All photos by Mike Mazur I recently was lucky enough to spend a couple days at the Simms headquarters to tour their plant, check out some new products and sneak in a little fishing. Simms, of course, is located…
Simms Factory Tour
…in Bozeman, Montana, far from my Florida home. This was actually my first time to Big Sky country, and as luck would have it, before we toured the factory, we decided to…
Simms Factory Tour
…head over to the Missouri River to wet a line!
Simms Factory Tour
I fished with longtime fly-fishing writer, Ted Leeson, pictured here with a nice carp. The fishing was good, but soon we were back at the Simms headquarters…
Simms Factory Tour
…and began to venture back where the magic happens.
Simms Factory Tour
Immediately, I loved the fact that Simms oozes gold old-fashioned American pride! Simms waders, among the best in the industry, are made entirely in the USA.
Simms Factory Tour
Our generous hosts Diane Bristol and Rich Hohne began our tour, and I was struck…
Simms Factory Tour
…by the efficiency, scope and professionalism of the operation. The construction of the waders starts…
Simms Factory Tour
…here, where the materials are precisely cut out to size.
Simms Factory Tour
Then, there’s plenty of sewing…
Simms Factory Tour
…and stitching…
Simms Factory Tour
…and more sewing and stitching still!
Simms Factory Tour
The craftsmen are precise in their skills…
Simms Factory Tour
…as evidenced by the intensity on display here.
Simms Factory Tour
Recently, Simms greatly beefed up its embroidery operations, and the company does a ton of business customizing apparel for various fly-fishing operations.
Simms Factory Tour
I snapped a shot of one of Simms’ new technical saltwater shirts, the Cocona Crewneck. And here’s another…
Simms Factory Tour
…similar shirt, the Solarflex. Of course, Simms also offers…
Simms Factory Tour
…some excellent skin- and sun-care products, like this Sunclava. But soon our tour came to an end, and we decided…
Simms Factory Tour
…to go fishing again! I headed out to the Yellowstone River with Diane, who, fittingly…
Simms Factory Tour
…caught a lot more fish than me! This beautiful little trout gave her a nice fight, as did…
Simms Factory Tour
…this one here! What a great time I had in Montana! It’s always wonderful to visit a new part of the country – and it’s even better to see hard-working Americans building the products we love so much.