Free Fly Apparel

We're thrilled to welcome Captain Benny Blanco as the newest Free Fly Ambassador. “When I was 8 or 9, I was introduced to the Everglades. And my entire life changed. I didn’t want to be anywhere else. I didn’t want to do anything else. I loved baseball. I loved school. But I wanted to be in the 'glades.”⁠ With 26 years of guiding under his belt, South Florida-based Benny Blanco knows a thing or two about catching fish—and the attention of our nation’s policy makers. For almost a decade, Benny’s been fighting for conservation efforts in the Everglades, ever since a spike in hypersalinity killed off 50,000 acres of Florida Bay seagrass. ⁠ ⁠ He’s heavily involved with Captains for Clean Water, advocating for water rights in both Florida and D.C. He started guiding in the late ’90s as a Cuban kid from Miami, championing more inclusivity in the guiding space. Today, he’s a proud father of three and hopes to educate the next generation on how to responsibly take care of our outdoor spaces and waterways.⁠ Welcome Benny!

Free Fly is looking for Fit Models! To achieve our goal of quality Free Fly apparel, we use Fit Models to try on prototypes of each garment that Free Fly produces. We are currently looking for both Men’s and Women’s Models. · Must be local to the Charleston area as all fittings are at the Free Fly headquarters in downtown Charleston. · Must match the target measurement closely. · Must be available to fit during 9:00-5:00 fitting hours. Model fit sessions can last for around two hours every other week. During busy times, fit sessions may be longer and more frequent. During a fit session, the Fitting Model will be asked to try on the garments. The Free Fly apparel team will evaluate the fit and design of the garment on the Model. We will pin, clip and draw on the garment as needed to achieve the best fit for the design. We will take photos of the garment on the Model in each fit session. We compensate our Models on an hourly basis. If you are interested in being a Fit Model, please email your measurements and contact information to the following Free Fly team members: [email protected] [email protected]

We all have a responsibility to give back to the natural places where we love to play. And at Free Fly, we’re lucky to live in the Lowcountry, where we’ve got access to an incredibly unique stretch of coastal wilderness. When we’re not at work, you can usually find us on the water—poling through flood tides, surfing at Folly, or throwing back oysters on Sullivan’s Island. ⁠ ⁠ So we jumped at the chance to partner with South Carolina’s Department of Natural Resources earlier this year, to help restore some of the natural habitats in our neck of the woods. ⁠ ⁠ This February, we joined their community-based oyster restoration program called the South Carolina Oyster Recycling and Enhancement Program (or SCORE) at their Fort Johnson site on James Island—where we helped build Manufactured Wire Reefs (MWRs). These reefs help restore and enhance oyster habitats which play a critical ecological and economic role in South Carolina. ⁠ ⁠ Oysters improve water quality, control erosion, and provide habitat for other commercially-important shellfish and fish species, yet oyster populations are on the decline. These MWRs will be planted in tidal creeks, where they will help restore essential fish habitat, stabilize saltmarsh shorelines, and aid in water filtration.⁠ Learn more at: https://score.dnr.sc.gov/

Free Fly Apparel is #hiring! We are actively recruiting for a few positions: Graphic Designer, Staff Accountant, and Merchandise Planner. Come join the Fam!

Alec Lucas (@fish_a_day) grew up casting lines off Folly Beach Pier with his mom, and he got his first taste of fly fishing on Tennessee's South Holston River with his dad. Inspired by his idol, Steve Irwin, Alec’s childhood critter hunts have quickly evolved into epic global fishing pursuits. ⁠ ⁠ As Alec puts it, "Fly fishing is never set in stone, it's never a guarantee. And that's probably the most beautiful thing about it—it's unpredictable, it keeps you wanting more." ⁠ ⁠ For Alec, it's more than a sport. It's a way of life that has given him a family, a home, and friends all around the world. Join us in celebrating the wild, unpredictable, and endlessly challenging world of fly fishing through the travels of @fish_a_day. ⁠ ⁠ Dive deeper into Alec’s story on our latest blog post: https://lnkd.in/e-qQHRX8 📽 : @moonwavefilmco

Maggie Slepian recently went on an epic 23-day trip across Europe and brought us along for the journey (in the form of the apparel in her suitcase). Read the full story on New York Magazine. Maggie Slepian, New York Magazine

Welcome aboard, Mark Healey!

Welcome to the Free Fly Apparel, we're thrilled to have you Mike Reilly, MBA!