increasing their commitment to sustainability by switching performance blend t-shirts to Repreve recycled fabrics and all cotton t-shirts to U.S.A. grown cotton.
Beginning in March of 2019, all Flood Tide Co. Apparel performance blend shirts (60% Cotton / 40% Repreve) will be made out of recycled plastic water bottles by Repreve, which keeps single-use plastic bottles out of waterways, and protects the fisheries that their business depends on. Additionally, Flood Tide Co. is making the switch to U.S.A. grown cotton for 100% cotton t-shirts. This means shirts that maintain a balance of comfort and sustainability. Paul Puckett, the artist and co-founder says, “We care deeply about our fisheries and I hate to see the increase in plastic pollution in our waters. We wanted to do our part to protect what we love, which is why we decided to do the best we can with the resources we have at our disposal. I am very proud that we are now coming full circle by making our shirts from recycled plastic bottles and supporting American farmers with 100% U.S.A. grown cotton.â€
Flood Tide Co. Apparel started its sustainability journey a couple of years ago when they hired sustainability and marketing consulting firm, Emerger Strategies, to help them improve the environmental performance of their operations and products. Rick Crawford, President of Emerger Strategies, said, ‘I have been working with Flood Tide Co. to minimize waste from their operations and it’s wonderful to see them take the next step by making their products out of recycled fabrics in their products. I love seeing Flood Tide Co. take its sustainability game to the next level.’
We’re excited and proud of what’s to come, we hope you can join us in this endeavor. We’d love for you to take a moment and look at the Spring 2019 catalog and see what’s cooking!
About Flood Tide Company
We are a group of individuals grounded in adventure that have an undying passion for the outdoors. While founded in fly fishing, we come from all walks of life but keep our motives simple: having a good time and living life to the fullest, while also leaving our tiny blue planet better than how we found it.
So, keep the compass pointed South; when the weather warms, the drinks are cold, and the sun rises, you’ll know you’ve arrived.
We hope you can join us in doing a little Good Clean Livin’
AboutRepreve
Repreve transforms recycled bottles into an amazing fiber, used by the world’s leading brands to make athletic and fashion apparel and more. Their process embeds properties like wicking, adaptive warming and cooling, water repellency, and more at the fiber level for reliable, durable quality.â€
Meet Matt McCannel, a trout guide who calls Colorado home. We spent the day with Matt on his home waters searching for trophy trout and talking to him about his 14 years in the guiding biz. We are excited to add Matt to our ongoing blog series “Behind the Guides†presented by Costa Sunglasses.
Flylords:Â Yeah, let’s just jump right into it. Why don’t you just tell us who you are and how you would describe yourself.
Matt: My name’s Matt McCannel. I guide for RIGS Fly Shop in Ridgway Colorado. I’ve been doing so the last 14 years, both down at PACO on the Uncompahgre River and doing 3-day trips in the Gunnison Gorge. I have worked for several major companies in the industry. Really, all I want to do is spend time out on the water with people who appreciate catching one fish as opposed to a lot of fish. Going after that one fish, in particular, is really what I look forward to every day and that’s what makes me get out of bed.
Flylords:Â Tell us a little bit about the area that you guide in and what makes that area unique?
Matt:I guide down at PACO on the Uncompahgre River, which is part of the Ridgway State Park system down here just outside of Ridgway, CO. It’s nice to only have about a 10-minute drive to work every day. For years, all we ever fished was 3 Weights and 4 Weights down there. We never caught anything decent where you need a bigger outfit. One day I was with a client, fishing the PMD hatch, and we’re throwing a dry dropper. This giant fish comes up and eats the dropper. That was the first time that I had seen a gigantic brown in this system. Anyway, I didn’t know what to do. The client sure as heck didn’t know what to do… So, long story short, somehow, by the grace of God, we ended up catching this fish. It really wasn’t a true giant, but it was about 26-27 inch fish. I mean … big fish. That was about 9 years ago.
Since then, I’ve dedicated all my free time to finding these big fish. Which is where the introduction of the ladder came in because I knew I needed to get up and get a high vantage point to see. One day I’m like, “You know what, I should bring my ladder from home and look into a super deep hole,” because I couldn’t see it well enough from ground level.
Flylords: Awesome. Tell us about the ladder, I mean, you hit on it a little bit, but can you explain that a little bit?
Matt: Okay, I only really carry the ladder when I’m guiding at PACO for my sight-fishing trips in particular. The reason for it, if you don’t see these fish, you are not going to catch these fish. You gotta be able to see them, they’re not going to move far to eat a fly, so I’ve even gone to the lengths sort of carrying a whiteboard with on trips just to draw diagrams showing exactly where the fly needs to be in order for the fish to potentially get hooked. Again, a ten-pound fish isn’t going to move a foot to eat some tiny little midge pattern. He’s going to eat it if all he has to do is open and close his mouth, which is where the ladder comes in, and really, guiding people onto that perfect drift.
Now, in a perfect world, somebody would make the perfect shot the first time. But it doesn’t always happen that way. The ladder just enables me to get a high vantage point in really any weather condition, and light condition. I can still see. Which, we’ve all been there, maybe trying to spot a fish on a cloudy, overcast day and maybe you have ten feet of visibility and you can’t see super deep. Of course, water conditions come into play there, too, but; I look at it as just a tool to get my clients set up for a good shot on the fish of a lifetime.
Flylords: In terms of a fish of a lifetime, and I know you talk about how you’re focused on catching that one fish vs. catching a number of fish. Do you have one fish or one moment that stands out kind of in the last 14 years of guiding as the most epic fish that you’ve landed?Â
Matt:Yeah, so that one fish that I’ll never forget was caught by a really good friend of mine and client Gene Star from Naples, Florida. Fishing extremely high water, back in 2012. I’d seen the fish before and I knew it was big. It was bigger than anything else I’d ever found down there to date. But this fish I knew was huge. My best guess was 20 pounds. Super high water, but being a tail-water, it was still perfectly clear, which was awesome. We needed that.
It took us four days to find this fish. Once we found it, came up with a plan, and of course when you’re potentially dealing with a 20-pound fish, having the right gear, throwing 8 weight rods as opposed to a 5 weight rod. Any trout sized rod isn’t made for a fish like that. To handle that weight, we were throwing an 8 weight and got pretty close to the fish. The first drift over the fish was my bad; I didn’t have the weight right. So the fly drifted about 2 feet over its head. This fish was holding in a deep pocket about 6 feet deep, and I made a weight adjustment. The next shot Gene made was about 2 feet to the outside of the fish. Third drift was right on the money. Fish opened its mouth; just inhaled the leech pattern, the fight probably lasted say 15 minutes. But Gene knows how to fight big fish.
Everything worked out. I actually was over my waders to net this fish because it was hanging out right around a stump that last little bit, so I actually kind of dove under the water to net the fish somewhat. Definitely got wet on that one. Put the fish in the net, and the 12-pound tippet that we were throwing broke right when the fish got in the net. Due to the calculations and measurements that we took on the fish, it came out to just under 20 pounds; I think it was like 19.8. So that was the most memorable fish of my career and definitely for Gene as well. Just crazy.
Flylords: That’s a great story. It sounds like, in your opinion, are these the biggest trout in the world? In this system?
Matt:Boy, no, you can’t say that. Heck no. But I’ve figured out how to get a lot of clients into them over the years. Whether it’s the angle of the sun, the time of day we can see them best, you name it. Of course, that changes throughout the year with the height of the sun up in the sky. The biggest fish in the world? Hell no.Â
Flylords: Tell me if you had to give a piece of advice, one piece of advice for somebody fighting a trophy trout, what would that piece of advice be?Â
Matt:Number one thing, most common mistake that I always see … and there’s several, . Let’s start at the beginning…..setting your drag. Everybody sets their drag, in my opinion, way too tight. Too many drag pounds on the reel. Especially if you’re dealing with a ten-pound fish on 6x. You can always increase your drag if need be. It’s hard to go back the other direction once you’ve already snapped that fish off or you’ve pulled the hooks on that fish. By setting that drag light, you can always add drag to your reel throughout the fight if you need to.Â
Flylords: What are your favorite pair of Costas that you wear on the water and why?
Matt:That would have to be the new Sunrise Silver Mirror in the Fantail frame. They really give you those few extra hours in the day where you can still spot fish. It’s probably my number one go-to lens when I’m sight fishing for fish. Hands down.Â
Flylords: If you were to pick the best time of day to try and target a trophy trout, what would it be?
Matt:Â I don’t think there is one. A lot of people think, you know, especially predatory fish like these big fish are, we gotta fish them at night. Well, I don’t know, it’s my opinion, but I think that’s cheating. A lot of people might say using a ladder to spot fish is cheating, too, so everybody has their own opinion. Again, it’s about catching that one fish. I don’t think there is, in my fishery, a better time than others. As long as I can see them, and they’re in the right place, we have a legitimate shot at hooking one.
Flylords: If you got to the water and you didn’t have your whole fly box, and you’re able to pull a fly out of the air, but you could only pick one fly, what would it be?
Matt: Oh, God. I would probably say my “Beyond Nightmare Midge” pattern. All my flies, really, have been developed on that stretch of water. I’ve found that big, old, smart fish get spooked very easy. And a bigger fly will scare the hell out of them.
Flylords: Tell me, do you think wearing camo makes a difference when it comes to being able to land that fish and why?
Matt:So, camo. Does it help you to land the fish? No. Does it potentially get you closer to that fish? Well, I look at it as a tool. Maybe some people get it because they think it’s cool. It’s a tool for me that I use to get close to those fish. To get clients close to those fish. I’ll take any advantage I can get.
I mean look at the shoot we just did, Chris and I both had the camo on. The day before we hooked five giant fish. We only cast to the five fish. That said something right there. Yeah, that was a good day for whatever reason. The stars aligned and the fish wanted to eat the flies that we were throwing at them really well. But, when you can get within 15 feet of a fish to make a super-accurate shot, rather than a 30-foot shot, there’s a lot to be said about that. So camo works, in my opinion.
Photo: Matt McCannel
Flylords: Is there a fly line that you like to use that you think spooks the fish the least? Is that a thing?
Matt:Yeah, I would say so. But, super long leaders are more important. But when it comes to fly line, let’s see, the Scientific Angler Trout Taper, the Amplitude Trout Taper. It is probably my number one go-to line right now for pursuing big fish. The reason why is it’s got an extremely long head on it about 70 feet. As opposed to having, say, a 36-foot head where all that weight is in just 36 feet. All the weight of this line is spread out over 70 feet, so it’s not an aggressive line at all.Â
Flylords: Do you want to just give us a quick summary of what happened during the shoot?Â
Matt:During the shoot, I had a game plan, where I figured out where some fish that have been pretty happy, we’re going to be out and feeding. That didn’t work out right away. So, it was about an hour before we saw our first big fish, sometimes it takes all day, but we found one in a very tricky spot. He was actually behind this stump. But I know that stump and I know that if I have somebody make the right cast, the flies will actually go underneath the stump. And so it took about a half hour of trying. Chris trying to get that perfect drift and that perfect nymph combination.
We finally get it and I watched the fish drift out the back side of the log, tracking the fly. And watched the fish’s mouth open up and boom! It was on.
Unfortunately, that fish splashed around on the surface for a bit and then once he got his head about him, he figured out what was going on. He jetted right to that stump and snapped us off. It was bummer, but hey, you’re not going to stop a fish like that. That fish was easily 15 pounds, and on 5X it’s just not going to happen. The stump won that day, but about an hour later we found another fish. Pretty straight forward drift. This was really difficult to see. But we got that one done. It was amazing. Got him in the net, grabbed a few photos. It was perfect.
Flylords: If people want to find more info about you or want to book a trip with you, what’s the best way to get in touch?
The Associated Press has found that an approximated 50 million gallons of polluted water flow from mine sites every day mush flowing directly into drinking and agricultural water sources. Currently the outflows effect at least water supplies in MT, CO, OK, CO and at a minimum 5 other states. Many of the polluting mines are abandoned and left un-monitored leading to the gross state of pollution. The Gold King Mine disaster of 2015 comes to mind as an example of what can truly go wrong, when an EPA clean-up crew accidentally released 3 million gallons of polluted water that turned many downstream rivers orange with sludge.
Mining outflows pose serious threats to countless fishing waters around the world and are a key worry in the fight to protect Bristol Bay from even the possibility of a mining disaster.
Next up on the Behind the Lens feature of F3T we had the pleasure to sit down with our good friend Colin Scott to discuss his new film, MOVEMENTS. MOVEMENTS is the symphonic saga – in four parts (RAINBOW, STEELHEAD, MUSKY, STRIPER) – of three Alaska fishing guides who road trip their way home in a 2003 Dodge Caravan (best known as ‘Van-a White’ and for its lack of a reverse gear) from AK to NYC. From an Alaskan paradise to a literal Gomorrah in four short weeks – arriving in Time Square on Halloween night – MOVEMENTS is a stunning 14-minute showcase of what North America has to offer in terms of its diverse beauty and angling opportunities, and an invitation to rediscover where and why we fell in love with fly fishing in the first place.
Flylords:Â Tell us about “Movements.” Where’d you guys come up with that name and what does that name mean to you?
Colin:Â Well, the original idea came from F3T. They introduced me to Sanford, Rex, and Paul. We all guide the Bristol Bay area. Different lodges, but we intersect on some similar rivers. They introduced me to this idea of following them closeout the Alaska guide season to their homes in New York.
In all honesty, it was kind of a daunting proposition because it was so straightforward, but what really excited me was that I really liked the structure. There were four sections across North America. There were rainbows in Alaska, steelhead in BC, musky in Wisconsin, and then striper back home. That four-part structure is super conducive.
Right off the bat, I thought of something, a symphony structured in four movements. Then I was working on this other film with Nathan Corbin, our cinematographer, and he’s got a really symphonic shooting style. Yeah, so “Movements.” Four movements to a symphony and four movements to our film were the original premise.
We got away from it throughout the shoot and then getting back with our editors, they brought it up again. They brought up the old kids’ cartoon, “Symphony Peter and the Wolf.” The fact that they came to the same conclusion on their own made me really reconsider that structure and that idea of the film. We all settled on the title “Movements” in the post-production process.
Flylords:Â Tell us a little bit about who you are?
Colin:Â I’m a filmmaker eight months a year and then an Alaskan fly fishing guide four months a year for kings. Fly fishing has always been a part of my life, either recreationally or professionally. I guided in Glacier through college at University of Montana and then I went to grad school for screenwriting in the University of Texas and I guided down there. I just learned the creative life. Writing, filmmaking, whatever kind of artist. Fly fishing and guiding really sustained that in the best way possible.
I’ve been a firefighter, paramedic, and all these different jobs that allowed me to get outside. Compared to all of those, they’re all great jobs, but guiding really gives me a really flexible and open schedule to write and make films… You put in your work, make your money, get outside, refill the emotional tank, and then you have this huge chunk of time to make films. I know a lot of filmmakers who aren’t fisherman and they don’t have that kind of time.
Flylords:Â Out of the four regions that you guys were focusing on, was there one region that you think you enjoyed shooting in the most? What was the biggest difficultly from a filmmaking perspective?
Colin:Â Each of the four regions had some huge highlights and some massive difficulties.
I’d say my favorite region would have to be Alaska. Just because I work in it every year and I know how cinematic it can be and how unknown it is for the vast majority of people. The bears, moose, and stuff you see on a daily basis is totally remarkable. Riding in bush planes and jet boats in the fall when the tundra turns fall colors is breathtaking.
To be able to get that on a really nice Alexa rather than on an iPhone, like most of us, was really special. And guide life, especially the end of the season when people are burned out, drinking too much, and just ready to be home is kind of a really unique sub-culture. That was probably my favorite section.
And then musky was the total low point… You’ve come from beautiful BC and Alaska. Wisconsin was pretty in its own way, but it was eerie. It reminded me of Sleepy Hollow, just these big canopy of naked trees and black water. It was super hard on our cinematographer. I rowed the raft and then he’d be in the front of the boat, like a turret, with the camera.
We were trying to make this film a little more cinematic than a lot of hunting/fishing shows. Then when someone would hook up, you’d just hit record. It makes for a really awkward cut because you’re just kind of fishing and then you cut to someone halfway through a fight with a fish. I just have always thought that as not very cinematic and a little sloppy.
We rolled the whole day, 12-hour days. The cinematographer on every cast, he’d pan, zoom, focus, and then he’d pan back. He’s essentially casting with every cast. It really wore him out. The last day, he was like, “I don’t think I can go out for another 12-hour day.” We got blanked three days in a row. I can run a camera, but not like Nathan. He’s a very unique talent.
Luckily, Nathan’s just a workhorse and standup guy. Middle of the night, he came to me. He’s like, “I’ll just do it. I’ve gotta see it through.” Thank god he did because we got six or seven musky that day and some really incredible footage.
Flylords:Â Tell us briefly about the crew you guys were running for the project?
Colin:Â With the overhead of gas, gear, camping, and food, road tripping from Alaska to New York is an expensive trip. I wanted it to be cinematic, I just had to figure out how to cut cost. We went with a really small crew.
I knew Nathan, our cinematographer was the type of guy that will forego, even though he deserves higher pay. I knew I could say, “I have X amount,” which was not a lot whatsoever, “But we’re going to be afforded this incredible opportunity to see the continent in a really unique way.” He was game. No questions asked. And then introduced me to our producer, Luke, who was also just another guy who was looking for an adventure.
And then I reached out to my old guide friend, Sam. He was kind of our AD, and a really great boatman. I brought 100 pounds of salmon from Alaska. We ate fresh Alaska salmon every night and had a great camp and tarp and Dutch ovens. No one got paid a lot, but we made up for it in other ways. Between us, everyone had to do two or three jobs the entire way across
Flylords:Â Tell us about the camera you were using. What makes the Alexa so unique?
Colin:Â We used an Alexa Mini, which honestly, I think looks just like a RED. I think most people somewhat involved in film know a RED. The picture quality’s amazing, but the Alexa Mini body, we built it up in a way that was super minimal. It was half the size of a RED and still this big, clunky, heavy thing. We were able to crawl in and out of float plains and rafts.
We had an easy rig every once in a while, but mostly, it’s Nathan’s handheld. Then we had sticks if we wanted something more static.
Flylords:Â What was it like working with Rex, Paul, and Sanford and being on the road with those guys for such a long time?
Colin:Â Those guys are road warriors for sure. You can tell they’ve done the tour and can just put in the hard miles. We went across the whole continent from the most extreme western point to pretty much the most extreme eastern point in less than 30 days with a lot of fishing in between and camping.
They’re pros, but being guides you get burned out regardless. You talk to guides in Bozeman or you talk to guides on Henry’s Fork or whatever, but Alaska, it’s 120 days and you work every single day and you’re with clients every single waking minute away from civilization. The burnout is just extreme.
We were already burnt out from the go … My lodge shut down a couple of days before theirs. I closed up, boarded up our lodge, and then I flew to Anchorage and I had like four hours until the camera crew arrived. The next morning, Nathan and I flew to Newhalen. Rex, Paul, and Sanford had a couple more days of guiding and then boarded up. We flew to Anchorage and we were on our way.
Flylords:Â Do you have a favorite shot from the film that comes to mind?
Colin:Â I think the opening shot behind the plane when the prop fires up was one of my favorites.
There’s another shot too. It was in BC and early morning. They’re pulling the raft onto the van and there’s just this beautiful sunrise and they all have headlamps so you’re getting cool flares off their headlamps. Every time the headlamps hit the raft, it’s just covered in this hoarfrost. It’s sparkling. There’s so many colors and flares. It’s a beautiful shot. That’s probably my favorite.
Flylords:Â Was there anything that you wish you had gotten a shot of?
Colin:Â The steelhead just would not go airborne. We shot and cranked over a lot of water on super slow-mo and I wanted a slow-mo steelhead going airborne. It was cold. They weren’t super jumpy and the opportunity didn’t present itself.
Flylords:Â Any other films that you’re excited to in the film tour this year?
Colin:Â I’m really excited to see “Next Gen.” I like anything where they take a traditional storyline that could be somewhat straightforward and you had a unique element, like the fact that the kid’s the narrator, I think, is genius. Gives a really cool, new perspective to something we know and a story we’ve seen. I think that was really smart and it’s going to make this really fresh film. So yeah, probably “Next Gen.”
Special thanks to Colin Scott for photos. Follow the adventure on Instagram!
Also, follow along with the film tour @flyfishingfilmtour to see where they will be next!
Find out when F3T is in your town, and buy tickets before they sell out!
With the appearance of a grizzly in its winter hibernation, you emerge from the cocoon of a mummy sleeping bag rated for freezing temperatures. The first breath you take feels like new crisp air entering your lungs, but you don’t want to leave the sanctuary of warmth. With sounds of elk bugling, a roaring river teeming with aquatic life, you know the outcome of the day is going to be spectacular regardless of any situation that you might come across….
I start to get ready for the day ahead of me in the body warmth of my truck – which is scattered with pre-rigged fly rods, half-frozen waders riding shotgun, and numerous other articles of clothing and gear. I wonder what food I will scrounge up from the cooler today as I reflect on the fact that this has been my daily ritual for the last month. This is the life of a Nomadic Angler.
Working as a fishing guide in Wyoming during the summer and fall months, this is the time of year which I get to enjoy all the magnificent offerings of the West. As the guiding season ends (for myself and others) at the end of September, there is still an opportunity for big browns eating hard and heavy. I manage to squeeze as much fishing time as possible this time of the year while saving money by traveling around living, fly fishing, and photographing out of my quaint, but a roomy truck. This is an adventure I feel every serious angler needs to experience – you can see some of the most breathtaking rivers or simply enjoy our national parks while having the opportunities to fish them.
My advice is simple… Don’t be afraid to plan a trip like this because you don’t have a specific plan or it sounds like too much work. Personally, I like to find a couple of states (which included on this journey Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and Utah) that I want to explore and fish during my adventure. I then look up/research different rivers and other attractions each state has to offer. Looking for national parks, monuments, and forests is always a must for me. In an effort to do this on a budget, I don’t stay at hotels, motels, or KOA campgrounds. Instead, I look for nearby BLM (Bureau of Land Management) areas or national forests, where it’s free and a lot more secluded. Once you find and mark some of the places you want to go, get a map and start figuring out the route you want to take. Estimate how long you want to stay at each location, but don’t be afraid to leave a little early or stay a couple of extra days. The point of your route is to have a rough estimate of where you want to end up going but allowing yourself time for spur of the moment decisions.
Being alone on these road trips, you will learn a lot about yourself – including how bad you can actually smell after two weeks without a shower. Personally, I’ve been able to mark a couple of hot springs over the past couple years which has helped with this.
This annual “post-guiding season journey” is more than the size of fish I catch, but more about enjoying the weeks without internet, cell phone service, or a real plan. I have thoroughly enjoyed documenting it in my own style of photographs along the way as well as finding side detours showcasing the modern west. Being able to meet new friends, learn new styles of fly fishing, and catch up with old guiding buddies adds great camaraderie and memories that will last a lifetime.
I hope you found inspiration in this article to create your own memories this year.
Article and photos from Dan Towsley. You can follow along with Dan on Instagram at @dtowsley or on Vimeo.
Flylords caught up with Kim Bryant the roaster of Early Riser Coffee. Kim is a lifelong fishing guide, that has led groups of anglers to fishy locales around the globe, puncturing fresh and saltwater mandibles on the ol’ hook and feather. When she isn’t filling fish faces with surprise, she is filling yours with ethically sourced, hand-roasted, small-batch caffeinated mastery. We were able to catch up with Kim and discuss what exactly Early Riser Coffee Roasters is all about and what goes into making this brand so unique.Â
Flylords: What is Early Riser Coffee?
Kim: A small micro-batch roastery that aims to caffeinate the fly fishing industry and give a little something back in the process.
Flylords: We love the name Early Riser, how did you come up with this name?
Kim: Early Riser is coffee that speaks the same language we do. We are people whose passions get us out of bed early, often very very early. Coffee is a given. As a lifelong angler and former guide, the name is a tribute to both the fish we go after and the hardy folks that don’t sleep in.
Flylords: Where is the coffee made?
Kim:Â Dorset, VT. The beans come from all over the world and I take extra care to work with farmers that are committed to organic practices and fair trade.
Flylords: Â Is this the first Coffee brand specifically made for Anglers?
Kim:Â I like to think so, but admittedly our competitive analysis wasn’t particularly strong. In our opinion, there is always room for the best, and we hold our product up against anybody’s, in the fishing industry or elsewhere. Also, with a conservation promise, our product is for the fish as well as the anglers.
Flylords: Â How can people try a cup of Early Riser? Give us a reason why someone should give this Coffee a try.
Kim: To try the coffee go to earlyriser.co  The reality is you probably already had at least one cup of coffee today. Plus, we assume you have some skin in the conservation game if you are an angler or outdoors person. As we mentioned before, for every bag purchased, we donate $1 to Trout Unlimited and Bonefish trust. This is a simple way to support the waters you love by drinking coffee you love. Super simple. Plus, the coffee is damn good. Made by hand by a woman that cares about her craft and the fishery.
Flylords: What makes Early riser different than buying a cup of Joe at Starbucks?
Kim:Â Ahh, the S word. It’s up to you, but would you rather fish with a generic Adams tied in a dark factory, or something tied at the bench of a 4th generation Montana guide that has studied the subtleties of color, pattern, and tail length. They both might work, but one probably has a little more soul and supports the people and conservation initiatives you care about.
Flylords:Â Tell us about where all this epic content comes from?
Kim:Â Early Riser is partnered with Rockhouse Motion and we are committed to delivering best-in-class fish porn to energize and inspire you in ways that even caffeine can’t.
Whether it is through something Rockhouse does, one of our partners/ambassadors, or our #risefortheprize social movement (will trade eat footage for coffee), we’ll aim to uphold the highest standard for fishing imagery. The more coffee we sell, the better films you’ll be able to enjoy.
Flylords: Â Tell us about the nonprofits Early Riser gives back to?
Kim:Â We are looking to make a buck-a-bag commitment to conservation, and that will start with Trout Unlimited’s 5 Rivers College Outreach program that “program organizes campus clubs that teach students fly casting and fly tying and also provide volunteer stream conservation activities on the members’ home waters”.
Our goal is to move to specific species/region/initiative specific roasts, which will allow our customers to be more specific about the cause and resource they support.
Flylords: As a newly launched company, what are some of your goals for this year?
Kim:Â We’d like to raise peoples expectations of what a good cup of coffee is, first and foremost. Beyond that, we want to provide anglers with a vehicle to support the fish and experiences they feel most passionate about, and keep them entertained and inspired along the way.
Flylords: Â Do you think Anglers will catch more fish after drinking Early Riser?
Kim: Duh.
Check out Early Risers newest addition to their coffee line, Strip Set Cold Brew, a killer new coffee specifically roasted to be brewed and consumed while cold. Not only does it satisfy the need for caffeine and refreshment in warmer summer months, every bag sold delivers on the company’s ongoing commitment to donate $1 to fishing-related conservation.
Strip Set Cold Brew is coffee best enjoyed colder than the ice in your veins as you watch your fly disappear into the oversized jaws of an underwater predator before offering a braided core uppercut to the mandible. It’s also delicious when served at 33 degrees Fahrenheit. This coffee is smooth and rich, with an extra helping of caffeine to keep you focused during the long hot daylight hours that mark the best part of the fishing season.
Thanks, Kim for giving us the lowdown on Early Risers. Be sure to check out Early Riser Coffee Roasters at www.earlyriser.co
Check out the recent film that Rockhouse Motions out in the 2019 Fly Fishing Film Tour Bounce.
After many dealer requests, Abel set about designing a larger 5-6 weight TR reel to handle the demands of fishing larger trout waters. The TR has been lauded with industry awards, winning the 2018 IFTD Best of Show and the Outdoor Canada 2019 Best of Show Award as well.
We have tested these reels on countless fish around the world and can say that this addition of a bigger spool, the TR will become even more of a mainstay reel for us here at Flylords.
Steven Ooi (@finripplemedia) always blows us away with his incredible photography, and when we saw this image we just had to know the back story. I mean have you ever seen something like this before?
Steve: “It’s an interesting story cause I kind of had the vision of it years ago, I thought how great would it be to capture a photo of fish with his head out of the water grabbing a fly. This was all long before I had the skills and mindset to do it. And back then I put that image I had in my head into the too hard basket, but that vision remained with me in the back of my mind. It wasn’t until recently that I thought you know what, I think I can actually pull it off. So I set the goal and then went out to accomplish it. The first time it didn’t go quite right as working with wild fish is totally unpredictable at best. The fish came out of the water for the fly but at an angle that wasn’t quite what I had visioned. Luck was with me though as he then turned around and had another look before sticking his head out again swiping at the fly. I took the shot and finally, 10 years of that vision was captured.”
In the latest volume of the journal “Biological Conservationâ€, they published a study highlighting a dramatic decline in global insect life, stating that “Over 40% of insect species are threatened with extinction.†The study cites the key drivers of this decline as, habitat loss (mainly due to agricultural and urbanization), pesticide use, fertilizers, invasive species and, wait for it…climate change.
While the study highlights many species across the globe that are facing the threat of extinction, there are a few names on the list that most of us fly anglers need to fight to protect. Caddisflies are amongst some of our favorite hatches and a scary 63% of species being identified as threatened. Stonefly and mayfly species are also on the list of the most threatened.
The biggest issue is what the world would look like without these important food sources that our favorite trout rely on year after year for survival. The loss of these insects could spell doom for countless species that are in their food web, like trout.
On the 1st of February, Costa was presented with the REI Root Award for its stunning Untangled Collection. The Root Award is presented every year at the annual Outdoor Retailer Snow Show in Denver, CO, to the brand with “the most responsibly designed, innovative new product†that REI carries.
The entire Untangled Collection is made from recycled fishing nets collected from fishermen in South America, the program also offers a program where they pay locals to bring in their used fishing nets in return for a cash reward. The entire collection is part of a Costa initiative to educate their customers on the importance of protecting and reducing our impact on the world’s oceans.
Want to learn more about the Untangled Collection? Check it out, here.
Right off the bat, I thought of something, a symphony structured in four movements. Then I was working on this other film with Nathan Corbin, our cinematographer, and he’s got a really symphonic shooting style. Yeah, so “Movements.” Four movements to a symphony and four movements to our film were the original premise.
I’ve been a firefighter, paramedic, and all these different jobs that allowed me to get outside. Compared to all of those, they’re all great jobs, but guiding really gives me a really flexible and open schedule to write and make films… You put in your work, make your money, get outside, refill the emotional tank, and then you have this huge chunk of time to make films. I know a lot of filmmakers who aren’t fisherman and they don’t have that kind of time.
I knew Nathan, our cinematographer was the type of guy that will forego, even though he deserves higher pay. I knew I could say, “I have X amount,” which was not a lot whatsoever, “But we’re going to be afforded this incredible opportunity to see the continent in a really unique way.” He was game. No questions asked. And then introduced me to our producer, Luke, who was also just another guy who was looking for an adventure.
We had an easy rig every once in a while, but mostly, it’s Nathan’s handheld. Then we had sticks if we wanted something more static.
They’re pros, but being guides you get burned out regardless. You talk to guides in Bozeman or you talk to guides on Henry’s Fork or whatever, but Alaska, it’s 120 days and you work every single day and you’re with clients every single waking minute away from civilization. The burnout is just extreme.
There’s another shot too. It was in BC and early morning. They’re pulling the raft onto the van and there’s just this beautiful sunrise and they all have headlamps so you’re getting cool flares off their headlamps. Every time the headlamps hit the raft, it’s just covered in this hoarfrost. It’s sparkling. There’s so many colors and flares. It’s a beautiful shot. That’s probably my favorite.
