Fish Camp with Ambassador KC Badger

Redington: Tacomas, Subies, Sprinter Vans, the venerable Volkswagen Golf (with a rooftop tent). What does vehicle choice say about an angler—and what does yours say about you?

KC: I think there are a few different kind of anglers. And their vehicles usually give a pretty good indication of who they are…at least from my irreverent perspective.

Toyota Tacoma: I can't really speak to a newer-model Tacoma owner, but if it’s a pre-2005 Tacoma with a Flip-Pac or simple slide-in camper shell, then the angler knows what’s up. They probably fish one rod and carry along a Ziploc bag with a few chosen flies in it, flies they tied in the camper the night before while eating a can of chili. It’s not about how many they catch; it’s about how, why, and where they’re at. They respect the fish and appreciate the journey of both the process and the act of fishing.

Subaru: This angler either LOVES replacing head gaskets or is about to learn to.

Sprinter Van: This is the angler that bought their rig during Covid because their buddy Jeff got one and talked them into embracing their “trout bum” dreams. But the reality is they camped in the van one night at a trailhead, got kicked out by the forest ranger, and now they just leave it at the airport during fishing trips.

VW Golf TDI: This is the angler (me) who grew up as the son of a Porsche mechanic and had it beat into his head that not only could a VW go anywhere, but it could go anywhere better than most. He’s also too broke to acquire any of the above options, so he lifted his Golf, put on some KO2s, and now his “truck” gets 35 mpg and will, in fact, go anywhere a truck can.

Redington: Is fishing just an excuse to go camping or is it the other way around?

KC: For me, any activity is an excuse to go camping. It wasn’t until later in life that camping itself became the objective. It had, and still does, serve as an easy, affordable way to be closer to—or in the zone of—whatever activity I’m there for, whether it’s dirt bikes, hiking or fly fishing.

Redington: Where on a scale of scrubbing camp dishes to winning the Mega Ball do you rate hooking a summer run steelhead on the North?

KC: I’m VERY fortunate to have been shown the Ump by a few friends that have dedicated years of their lives to learning and knowing it. And even more fortunate to have had them tow me around a few times, sharing with me glimpses of that learned knowledge.

I respect those people, that place, and these fish so much that every encounter is extremely special. I wouldn’t say it’s like winning the lottery because that’s just dumb luck; it’s more like I feel grateful to have been passed down a few gifts from the gods—both the living and the fishing gods. This is truly one of those places that is so much more than the fish. It’s the history, the beauty, and the generations of community that live and fight for this place and these fish. It is quite literally the summer steelheader’s Mecca and should be respected and treated as such.

Redington: Superpowers. If each one of the fingers on your right hand could squirt an endless supply of a specific liquid, what five would you choose, and why?

KC: Hahahaha, this is a question I learned from my sister, and is my favorite group hang/campfire topic. It’s such a great insight into how people's brains work. I freely give this information understanding that any future campfire buddies reading this will already know my answers...

1.) Cold brew coffee from the Albina Press in Portland. A daily routine for me.
2.) Sunscreen. I’m fair skinned, and I'd love to not look like a piece of leather here in the next few years. I’m also extremely forgetful, so putting this on daily, especially while fishing, is often an afterthought.
3.) Diesel fuel. Who doesn’t want free fuel?!?!
4.) A nice reposado tequila or rye whiskey. This answer often fluctuates between the two.
5.) Scorpion venom. This works for two reasons: not only is it a potential self-defense mechanism, it’s also the most expensive thing by volume on Earth, allowing me to never work again and spend even more of my time doing whatever the hell I want.

Q. You’ve been on the Redington Squad for a minute now. Any camp memories—good or bad—from a past Redington outing that sticks out in your mind?

KC: 14 years this year! Insane, and so thankful for this journey with this brand. I’ve seen a lot.

I think the most memorable time on the water with the crew was the Deschutes Campwater event we did in 2015. It was scheduled to be smack in the middle of salmonfly season. We envisioned bright, hot, sunny days filled with giant redsides smashing stoneflies all day, with everyone convening back at camp to tell stories about the day. What we got were two days of torrential downpour, all but killing the hatch and the fishing, but we still managed a HUGE turnout.

Undeterred, we filled my pram up with 1,000 beers and everyone had the time of their lives. This really drove home the point that the fly fishing community, and Redington in particular, is about so much more than just the fishing. It’s about coming together, being approachable, and being able to make even the shittiest situation on paper one of the best times of our lives. I think we can all relate to that in our own fishing adventures. And I think that’s where Redington as a brand, and us as the ambassadors, really live the motto: Relax, it’s just fishing.

After all, this is supposed to be fun, right?

Redington: What’s the one piece of camp kit that would really bum you out if left behind?

KC: Eh. I’m pretty type B (and also extremely forgetful). It takes a lot more than forgetting something to bum me out.

Redington: You make an annual migration from the PNW to the desert of AZ. Is there a camp/fish routine on the way down and back?

KC: It really just depends on what the weather and/or the fish are doing. My preferred route is east through steelhead country, into Idaho for maybe a trout stop or two. Then down into Salt Lake to see the homies there, ride bikes or dirt bikes, and make a couple stops in southern Utah. (IYKYK). I'll then hit Lee's Ferry and say hi to my dad before flooring it down to Phoenix. There isn’t enough time to really do it all, but I typically try and hit couple favorites at the very least.

Redington: Good traction and a hope and a prayer are key to staying upright when wading the Pacific Northwest’s snotty assortment of summer-run rivers. How are those Vans treating you this summer?

KC: Haha. The Vans are doing surprisingly well! I picked them up from a good friend who is a Vans rep (thanks, Rizzo!!) with the intention of having a wading boot that didn’t look like I was going snowboarding in waders. I’m obviously a fan of Vans, and the SK8-Hi MTE kicks looked bitchin’ to me. I honestly thought they wouldn’t work great, or for very long, but here I am five months later, and they’re still kicking ass—even better than a few unnamed wading boots I’ve owned in the past. I’ve had to re-stud them a couple of times now, but that’s not a problem unique to this experiment, and they are holding up VERY well. I’m stoked, and maybe we can convince Vans to actually make a real wading boot. (I have some input if you need it, VF Corp.)

Q. During our spring outing on the North Umpqua you were rocking the new Classic Spey Rod. Talk about the setup you took along and your first impressions of the new gear.

I was stoked to fish the new rod. First impression was that it looked exactly like a Spey rod should: classic color, classic font, felt good in the hand. I fished a 7113 and over-lined it a bit to fit the way I wanted to fish that weekend. With a lot of rods, that completely changes how they cast but the Classic Spey handled the challenge well, and I am really stoked on it.

I’m by no means an expert Spey fisherman or caster, and the Ump DEMANDS some rather tough casts at times, but I never felt like it was my gear that was letting me down—just user error.

I had hoped to get out on the Ump a few more days in late summer but with the recent numbers I decided to leave them alone to do their thing. Not a bad call as ODFW had the same view and shut it down early due to low returns. Sad for us anglers, but we gotta make sacrifices for the bigger picture sometimes.

But maybe I'll go chase some salmon with it soon and REALLY see how much of my B.S. it can take.