Zach Matthews
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Very nice! I am drooling.
I was in the area all last week but I had to leave Saturday morning for the 24 drive home. With all the cancellations because of the snowstorm I figured it would be pretty empty for the opener on the Firehole. Plus, I really wanted to try out my new Dennis Stone bamboo fly rod I finished over the winter.
I hope we see my pics from you tomorrow.
Be careful where you buy it, I was told by a reliable F&G source that some are being imported illegally and getting confiscated.
I am still opposed to hidden taxes (excise taxes, gas taxes, VAT, etc.). Citizens should know what they are paying to support the government. Also, I am skeptical of “earmarked” taxes. There is plenty of evidence that “earmarked” taxes simply replace reductions from the general fund, so the net effect is the same funding for the sector the funds are “earmarked” for, but more money going into the general fund.
Licenses are a different animal, since people know what they are paying, like sales taxes and income taxes.
I have no problem paying taxes for proper government services. I just want to know how much I am paying and what I’m getting for it.
That’s a very reasonable point, Bob.
There is a big difference between the government soaking us and the government allocating funds that benefit us.
Speaking of sunglasses, I want to see if anyone else has experienced something.
With certain tints and brands of glasses, I’ve noticed a weird, stoplight-red glare on the top of the water, usually when I am viewing the water only at a certain, pretty flat angle, looking mostly toward the direction of the sun.
David –
Are they too long because of the casting distance or because they’re sinking out from under you on a long retrieve?
I strongly suspect that reel is being made by a well known supplier in Korea, not hand-forged by Jesse himself.
I’m exceptionally good at breaking rods.
Truth.
Scott ought to turn around the rods in good time; they have worked hard to improve their warranty service and all reports are they have been very successful.
You’ll most likely talk to board member Ian Crabtree when you call in.
Zach
PS Everyone congratulate Tim on being a new father.
My stripers are in rivers, not the ocean, but I have a significant amount of surf casting hours for other species as well.
Simms is doing well–they’re not just the ones telling people that, so are their competitors. And yes while I certainly believe the folks telling me that, you can see for yourself that they are doing well with their new facility. Their move into other apparel, the bass market, and most likely the big catalogs have all been good moves for them. They also do a great job for the local fly shop. Simms’ SE Rep Dave Chouinard is one of the most reliable people in the region for showing up on shop Saturdays and supporting events like Troutfest. That certainly counts as support for local shops. They just do it right, y’all, top to bottom.
As for their waders leaking, I have had two pairs of Simms Guides – a 1998 and a 2006 model. The ’98s I sent back in about 2004 to have new booties put on because I had walked them off. The only leaks were minor pinholes I put in them and which I easily patched. The 2006s have not leaked appreciably even though I have well over one hundred miles hiking in them. I am sure I could find a pinhole if I tried, but it’s not enough for me to even notice dampness on my clothes.
They just make very good gear. They are not a sponsor here, nor have they ever been, so don’t think I am telling you that because of some relationship. Having covered the gear side of this industry for the magazines pretty intensively for going on a decade, I have just become convinced that they are the clear winner in their sector, and that goes even factoring in their additional cost. Because their stuff is American-made and uses Gore-Tex, you get a proportionally better product for your money. That’s not to say other waders won’t do the job well (Patagonia’s designs are excellent, for example), but the people who were concerned about paying for essentially a generic product with a brand slapped on them have put the cart before the horse with Simms–that is more descriptive of a lot of their competition, frankly.
Zach
100% guarantees are only possible when you’re making your product overseas and your profit margin is sufficient to allow you to replace product for free.
Simms is the only American-made Gore-tex wader manufacturer. Gore-tex is legitimately more breathable than any competitive fabric by approximately 40%. It is expensive because there are licensing fees involved.
Simms and Scott Fly Rods are two of the only fly rod companies posting large growth and profits in the current economy. Scott does it by knowing its customer base and staying very close to its core. Simms is doing it by making very smart moves to expand into profitable softgoods sectors (high-end apparel, raingear) and mostly staying away from low-margin peripheral imported stuff which is simply rebadged from a design already created by a Chinese manufacturer.
This is a situation where you get what you pay for. I have two pairs of waders: a 1998 pair of Simms Guides and a 2006 pair of Simms Guides. I am due for another pair due to wet-out, but I’ll take a 6-8 year lifespan on waders, as hard as I use them, any day.
Zach