Featuring the Simms Streamtread™ traction sole designed with Vibram® Idrogrip™ technology, the Simms wading boots deliver all of the performance attributes of traditional felt-soled waders while being significantly more environmentally friendly. Six footwear models will come with Vibram® soles, including a new-for-2009 women’s boot. Prices begin at $129.95.

Diane Bristol, director of Marketing and Brand Management for Simms, expects the new boots to be in retail store by early January. Orders can also be placed on the Simms Web site through their affiliate retailers using the “buy now” link.

“Production has gone as scheduled, and the boots will be here in a few weeks,” Bristol said. “A gift certificate or a gift card from you local Simms dealer would be a great way to give these boots as gifts this holiday season.”

Felt-soled boots have been implicated in the spread of aquatic nuisance species like Didymo and whirling disease. Simms has announced it will phase out felt in 2009, with only Vibram® boots to be available in 2010. In addition, all Simms footwear featuring their CleanStream™ design philosophy utilizes material that is easier to clean and resistant to aquatic hitchhikers. CleanStream also minimizes exposed stitching, ridges and pockets.

About Simms Fishing Products: Established in 1980, Simms Fishing Products is the recognized leader in guide-quality fishing waders, outerwear, footwear and apparel. If they don’t make it, you don’t need it. Simms’ world-renowned line of GORE-TEX®waders are manufactured in Bozeman, Montana. Their full line of gear is available at specialty and large format retailers nationwide. For more information on Simms, please visit www.simmsfishing.com.

For additional media information, please contact Matt Crawford at Pale Morning Media, matt_crawford@madriver.com, 802.583.6069.

Easton, MD (January 10,2008) - Lateral Line today announced their official launch, pioneering a new category in the Outdoor Apparel market: a Technical Year-Round Fishing Clothing System for Striped Bass Anglers.

“Lateral Line’s fishing clothing is designed for hardcore anglers who demand the best fishing equipment. The last thing you want to worry about is your clothes failing you while casting to monster striped bass feeding on menhaden,” said Brandon White, Chief Angler of Lateral Line.

“We have had to mix and match items from different brands to outfit ourselves with the best clothing for our year-round fishing adventures, we’re changing that.” said Co-Founder, Spencer White.

In addition to the extensive fishing experience of its founders, Lateral Line has a team of seasoned business professionals, ambassadors and industry experts to help develop products. Brian LeGette, Former CEO and Co-Founder of performance outdoor apparel company, 180’s, Inc. serves as their Chief Consumer Specialist. LeGette said, “Brandon and Spencer have built a ‘genuine’ company meticulously focused on providing anglers with high-performance fishing apparel designed to protect anglers against everything Mother Nature can throw at them. Lateral Line understands who our customers really are, “hardcore striped bass anglers who fish year-round”.

Tom McMurray, a leader in the fisheries conservation arena and former Partner at venture capital firm Sequoia Capital, serves as Chief Conversationalist and Finance Specialist. McMurray assists with Lateral Line’s “2% for the Fish” program where Lateral Line commits 2% of top line revenue to fisheries conservation. McMurray said, “Donating 2% of top line revenue shows a very serious commitment to fisheries conservation and is in line with all of our personal beliefs. Through commitments like ours we can make a difference in the declining fish populations.”

Lateral Line is launching in a few select specialty retailers, offers their product to over 44,900 anglers on their TidalFish.com online fishing community and on their company website: http://www.LateralLineCo.com.

About Lateral Line, Inc.
Lateral Line is an angler driven company solely dedicated to creating the best technical year-round fishing clothing system to keep anglers protected and comfortable in all weather conditions. The company was founded in 2005 by Brandon and Spencer White and is headquartered in Easton, MD. We fish. It’s who we are…tm

Contact information:
Brandon White, Chief Angler
email: Brandon@LateralLineCo.com
phone: 410-310-7051

Casting for Recovery® (CFR), founded in 1996, is a national non-profit support and educational program for breast cancer survivors. We enhance the lives of breast cancer survivors by offering no-cost retreats tailored to promote and support mental and physical healing through shared experiences and the learning of new skills. At the end of 2008 we will have served 3,500 women through 224 retreats with the help of over 1,000 volunteers nationwide.

Through 2½-day retreats, the sport of fly-fishing is used to promote physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. The effective balance between the physical benefits of the gentle exercise provided by fly-fishing and the counseling curriculum benefits women at any age and any stage of treatment or recovery. The program allows women to get away from their cancer, while providing support from the medical/psychosocial professionals present at every retreat.

Contact jsmith@uptown angler with interest or a referral.

The Access Issue

Contents Include:

• Fish Free or Die
• Private Vs. Public
• Fishparks… Why Not?
• Why Media Matters More Now than Ever
• They Said It
• Now is The Perfect Time to Take Action

Download PDF of this issue | Subscribe to Angling Trade

BTT will also be proposing the new status for permit during the public comment period on Thursday, December 4, at the FWC meeting in Key West

To view the letter click here.

San Luis Obispo, CA - OveRx sunglass manufacturer Live Eyewear, Inc. announced today the purchase of the privately held corporation by the company’s President, Kieran Hardy. The transaction was completed in early December; terms of the sale were not disclosed.

The California based eyewear manufacturer has been under the direction of Kieran Hardy since the company’s inception in late 2001. Over the past 7 years, the business model has maintained a consistent focus on developing OveRx (designed to be worn over prescription) sunwear for eyecare professionals and high quality specialty retailers.

Live Eyewear’s executive team and the company’s core focus will remain unchanged under the new ownership.

EFTTA and the European Anglers Alliance (EAA) are extremely happy with the positive outcome of the plenary voting on MEP Dr. Heinz Kindermann’s report “on the adoption of a European Cormorant Management Plan to minimise the increasing impact of cormorants on fish stocks, fishing and aquaculture.”

As many as 558 MEPs voted in favour of the report and its resolutions.

This exceptionally strong backing from the European Parliament puts heavy pressure on the European Commission and the Council of Ministers to put forward the request for a pan-European management plan and all the basic elements needed for the smooth and effective implementation of such a plan.

These elements include more and better data, improved co-ordination between Member States, greater involvement of stakeholders and clarification of some of the legal terms and the terminology in use.

With cormorants causing widespread devastation to fish stocks - and thereby affecting the quality of recreational angling available to anglers in Europe - The ‘Kindermann Report’ has been supported at every stage by EFTTA.

EFTTA Chief Executive Officer, Jean-Claude Bel, said: “After the Committee on Fisheries gave such an overwhelming vote in favour of the Kindermann Report, we are delighted that the European Parliament understood just how important it is to have a workable management plan for these birds.”

Jan Kappel added: “A tremendous amount of work was put into the report which was accepted by the Committee on Fisheries, by all parties.

“We have had to present a very reasoned argument against some strong opposition from the bird lobby - particularly when they have used emotive headlines from European angling magazines as an argument against a European Cormorant Action Plan.

“But we remained confident that there was overwhelming evidence that something needed to be done to find a solution that helped to conserve fish stocks whilst at the same time providing the appropriate levels of protection for cormorants -and we were right as the outcome shows.”

The hard, ultra-smooth PE+ line jacket finish has a lower coefficient of friction than any production floating line ever built, so it shoots silently through the guides and casts faster and farther than equivalent PVC-coated floating lines.

The tough, new PE+ line jacket is also much more resistant to cuts / abrasion and is fused to the monofilament core with an almost unbreakable bond so nail knots hold securely and there is never any separation of jacket and core. It’s high tensile strength virtually eliminates stretch for instantaneous hook sets and incredible sensitivity. The PE+ jacket is also UV stable, will not absorb water, is highly resistant to chemicals — and won’t soften or dissolve when exposed to DEET, gasoline or most other solvents. And, unlike PVC-coated fly lines, they are 100% recyclable.

“Our patent-pending Precision PE+ Crystal lines represent another first in significant breakthroughs in fly-line technology developed by Cortland since we first introduced the world’s first PVC-coated fly line in 1953.” explained Brian Ward, Cortland’s president and CEO. “We’re excited because they’re also the first new products resulting from this new technology and we look forward to introducing more new lines built on our PE+ technology platform in the future.”

The Precision PE+ Crystal lines will be available in Cortland Pro Shops by early October. Offered in WF 6 F – WF 12 F saltwater tapers, they’re especially formulated for warm-water use in tropical saltwater environments. The line color is crystal clear.

About Cortland: The Cortland Line Company was founded in 1915 by Ray Smith, an avid fly fisherman, to manufacture braided silk fly lines. The company grew to become a major supplier of premium fly lines until the onset of World War II, when production was converted to braiding parachute cord. When the war ended, Cortland applied new manufacturing technologies and materials (nylon and Dacron) to braiding a comprehensive offering of high-performance fishing lines. The company developed the first PVC-coated fly line (the “333”) in 1953, and quickly dominated the fly line market with the introduction of the 444 “Peach” series in the early 1960s. The 444SL was introduced in 1979, and soon became the fly line of choice among expert anglers around the world. Cortland has remained at the forefront of fly line development ever since, with the introduction of specialized tapers, new plastic formulations, migrating lubricants, and hi-tech additives, coatings and floating components. All Cortland fly lines are made in our headquarters and manufacturing facility located in Cortland, New York.

The new site was developed to create an online community for both new and existing users, allowing them to post pictures and videos of their Outcast and Fish Cat boats. Boise, Idaho based Stoltz Marketing Group (SMG) developed the site content.

“Our best sales people are our existing customers. This new website will rely on imagery provided by the end user,” states Troy Cooley AIRE Marketing Manager.

Outcast’s full product line will also be featured on the site. Viewers will be able to navigate to specific products and zoom in on various features, creating a virtual-showroom experience. Each boat will be linked to related videos, photos and suggested accessories along with links to local Outcast dealers.

The goal of the new site will be to engage customers and provide a community atmosphere so users will want to check in and see new product and check out what other users are doing with their Outcast and Fish Cat boats. To experience Outcast’s new website visit www.outcastboats.com.

About AIRE, Inc.

In addition to the fly fishing market, AIRE, Inc under the brand names AIRE and Tributary, also builds inflatable rafts, catarafts, and inflatable kayaks in the US and is celebrating its 20 year anniversary in 2009. AIRE’s industrial division manufactures spill containment products under the brand name AIRE Industrial. For more information on these brands, visit http://www.aire.com/and http://www.aireindustrial.net/.