Form, Function, Fishing
A Dream Ghurka Collaboration
To paraphrase the old line about children: I love all my collaborations equally but I love some more than others. The Rod & Field Collection I worked on with Ghurka, now out in the world, is, not to put too fine a point on it, an absolute dream project.
I’ve always been interested in bags—they’re designed with purpose, sometimes broad (ye olde tote), sometimes narrow (a racquet case). More than most things a bag must intuit your needs, physical and thematic. Do you carry it over your shoulder? Do you want a place to hide your keys? Will it get wet? Will it grant you status?
I’ve bought bags and had them modified when something wasn’t right (tailors can fix anything!). This level of obsession is shared by other men and is one of the reason the early Jack Spade bags were so satisfying—making a bag out of waxed cotton, we can agree, was a stroke of genius.
I’ve wanted the right rod case for ages, admittedly a highly specific object. John Truex, Ghurka’s creative director, and I have been working for over a year to design this rod case. There are features I wanted—enough size for at least three rods, outer pockets for reels, inner compartments for leaders. We wanted it to be sturdy, but not too heavy. John’s expertise came into play countless times, for handles, strap rings and other details.
The beloved olive twill we used for our previous tote bag is back—it can’t really be improved upon. Neither can the dark brown leather trim and the plaid tweed liner.
Now not all of you are anglers. So we have the Field Bag, which has a divider in the main compartment that’s perfect for photographers (though it collapses if you don’t need it). And an outer pocket with a tab opening for easy access (phone, keys, pens) and an inner zipped pocket the size of a laptop. I love these considerations!
Finally we have the Field Case, also perfect for anglers and non-anglers alike. It can carry reels, fly boxes and there’s a divider to help you arrange things. Again, the divider is removable. I think anybody can find this useful.
Hopefully these bags will be in your life and out in the world for a long time. After all, that’s what they’re designed for.
Photos: Chase Winfrey at Troutbeck.
-ROAD TRIP SEASON
A good road trip like a favorite musician’s Spotify radio station. There’s a balance of curation and discovery. Trying out that metaphor and more in my new column in Artful Living.
-THE PERILS OF SARTORIAL SPECIFICITY
I’m in Greece (more on that in the future) and enjoying it a great deal. Over the years I’ve acquired clothes that are perfect for my highly fantasized version of Greece—linen shirts of daring pastel, woven slip ons, white blazers. Absolutely none of which have made the trip. Why? Well other stops on the way back complicated packing, seasonal weather, and just the versatility that dictates how we actually dress.
I’m in the large middle ground of the clothes I wear and wear again. I find this is the case in general. I return to what’s versatile and less to an esoteric colors or fabrics. I think most men reside in the center of the sartorial axis, not at the extremes. It’s worth keeping in mind when we’re attracted to a Slim Aarons scenario that in all likelihood is never going to happen. Don’t acquire clothes not for the dream but for the reality.
Your closing remark reminds me of Thoreau, who believed that we should “beware of all enterprises that require new clothes.”
I reread the last paragraph because it somehow, almost as an afterthought in the way that good writers do, summarized the destination of my (and likely many others) sartorial journeys. Where I have arrived is a kind of greigecore at an ever-narrowing sartorial middle ground straitened by the ever more hideous dressing- down. This is not an unhappy place and one may take pleasure in occupying a somewhat elevated middle ground. What is also fun is finding pieces which are a little off the beaten track but which you enjoy wearing almost daily. So long perfect button-down rust-colored linen shirt!