This video was discovered online by one of my colleagues yesterday and I thought it was a good follow-up to those Alaskan fishing videos I posted in the summer. I’m also happy to see that everyone onboard was wearing inflatable PFDs.

Great reach is shown here by Steve Chambers, one of our Security & Rescue Business Development Representatives, as he nets a nice salmon last week. Decked out in Ice Rider waist pants (MP4235) and Integrity Flotation Bomber Jacket (MJ6224), Steve enjoyed a great day of fishing with his brother and nephews. Have a boating picture or story of your own you’d like to share? Send it to media@mustangsurvival.com with the subject “OutThere” and we’ll get it up here on the web. In the meantime, have fun and stay safe OutThere!

Mustang Survival is proud to announce their association with PROTOTYPE THIS, an all-new Discovery Channel series. PROTOTYPE THIS brings viewers straight to the drawing board and through the design process to experience firsthand as inventions come to life. The series features a team of expert engineers who work each week to come up with one-of-a-kind prototypes of tomorrow for people to experience today. Mustang Survival was involved in the show by providing a sample of our Rescue Stick, and will be featured in the “Flying Lifeguard” episode.

As shown in this video, the Rescue Stick is an emergency flotation device that allows first responders to quickly stabilize a victim at risk of drowning, increasing the chance of survival. The compact Rescue Stick can be accurately thrown over 100 feet, automatically inflating in seconds upon contact with the water. Once the victim is stabilized, self rescue or a secondary rescue effort such as a throw bag, vessel or rescue swimmer can help bring the victim to safety.

PROTOTYPE THIS premieres tomorrow, October 15th at 10pm on Discovery Channel.

As our regular blog readers know, Mustang Survival is proud to have worked with West Marine to sponsor the production of Morning Light, set to hit movie theaters later this month. Now you can see how the team of sailors was selected for this amazing opportunity in a one hour TV special airing October 8 and 9 on ESPN2. Check your local listings for Morning Light: Making the Cut to view this special movie prequel. Click here for more information.

We just got these pictures in from the Valley Fish & Game Club, located in Lake Cowichan, BC, Canada. For each of the past five years the Club has led a chinook net pen project to help improve the survival rate of tens of thousands of chinook salmon fry. It was a tough spring for the salmon fry with below normal temperatures in the rivers causing reduced appetites and in turn reduced sizes. The net pen project took in 19,000 of these salmon from the local hatchery, each with an average weight of 6 grams, and located them in a protected environment in San Juan Bay. Fed twice a day for 20 days, they more than doubled in size before being released. It is volunteers like these from the Valley Fish & Game Club that help ensure our fish stocks will last for years to come. Congratulations to all of the volunteers and supporters on another successful net pen project. The pictures of the netpen launch and release can be accessed from this link: http://www.valleyfishandgame.com/netpen_2008.htm.

There have been some great industry trade shows and events this summer and while they’ve definitely eaten into my fishing time, they’ve got me all excited about some of the really neat products on the market. From polarized sunglasses that stayed firmly in place despite my best attempts to shake them off (perfect for paddling and fishing) to self-casting rods and electric reels (essential aids for fishermen with arthritis or Parkinson’s), I had more fun viewing and testing all of the products at the shows than I probably should have given I was there with specific business objectives in mind! I even sampled some of Camelbak’s new hydrating Elixir that promises not to turn your CamelBak reservoir into a science experiment and tried some tasty Clif Shot Bloks that I definitely need to scout out at a store near me before my next athletic endeavor. So go visit your local outdoor retailer when you have some time and check out the neat stuff they’ve got in stock – it could make your next trip OutThere! that much more enjoyable.

I escaped for my second fishing trip of the year this past weekend and again got a first-time salmon fisherman out on the water with me. He didn’t do so well the first day, struck by sea sickness, but days 2 and 3 showed improvement and though the fishing was slow, there was no shortage of excitement on the water! We saw numerous bears scooping up mussles on the shoreline, including a sow with two of the smallest cubs I’ve ever seen. There were more bald eagles than I’ve ever seen there before and I am continually amazed by their size and keen eyesight. The orcas (killer whales) also put on a show for us on Sunday as they seemed to dance all over the water and somehow miraculously not touch a single fishing line. I don’t know how they do it, but somehow in all my years of fishing I have never seen a pod of whales disrupt any fishing gear. I’m sure anglers in Alaska feel differently though with recent reports of whales there that have taken to stealing salmon right off anglers’ lines! So best be on the watch if you are in that area or your salmon may end up like the one in this video.

I see all of this wildlife fairly regularly and continue to be awed, inspired and rejuvenated by it. So if you’re thinking of getting out fishing this summer, stop thinking about it and just do it! You’ll rarely regret getting OutThere! and enjoying all that nature has to offer. Don’t forget to take a friend to help grow the sport, and to check out the RBFF’s Take Me Fishing page.

Well this was it: the 2008 Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival was finally here. As we gathered at the race site on Saturday morning, there was a nervous anticipation in the air. More than 150 teams from across North America had gathered in Vancouver for the biggest dragon boat event in North America. Some of the teams were fun recreational teams full of team spirit, positive attitudes and crazy costumes that included wigs and super-hero capes; others were more serious competitive teams that had trained hard all year for this weekend with an intense mix of dry-land training and on-water practices. It was a fantastic weekend of festival fun and on-the-edge-of-your-seat racing that was capped off by the Guts & Glory race. The top 16 placing teams of the event (including that of yours truly – yay team!) competed in this 2000 metre race – the equivalent of 4 races in 1 – that required sheer determination and grit. Crazy passes, sharp turns and near-collisions excited the crowd as the 16 boats progressed the course. In the end the FCRCC team proved the victors of both the overall event championship and the Guts & Glory competition. Kudos to them and congratulations to my own team for such a great showing this weekend! Go team go! Thanks also to all the crew of 450 volunteers coordinating teams in the racers village, at the marshalling area, down on the docks and OutThere! on the water.