Chum

SOLAR PROJECTS, ECO-FRIENDLY LINE SPOOLS, SHARK FIN FAKES, SANDALS, SUNNIES AND SNEAKERS, PLUS HANDY TIPS AND TACTICS FROM XPLORER

“WITH THIS ONE SIMPLE MOVE THEY ELIMINATE TONS OF UNNECESSARY PLASTIC”

SHOUT OUT…

…to Scientific Anglers for their new eco-friendly packaging. Following on from their 100% biodegradable packaging approach for their new range of Absolute Leaders and Tippets last year, Scientific Anglers have now also transitioned their fly line carton packaging to a single-piece, recyclable paper board spool. Traditional fly line spools contain the same amount of plastic as two 5-weight lines, so with this one simple move they eliminate tons of unnecessary plastic. The design of the one-piece spool is better than the conventional two-piece design, as it prevents spool separation when spooling lines at high speeds that can lead to massive tangles. The square-shaped flange and paper board surface also keeps the fly line from slipping on the spool and overrunning which can also lead to tangles on plastic spools.

scientificanglers.com

CONSIDER…

Your child’s eyeballs. If you are fishing with your kid(s) then you are unlikely to want to get them some Costas/Smiths or Maui Jims until they’re a little older. Still, you do want to protect their eyes from glare and help them see the fish. Consider getting them a pair of Maluuk Eyewear sunnies instead. Not only are do these stylish Wayfarer-style sunglasses (which come in 11 different styles) feature polarised UV400 lenses and tough silicon frames, but they also won’t break the bank when Jnr break or loses them. They come with a microfibre cloth and a zipper felt bag that attaches to backpacks and school bags. maluukexplores.com

CHECK OUT…

…the Xplorer Masterclasses on YouTube. Featuring Bono of the Berg (aka Shaun Dickson), this handy ‘howto’ series runs you through essential skills, tactics and techniques from rolls casts to Dry & Dropper rigging and more. youtube.com

APPLAUD…

… the clever crew at TRAFFIC (the wildlife trade monitoring network), who have come up with a range of 3D printed shark fins created from scans of real dried shark fins of CITES-listed species. This will assist with one of the biggest problems for law enforcement officers trying to crack down on the shark fin industry - the identification of endangered shark species by their fins. According to TRAFFIC the freeto-download replica fins will, “help improve the accuracy of inspection, identification and the seizure of illegal shark fins the world over.” traffic.org

PRAISE BE UNTO…

… Indifly and African Waters for bringing light to villagers along the Bokong river in Lesotho with the Makhangoa Solar Project. When we think about the Bokong and the Makhangoa Community Camp, what comes to mind is a crystal-clear river in the Lesotho Highlands teeming with dry fly eating yellowfish and trout, but there’s more to this camp. The Community camp was established by African Waters in an attempt to create a sustainable fishery that is looked after by the local people of Makhangoa. They did this by building the project on the basis of educating and empowering the people of Makhangoa village. American non-profit organization Indifly who have invested in similar community-driven eco-tourism projects in Guyana, noticed the work done in Lesotho a couple of years ago and were so impressed they wanted to get involved. Indifly uses fly fishing as a tool to conserve fisheries, empower indigenous people and create sustainable business for people from rural backgrounds. The biggest issue faced by the villagers has been the lack of electricity. With Indifly as a financial springboard, African Waters approached renewables supplier Rubicon SA to source and install solar power for the entire village. Rubicon found an elegant solution that would provide light and enough power to charge small appliances. A total of 65 units were donated and now an entire village of Makhangoa can live an easier and safer life. Indifly Executive Director Matt Shilling says, “We are honored to partner with African Waters to provide what many consider a basic human need (electricity) to the Makhangoa community. Now more than ever, we all need to think about how we can support and empower the custodians of 80 percent of the world’s remaining biodiversity.” Keith Clover, director of African Waters, says, “The Makhangoa solar project has not only added significant improvements to the daily lives of Makhangoa villagers, the timing of the project has bolstered morale in the village as we navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic.” Makhangoa Council Member Elias Ntlele says, “Really this project is of high benefit to us, and the villagers were very happy about this. They also said that if Mr. Keith was a politician, we would elect him as Prime Minister of this country, because what he says he implements.” Amen Elias! If Prime Minister Keith campaigned on a ticket of subsidized fly fishing travel, he might just get our vote too.

africanwaters.net

FISHIN’ FASHION

The mainstream love for fly fishing continues with new offerings from Nike and Chacos

CHACO X THOMAS RHETT

Country star Thomas Rhett spends a shit-load of time fly fishing in Montana, getting his inspiration from the outdoors ( She broke my rod Cos I got a dad bod ), so his fly fishing inspired collection with sandal sultans Chaco looks like a match made in country heaven. Available in men’s and lady’s styles for your lover/sister/brother/cousin. chacos.com

NIKE X DAAN VAN DER LINDEN

No, Daan did not pack down with Os du Randt in the victorious Free State U20 side of ’93. He’s a Dutch skateboarder with a huge following who also happens to fly fish, hence this recent sneaker collab with Nike (seen here on the handsome stockie-bashing cankles of Andre van Wyk). nike.com