Intro

Earlier this year as I was sitting in my office working on our marketing plan for 2024, the phone rang from one of our long-time clients, Wes Jones. I had never met Wes in person or even talked on the phone as he typically interacted with David from his half dozen trips to the Palometa club with Paul Puckett and crew. 

David pinged me on the phone, “Nacho take this call from Wes, he’s a super cool dude, he wants to talk about blue jeans, and I told him you are the guy” “Blue jeans?” I asked. David replied“ Yeah, I'm not sure, anyway can you run with it?” Confused, intrigued, and a bit curious, I answered the call. Now, you have to understand, Wes is an interesting guy, like a fine bottle of wine, it takes him a bit to open up. We talked about the agony of permit fishing, SEC Football, tequila, his burrito business, and GEAR. Wes loves gear and like all fly fisherman, appreciates quality  products. I began thinking, “I thought this was a call about Blue Jeans,” and just at that moment, Wes says, “So let me tell you about this brand I am involved in, Blue Delta Jeans.” I quickly told Wes we would never sell Blue Jeans at Tailwaters, but I listened to the entrepreneurial brain at work and realized in that moment Wes’s ability to make connections and his vision with Blue Delta Jeans and Tailwaters. I was hooked. This wasn’t about selling jeans, it was about connecting brands and lifestyles with experiences.

The Blue Delta Luxury experience

Similar to Tailwaters, Blue Delta has cultivated a community of folks that appreciate a quality product they intend to put to use. To give some perspective, a pair of Blue Delta custom jeans (uniquely tailored to fit) is the equivalent to a Turtlebox speaker, Yeti Cooler, or Abel reel. You pay a premium, but they are the best, and they last. In all honesty, I have not taken mine off since I received my first pair. They fit like a glove, are comfortable, good looking, and uniquely fit my fishy physique,  but what truly caught my attention was the passion and vision of owner and founder, Nick Weaver.Founded in 2012, Nick and co-founder Josh West set out to make the best Bespoke custom jeans hand crafted 100% in the USA.

“Bespoke” is an old English term for an item custom-made to your exact specifications. And that's exactly what Blue Delta Jeans are — One Size Fits One.™ Blue Deltas are designed by you, tailored to you, then made for you. And only you. Mississippi is their home. Blue Delta employs 70+ local artisans, seamstresses, and people in their community. From the time you purchase your pants until they leave the factory, each pair will go through sixteen unique steps, each one masterfully performed by a proud Blue Delta employee. 

When you meet Nick, you immediately like him, his honest draw and witty personality are magnetic. Nick is a people person, genuine, salt of the earth guy, and he cares. He cares about his customer, his product, but most importantly relationships. This humble southern gentleman seems to make fast friends with everyone he measures, whether it's a football legend like Dak or Eli to musicians, like Marcus King and Morgan Wallen, he’s that kind of likable guy.

As Wes and I continued to chat, I began to see the vision that Blue Delta was creating with their Luxury Trip Experiences. BDJ had created something that I had not seen before in a clothing company, a unique trip experience offering for their customers. Many of their clients are musicians, pro athletes, and outdoor enthusiasts. Lightbulb, insert Tailwaters to lend a hand with travel needs. Wes wanted to take his personal experience through traveling with Tailwaters to create a Fly Fishing trip for Blue Delta Clients. Wes, returning to his love for gear, explained to me the importance of including other high quality brands at these experiences that align with who we carry in the shop. Incorporating Howler Brothers, Poncho, Yeti, and Turtle Box became part of the vision for a client swag pack upon arrival. 

Fast Forward to August, after a fair amount of correspondence to brands, the lodge, and 107 calls with Wes, we were all set with 24 Blue Delta Jean Clients headed to the White River Trout Club. I was fortunate enough to attend this trip, and lend Wes a hand with the crew on site in Arkansas. Like their blue jeans, no detail goes overlooked on a Blue Delta Trip. Upon arrival, guests were greeted with a custom pair of Blue Delta jeans, including the White River Trout Logo on the watch pocket, a Yeti Rambler, Poncho shirt, custom Turtle Box, Fishpond bag, Searun rod case, and Tom Beckbe Tailgater Bag tote.

Not only did Wes and Nick manage one of the most epic swag bags I have seen, they also somehow coerced the head distiller from Willett Distillery to attend and provide a private tasting. Every client received their own bottle of bourbon. Each night featured a distiller, night two with Alma De Jaguar Tequila, and capping the weekend with Wonderbird Gin. With each custom tasting experience came a hand selected meal from a private chef, paired specifically for each spirit. 

“I could get used to this” I thought, the Blue Delta Experience. The swag, food, and spirits were top notch, and the fishing was just as good. Unbeknownst to me, 8 of the guys on the trip had never touched a fly rod before. After a quick lesson and 5 minute “Fly Fishing 101” - everyone was successful on the water catching fish. It was the perfect weekend of food, fishing, friends, and a new one for me, fashion.

What’s Next?

The trip to the White River was the first of many with our friends at Blue Delta. Our goal is to provide and match a top notch travel experience for Fly Fishing that meets the high standard they lay out for their guests on these unique experiences. Every single individual on the trip was a pleasure to hang out with whether it was fishing, having a cold one, or playing late night poker. There even may have even been a little karaoke courtesy of the boys from Las Vegas. Many different walks of life joined this group, funny to say over some of the simple pleasures in life, fishing, and damn comfortable jeans.  

Keep an eye out for future trips with Blue Delta Jeans, and we hope you can join us November 14th at 6pm for our customer appreciation night with Willett Bourbon, Alma De Jaguar and Blue Delta Jeans. Blue Delta will be on site taking measurements and orders and also allowing the customer to pick a trout outline or permit outline on the watch pocket. This is a night you do not want to miss!