Sawyer Stories – Tales of Oar locks, Eddies, and The Feel Of Water – Page 5 – We make the world's best paddles and oars for SUP, kayaks, white water rafting, and canoes.

Oars as art? Protecting wild salmon, steelhead, and the healthy rivers systems they depend on? Yes, I’m in. The unique partnership between Sawyer, Save Our Wild Salmon, Link Jackson Art, Landscape Photography and Water Colors, and Ty Hallock Art has resulted in “performance art” if you will, by combining the need to protect our natural resources and the love of paddling and rowing.

I’ve known Link for a number of years, and his commitment to conservation is long-rooted in his upbringing. Ty has followed a similar path as well, with strong ties to the land and conservation issues growing up in the western United States. Both have demonstrated their passion for protecting our natural resources via conservation efforts, the love of wild places, and the rivers we call home.

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The Sawyer Artisan Oar is our very popular Square Top Oar with a carbon fiber X-Weave fiberglass shaft reinforcement. Feature prints of fish species from artists around the country passionate about fisheries and fishing art. “The Steelhead” is designed by Link Jackson and “The Brown Trout” by Ty Hallock. These oars showcase Sawyer’s and each artist’s ability to create rugged yet highly functional art.

I’m excited that Saywer Paddles and Oars has partnered with SOS, Link, and Ty to bring attention to the issues surrounding our natural resources, and I personally own a set of the Steelhead SquareTop oars (well, three – my spare oar is also one) in the Shoal Cut blade are my choice. Perfect for shallow, freestone rivers that I guide and float in the west, but also highly effective at Class III-IV white water – like the MF Salmon and Selway.

Consider a pair (or three with a spare) and support artists who support conservation and the protection of our natural resources.

Derek

Permit season. Not the line-reeling salt water version of a Siamese Tiger, but the nervous anticipation of the Four Rivers Lottery for multi-day trips through millions of acres of publicly-owned wilderness. It’s the kind of thing that hopeful river runners dream of, and once you land one of these coveted permits, the kind of thing that river runners have to hold close to their chest; not because they’re greedy, but because it is indeed like winning the lottery, and everyone becomes your best friend and wants an invite.

There’s a lot of preparation that goes into a trip like this; it’s committing, both in gear, risk, and in keeping everyone happy for as long as you can. Great weather helps, great company is the trip leader’s responsibility. Group dynamic is paramount. Set the tone early, everyone has responsibilities, no-one is above cleaning the groover or doing dishes. Groover? Yes, the polite name for using a Leave-No-Trace toilet in the wilderness. The Three P’s – privacy, proximity, and panorama. Where you do number two is part of the experience.

This was my first run on the MF, and it was an amazing trip. By the way, did you get a permit for this year? We’re friends, right?