Ed Kimmel Can Rip A Silk Kitty 50 Feet

Ed Kimmel and I met in 2016 on a fall Hammock Forums group hang. Ed and his wife Brandy attended the event along with their dog. I arrived shortly after they did, joining the group of 10 or so fellow hammock campers. This is actually the same group trip that introduced Derek Coffman (episode 1) and I.

We kind of lost track of each other, and came back together in 2019 at T. Hargrove Fly Fishing Shop in St. Louis. Each week, Craig, Eric and Max (employees of the shop) would host a fly tying class, mainly aimed at beginners. The class is a great hang with like-minded anglers sitting around the table, chatting about rivers, whiskey, good flies and more. For $10, you get materials for two flies, tools, a vice if needed and instruction on how to tie that evenings patterns.

With the restrictions on Covid bringing most small gatherings to a halt in public spaces, the fly class, unfortunately took a hiatus.

Ed and I began conversing via text and facebook about various fly patters, streams he’d been fishing and what materials he was coveting at the moment.

I asked him if he could help me with a machining project, and we traded furs and feathers as barter, which I thought was amazing given the skill Ed has with machines!

In this episode, he and I discuss our love for fly fishing, the types of flies we like to fish and where, a few different rod manufacturers and how gear shouldn’t get in the way of anyone starting out.

We talk about backpacking, hammock camping and our love of sleeping off the ground in total comfort. Ed has a DIY attitude and has made hammocks for all five members of his family and has a great approach to saving some money when outfitting a big family.

One of my favorite traits that Ed exemplifies is a dedication to giving back to ones community. Ed and his wife have participated in annual Mega trail building events held by the Ozark Trail Association, breaking and maintaining trail throughout rural Missouri. He’s also been a troop volunteer and leader for the Boy Scouts of America.

We took a caller for the first time from our hotline at 314.690.8233 and Ed was kind enough to weigh in on his approach to getting your kids outside.

This episode is a really fun conversation and one that you don’t want to miss if you enjoy backpacking, hiking, camping, fishing or even truck camping. We really cover a lot of ground.