Save Money and the Environment with The Double Hook-Up Initiative

Written by: Doc Thompson

He may be a guide, but Doc Thompson is always considering the ways that better fly fishing can help the economy.
Photo by Doc Thompson

There is a new fly fishing initiative called the Double Hook-Up Initiative. There are two key benefits to this program–green energy and economic growth. A double hookup means you hook into and land two fish at once. If you think about it, this cuts down on the number of casts and drifts you make.

You may find yourself asking, “But how does doubling up save energy and grow the economy?”  First. you physically make fewer casts and drifts when you are doubling up. Fewer casts and drifts means you are burning less energy. Less  energy output means less energy input. This lowered energy not only benefits you, as the angler, but the guide, too. He or she only has to use the net once to land two fish.

By burning less energy, you will be consuming less energy. Just think: that is one less bite of a green chile cheeseburger or carrot sticks you have to eat. Less carrot-stick and beef consumption means less gasoline and diesel burned. This lowers the carbon footprint, not to mention lowers labor expenses and so on. Yes, we realize that there could be less food production and fewer food-related jobs in this country. But hey, Jack, we are talking about the carbon footprint.

Can you feel the carbon footprint shrinking?
Photo by Doc Thompson

The Double Hook-Up Initiative is an economic development plan, too. Farmers and ranchers can donate the extra food directly to the less fortunate. This would help teach people where food comes from and save money on food-stamp programs. Plus, the donated food is a tax deduction for the food growers.

When you invest (i.e. hire a guide) to participate in Double Hook-Up, your money is then spent in local and regional economies, often in rural regions struggling with lackluster growth. The more people or the more times you invest, the more money is available to be spent on fly-fishing gear, local grocery stores, farmers’ markets, tire shops, restaurants, saloons, mom-n-pop hardware stores, etc. Guides could occasionally afford a nut nice brown ale or IPA instead of settling for Budweiser or PBR.

It is true there is no guarantee that your investment in the Double Hook-Up Initiative will result in double hook-ups, but as you can see, this is far more than a simple fly fishing idea. This is a grassroots initiative for anyone who fly fishes and cares about the country. It’s easy to participate: just contact your favorite guide. The personal reward received from the pursuit of doubling up far outweighs the investment.

If nothing else, this Double Hook-Up Initiative should remind you that fly fishing and humor are good medicine for what ails you!

Doc Thompson is an Orvis-Endorsed Guide in northern New Mexico, as well as an Orvis contract fly tier.