The Flylords team caught up with the fellas over at Chums, the Utah based outdoor brand is known for pioneering and inventing sunglass retainers. A common accessory among anglers. Check out the interview below to learn more about the company and some of the new products they are offering like the Storm Series Waterproof Bags.
Flylords: Can you tell us a little about where the Chums story began?
Chums story starts back in 1983, when a river guide was sick of watching his glasses sink to the bottom of the Colorado River (pictured above). He had the ingenious idea of holding his sunglasses on the a shoelace. 35 years and a few iterations later here we are with a huge line of sunglass retainers (Chums) and an expanding product line.
Flylords: Where is your company based? What are some local adventures that your team enjoys?
Chums currently has 3 different locations: Hurricane Utah (where we continue to manufacture many of our products), Salt Lake City and Sun Valley Idaho.
Chums was started on the water and our hearts are still out there. Rafting and fishing are what we focus on and how we spend most of our time.
Flylords: I know you recently dropped some killer dry bags (which we had a chance to test out in Belize) can you tell us a little about these products, and what makes them unique?
With our Dry Bags we were really trying to focus on a demographic that we felt like was missed. Not everyone has a couple hundred bucks to drop on a bag from the big guys. We designed a bag that could stand up to the harshest conditions while remaining affordable for anyone.
Flylords: Do you want to highlight any conservation efforts Chums has been working on in 2019?
Here at Chums we are always trying to do a little better, from creating product from sustainable material to donating to local and national non profits. We focus a lot on river restoration and do a lot of work with American Rivers and American Whitewater.
Flylords: If you were going to put together a dream fishing trip for the Chums team where do you think you would go?
It’s hard to beat the fishing in our own backyard of Sun Valley: Big Wood, Silver Creek and Big Lost. But we always love shaking it up and hunting something new, maybe go chase some Marlin around Australia.
Flylords: If you had to name three Chums essential products for a day on the water what would they be?
Our Rolltop Backpack for sure, make sure that you can carry all your essentials and keep them dry. You can’t go wrong with any of our retainers but our Cotton Stripes are a staple for all of us around here. Something we all have on us here at all times is our Surfshorts Wallet, we take them with us everywhere.
Testimonials from our Belize Trip:
“A versatile waterproof bag that doesn’t break the bank. I used the Chums Rolltop Backpack for a couple of days of flats fishing down in Southern Belize and loved how lightweight and simple the bag was yet it still stood up to the saltwater like a pro. The water bottle side pocket is a great feature many other dry bags don’t have.” -Patrick Perry, Managing Editor of Flylords Mag.
Be sure to check out Chums’ Fishing Division online here and give them a follow on Instagram @chumsusa.
[…] Behind the Brand: Chums […]