Even the most casual Deadhead angler can manufacture an emotional connection between America’s most influential counter-culture musical movement and the fluid and often-improvisational nature of fly fishing. Now, one longtime industry stalwart is just saying the quiet part out loud. Deadhead fly fishers rejoice. Your next pair Simms G3 guide waders will feature the familiar Dead lightning bolt and the band’s iconic dancing bear (fashioned into a fly-drying patch no less).
No, Simms’ new collaboration with the band that was hip before hippies, isn’t going full-on tie-die with its new Dead on the Water line, launched this month by the Bozeman, Mont.-based soft goods manufacturer. But the company is clearly tapping into the band’s longtime message that seeking out new and untried experiences, both culturally and musically, is something more of us should do, and we should do it more often. Led by the Dead on the Water labeled G3 Guide Waders, Simms’s new line also includes a Dead on the Water version of its SolarTech hoodie, a simple cotton t-shirt and a trio of Simms fishing camps, all stamped with the bear and/or the Dead’s signature (and, some would say, enlightening) 13-point lightning bolt first created by the band’s sound Owsley “Bear” Stanley. The hoodie is full on Dead, while the waders’ nod to the band that, over time, has probably helped musically inspire more generations of listeners than any other, is a bit more subtle.
So, why the Dead?
“This collaboration was born from feeling, not formulas,” said (Dead) Head of Simms Ben Christensen. “Fishing and music are both immersive experiences. They quiet the noise. They shift your focus from the outside world to the present moment. Dead On The Water is our effort to capture this state of mind and an invitation to our community to join us on this long strange trip.”
For many anglers who shift to fly fishing over more traditional angling pursuits, the new band-inspired line could very well resonate. Fly fishing, while it can be oddly broken down into technical jargon with line weights, hook sizes, tippet diameters, and such, is largely a “feel” craft for its most passionate practitioners. From there, it’s easy to see where the Grateful Dead might come into play. As a band, the Dead have never followed a straight set of rules, from wandering, sometimes seemingly aimlessly among musical genres to essentially giving away their music by ignoring the recording devices and cameras at their monumental live shows. From band founder Bob Weir to the late and uber-talented Jerry Garcia, the band has never followed a strict set of rules or toed any industry line in order to succeed. Rather, it seemed, the music its listeners got was largely pulled from the energy they delivered at the show.
And, if you can’t somehow connect that to fly fishing and the constant change that surrounds the effort to fool fish with flies and explore the places the fish that have captured the souls or more empathic anglers around the world … well, then Simms’ new line of Dead on the Water gear probably isn’t for you. Perhaps it’s best to stick with the gear that’s more focused on customer data, marketing algorithms, and the like. For you, take heart. The fly-fishing gear industry isn’t short of “quants” who spend their days sweating over fly line head lengths, body-positive fitting, and insect-repellant, quick-dry, unisex, outerwear that invariably serves some niche “need” on the water. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
“What we’re tapping into is that egoless state both artists and anglers chase — a place where instinct takes over and connection becomes everything,” added Christensen. “For the Dead, it was the music. For us, it’s the river. But the reward is the same — you get lost in the moment, and that’s where the magic lives.”
Ask any Deadhead that’s ever been to a stadium show — no two experiences are alike. With that in mind, it’s even easier to see where the Dead might come into play on the water and resonate with anglers who, like the Dead’s faithful, hail from multiple generations who have found soul-moving messages among the Scarlet Begonias or perhaps spent many long hours lost in the band’s second and perhaps deepest album, “American Beauty.” For those who’ve never succumbed to the Dead’s kind of altruistic-yet-pervasive style of free-form performa, Simms’ new line might not make a lot of sense.
But, branding being branding, here’s a nod to Simms for its overt effort to tap into the Dead culture. Some won’t get it. But, for those who do, and can’t wait to don a pair of industry-leading waders with the Dead imagery front and center, the effort might be something the company can expand on. Marketing being what it is, of late, with fly reels now bearing beer-can logos and other more “feels” logos and messaging, there’s certainly an audience for it.
We’ll see just how big that audience is on the water, of course. There already are anglers out there who've sought out Dead-themed gear (some officially licensed, some unofficially, we suspect). Simms’ above-board collaboration just makes the vibe something that’s legally licensable.
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