From Patagonia:
A film by Asher Koles and Chase White
Rivers and fish need friends. Tom Derry has spent his lifetime being that friend. Conservation and wild fish are two things found deep in Tom’s heart. As Molalla River Steward and the Director of Wild Steelhead Fundraising with the Native Fish Society, Tom is the good-hearted connection between wild fish and the activists striving to protect them. As most people who know him will tell you, there’s no one else in the world like Tom. He’s more than just an example of how to live—he’s an inspiration for generations to come in protecting wild fish and giving back to the ecosystems we cherish.
Shot along the majestic Babine River, this intimate, heartfelt film captures the essence of flyfishing for wild steelhead and provides an insight into what motivates a motivator. “When you give yourself to something or connect with an animal or an issue,” Tom says, “it becomes part of who you are.”
“We’re proud to support a film like Tom,” said Patagonia’s Matt Millette. “Tom allows us to glimpse the inspiration, energy and commitment behind the countless conservation efforts that Tom Derry has helped shape. Seeing what motivates a motivator—more wild fish—is humbling and inspiring to all anglers. Tom really is the friend wild fish deserve.”
Over the last five years, Patagonia has granted more than $6 million to groups working to protect wild fish and clean water. These organizations reconnect our rivers, oppose the wasteful futility of hatcheries and deadbeat dams, and fight the open-net pen salmon farming disaster. Our rivers, oceans and fish were born wild. We vow to keep them that way.
