Articles

Hatch Magazine to Donate Portion of Advertising Space to Non-Profit Conservation Organizations

by Chad Shmukler - Monday, Oct 21st, 2013

Part of the Tongass National Forest, one of many locations where important conservation efforts are underway (photo: Chad Shmukler).

Hatch Magazine has seen some changes over the last few months, with several more to come as we close out 2013. Some of the changes that have already happened have been small, such as changes in layout. Other changes have been more significant, such as the addition of advertising to the site. Ads began popping up a few months ago, and it is worth noting that the decision to add advertising to hatchmag.com was one not taken lightly, as the site was initially envisioned as an ad-free destination. That said, we abandoned the idea of keeping ads off the site in favor of growing the site and bringing readers more of what we strive to do well: showcasing fly fishing photography, covering conservation news specifically as it relates to anglers, producing pieces about travel and fly fishing destinations, bringing you news and reviews on new gear and providing fly fishing tips and insight when we can. As part of making the decision to introduce advertising "work" in our minds, we've decided to reserve a portion of the advertising available on the site for non-profit organizations that are doing work to conserve and protect waters and lands that are important to anglers. This advertising will, of course, be offered free of charge to these organizations.

Currently, we're reserving 5% of our total inventory of advertising (total ad impressions) for this purpose. If you represent an organization that fits the description above would like to advertise your organization, project or other aspect of what you do on Hatch Magazine, please contact us and let us know. We'll limit the number of advertisers in this regard each month, in order to be able to give each group a reasonable level of visibility, as opposed to spreading things too thin.

Yeti Auctioning Off One-of-a-Kind Pink Cooler to Benefit Charity

by Marshall Walker - Friday, Oct 18th, 2013

Yeti Pink Cooler

YETI Coolers is joining the fight against breast cancer by auctioning off a pink version of their Roadie cooler. The premium ice chest is capable of keeping up to 14 cans ice cold thanks to its 2 inches of cold-retaining insulation. The smaller Roadie cooler also features the same tough construction and bear-proof locks as YETI's larger Tundra ice chests, and its "No Sweat Design" stops unwanted messes.

The one of a kind cooler will be auctioned off to raise awareness for the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM), and all proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society.

"This year we made a single pink cooler with the American Cancer Society in mind," says Corey Maynard, YETI marketing director. "We want to raise awareness with our consumers and give back to this important cause."

The Scale of Shale

The impacts of fracking go well beyond water quality

by Chad Shmukler - Wednesday, Oct 16th, 2013

Autumn has come to a stretch of slow water on Pine Creek downstream from its confluence with Slate Run. Several hundred yards away, a water withdrawal pipe is authorized to siphon up to 900,000 gallons of water per day at that site alone (photo: Chad Shmukler).

We turn onto the gas company improved access road and head into one of the many tracts of public, state forest land in Pennsylvania. Our SUV bounces and clatters along through dense stands of mixed deciduous and evergreen forest, gravel from the road kicking up into the truck’s undercarriage. Thanks to the condition of the road, which is without question the most well-maintained state forest access road I’ve ever ventured along, we’re able to carry on at a brisk pace. Nevertheless, we continue on into the forest for 10 or 15 minutes before we reach our destination, an Anadarko natural gas well pad in Pennsylvania’s Pine Creek Valley. From those of us who haven’t previously seen first hand the real-world impacts of gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale region of Pennsylvania, there’s a collective, palpable sense of awe, though for altogether unexpected reasons.

As an angler and a conservationist, environmentalist or any other label I might choose to identify myself as someone who puts a great deal of value on preserving and protecting wild and natural places, especially wild and natural waters, there are a myriad of reasons to be concerned about the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing (aka “fracking”) on these places. The typical reflex is to contemplate the sensational: overturned trucks carrying fracking wastewater, mountain creeks drawn dry by unregulated industry water withdrawal, pristine streams choked by out-of-control sediment resulting from erosion of disturbed forest parcels and so on. And, while all of these threats are real, and have occurred in Pennsylvania to some extent or another, what I encounter when we arrive is in stark contrast to these horror stories.

AFFTA and The Fly Fishing Show Reach Collaborative Agreement

by Marshall Walker - Tuesday, Oct 15th, 2013

AFFTA + Fly Fishing Show Logos

In an effort to increase participation in fly fishing and support the fly fishing industry the American Fly Fishing Trade Association (AFFTA) and the Fly Fishing Show have teamed up to offer AFFTA members more benefits in 2014. The Fly Fishing Show has agreed to give a 10% discount on booth fees to any AFFTA retailer or manufacturer who didn't participate in the trade show in 2013. The AFFTA and Fly Fishing Show are also working on future member benefits for upcoming conventions as part of the cooperative agreement.

"This mutual agreement falls within AFFTA's mission and goals, which include growing demand for fly-fishing products by attracting new participants to the sport and promoting better business practices and professional development opportunities for our members," explained AFFTA president Ben Bulis.

Southern Culture on the Fly Issue #9 Released

by Chad Shmukler - Monday, Oct 14th, 2013

Go. See.

The Fall 2013 issue of Southern Culture on the Fly is hot off the digital presses. Most of you are likely already familiar with SCOTF, but those of you who aren't should make yourselves so. Each issue of SCOTF is loaded with the good stuff: killer photography, rich stories and usually some pointers, fly patterns, etc. You get the idea.

This latest issue features topics such as fishing with big, fat hopper patterns, heading north to chase musky and also includes art from Paul Puckett and a photo collection from Captain Joel Dickey that contains some of the most stunning permit and tarpon photography I've ever seen. I keep looking at it over and over again, drooling with jealousy, and have since started boxing up my camera to send it to Canon for calibration. Clearly there's something wrong with it, as I don't think I could bribe it into turning out photos like Dickey showcases in this latest issue of SCOTF.