The native trout in Jackson, Wyoming may be cutthroats, but the businessmen are as nice as they can be. "We're willing to spend 10 minutes on the phone trying to help you with your next trip out," says Cloudveil cofounder and president Brian Cousins. Considering Cloudveil is an apparel company and not a travel agency, that may seem excessive. But the brand Cousins has built over the past 10 years with his partner, Stephen Sullivan, and a staff of hardworking, hard-playing outdoor enthusiasts is so intertwined with the place itself that it's hard to separate the two.
Cloudveil started at the top with innovative outdoorwear for alpine climbers and backcountry skiers. It was only natural, then, for the outfitting expertise to flow down to the riverbeds with an extensive line of fly-fishing gear based around high-tech design and local knowledge. From Schoeller fabrics imported from Switzerland to Gore-Tex waders (of which there are only four licensees in the U.S.), Cloudveil manages to stay at the forefront of functional gear without ever leaving Jackson Hole. Of course, there are logistical challenges posed by distributing worldwide from such a remote location, but the company has no plans to leave. "There's no doubt in my mind that Cloudveil wouldn't be the brand that it is if it wasn't based here," says Cousins, who was quick to realize that trout fisheries aren't the only local resource worth tapping. The company now has homegrown ambassadors like fly-fishing masters Curt Hamby and Alex Boehm—Jack Nicklaus's private angling guide—who test and promote equipment. A vest pocket fits two pilsners? Go with it. The slightest bit of water in the waders and it's back to the drawing board.
Fresh off a trip down the Snake River in heavy rain and winds, Hamby was pleased to report that a pair of pants had passed muster. "I was told to put them through the wringer," he said. "They held up just fine."
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