When I first heard about this "Tom Derry" guy many years ago, I was northbound for Skeena country. People in respected circles kept telling me about this guy Tom. It sounded like he must be the most beloved man in steelheading. After we were introduced, Tom invited us to stay in his wall tent (Tom’s Place) on a remote river. It immediately became clear that Tom is indeed a very special human that I'm now proud to call a dear friend.
As Tom says, "Rivers and fish need friends." Tom is that friend. Few people have done more for the conservation of wild fish than this man.
I've now spent years sharing a wall tent in remote steelhead country with Tom, and when the opportunity arose to create a film about him with my close friend and collaborator @bloodknots, we jumped at it. With the support of Patagonia, we were able to make a film that hopefully represents the comedic and caring magic of what I can only hope to become one day - a person like Tom.
Tom also says, "When you connect with an animal or an issue, it becomes part of who you are." If that is true, at this point, Tom is certainly part steelhead.
The goal of the film is simple: inspire more people to be like Tom.
Watch the film trailer here:
And watch the full length film here on Patagonia’s YouTube channel:
Thank you @patagonia_flyfish, @epicwaters, @mszafka, @nicholasblixt, @mattmillette, @monikamcclure, @e_lovejoy, @slamdish, @typackard, @teddymuse, @seanblack, @joshderry, Connie Derry, Derek Botchford, @stevie.morrow, Bob Clay and the Clay Family, Tracy Buckner and the NFS staff, @michaelbrack, @sonjacoates, Dave Page, @fishing_with_norm, @chantalparent_, @loganwilfish, Colin Carr, The Lashinski Family, the @blackkoles team, and Yvon Chuinard for supporting this film. And especially @bloodknots for always being such a solid collaborator and creative inspiration in helping create this film with a call to action for everyone to get involved.
If you would like to support Tom, his work and his team, please consider making a donation to @nativefishsociety, where all donations go towards the support of wild, native fish, and free-flowing rivers: https://nativefishsociety.org/
#TomFilm #WildFishActivism #Steelhead #ItsAllHomeWater #Legenderry