Tom Chandler: I’m curious what you think about the ProGuide Direct site, which kicks back a certain percentage of a sale to the guide when that guide refers a customer to the site.

That will definitely keep the guides pushing their product. I personally will still refer them to the local fly shop. But Better yet, Why doesn’t Simms just have a place on the form when you checkout that says, what local fly shop do you support? And then simms cuts them a part of the sales at the end of the month. It would definitely keep the shops happy too.

Utah Fly Fishing Guide: I do not sell any equipment, because I know what I am best at…guiding, not selling product. When my clients want gear I would point them to the local fly shop, I have a respect for them and really hope they have success in the retail market.

I’m curious what you think about the ProGuide Direct site, which kicks back a certain percentage of a sale to the guide when that guide refers a customer to the site.

JJP: So, where in hell can I buy a new pair of waders that are made in America?

I think Simms is the only one, though only some of the waders are made in the USA.

spring i came down with a fever. i thought i might have lyme.
i went to a doctor and had a lyme test done.
it came back negative. i didn’t have a rash, so must not be lyme.
fever went. lots of other things happened, easily written off to other issues (pulled back meant pain in knees, pain meant no sleep, no sleep meant decreased mental acuity), etc.
one day i woke up, and it looked like i had a stroke.
doctor says, “bell’s palsy.”
i say, “lyme causes that!”
doctor says, “so does random infection i treated you for, and other things. your lyme test was neg. suck it up.”
weeks go by with half a face, i get referred to neurologist.
neurologist goes over symptoms, all the random side effects and everything. neuro says, “you’ve got lyme.”
i say, “test was negative!”
he says, “you took it too quickly. body didn’t develop antibodies.”

catch that, people? i should’ve had a second test a week or two after my first! i reacted fast enough to the whole thing that my body wasn’t producing the neccessary antibodies to flag a test as positive.

fwiw, because the lyme progressed to its point (albeit far quicker than normal), i not only had bell’s palsy (4.5 months), but loss of all facial movment (CNS lyme, 3 weeks), standard oral medication didn’t cut it (PICC line, 30 days of self-admin’d IV drugs), and a book’s worth of blood tests, MRIs and assorted other tests.

deet doesn’t fight ticks, permanone will help fight ticks, but is expensive and i don’t trust it 100%.

only protection is to cover yourself (long sleeves, long pants, and a hat) and shower when you get home (prevents them from digging in).

i lost my spring, summer, and fall to lyme (and cancer, which the lyme testing discovered), so i might suggest that avoiding lyme is 100% in your best interests.

unless you suspect you’ve got cancer, then CNS lyme is a great way to have yourself gone over with a fine tooth comb by expensive specialists. :)

My guess it won’t gain the traction of the Coho falsehood (which is up next).