Day Eleventy-Three. We’re heading into week five (we think) of lockdown in South Africa and while we’re going just as loopy as anyone else with the cabin fever and the same-sameness of each day, we know it’s the right thing to do. Fortunately, to entertain, inspire and amuse us, there’s a shitload of great stuff being done by the fly fishing community all over the world.
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STEPPING UP
In terms of the COVID-19 pandemic, brands like Simms have done stellar work by putting their wader-making skills into making PPE gear like medical gowns.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-ifualJLHf/
As reported in Fly Lords, Tim Rajeff and the crew over at Echo Fly Fishing have even 3D printed some masks.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-IrGojgxTS/
Patagonia launched their new activism campaign, It’s All Home Water.
Instead of pushing their new range of waders, boots and other gear, this campaign is focused on what really matters, saving the waters we love as anglers by combining, “grassroots advocacy, resource protection and new angler recruitment in an effort to ensure a fishable future.”
If you have the cash to spare, join them in making a donation and/or getting involved to save native fish species.
The Patagonia film DamNation is now available for free too. Check it out here.
Lastly, we thought this letter from Patagonia Founder Yvon Chouinard to the ‘1% for the Planet’ community on Earth Day, was particularly important at this time. You should read it. It’s a short note, covering the pandemic and the problem with ‘Earth Day’ itself, but perhaps the best part, which we will share, is the post-script.
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Then you get the little guys who are also doing their bit. We’re big fans of this segment, having a section in the mag dedicated to it.
Cody Richardson of Cody’s Fish is donating 30% of the sale of his fish-destination-number plate artworks to guides who are out of the work because of the pandemic. We got in touch and checked with Cody, this offer applies to guides anywhere in the world, as long as he can get in touch with them somehow whether that’s via email, phonecall or carrier pigeon. Support a favourite guide, support an artist AND spruce up your walls. Win-win all round.
ENTERTAINMENT/INSPIRATION
Confluence Films, makers of iconic fly fishing films like Drift, Rise, Waypoints and Connect have been making a full feature length film available to view for free, every week. The current freebie is Connect, which takes viewers from Japan, to Yellowstone National Park, the Yukon Drainage of Alaska, the wilds of Tanzania, Africa, the flats of Cuba and the coast of Maine.
https://vimeo.com/411548144?fbclid=IwAR3FXdZpGDAdFmIpUlG3rSOwzQInKyHd1FXKMXUsBaF7RmvvT_f_JSxOrzo
7 Degrees South about Alphonse Island, created by Richard Morton and Daniel Göz, is now available for free too. In case you missed it, Dragon’s Gold, the film about golden mahseer in the rivers of Bhutan, by Keith Rose-Innes of Alphonse Fishing Co, is available too. Check it here.
Talking of Daniel Göz, here’s an interview with the pioneering film maker from Dewald Kirsten’s Youtube channel, Lockdown Live. He’s also got an interview with Stephan Dombaj, our favourite fly fishing pornstar from Fly Fishing Nation.
Looking for something more practical? Xplorer Fly Fishing (anticipating that by the time we can move freely again it will be stillwater trout season) have been putting out a series of videos, from float tube master classes to fly tying with Masters World Champ Richard Gorlei.
If you have always wanted to get things like that second rod x backpack and camelbak set up right, check out some of this re-issued content from Aardvark McLeod. For more on rigging a flats pack, check out how Andre van Wyk and Warwick Leslie pimped (aka cut holes in) a Fishpond pack for a trip to Providence.
More of a reader? Chris Clemes Fly Rods have collated this free online fly fishing library. Just pretend you can smell the old books and mahogany bookcases.
And of course, in case you missed it, Tom Sutcliffe is giving away his book Elements of Fly Tying for free, right here.
Want to read AND have something other than music or silence in the background? What about one of the best sounds in the world, like a running river? YETI have ramped up the meaning of livestreaming with this selection of live streams from different rivers. Trust us, there is little better background mood muzak to tie flies to. Choose your stream here.
