Overlanding isn’t only a pursuit for itself. In fact, many of us fell into overlanding while chasing other passions. Backroads travel, mountain biking, climbing, fishing, or just regular old car camping can be the inspiration to build an overland rig all your own. A well-thought-out adventure vehicle will help get you to more isolated campsites, lonelier crags, trails less pedaled, and, of course, those primo casting spots that nobody knows.
Blue Line Co. is a fly-fishing collective that’s been making fishing-focused videos with high production value and fun storytelling for a couple of years. They seek out the lesser-known waterways and riffles across North America to showcase how you can have epic fly-fishing adventures right in your own backyard. Their exploits are irreverent and lighthearted, and they don’t take themselves too seriously. But, as Blue Line Co.’s founder and creative force Adam Hudson told me, they do have a core mission they take very seriously indeed:
Our ultimate goal is to get more people interested in being outside and in nature. The more folks we can convince to get out there, the more people will be stewards of their rivers and public lands. Not that big-name places don’t need our support, but there are great rivers and land across our country that don’t have people fighting for them.
Accessing those under-the-radar rivers and streams in remote terrain can be a challenge. As you’ll see in this week’s video, there is a lot of bushwhacking, hiking over hill and dale in chest waders, and driving miles and miles of gravel roads and dirt tracks—all in the name of catching and releasing one Colorado River cutthroat. A noble pursuit, and one that’s made a lot easier and more fun with a purpose-built overland vehicle.
The first-generation Isuzu Trooper, which ended production in 1991, is becoming scarce. They didn’t sell that many, and most have succumbed to the tin worm and neglect or were rendered unfixable due to a dwindling supply of spare parts. That’s one of the reasons Blue Line Co.’s decision to base their fly-fishing overland rig on this platform is unique.
A simple box on wheels with a wheezy four-cylinder, a manual transmission, high and low-range 4WD, and not much else, this one-owner Trooper was also just the ticket to mirror their ethos: you don’t need thousands of dollars of fishing gear and tens of thousands of dollars worth of truck to do some real exploring. Keeping it simple, they opted for a budget-conscious and functional approach. After tackling basic maintenance items, they refreshed the suspension with a mild Old Man Emu lift, bolted on bigger wheels and tires, had a custom roof rack fabricated, and topped it off with a brush guard and a set of Hella driving lights.
Overlanders and fly-fishermen and women have a lot of natural overlap in their outlook on life, and it’s fun to see people like Adam and his friends get their feet wet (so to speak) in the overlanding world. Folks new to the lifestyle often come up with fresh ideas and travel hacks long-time overlanders might never consider. They found that their spare wheel-mounted canvas bag worked a treat for storing wet and muddy waders. Supporting their multi-day expeditions was the main motivation for building the Trooper, but, inevitably the love for overlanding in and of itself starts to creep in—an evolution with which many of us are familiar. Adam is thoughtful about how fly-fishing and overlanding intersect:
I think some fly-fishermen become overlanders out of pure necessity (like us). But I think overlanders could take a page out of the fly-fishing book as well! Getting off the grid and heading to the river to set up camp is such a peaceful and relaxing escape from work or city life.
You certainly can also equate both to trying to overcome nature. Whether it’s to trick a fish or get over an obstacle without breaking an axle, you’re posed with a challenge from nature and not your boss. I think overlanding to me is about seeing cool sights, scenic spots, [and] vistas. I would argue that some of the most scenic places on earth have water… might as well fish it.
Join Adam and his Blue Line Co. crew as they build out their Isuzu, take it on its maiden fishing tour, and start to live that overland life. If you’d like to see an even deeper dive into the development of the Trooper, there’s a second video you can check out on Blue Line Co’s YouTube channel. Stay tuned, there will be many more adventures to come, that’s a promise you can stick in your creel and keep.
(Mild language warning for those with more sensitive ears.)
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