Every angler shows their colors and pride in different ways. As a young fly guy, I was proud of my patches. Clubs, products, tournaments, you name it I had it. My Grandmother sewed them onto my vest so that I could wear them proudly.

Other anglers go with the car decals, stickers, and banners. Some guys cover their tailgates with any and every bumper sticker that they can find. Hey, to each his own. Long rod tubes adorn their luggage racks, covered in decals and stickers.

Some guys just prefer the minimal but most expensive bragging logos. They may just display their Orvis, Winston, Sage, or Simms logos. Not too much but just enough so you know that they have money.

One day while fishing on a back east opening day, several guys were making fun of me. They nicknamed me “Patches” and were taunting me. “Hey boys, you crossed the line and don’t make fun of what my Grandmother sewed onto my vest”.

This insult was not about some country song, it was about my vest showing off. I gave the guys a dirty look and proceeded to put my money where my Patches were. I began a Slay Ride! This was when I caught as many trout as I could in front of those Bigmouths! Then, just to rub it in, I caught more and kept throwing them back.

Suddenly Patches had company. Those guys kept horning in on me. They wanted to fish exactly where I was. I held my ground and kept catching and releasing more fish. None of them had a nibble and it drove them crazy!

The great thing about fishing is that there is not just one way to fish. Everyone can approach the sport as they choose. Its nice to have a unique perspective or presentation. Feel free to express your Catch and Release, or Native Trout opinions. Brag about your clubs and state. That’s fine. But don’t put someone down because they have more “Patches” and pride than you.

Patches might kick your ass!

 Montana Grant

For more Montana Grant, find him sewing patches at www.montanagrantfishing.com.