Things We Want You to Know About Us
by Chris N • May 06, 2022
| Without question, our business benefits from clean waterways, natural habitats, and healthy fish populations. And, while we could engage in a long debate about the role of small business in a society, our view is quite simple. We believe that companies like ours are in business to make a profit. The benefits of running a profitable business are numerous – innovation, efficient delivery of goods that are desired by customers, provide jobs, pay taxes. Importantly, we also believe that businesses must operate in ways that use resources responsibly. These two things – profit and environmental stewardship – can, should, and must co-exist. In our case, the alignment is obvious – for our business and industry to grow in a sustainable way, we need clean waterways, healthy fish populations, and pristine natural environments. We should, in turn, be willing to invest in these outcomes. Fortunately, there are numerous ways to invest. The most valuable, perhaps, is our time. Here at DiscountFlies, we have ambitions to ramp our active service over the coming months and years. We hope you’ll join us. We will also continue to make direct donations to organizations focused on the preservation and betterment of our natural habitats. Further, we will donate flies and products to organizations that then use those donations to raise money to fund their activities. We will also support organizations that use fly fishing and fly tying as a way to reach groups in which discussions about mental health might be aided by a day on the river or a session at the vice, whether it be children, folks battling illness, or veterans. Speaking of, we will always support organizations that actively help Veterans. As a veteran-owned company, this is a cause that is near and dear to us. Below are a few examples of our engagement and where we’ve made investments: |
Trout Unlimited
We are a Trout Unlimited Business and will continue to support the conservation work that they do to “bring together diverse interests to care for and recover rivers and streams so our children can experience the joy of wild and native trout and salmon.” We’ve donated to TU and will continue to do so. We’ve also contributed flies to the annual Tie-A-Thon, which donates “flies to non-profits who use fishing as a form of therapy to help people heal”. Learn more about TU’s work at https://www.tu.org/ |  |
Bonefish & Tarpon Trust
We sell a growing number of saltwater flies. While we sell to individuals directly, we also sell flies to numerous saltwater guides and lodges. The Bonefish & Tarpon Trust’s mission is “To conserve and restore bonefish, tarpon and permit fisheries and habitats through research, stewardship, education and advocacy.” They use science-based approaches and collaborate with both public and private institutions. We will continue to contribute to the work they are doing. Learn more about what they are doing at https://www.bonefishtarpontrust.org/. |  |
Washington State Hi Lakers
We think private-public partnerships are an extremely efficient use of resources. The Hi Lakers have been helping biologists in Washington since their founding in 1958. Members routinely backpack into Washington’s high lakes regions and help with fish surveys, which "provide critical information to state biologists and fisheries managers to help them make better decisions and policies regarding each lake." This is amazing – every stakeholder wins…the anglers, the biologists, and the fish. We would like to be involved with more organizations like the Hi Lakers. In the meantime, check them out at https://www.hilakers.org/. |  |
Western Rivers Conservancy
WRC's motto is "Sometimes to save a river, you have to buy it." One of the things we hear from customers is that they don't know where to fish or that places they used to fish are no longer accessible. Going forward, we expect that anglers, lodges, and guides will always be attracted to private water to supplement their portfolio of fishing spots. As anglers, we wouldn't pass up a day to fish private water if it was offered to us. That said, public access is the bedrock of our industry and foundational to sharing our passion with others. As we all continue to learn how private and public access will co-exist, we believe that WRC plays a critical role in preserving public access going forward. These are spaces where we can find solitude, take a new angler on their first outing, or introduce kids to the water. Specifically, WRC's aim is to "buy land along the West’s finest rivers and streams to conserve habitat for fish and wildlife, protect key sources of cold water and provide public access for all to enjoy." Learn more about the work WRC is doing, visit them at https://www.westernrivers.org/about.
Veterans
| This past November we did our inaugural Veteran’s Day Sale. As a veteran-owned business we will always find ways to support the men and women of our military. We were able to use proceeds from that sale to donate to two organizations, Project Healing Waters and Stop Soldier Suicide. We should note that “we” includes all of our customers; thank you all for making this possible. Project Healing Waters is “dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and disabled veterans through fly fishing and associated activities including education and outings.” Check them out at https://projecthealingwaters.o... |
Stop Soldier Suicide (SSS) was founded by a group of Army veterans who experienced the loss of friends and fellow service members to suicide after returning from a deployment. They founded SSS with the view that the “key to preventing suicide is to identify, understand, and address the underlying issues — things like financial strain, post-traumatic stress and other mental health issues, and difficulties navigating the transition from military to civilian — BEFORE they escalate to a point of crisis.” Learn more about them at https://stopsoldiersuicide.org....
What we were able to contribute this year was a drop in the bucket compared to the need. We are committed to increasing our contribution every year. We ask for your help in achieving that goal.
The MayFly Project
The Mayfly Project is a 501(c)(3) organization that uses fly fishing as a catalyst to mentor children in foster care. Our mission is to support children in foster care through fly fishing and introduce them to their local water ecosystems, with a hope that connecting them to a rewarding hobby will provide an opportunity for foster children to have fun, feel supported, and develop a meaningful connection with the outdoors.
Henry's Fork Foundation
The Henry's Fork Foundation: Established in 1984, the Henry's Fork Foundation is a nonprofit based in eastern Idaho that uses a science-based, collaborative approach to promote favorable streamflow, good water quality, healthy fish populations, and a positive fishing experience in the Henry’s Fork and South Fork Snake River watersheds.
Cal Trout
Cal Trout's Dams Out Project: California has thousands of dams, from small earthen barriers to large dams hundreds of feet tall. More than 1,400 of those dams are large enough to fall under state safety regulations. A great number of them provide critical water supply, flood control, and hydroelectric power. But many have outlived their functional lifespan and the ecosystem and economic benefits of removal far outweigh the cost of leaving them in place.
Reel Recovery
Reel Recovery: Reel Recovery is a national non-profit organization that conducts Free fly fishing retreats for men living with all forms of cancer.
Coastal Conservation Association (CCA)
CCA was created in 1977, after drastic commercial overfishing along the Texas coast had decimated redfish and speckled trout populations. A group of 14 concerned recreational anglers gathered in a local tackle shop to create the Gulf Coast Conservation Association to turn the tide for conservation. Only four years later, gill nets along the Texas coast were outlawed and both red drum and speckled trout were declared game fish.
This previously unimaginable victory launched a new era in marine resource conservation. The successful conservation movement that started with the “Save the Redfish” campaign got the attention of anglers across the Gulf and by 1985, chapters had formed all along the Gulf Coast. By the early ‘90s, the South- and Mid-Atlantic regions had CCA chapters, in 2007, Washington and Oregon chapters were formed and in 2015, the CCA California chapter was created. The fish are different, but the challenges facing them are often the same on all coasts – destructive commercial gear, degraded habitat and misguided management concepts.
CCA has proven time and again that anglers are the best stewards of the marine environment. We work to protect not only the health, habitat and sustainability of our marine resources, but also the interests of recreational anglers and their access to the resources they cherish. With a growing, well-informed, active membership, CCA continues the mission launched by those 14 visionary anglers so many years ago.
American Saltwater Guides Association
Simply put, our mission is to Promote Sustainable Business through Marine Conservation.
To do so, we will Activate and Empower the Recreational Fishing Community and Represent it and its Voice at the Federal, Regional and State levels.
- We will speak up in an organized and cohesive manner across all fronts.
- We are going to let managers and politicians know that we are here, and that we count.
- We are going to tell them that conservation is important not only to us, but to our clients and to most of the angling community.
- Our inherent credibility as anglers and business owners whose clients’ contributions make up a significant portion of the fishing economy suggests strongly that we can use our collective
- voice to make a difference and take action.
The recreational fishing community has lacked a cohesive voice and consistent representation at state and national fisheries meetings. Admirable volunteer efforts are inherently home state focused, and while they have raised the awareness of our concerns, our voice has been lost, and even stolen by industry reps who contradict our views, on the wider stage.
We Need Your Help
Specifically, we ask for your thoughts and recommendations for organizations that we can support either monetarily, through our service, or via promotion.
Please drop us a line at [email protected] or call us at the shop at 303-741-4221. We’d love to chat with you about these organizations and causes that are important to you.