FISH Products

Take it S L O W

2012-02-27T09:03:00.000-08:00

We will be mostly closed / out of the office / doing the winter hiatus thing until sometime in late February. Orders that are in here now will be made and shipped for their due dates. New orders will be accepted for Spring delivery. If you need something NOW, you will need to email us to see just how possible that might be.

If you want a Portaledge for the Spring/Summer of 2012, think about getting that order in here now. There is already a list going and production, as always, is limited.

See ya'll in 2012!

Copperhead Sizing

2011-12-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

Here is a pic that will help you get an idea on what sizes copperheads come in from FISH. The smallest is the #1, going up to the #5. We also make a #6 which is the same components as the number 5, but with no crimp in the middle of the head. This gives it a fatter body, much like the jump from the #3 to the #4. We do not make the dreaded "#0", as even in a lab it will only hold about 225lbs. When you hear about guys running out it out on a string of zeros, they are really on #1's 99.3% of the time.

Here is some more info about copperheads and rivet hangers from our catalog pages.

Spectra Slings and Cord Test

2011-12-28T09:28:00.000-08:00

Spectra Slings and Cord Test

Posted on Supertopo.com

Read the entire thread here:

http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=274304

Lazide Writes:
I also have some 2 year old mammut slings with light fuzzing, and some 5mm spectra cordalettes and at least as old spectra cam slings (5mm cord) - how about those?

Russ writes:
The Mammut cord was pulled to 4200lbs and there was some fiber separation at the points where the biners were. Here are 2 pics:

The Mammut sling is rated to around 4800lbs.... survey says, bomber.

The Spectra cords are featured in this short movie:
http://www.fishproducts.com/supertopo/sling_test1.mov
and here is a pic of the results:

The 5.5mm spectra broke at 2750lbs looped to each other. It may not sound like a lot, but it is probably more than your spleen can take... survey says.... kinda bomber??

They are all at a level of wear I would suspect most people would consider 'ok' and would consider climbing on them, but it seems that could be a fatal decision in light of recent events.

Looking at the stuff real quick style, I would use any of it and most of it looks better than the stuff I use all the time. I'll keep pulling the stuff and post any finds along with a final report to this thread.

More tests: Same spectra as above. Girth hitched to each other:

Broke at 2050lbs.... your spleen might live through this. Survey says: don't girth these if you plan on ripping onto them.

Last chance to order for X-Mas delivery!!

2011-12-11T21:48:00.000-08:00

We are getting down to the wire and if you had any dreams of FISH stuff under the tree this season, now would be the time to order. In about a week, no more orders will be accepted for delivery by Christmas.

There have been a lot of people getting early orders in for Spring delivery, and this is a great way to lock in 2011 prices and make sure you have the goods for those early season walls. Keep in mind, FISH production will be mostly closed for all of January and well into February of 2012, so plan your orders accordingly. Email us direct if you have any time sensitive questions.

Vacation and Shipping schedule 2011

2011-12-10T09:02:00.000-08:00

Ok... all you Spring order guys should be bailing off your walls already with tons of shiny new FISH stuff. You Fall Season guys have some time to get your orders in for August delivery. This rest of this year it is looking like this:

June: Orders coming in and out as usual, unless it is for Portaledges. You should order in JUNE, for something like a Mid July or August delivery. Econoledges can be ordered any time and will ship sooner than ledges with a rain fly.

July: We will be mostly closed for all of July. It is too hot to climb anyway, but small items can be ordered and shipped as we are in and out all month. You can order Portaledges, Haul Bags and big stuff to be shipped in August.

August: Shipping all month as much as we can. All the June and July portaledges will be going out this month. Regular orders will be filled as fast as possible, but on August 15th, we will be accepting no more orders for anything, unless they are for delivery in mid October.

September: Full on closed from 8/26 until 10/5. We will not even be in the country. Emails will probably not be answered, no confirmations will be going out, and the cone of silence will be lowered. You can place orders and stuff like usual for delivery sometime in Oct. All orders with a September delivery or drop dead date will be shipped for a timely arrival.

October: Back into the office on 10/6 to a mountain of emails, rants, and hate mail. We will probably be back up with production and shipping about a week after we get back.

November: Start getting your orders in here for Christmas delivery.

December: The elves will be hard at work making your goodies until about Dec. 15th. No more orders will be accepted after about the 15th. The last shipping day will be Dec. 20th for arrival by Christmas. After the 20th, we will be closed until well into the New Year.

Hope this helps for your trip planning and keeps you in the loop a bit as far as getting some gear for your next project.

Happy ledge customer!

2011-10-18T09:19:00.000-07:00

Before vacation we sent out a ton of ledges for mostly visiting British climbers. The best way to get these goods to international climbers is to ship the product directly to the Yosemite Post Office. Cheap, easy, and it will be there waiting for you when you arrive.

Reports of success are starting to filter in from this latest batch of wall climbers:

by David Coley on 09:47 Tue
Russ, bye the way the Fish ledge arrived on time at the post office just like you said it would. Thanks.
We got hit by a rain storm on Lurking Fear in mid September and spent a night with three of us on a double whammy, so who says Fish ledges are too small. And unlike a BD one, you can put it up in the dark by yourself.

Portaledge waterproofing

2011-07-12T11:14:00.000-07:00

From an email exchange a while back. Good info:

On May 4, 2010, at 11:07 AM, Hoffman, Dan F wrote:
Fish,
My 5-season fly is pretty old (10+years) and I tested it in the backyard with a hose and it is no longer waterproof

(I think it was when I first got it but I can’t remember). I found a reference to Nikwax Rainshield on you portaledge FAQ page but I don’t think they make it any more. What is the best treatment for an old 5-season fly and how well do they work?
And while I am asking questions: If I am on a route with a ton of fixed heads in a row (Mescalito, P.O Wall, etc) what is the best way to test them? I don’t want to break them with my funkness.
Thanks,
Dan Hoffman

From: Fish Products [mailto:info@fishproducts.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 2010 12:25 PM
To: Hoffman, Dan F Subject:
Re: dwr treatment for rainfly
Nikwax still makes products like that.... let me look for a link.....
http://www.nikwax.com/en-gb/products/productdetail.php?productid=498&activityid=1&itemid=3&fabricid=36
or the TX Direct product would probably do it too. Those products work pretty good. If you have any areas that the coating has completely worn off due to wear, something like K-Kote is real good. Let me look for a link......
http://www.shopwiki.com/Kenyon+K-kote+Recoat+(10+oz)
Something like that ought to do it.
Fixed heads: bounce test aggressively. You can funk them too, but be real calibrated on your funks, ie: you need pretty big experience to gauge the funk
Hope this helps!
Russ

On May 4, 2010, at 12:02 PM, Hoffman, Dan F wrote:
Thanks Fish!
I’ll try the Nikwax tent stuff.
I don’t see any kind of coating on the inside or outside, which side should I apply the K-Kote? Did 5-season fly’s used to be made without any waterproofing/coating?
Dan Hoffman

From: Fish Products [mailto:info@fishproducts.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 2010 1:21 PM
To: Hoffman, Dan F
Subject: Re: dwr treatment for rainfly
the KKote is for the inside and is real thick like syrup.
The coating on flys is really two fold. There is a urethane coating on the inside which is not really waterproof since it is pretty thin, but, there is also what they call a DWR coating on the outside. DWR is "durable water repellant" and this makes the water bead on the surface. Between the two, they call the fabric "waterproof" but the standard they use for that term is not that great. Standing water or high pressure water will still make its way through the fabric. That is why you want a nice tight fly, to spill the water, and a bivy sack to keep you alive. Like we say... the rainfly will not keep you dry, it only keeps water from directly beating on your head."
Depending on what year/materials were available our flys have had all sorts of "waterproof" fabric. Some batches were better than others as far as coating since the industry does not take their claims very seriously. We have always tried to get the best waterproofing we could and have rejected miles of fabric that was not up to spec. Hopefully you can resurrect your fly with some after market coatings. It has worked for me in the past, and the results should be pretty good.

Hoffman, Dan F wrote:
Yo Fish-
I tried the NikWax tent spray on my portaledge fly and it worked pretty well. We were never poured on but it did rain for three nights and I stayed pretty dry. Thanks for the recommendation.
Oh yeah – we were a party of 3 and my buddy brought his brand new Black Diamond double ledge- what a pain in the ass! Not only did it weigh 35lbs (and cost over $1000.00 with fly-ouch!) it took them at least 45 minutes to set that thing up every night, even when they had a nice ledge to stand on while they set it up. My Fish single would set up in 4 minutes and I’d be in bed eating chili while they flailed around in the dark! Good entertainment!
Dan Hoffman

Portaledge Flagging cont.....

2011-06-22T12:45:00.000-07:00

To further rant on this subject.... I just finished repairing a ledge that was flagged for a couple of walls. Slow ascent style walls. Out all day for weeks kinda walls. The UV exposure to this ledge had shrunk the bed to the point where a hammer was needed to get the ledge together, and something like a come-a-long to get it apart. I had to cut off over an inch off of each tube to get the ledge working again as it should. Food for thought.....

Portaledge Review

2011-06-07T11:02:00.000-07:00

Below is a link to a good overview of available portaledges from a year or so ago. Big Wall Kate put this together for a project she was working on, I think for one of the magazines. Anyway, it has tons of good info in there, some wall tips, and photos. As a "by the way", Kate has changed over and is now using a FISH ledge for all her ascents.

Portaledge Review

If you ordered a portaledge right now...

2011-04-19T07:31:00.000-07:00

Production and delivery for April is full. The next delivery window for ledges ordered RIGHT NOW is late May at the earliest! So, if you are planning a trip and need a ledge, I'd get on that train pronto.

Some new info!!!

2011-03-18T11:54:00.000-07:00

Here is some updated info:

Our mailing address has changed!

Do not send anything to our old P.O. Box 995.
Send everything to:
FISH
HC1 Box 696
Joshua Tree, Ca. 92252
Phone number is 760.362.4697
Fax number is 760.666.3950
email is info@FishProducts.com

If you are sending us something via UPS or FedX, email us for a street address.

Back to business

2011-03-01T09:11:00.000-08:00

We are back from our Winter Hiatus, and after going through about 400 emails, we will be ready to serve. Thanks for hanging in there and we'll be responding and shipping just as soon as we can.

Merry Christmas and see ya next year!

2010-12-19T13:39:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the skate board Santa!!

Thanks for all the orders and hopefully they have all arrived in time to get under the tree. There is no more time to make and ship orders for Christmas, so please don't beg. Orders not needed for Christmas are always welcome, but your confirmation email might be a bit late since we are going to be out of town until after the New Year. See ya in Twenty-Eleven, hopefully with all sorts of new goodies and a new and improved FISH web site. Keep checking back here for a launch date.

Do you FLAG your ledge??

2010-12-16T13:05:00.000-08:00

I've posted this Q over on SuperTopo, but you can answer here as well. These were the questions:

How many people actually flag their ledge these days?

How many flagged ledges do you voyeurs see up on El Cap, as a percentage of total ledges seen?

And if you don't, why don't you flag your ledge?

Thanks for any feedback. As for 2011 there is probably going to be some portaledge changes since the 2010 prototype ledges outfitted specifically for flagging were a big hit.
Let me know about it!

Here is some more info on flagging from Climbing Magazine: Flagging your Ledge

Here is a previous blog post I made in May about ledge flagging and how it will damage your ledge.

Christmas!

2010-12-08T11:39:00.000-08:00

Production schedule is pretty darn full. If you wanted anything, you might have a couple more days to order, then lights out.

Orders not needed by 12/25 are still welcome.

D5 Hammer Production

2010-12-01T19:16:00.000-08:00

photo by Vershke Group

At last, the cool new D5 hammers are freshly minted and ready to pound some iron! This is the long running (5 years from concept to fruition?) project from over on Supertopo. All FISH did was tack up some slings, so toss out a big hand to Theron Moses, Joseph Healy, Conrad Anker and a bunch of other SuperTacoites that made it happen.
Here are links to the whole story:

Who's in?

Who's in II?

I want one list of people!

Actual hammer Production

Hammer Time announcement

You can order your hammer right here from The Vershke Group

Closed for Thanksgiving

2010-11-20T08:24:00.000-08:00

FISH will be closed for Thanksgiving starting today, and will back in action on Dec. 1st.

If you have any wild dreams of getting some FISH stuff under the tree for Christmas, I would suggest ordering right now. There are already a bunch of Portaledge orders in here and production time is getting short. The last day to order for Christmas delivery will probably be around Dec 10th. After that all bets are off for getting your goods on time.

John "the Gambler" Rosholt has been found.

2010-11-19T08:48:00.000-08:00

Johns remains have been recovered in Red Rocks. Many posts, stories and pics can be found here on SuperTopo and over on Mountain Project.

Here is an article by Pete Takeda that will supply the back story and some history on John: The Gambler

Christmas Ordering

2010-10-15T11:03:00.000-07:00

Now would be a good time to start thinking about getting your orders in for Christmas. Usually the last shipping date for a Christmas delivery is about the 17th of December. Since ledges are usually a multi-week affair to get manufactured and shipped, orders for any ledges should be in here by mid November. Help us out and order early. Every now and again we like to do Christmas too. Thanks!

Worldwide Tubing crunch!

2010-09-09T20:22:00.000-07:00

It seems that all the 4130 in the world is either in Germany or Chicago, and they are holding on to it. I just scored a few hundred feet from a steel mill here in Los Angeles, so if you are interested in getting a ledge in the near future, now would be a good time to order up. This batch of tubing has been on order FOR MONTHS, and just arrived yesterday and is already being chopped for ledges.

Ledge parts are in!

2010-08-09T10:23:00.000-07:00

The big news is our new supplier has cracked off a batch of Portaledge parts. No easy feat. It was looking like we would not have any parts to make ledges for many months unless we found a new machinist pronto. All is well in Ledgeville.... Whew!

Big News on the horizon

2010-07-27T23:53:00.000-07:00

We are still swamped and gagging, but.... hopefully good news soon.
Stay tuned!

Refurb Haul Bag for sale (SOLD)

2010-07-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

I have a Deluxe Haul Bag that is just taking up space over here. The story: A couple of wall bailers sent it back as defective since there was a stitch low down on the bag that was missing. They said they hauled it 2 pitches before bailing. Obviously they had no idea on how to pack a haul bag since they totally smoked the collar closure and had some other suspect wear patterns on the bag.

So, I replaced the collar with a new one, fixed the stitching flaw and put some PlastiDip on the main haul strap bond areas. Overall this bag is about a 8.5 or 9 on a scale of 1 to 10. Yours for $99 plus shipping.

Saturation Point

2010-06-04T15:04:00.000-07:00

FISH has reached a production saturation point. What does that mean? Well, the amount of orders in here exceeds the available hours to make the stuff and get it out to you guys that are going on vacation this summer. So, if you want a ledge for this summer, you are probably out of luck. If you want some trinkets, we can probably whip them up and get them out to you, but CHECK WITH US FIRST via email. Anyone that already has an order in here is now our top priority. Your drop dead dates are in our current production schedule and slated for an on-time delivery. Those that snoozed, loozed (is that a word??)

If things go well, we will be ready for the the Fall glut of orders. If you want something for Fall, get your order in NOW. If you want something for a June, July, or Aug delivery, you might be hosed. If we ever catch up, this message will self destruct.

NEWS FLASH 9/1/10: WE ARE STILL WAY BUSY BUT HAVE RECOVERED ENOUGH TO ACCEPT WHATEVER ORDERS YOU WANT TO TOSS IN HERE. PLAN AHEAD FOR MAXIMUM PRODUCT ENJOYMENT.

Knot tip

2010-05-25T09:37:00.000-07:00

A cool knot for securing a fixed line on something like the raps from the Heart or down from Sickle, or any two bolt anchor is the Double Figure 8.

It is fast and secure, and gives you two quasi equalizing "ears" to clip into the bolts. Here is the link for a demo of how to tie the knot: Double Fig. 8

Rappelling with a skinny trail line

2010-05-18T00:25:00.000-07:00

There is a discussion going on over at SuperTopo that is directly related to a rappelling fatality in Yosemite last week. There are many posts on the technical aspects of rappelling with one lead line and one "pull" line of a small diameter, when the anchor consists of rap rings.

Petzl has a diagram of how they suggest a single line rap should be done. Their method is safe enough to keep you alive, but it too has problems with the knot possibly getting through the rap rings and then becoming un-retrievable from below . I've suggested that the clove hitch method be used and is the safest method available in this scenario.
The relevant technical posts start here in the thread.
There is some really good info in that thread and is worth your time to read it and understand it.
Clint Cummins has just added a great presentation of Yosemite style anchors and which rap set up will allow or not allow the knot to pop through the anchor rings.

FISH product instructions

2010-05-15T12:31:00.000-07:00

The written instructions for things like Haul Bags and Portaledges are pretty well buried on our site in the Tech Weenie Pages. Until the new site is up and running, they might be a bit easier to find right here.Listed below are PDF's of the instruction sheets that come with many of our items. If the item you need instructions for is not listed,please email us.

FISH Haul Bags, All models
FISH Atom Smashers, All models
FISH Portaledges, All models
FISH Hooks, All models
FISH Headmaster kits
FISH Bolting Gear

Yeah.... I get spam

2010-05-13T12:16:00.000-07:00

How much more shank lengthening or Eastern Blok women do I really need? I mean c'mon... except for a few guys who spray on SuperTopo, who really needs this stuff?Here is about a months worth of junk email in the bin at the server. I understand that I have a bunch of email addresses associated with the biz and whatnot, but this seems ridiculous.

And this is just at the server level. My desktop filters (I have 106 of them) pump down about 500 or more useless emails a month to the local trash bin. Unreal...

Bail Sling Offer

2010-05-12T14:58:00.000-07:00

From the Leave no Trace thread on SuperTaco. This is an offer for 3 pieces of webbing that when knotted can be over the shoulder length slings. You get one of each color, Yosemite gray, JT tan, and Red Rocks red. Slings are 1" tubular nylon and are less visible than some of the tat described in the above thread. Be a good doo-bee and order up a set to live in the bottom of your pack until needed.I hope the PayPal button works. If not, just email us or order directly from your own PayPal sign-in.Cost is $5.00 total and includes shipping.

Yosemite Web Cams

2010-05-10T19:36:00.000-07:00

Those Yosemite Web Cams sure are some sweet action! Here is the link to the cams: http://www.yosemite.org/vryos/
I just happened to peek in a few minutes ago and this is what I saw:

The view, as Raymond Chandler would say, "is satisfactory".

Portaledge Flagging

2010-05-05T20:43:00.000-07:00

I was just thinking about this very thing and a thread showed up on Mountain Project regarding flagging a portaledge. The link to the whole thread is at the bottom of this post.

By Conor Dysinger
From Missoula ,MT
So I am prepping for the summer and getting my big wall gear together, and have a new addition of a portaledge to my gear pile. I have hauled on a wall before, mostly a small pig on an overhead system using body weight to hoist it, but never a ledge. Does anyone have any tips on carrying up an open(deployed) ledge? or any don't do's?

By Caz
From Long Beach, Ca
http://www.climbing.com/print/techtips/ttaid223/
Everything you need to know about flagging your ledge.

Conor Dysinger wrote:
Thanks for the advice. Don't want to destroy the new ledge.

By Russ Walling
From www.FishProducts.com

You will. Flagging ledges for sure fucks them up, no two ways about it. It wears them in parts that are not protected against wear. It clangs them around. It dings the tubing. It bends the tubing when honking on it to clear roofs and in corners. It makes for lost parts since some ledges aren't that flag-able. It exposes it to way more UV over its lifetime which is not so great on a high tension piece of equipment. If you are too rich or too lazy to pack your ledge up each morning, go for it. If you need a ledge to hang out on all day for whatever reason, buy a cheap used one, tape the shit out of it, and don't count on it as your primary as it just might not make it through the wall. Try a small sheet of plywood instead of a "day-ledge" if you must.

By Caz
From Long Beach, Ca
So Russ, Pete... He fall under lazy? I'm not much for flagging a ledge myself. Too much of a pain in the ass for what it's worth. Look for something easy to set up, like a fish ledge... (You like how I did that Russ?) ZAc

By Russ Walling
From www.FishProducts.com
hahaha! yeah.. Pete is lazy. I got a bug up my ass about flagging right now because his "new" ledge is in here for repairs because the bed got dragged on the top unprotected side and now needs to be repaired. So instead of watching the Dodger game with a margarita, I'm futzing around with his smelly ass ledge! hope you are well man! cheers!

Excerpted from this thread on Mountain Project

Job Openings

2010-05-04T18:17:00.000-07:00

FISH is always looking for talent to work at your location, calling your own shots (in an overly micromanaged my way or the highway kind of way) and being able to meet delivery deadlines.

Machinist: Must have own shop or similar. Will need at a minimum a Mill and Lathe. If you have CNC capabilities, so much the better. The task is making portaledge corners and connectors. Small runs, and you would be responsible for sourcing and prepping the materials, and delivering completely finished goods with no 2nd ops to be done by FISH. Possible expansion of duties to other metal goods currently and formerly produced by FISH.
(POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED)

Sewer: Must have industrial walking foot machine or similar. Tasks involve runs of various smaller products that will most likely be provided in cut form, ready to sew. If you have a 42 stitch BarTack machine, there are more opportunities for additional products. If you are currently running a sewing job shop, material sourcing and in house cutting would be a plus.

Email us if you think any of the above might fit your program: info@FishProducts.com

Russian Aiders

2010-05-04T11:06:00.000-07:00

We are fast running out of the titanium "rings" that make up the Russian Aider "aid trees". These were from the original batch that came from Malcolm Daly at Trango when they discontinued the entire Russian Aider project.

I just sold the last 1/2 completed set of prototype "cuffs" and there are for sure no more cuffs lurking around here.

So this is your heads up: if you think you are going to need new "aid trees" for this season or any season in the future, I would buy them now, and stock up. I don't see this product being available again from us, at least in its current form. And I have no idea if anyone is making the cuffs anymore either. Try Ebay?

Here is the link for the trees: FISH Aid Trees

Alabama Hills Anchor Maintenance

2010-05-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

The Chief, an Eastside guy and SuperTopo poster is doing some much needed anchor replacement in the Alabama Hills. Strong effort out of these guys! We were glad to donate a custom Atom Smasher and extra beefy Bolt Bag to the cause.

Here is the link to the SuperTopo thread
The Chief writes:
Just completed another session with the following route anchors being upgraded:

THE WALNUT
Nut 'n' Honey
Macadamia

THE PISTACHIO
Nutty Buddy

DXM WALL
Tussin
Boogie Boy
Dextromethorhan
44D
Ghost Dance

NICE TOWER
Full Moon
Friday the 13th

SCHMALTZ
Smutz
Scmendrick
Schmaltz
Schmaltzie
Shmuck
Schmear

PILLAR OF TOTH
Crone
Hermit
Magus
Hanged Man

CATTLE POCKET FAR RIGHT
The Slab Route

CATTLE POCKET
Blackhawk Pinnacle
Itty Bitty Tittie Committee
Split

POODLE WALL
Poodles Are People Too
Poodles Chew
*Left the old original Double Drilled Angle Pins set up on Poodles Bite for old times sake. They are still solid and can easily be replaced when needed.

A couple of notes future First Ascentist:

If you put in a squeeze job and are within 6 feet or so above an original Anchor, please use some common sense and remove the old one so as not to confuse the party on either route. Maybe throw in a bolt I guess for added protection.
Think before you add in a new route. Squeeze jobs really look like shet and totally distract from the aestheticness of the original classic line.
PEOPLE! PLEASE STOP TRing DIRECTLY OFF THE MUSSY's/SHUTS!
Still running into party's that do not know that they are not suppose to do so...."That's how we do it in the gym!"

Will return next late next week to finish off the North end and begin on the South end routes.
Thanks again for all the support from the ASCA, FISH and MMS.

At work on the DMX wall

Jamie at work on the Pillar of Toth

The Chief working on the Poodle Wall

The end of hard days results. Also the much appreciated donated bags from FISH.

PS: Had the following comment made to us as we returned to the truck from the P of Toth this morning:

"Those new anchors are so well camo painted that we past two different new sets and couldn't find em!"

That is a good thang!

38 Anchors Completed so far affecting 70 Routes ranging from 5.8 to 5.11c. Have a couple more to finish on the North Side of WPR before we move to the South Side.

Again, many thanks to Greg Barnes(ASCA), Dave Talsky(Mammoth Mountaineering Supply) and of course Russ Walling(FISH Products) for all their assistance in this much needed endeavor.

Happy Customer!

2010-05-02T22:25:00.000-07:00

Hey there,

Earlier this year i ordered some fish duffels from you, and just wanted to let you know how

king they are, and send a pic or two... we are happy customers. =)

We went to Ruth Gorge this past summer, and the texas duffels were the PERFECT choice

for strapping onto a sled, and we even left them out in the weather(had to dig them up a few

times) and ther was no leakage of course, bombproof is what they are.

So thanks for making durable reliable products!

I'm about to order 2 Grade V Haul Bags... getting ready for a big trip. I am going to put in

the order tonight, so i hope you are still making those...

cheers,

Jillian

Portaledge Takedown

2010-05-02T20:00:00.001-07:00

This vid was made a while back for my buddy Shack to show him how to take his single FISH portaledge down. The soundtrack seems to be a bit of a mindbender for some, but it will grow on you.

New Prototype Portaledge

2010-05-02T00:04:00.000-07:00

Just finished it up. You would think I would be out an the bars, being fanned by nubians, and tipping with Benjamins..... but no. Late night sewing for a Valley launch later this week by a big name test pilot. Some of the stuff is pretty cool and will be showing up on the current batch of ledges. Structurally it is the same. These were "soft" improvements to the suspension and bed. Too secret to tell right now, but you'll see them around. Thanks to the test pilot too! Good ideas!

The Living Hell that is material sourcing

2010-05-01T09:22:00.000-07:00

Finding the materials to produce the suaveness has a Golden Fleece feel to it these days. All the great fabrics of yesteryear are now extinct. Minimum roll size is through the roof, so before you can even decide if you want a certain fabric, you must buy 100 or 1000 yards of the stuff. What happened?

Even hardgoods are becoming a nightmare. The FISH Hook, industry standard for bad ass burly is all but extinct due to the cost of 4130 steel and machining. Portaledge corners are becoming short in supply and a new source must be found soon, or there will be no more ledges. It is smelling like a doomsday scenario. Anyone know a good and cheap machinist?

Happy Customer!

2010-04-30T22:47:00.000-07:00

FeelioBabar
15+ years of dutiful service, and no sweat for the next 15.
The products speak for themselves.
FISH rules.
carry on.

(Talking about the Atom Smasher Deluxe)

Snake Charmer review

2010-04-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

John McNamee reviewed our Snake Charmer rope bag a while back over on Mountain Project.

Here is a link to the review: Snake Charmer review

FISH Smart Aiders, review

2010-04-18T11:49:00.000-07:00

John McNamee did a good long review and overview of aiders over on Mountain Project. Here is an excerpt of that review:

Back to the review...
Anyhow, last year my old aiders were looking thread bare so I went down to my local climbing shop with the intention of purchasing a set of ladders. Prior that that I had done some web research and had it down to a couple of different models. What the web site didn't convey was the size, bulk and weight of them. So I ended up walking out of the shop empty handed.

I had plans for a trip in a couple of weeks so I needed to get some aiders pronto. So I posted up on supertopo and several people recommended Fish Smart aiders.

From the Fish Products Corporate Web Site:

SMART AIDERS
FISH Smart Aiders come with two 5-step aiders per pair. Each aider has a sub step sewn into the second step, where most of the action will take place. Unless you are on a slab, that kookie step in the top of other aiders will be virtually impossible to use. When you find yourself on the steep stuff, the second step will be home 90% of the time. If you need a little more height to reach an out of reach placement, step into the sub-second step on your FISH Aiders. Voila! The extra height---and that A7pitch---are in the bag. Nice job! Smart Aiders come in assorted colors and have step stiffeners sewn in to keep 'em open when you need 'em, and sport more bartacks than most third graders can count. For 2001 we are now putting all the steps on the same side. try it, you 'll like it! $47.00 per pair or $50.00 per pair with grab-loops sewn into the top.

Steps on the same side ... I wasn't sure I was going to like that. My backup plan was to sell them on Ebay. So I contacted Russ and he offered to make them up pronto and I had them the next week.

First Impressions
The aiders are made out of 1 inch flat webbing, with 5 steps and a sub step in the second step. The sub step makes top stepping much easier since it allows an immediate step. Each pair of aiders is made from the same webbing color, so they match and help keep aider management straightforward. They are well made with tons of stitching and reinforcements throughout. The bartacks are tight and tidy with no hanging chads, oops, I mean threads.

The first thing I did after inspecting them was to cover the main seams and wear areas with seam grip. This stuff works wonders in prolonging the life of wall gear.

Conclusion
There isn't a lot you can say about aiders since there isn't many things that can go wrong with them other then stitching coming apart or tearing at seams and really it comes down to personal preference on the type of aider and the number of steps.

After a fair bit of use over the last year or so, they are showing some wear and tear that you would expect from using them, but other than that they are still in tip top shape. Five steps seem about right. I've also got to like having steps on the same side and I don't foresee going back to the old school way of doing it right now, unless I change from 2 pair of aiders to just 2.

The only change I would make with my next pair is to go with 3/4 inch rather than 1 inch wide tape to save on the weight and bulk. I tend to wear supportive shoes (mad rock fanatic) so I doubt I would notice the difference in width.

Fish Aiders are made for big walls and not for your living room.

I hope this review has helped shed some light on aiders and aiding systems. As I said at the start, they look simple but there is more to them than at first glance. It takes time to learn how to aid and expect to be really slow the first few times out. Speed and efficiency will come with time and practice.

The full review and a good article on Aiders in general can be found here: Aiders Review