Help A Fellow Fly Fisherman

So one of you, our awesome followers, Braden Smith's house burned down this weekend. Braden has been a great follower of ours for quite some time now and a big supporter of the blog and our Instagram. Braden, known on IG as @death_to_tommy, has been posting pictures and trying his best to find the positive in what is certainly a negative situation.

So what does this mean for you? Well, a few of us on IG have decided to put together a "care package" for Braden to get him back on his fly fishing feet, give what bring him his chi back. We don't know Braden other than his awesomely positive feedback on the blog and IG as well as his great humor and photos over the inter-web. This is not some sort of publicity stunt or anything, we just feel the need to reach out and help a fellow fly fisherman get back on his feet.

Braden not only lost most if not all of his fly fishing and fly tying gear, but he lost a considerable amount of new toys and belongings of his babies. As a firefighter/paramedic, I (Morgan) saw a lot of tragedy like this, and I've seen it happen to a lot of good people. Fortunately, insurance companies do help people out, a lot, these days...but the memory of that one fish you caught on that certain rod or reel is lost forever.

If you would like to join in and help some of us out, we have been talking to Braden and the amount of thanks he has expressed to us, for you, his fellow fly fisherman and followers, cannot be put into words. Like we said, we will be throwing together a gift box for him of gear and would love to get something together just big enough to get him back on his feet. We know a few guys are throwing in materials to tie again among other things. Braden has given us a list of what he knows was lost so far and stated in his email he doesn't "expect anything and don't know how to thank [everyone] enough..." Here is what knows was lost as of now...

Wading boots size 11-12
Chest pack
Streamside accessories
All flies from small nymphs and dries to streamers
Tying vise
Scissors and bobbins
Thread
Materials
7'6" 3wt
9' 7wt

Thank you to everyone who has donated so far! I spoke to Braden today, and as I said before, he is amazing by the outpouring love.

If you would like to help out Braden, email us at tightlinedtalesofaflyfisherman@gmail.com and we will give you the address to send things to. Any help for him is appreciated and we know he is the kind of guy that would do the same for us. If you cannot offer any fly fishing gear, prayers and thoughts are always appreciated and thought. Go out and throw a line for him until we as a community can get him back on his feet.

Morgan and Luis