Colorado, Thanks For Having Us

April 23, 2019 Jillian Rash

I had great plans to capture every moment of our move across the country, from wonderful images of the Mississippi to the fields of Texas to all the wonder of New Mexico. But, what is it they say about the ‘best laid plans?’

I’ve woken up to the warm Colorado sunshine for the past few mornings. I’ve wandered among the cedars and shared a beer with friends not seen in months, but as of yet, no cutthroat. Ah, well, those days will come.

It’s a bizarre thing to see your whole world reduced to a few measly boxes and even more stunning to see your whole business fit in the back of a little Subaru. It’s a reminder that things are just that, things. The important stuff will make it and the rest will move on to someone else. That being said, I wouldn’t trade any of those things for this view I get to see every day.

Giving Tuesday {How I'm Giving Back}

November 27, 2018 Jillian Rash

I always have a hard time trying to decide which organization to donate to on Giving Tuesday. Because let’s face it, there are so many amazing causes within the fly fishing community. This year I’ve decided to compile a list of a few of my favorites to share.

In honor of Giving Tuesday I’ve decided to donate 15% of all rod bag sales through Christmas to one of the organizations listed below. Please help me choose by leaving a comment on this blog post or any of my social media platforms.

Days That Make Us Thankful

November 26, 2018 Jillian Rash

t seems that Jacob and I have started our own, very unique tradition. For a few years now, we've bypassed the conventional expectations of how we're 'supposed' to celebrate holidays. Instead of gathering with those we hardly speak to, consuming enormous amounts of food and pretending to show interest in a game we care nothing about, we head to the river. Many people scoff at us, while others feel sorry for us (assuming we have nowhere to go). I expect to some folks it is rather strange, but to us, it's pretty perfect.

Land + Water + Ups and Downs

October 2, 2018 Jillian Rash

Taken in GSMNP, partially funded by the LWCF

As with all things US politics lately, the Land and Water Conservation Fund and its renewal have been no different. As of Sunday, the program expired. I was pretty bummed, wildly confused, and, as OIA (Outdoor Industry Association) put it, I felt LWCF'ed. I tried to put something together yesterday, but I was still too angry and didn't want to bring a mess load of politics into this space.

If you still don't know what LWCF is, it's a program that takes non-taxpayer money from drilling royalties and helps to fund our wild places and give us clean water. If you live in the US, you've most likely benefited from this program, it's active in almost every county in the country. So, losing it was a pretty big deal.

Leave No Trace

September 12, 2018 Jillian Rash

"Friend,

When you stray or sit and take your ease

On heath or hill, or under spreading trees,

Pray leave no traces of your wayside meal,

No paper bag, no scattered orange peel,

Nor daily journal littered on the grass;

Others may view these with distaste, and pass;

Let no one say, and say it to your shame,

That all was beauty here until you came."

I've driven past this sign half a dozen times. I always make Jacob pull over so I can read it, admire the flowers growing around it, and feel the breeze flowing through the mountains. Winding down the dirt road I always ask aloud; 'I wonder who wrote that?' And, I forget I've wondered just as soon as I say it. The sentiment, the lesson, is what always stuck.

A Rainbow and A Pot of Gold

August 28, 2018 Jillian Rash

The parking lot was full. We walked by all the cars, searching for fishy stickers or rod tubes in backseats. Determining that this was a big river, we'd just driven all the way out here, and the ratio of anglers to cars was not that high, we geared up. I swapped out my trusty hip pack for the daypack, as I do on most 'hike' trips. It was filled to the brim with snacks, rain jackets, and water, with all fishing essentials pinned here and there.

Jacob doesn't hike unless there's the return of fishing, a guaranteed pot of gold at the end of a rainbow if you will. Which is why these are my favorite kind of fishing trips, I get to hike with Jacob because the bribe of trout always works.