Tom: The friend fish deserve | Patagonia Films

Tom Derry is the connection between wild fish and the activists striving to protect them. A lifelong angler and the director of wild steelhead funding for the Native Fish Society, Tom embodies the commitment behind countless conservation efforts all with a single goal: more wild fish. Filmed along British Columbia’s Babine River, Tom captures the essence of angling for wild steelhead and provides insight into what motivates a motivator.

00:00 Intro
00:08 Meet Tom
1:25: Tom’s friend Bob
1:53 A life’s work
4:05 The Babine
6:11 A common goal
8:32 Steelhead!
10:43 Get involved
13:30 End

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At Patagonia, we appreciate that all life on earth is under threat of extinction. We’re using the resources we have—our business, our investments, our voice and our imaginations—to do something about it.

[jaylawrence]

That was so good… Good Onya Tom!! Travel well…

[zelephant]

What a cool guy. Great video, Patagonia! More fly fishing content would be awesome.

[gallimaufry]

Having lived in Canada for a few years this hit home. People who care like Tom does are so rare. You go Tom and all the rest of you who love and care for fish and their habitats ❤

[mlefeber]

Great…great….great. Thirty two years of teaching high school in the US. We all want kids to be healthy in body and soul. Every new principal I tried to add to our school goals, that every child when they leave has a live long passion, a commitment of responsibility for something. The poor, the hungry, the forest, the rivers…..something that they are willing to make a priority in there life. Their response was always, grades, class rank and entry to college.
“Activism is the rent for living on the planet”.
I will call my good friend of 95 who got me involved 40 years ago…and thank her for best lesson I ever received.

[terripintarelli]

Tom! So great to see you! Thank you for your dedication to the fish!

[whereisnoa]

incredible story. incredible filmmaking.

[LaPescadora]

To know Tom & Connie is to love Tom & Connie! What an amazing film!

[JustinCarf]

What a great story, and it was beautifully told and filmed.

[coachbjorn]

My daughter's middle name is Babine... and there's a hole on that river named after my grandfather. A wonderful place.

[ErikDouds]

Donated $5 as my activism rent for the morning. Keep going Tom & friends. Keep the world wild.

[braidedcreative]

Never get bored of seeing these stories Patagonia. Great work, keep the fly fishing content coming!

[davidgray]

That’s a beautiful Spey cast, well done old boy, i caught my first Atlantic salmon on the Spey in a pool called “Lord March”, the Ghillies taught me that beautiful pause and stroke cast. Lang may yer lum reek.

[charlescoult]

5:18 - "I think we have a feeling we can always make something better but there's nothing better than wild..."

[ColmMullally]

What a brilliant video! And what a legend Tom! Tight lines to ya man!

[JuanBarberis]

Yes - lead by example! Tks, Patagonia!

[FullingMill]

This is a beautiful film. Thank you for sharing this story!

[charlescoult]

11:57 - "If we're not out there angling for them, steelhead just cease to exist."
I've always wondered why I am drawn to fishing so strongly. I think this is a good reason to keep fishing. Without the sport, there would be one less reason to preserve the wild.

[seanrusselyakima]

Yay Tom! Great video and wonderful story.

[georgefairweathermoonlight]

fark, so many of his sentences could be great quotes, activism is your rent!!

[jeffcallahan]

Loved this so much. You might consider doing a video raising awareness about the importance of washing your waders and other fishing gear between trips to prevent the spread of invasive aquatic species, too.