New Line of Limited-Edition Trucker Hats by Local Artist Abby Paffrath Supports JHTU, Snake River Native Trout, and JH Clean Water

Tuesday, August 25th, 2020

 

Jackson, WY – Anglers, conservationists, and concerned citizens have volunteered on projects, donated through Old Bill’s, and certified their lawns as “Trout Friendly” to help improve fish habitat and water quality in the Snake River watershed for our native fish. Now, there is a new way to support one of the greatest intact cutthroat trout fisheries in North America: by sporting a trucker hat. In an effort to raise funds and awareness for on-the-ground projects through the Snake River Headwaters Initiative, Jackson Hole Trout Unlimited (JHTU) and local fly shops are selling custom made, limited-edition hats designed by local artist, angler, and JHTU board member Abby Paffrath Czesnakowicz.

 

“I love spending time on our local rivers catching native trout with my friends and family. I was inspired to create these art pieces to support JHTU’s local work and do my part to give back to the resource that I care so deeply about. I hope that the hat sale fundraiser will be a great way for a lot of people in the community and beyond to get involved with the great work that JHTU is doing,” said Abby Paffath, artist and owner at Art 4 All.

 

The Snake River Headwaters Trucker Hat prominently features Abby Paffrath’s artistic rendition of two Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout in beautiful turquoise water with the Tetons in the background. Proceeds from hat sales will support the TU Snake River Headwaters Initiative, an ambitious effort to restore and protect the headwaters of the upper Snake River and its uniquely intact native fishery, together with a diverse group of community, landowner, and agency partners. Hats include a “hang tag” with information about the Initiative. To learn more about the Initiative and active and completed projects, visit the Snake River Headwaters Initiative project site.

 

Proceeds from sales of the JH Clean Water Coalition Trucker Hat will support the Jackson Hole Clean Water Coalition (JHCWC), a collaboration of nonprofits and agencies working to improve water quality in and around Jackson by addressing nonpoint source pollution from anthropogenic sources, of which Trout Unlimited is a founding member. This hat features a Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout superimposed over the Tetons and Snake River in the background, and shares the trout artwork with the yard signs for the JHCWC’s “Trout Friendly Lawns” certification program. Hats include a “hang tag” with information about the JHCWC. To find out more about how to help improve water quality in local streams and rivers, visit the JHCWC website.

 

This year, JHTU’s annual Tie One On fundraising banquet was cancelled due to COVID-19; as such, the sales from these hats are especially important to sustaining JHTU’s efforts to support on-the-ground conservation projects through the Snake River Headwaters Initiative, including 8 active projects, and promote clean water in collaboration with the JH Clean Water Coalition. The original Abby Paffrath art piece for the JH Clean Water Coalition hat was sold at the 2019 Tie One On banquet, and the original art piece for the Snake River Headwaters hat will be available at the 2021 Tie One On banquet.

 

“We are so grateful to Abby for creating these beautiful art pieces and hats for JHTU as a fundraiser, and to our local fly shops for being willing to help us get these hats in front of their customers in support our work,” said Tote Turner, JHTU President.

 

Local fly shops are helping to spread the word about the hats and the two causes they support. Hats, displayed alongside informational signage, are available for purchase locally at Grand Teton Fly Fishing, the Jackson Hole Orvis Store, JD High Country Outfitters, Snake River Angler, and WorldCast Anglers in Victor, as well as at through JHTU’s Square website. For Snake River supporters outside of Jackson, hats are available with shipping options from Art 4 All. Hats are $36 at all points of sale. Those wishing to support JHTU with a direct donation can also make a gift through Old Bill’s Fun Run to “Trout Unlimited – Jackson Hole Chapter” until September 18th.

 

About Jackson Hole Trout Unlimited

The Jackson Hole Chapter of Trout Unlimited was formed in 1983 in Jackson, Wyoming to conserve, protect, and restore Jackson Hole's coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. Currently, JHTU has a membership of over 400 Jackson Hole residents and others committed to conserving wild trout fisheries of the area. JHTU is one of 12 TU Chapters throughout the state that make up the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited. For more information, visit jacksonhole.tu.org.

 

 

About Abby Paffrath

Abby Paffrath was born and raised in Breckenridge, Colorado. As a true mountain girl, the outdoors have always been a huge part of her life. She has been skiing as long as she can remember, she grew up riding horses on her family's ranch, she is an avid flyfisher woman and loves guiding friends down the river in her drift boat. Her experiences with these sports have long influenced her work as an artist. Abby attended the University of Montana, where she earned a bachelor's degree in fine art in 2003 and enrolled in a program that took her to Bali, Indonesia. She immediately fell in love with the beauty and brightness of batik and began training in the centuries old process with a skilled local artist. For Abby, the experience was transformative and it has influenced her career as an artist ever since. In 2011 Abby earned her master's degree in art education at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Abby's beautiful Wyoming home continues to inspire her and challenge her to make art that reflects the natural world and the way we interact with it, play in it, and rely on it daily.