Brooke Di Giacomo shows-off the Simms-DeYoung Water Bottle

Brooke Di Giacomo shows-off the Simms-DeYoung Water Bottle

Simms Fishing Products has partnered with some of fly angling’s leading visual artists to produce a cool new product line of shirts and accessories. The Simms 2009 T-shirt collection features the work of Derek DeYoung, Jeff Currier, and Mike Stidham (whose work graces the back of their Saltwater Series). Two of DeYoung’s pieces are also screenprinted on the outsides of Simms 22 oz. BPA-free aluminum water bottles, as well.

I’ve long been a fan of DeYoung’s work, in particular, and think that the images selected for the T-shirt line are extremely nice. It’s good to see his stuff is getting the attention that it deserves from a major manufacturer in the industry.

My only complaint is the cost – the MSRP for T-shirts in the Artist Series are $24.95 a piece, and the MSRP for the water bottle is also $24.95. Simms, of course, has never been cheap, even when their stuff is made off-shore.

We’ll see what 2010 brings, but it would be great to see Simms expand their Artist Series to include the work of a few others, as well. I’d particularly like to see Simms use the photography of Mark Lance (with whom I fished this last summer – great guy), and the fly paintings of Jeff Kennedy.