I am in Bozeman, Montana at the invitation of Simms to attend a meeting with 11 other owners of some of the best fly shops in North America. LeLands, FishWest, Blue Quill, TCO, Kingfisher, Chicago Fly Fishing Outfitters & River’s Edge amongst others are here and I consider this invitation quite an honour because I am sitting amongst some of the brightest retailers in the industry. To be honest, I am focused on listening and taking notes because I don’t want to embarrass myself too much…

KC Walsh, the owner of Simms, invited us to Bozeman for the inaugural “Simms Fly Fishing Retailer Summit” and we kicked off the meeting yesterday with a tour of their wader factory. Let me correct that. To call the Simms facility a “factory” is doing the brand a disservice because the word factory implies mass production and, perhaps more importantly, a lack of attention to detail in the drive for the almighty dollar. At least at Simms, nothing could be further from the truth.

If you are not aware, Simms waders are made in Bozeman, Montana and, having now toured their facility, I know that the men and women who work here are artisans focused on producing the best fly fishing waders in the industry. Our group was taken through the production process from where the roles of Gore fabric are received by the friendly guys in the receiving department to the final inspection and shipping area where each wader is re-checked before being sent out. Between these points there are literally dozens of people who are involved in producing each pair of waders. We looked on with interest as roles of Gore were cut by hand based on a computer design to ensure as little of the fabric was wasted and followed the fabric as it was stitched by expert employees who sew each part of the wader together. Some of us tried our hand at the taping station that reinforces the seams and laughed as we realized how much skill it takes to do what appeared to us to be a simple job. Like any professionals, the people at Simms are so good at what they do they make it look easy. The production line ultimately weaves its way around an incredibly organized and clean room to the final testing area where each wader is checked for leaks. Think about that for a moment. Each wader is checked for leaks before being shipped. The craftsmanship and dedication to quality at this facility blew me away.

One thing in particular that caught my eye during our tour was a spot near the lunch room where production mistakes are hung for all to see. While we were there we saw a pair of waders on display that had been sent back by a customer because two left feet had been sewn onto them. The occasional mistake like this will happen at any company but what struck me was that these waders are not displayed with an intent to embarrass the person responsible but rather to remind everyone to pay attention to detail and take pride in what they do. As we heard from more than one employee on the floor during our tour, “Every wader we make is important because we don’t want to lose even one customer.”

The sense of pride we encountered from the employees was for me perhaps the most surprising thing I encountered during our tour. The culture at Simms truly is a credit to the management team and what I saw on the production floor gave me a better understanding not only of the products but but also of the company and its people. Simms charges what many consider to be a premium for their waders and having now seen the process and met the people who make them I have a better understanding of the craftsmanship involved and I know they are worth every penny. It was great to see a company where the people working on the floor not only believe in the importance of the quality of their work but they also take pride in learning from their mistakes.

And that is why we at WILSON’S are proud to be a Simms dealer.

This being the last day of October it is a safe bet that there are not any anglers left on the river who are die hard, wet waders. That said there are a LOT of anglers still hitting the river who are wondering how they can stay comfortable (read “warm”) as the temperature dips. One word:

If you have not checked out the recent developments in wader and cold weather gear from Simms we encourage you to go to the Simms store on our website. In addition to the waders, boots and wading jackets anglers have come to expect from these guys, you should also look at their selection of cold weather gloves, hats, and fleeces. Simply put, they remain the benchmark in the industry.

Check out their gear at store.canadasflyfishingoutfitter.com

WILSON’S first opened its doors in April 1998 and we quickly made almost every mistake you can make as a start up business and as a specialty retailer. Not surprisingly, we lost money in the first year of business and we doubled our loss in the 2nd year… Unfortunately we doubled that loss again in year 3. You do the math – it wasn’t pretty. The store was in the wrong location, we had the wrong product mix on the shelves and we were burning through money faster than I thought possible. Then things changed. First, I made the decision that I wanted the store to succeed and went from thinking everything would sort itself out to actively making sure it did. I also cashed in the rest of my life savings (literally) and invested all of that money in the store (yes, it hurt). Secondly, although we could not afford the expense, we could not afford to stay put so we changed locations. Lastly, we followed some advice…

Our regulars know that unlike many fly shops we actively solicit feedback from our customers every day because we want to be the fly shop of choice in Canada. We ask people what we are doing right but, more importantly, what we are doing wrong – and we listen. Back then we were told by customers to bring in products made by a company based in Bozeman, Montana by the name of Simms. Following this advice proved to be one of the most important decisions we have ever made at our store and the only thing I am more thankful of than receiving that advice is that we followed it.

Becoming a Simms dealer was for us a ‘game changer’ and we are thankful for the opporunity to be part of the Simms family for a number of reasons. From an initial business perspective our sales went up immediately. But from a long range perspective we started to be exposed to new opportunities we had not anticipated. We hoped new customers would be attracted to our store – and we were right – but what we did not realize was the effect being a Simms dealer had on the rest of our business. We got inquiries from suppliers we had been chasing for years asking if we might be interested in becoming a dealer. In addition, that hardcore angling demographic we had been trying to attract started to come into the store. In hindsight we unwittingly changed from being a start up business to becoming a legitimate fly shop – and the decision to become a Simms dealer was a big reason why. So if you were one of those customers who suggested we go down this path – thank you for your advice.

I spent yesterday in Bozeman meeting with the team at Simms to discuss some new plans we have with them. Although still in the works we will soon be announcing some very exciting news… stay tuned!

I attended the International Fly Tackle Dealer show in New Orleans last week and received this from Angling Trade magazine that is worth passing along:

New Orleans, La., August 19, 2011—Angling Trade magazine and MidCurrent today announced the winners of the “Best of Show” awards at the International Fly Tackle Dealer (IFTD) trade show in New Orleans. The awards are for new fly fishing products to be available in 2112. Twenty-four separate product categories were represented. Awards were chosen by retailers and media professionals attending IFTD from around the world.

Simms Fishing Products won Overall Best of Show for its ProDry GORE-TEX Jacket, Bib and Pants. ProDry Suits are designed with input from tournament anglers and fishing guides, and include a number of high-performance features for all freshwater and saltwater environments. ProDry also won the “Best Outerwear” Category. See www.simmsfishingproducts.com for more information.

Sage swept the freshwater and saltwater fly rod categories with its new “One” series. See www.sageflyfish.com for more product information.

The complete list of category winners:

Best of Show—Simms ProDry GORE-TEX Jacket, Bib, and Pants

1. Best Outerwear—Simms ProDry GORE-TEX Jacket, Bib, and Pants

2. Fly Rods, Freshwater—Sage “ONE”

3. Fly Rods, Saltwater—Sage “ONE”

4. Fly Reel, Freshwater—Hardy “Ultralite” Fly Reel

5. Fly Reel, Saltwater—Nautilus NV “Monster”

6. Fly Lines, Freshwater—Scientific Anglers Mastery Textured Trout Stalker

7. Fly Lines, Saltwater—Airflo “Ridge” Floating Clear Tip Tropical Fly Line

8. Eyewear—Smith “Chief” with Techlite TLT Lenses

9. Wading Gear—Simms Freestone Stockingfoot Waders

10. Women’s-specific Product—Redington Women’s “Sonic-Pro” Waders

11. Youth-specific Product—CasTarget by The School of Fly Fishing

12. Eco-Friendly Product—Korkers Metalhead Wading Boot with “Svelte 2” Soles

13. General Apparel—Buff “Bug Slinger” Series UV

14. Fly Pattern, Freshwater—Jay Zimmerman’s “Texas Ringworm,” (Umpqua Feather Merchants)

15. Fly Pattern, Saltwater— The Fish-Skull Crafty Deceiver (Flymen Fishing Company)

16. Fly Tying Material— Fish-Skull Sculpin Helmet (Flymen Fishing Company)

17. Fly Box/Storage System—Montana Fly Company “MFC Waterproof Boat Box”

18. Book—Fifty More Places to Fly Fish Before You Die, by Chris Santella (submitted by Angler’s Book Supply)

19. DVD—“Musky Country Zero 2 Hero” by Robert Thompson (submitted by Angler’s Book Supply)

20. Personal Watercraft—Water Master “Kodiak” Loaded Package

21. Gift Item—Montana Fly Company “MFC iPad Folder”

22. Luggage—Fishpond “Bumpy Road Cargo Duffel”

23. Accessory—Loon Outdoors “Nip & Sip”

24. Chest Pack/Vest—Rising “Flask Pack”

[This was recently posted on Angling Trade - just another FYI for our readers]

BOZEMAN, Montana – Simms Fishing Products, manufacturer of waders and outerwear, expands into new segments of the fishing industry this year with a line of outerwear and footwear designed for anglers, including those who fish from boats. Simms will debut its dynamic new line, along with new products within its core fly fishing offerings, at the ICAST show being held July 13-15 in Las Vegas. This is the first time that Simms, a leading supporter in the fly tackle segment and the only company to make GORE-TEX® waders in the USA, has exhibited at ICAST – the world’s largest sportfishing tradeshow.

“The mantra of Las Vegas is supposed to be ‘what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,’ but in this case we’re confident what we unveil at the show will create an exciting buzz throughout the fishing world,” said Simms President K.C. Walsh. “We’re eager to raise the awareness of the Simms brand at ICAST.”

Among the new items Simms will showcase at ICAST are the new Pro Dry™ GORE-TEX® Parka, Bibs and Pants that have been designed with input from tournament anglers and used this year at the BASSMASTER Classic. Attendees at ICAST will also see Simms’ new No Fly Zone TechKnit shirt, the Harbor GORE-TEX® fishing shoe and a host of sun-protective clothing.

“As we expand our product line, ICAST presents a tremendous opportunity for us,” said Walsh. “We’ve been in business for 31 years, but this year we will have a chance to make a first impression at a new show with outstanding products built by, and for, anglers.”

Simms Fishing Products will also display at the 2011 International Fly Tackle Dealer (IFTD) show Aug. 18-20 in New Orleans.

“Between ICAST and IFTD it’s going to be a busy and exciting summer for Simms,” said Walsh.

About Simms Fishing Products:
Established in 1980, Simms Fishing Products offers full line of gear at specialty and large format retailers nationwide. For more information on Simms, please visit www.simmsfishing.com