On Sat, 12 May 2007 18:23:44 -0700, JR wrote:

Dave LaCourse wrote:

Hmmmm. Just talked on the phone with Nicole Apple. She and her
husband Jason own/operate Xclusive Xpeditions and can book a trip to
just about anywhere. Her picture is on the June 07 copy of Fly Rod &
Reel. Pretty lady. Met them at a fly show a couple years ago.
They're out of Bellevue, Washington.

I asked her about the Simms she is wearing in the picture. "Oh,
they're the best." And, of course I had to ask, "Does Simms give you
and your guides a discount on them?" Her answer was "NO!" When I
said that I have heard guides get a discount on Simms, she said that
was news to her.

My guess is that Xclusive Xpeditions (execrable name, btw) is
essentially a travel agency and doesn't *have* its own guides the
way a lodge or fly shop does.

She should inform herself. If the guides XX uses can prove to
Simms that they are in fact professional guides (and the
requirements aren't that stringent), then can get the pro
discount, and I'm sure they do.

- JR

Now hang on a tick, JR. I just talked to my grandmother. She and Bill
Shatner both own and operate telephones. Not only can she book a trip
to just about anywhere, but Bill can get her a discount. As one might
imagine, I've known her quite a while. Not to brag, but I daresay she
considers me family.

I asked her about Simms waders. She said she didn't know what they
were. I asked her if Simms gave her a discount. Again, she said she
didn't know what they were. When I said that Louie said that Fiona
Apple said that it was news to her that Simms gave guides a discount,
she told me to lay off the Martinis or at least to quit talking about
Semmes and his waiters (she's a little hard of hearing...)...so I did.

HTH,
R
....and FWIW, I'd trust someone, in Bellevue or otherwise, who named
their business "Xclusive Xpeditions" about as much as I'd trust, oh,
say, a review in some advorag...