Don't forget the struggle. Don't forget the streams.

Most of you out there have been exposed to the "mantra", if you will, of Double Haul Productions.  It adorns our collective mugs, mostly, at the close of our videos.  It will more than likely be on most things, we may produce, such as the eventual t-shirt or decal.  Those already in the know of where this phrase came from also know this is a nod to an earlier time we "kids" grew up in.  In most cases, I would say without a fly rod in hand.  More specifically, it is a nod to a NY hardcore "punk" (please, let's not get into the finer points of genre) band Warzone and their 1st full length LP in 1988 titled: "Don't forget the struggle, don't forget the streets".  This LP was a just over 25min of raw power (great Iggy & The Stooges album, btw.) that talked about living in, then more dangerous and very less Disneyland-like, Lower East Side.

There is some correlation between "punk rock" and fly fishing that many of us who went to shows want to figure out, as well.  That will be a separate post one day.  It is quite funny how many "punk rockers"  (aged 35+) fly fish.  It comes out in the strangest ways, too.  Anyhow......another discussion at another time.  Those that know me personally, knows how much music plays a role in my life. So, in creating this blog, dabbling with photography more, some video production, it is a way to give back, if you will, to fly fishing and to keep it kind of "no frills", "raw", "from the streets, to the streams".  There is a DIY ethos in all of this.  There are a lot of folks who seized their lil' nook in fly fishing, whether it be a website that corrals very good fly tyers from across the country and give them top billing to expose their creations that otherwise gets overlooked or someone that has a hidden talent in making wooden fly boxes. 

I would like to give exposure to folks like that because it is total grassroots and it does fit the "mantra" of this site:

"Don't forget the struggle. Don't forget the streams."

What is the "struggle", you may ask??  Is there one answer?  Is there a right or wrong answer?  Not really.  It's pretty open ended.  One may hearken back to their youth and recall the original Warzone song.  To others, the struggle may be figuring out a way to fool that one trout that has ignored your fly, all day.  Many of us struggle to find the time to get out on that piece of water to find themselves and to recharge those depleted batteries that the rat race has drained from us.  It's many things to many people, but it seems that fly fishing is the common denominator, since those reading this dinky lil' blog are THAT obsessive about it. 

"Don't forget the streams" pretty much speaks for itself.  Most of may or may not be TU members, but have been to a few TU meetings, or did some rock rolling/tree planting/river clean-up arm an arm with them.  As responsible fisherman, we're passionate about the conservation of streams and the fish populations that reside in them. Whether your favorite stream is in New Jersey (which is where this blog is based out of), Michigan, Oregon, Montana, Spain, or Slovenia, the stories of stream survival are similar.

So, those out there who are wondering what this lil' nook in fly fishing is about, I hope I shed some light on it.  It may be something completely foreign (like the music thing) to you, but all in all the main thing we want to promote, if you will, is the grassroots fly fisherman out there of any skill level and as a nod to the friends who have helped us along the way whether it be guides, tyers, rod builders, fellow fisherman, and etc.

Stay tuned.  Cheers.