Patagonia 2012 Fly Fishing Collection Wins Six Awards

Patagonia‘s 2012 fly fishing collection has already been recognized with six prestigious awards—a nod to its innovation and quality steeped in the company’s fly fishing heritage.

Read the full press release in the extended entry.

The River Crampon andAluminum Bar Boot offer game-changing technology, providing unparalleled confidence in challenging wading conditions, and have been awarded Fly Fish America’s “2012 Editor’s Choice Award” and American Angler’s “2012 Gear of the Year Award”. The Aluminum Bar Boot was also awarded Fly Fusion’s “2012 Editor’s Choice Award”, and the River Crampon was awarded “Best Traction” in Fly Fisherman Magazine’s 2012 Gear Guide.

The River Crampon and Aluminum Bar Boot were developed in the original Chouinard Equipment blacksmith shop in Ventura, California, and are the result of Patagonia founder/owner Yvon Chouinard’s development work and tinkering over the last year. Inspired by the mountaineering crampon and Yvon’s many years of challenging wading all over the world, he adapted these for a river environment. The River Crampon is the fishing industry’s most innovative and secure traction device for wading. The performance is derived from soft, malleable aluminum bars which are riveted to a burley, adjustable stainless steel frame with corrosion resistant brass rivets. The soft aluminum cuts through silt, algae and moss on the snottiest of river bottoms and grips rock unlike other traction devices. The Rock Grip Aluminum Bar Boot utilizes similar technology but is a fully featured wading boot with permanently affixed, yet replaceable, aluminum bars on the outsole of the boot to provide superior support and traction.

“It is an incredible honor to be here at HQ, working on product so near and dear to the heart ofPatagonia’s founder Yvon Chouinard, and to have these products recognized by the respected media is remarkable,” notes Bart Bonime, business unit director for fly fishing, “Our thanks goes out to all of the editors who work tirelessly on reviewing these products.”

Patagonia’s iconic Nano Puff Jacket has been awarded the coveted Gray’s Sporting Journal “2012 Gray’s Best Award”, noted for it’s lightweight warmth and product quality. Other new and notable styles from the 2012 collection including the Rio Azul Wader, River Salt Jacket, Slick Calm Shirt and Stealth Atom Pack have been awarded American Angler’s “2012 Gear or the Year Award”. Patagonia’s eco-friendly Merino 3 Midweight Hoody and Bottoms have been awarded Fly Fisherman Magazine’s “2012 Gear Guide Green Award”. Recognized for their comfort, warmth and environmentally friendly footprint, this award is truly an honor. Lastly, the Rio Azul Waders have been awarded the highly anticipated Field & Stream “2012 Best of the Best Award” in the outerwear category.

About Patagonia
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Patagonia, Inc., based in Ventura, California, is a leading designer of core outdoor, fish and sport-related apparel, equipment, footwear and accessories. With sales last year of $414M, the company is noted internationally for its commitment to authentic product quality and environmental activism. Incorporating environmental responsibility into product development, the company has, since 1996, used only organically grown cotton in its clothing line. Committed to making its products landfill-free, the company’s entire product line is recyclable thorough its Common Threads Initiative. The company also advocates corporate transparency through its interactive website, The Footprint Chronicles, which outlines the environmental and social footprint of individual products. Patagonia was featured as The Coolest Company on the Planet on Fortune Magazine’s April 2007 cover.