Jim Laughery founded Eastslope
Outfitters on the Bighorn River in 1985.
Originally from Moses Lake, Washington,
Jim took the eruption of Mount St. Helens as a sign
that it was time to escape
the ash and move to greener pastures.
He headed down the eastslope of the
Rockies and landed in Montana, where he guided
on the Bighorn River for several
years, working for area fly shops.
It didn't take long to realize he
had found his life's work, so in 1985 he started his own small
flyfishing company,
named Eastslope Outfitters, with the unofficial slogan
"not the biggest, just
the best."
Jim, nicknamed "Stretch" because of his height and longarm reach,
was confident that what he couldn't offer in size of operation,
he could make up in extra effort and personal service.
Nine years later, Jim had built his fishing business into a reputable company
and was expanding into hunting when he met Joyce.
She was a cowgirl, originally
from a cattle ranch in the Sandhills of Nebraska,
with a career in marketing and management.
They shared
a love of the outdoors and a kindred spirit for hard work.
They were married
in January 2000, and Joyce joined the business full-time a few years later.
Our
Dogs
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Our family of labs in the alpine meadows above Ft. Smith and Bighorn Canyon, May 2009
Chloe
Chloe, age 10, is a full-blood British Lab
from national field-champion stock.
Chloe is a quiet flusher and a silent swimmer, known for her cross-river retrieves.
An elegant dog, her personality is quiet, steady, regal and intent.
Gracie
Gracie, age 8, is also a full-blood British Lab. She is Chloe's half-sister,
sharing genetics through their sire Conneywarren Jason (see British Labradors.com).
Gracie is quick, smart, athletic and blessed with incredible fire.
She brings the same intensity to play as to work, with ever-changing facial
expressions that earned her the nickname Gracie Allen, after the comedianne of the same name.
Red
Red is one of Gracie's nine pups, the product of a productive union
with an accomplished American Lab hunter named Duke.
She
turned 3 in June, and already has two hunting seasons behind her.
An early bloomer, she hit the ground hunting at just 15 months
with the same fire and focus as her mother Gracie.
She's the smallest of our labs,
weighing just under 50 pounds,
specializing (so far) in hunting pheasant and upland birds, and river retrieving.
Cicada
Cada, Red's sister, also turned 3 in June.
Cada has a calm, gentle disposition with a soft touch.
Her strengths thus far include marking and tracking birds in flight;
we expect her to excel at waterfowl.
Aboo - In Memory
Aboo (the Wonder Dog), left our family in November 2006 at age 13.
She was
half American Lab and half British Lab.
In those
first years of Eastslope Outfitter hunting, she was our only hunting dog,
and
she routinely mesmerized clients with her flushing/retrieving skill and endurance.
Year after year, she performed as many as 60 days a season in brutal conditions.
Boo will be remembered with much love and admiration by family and clients.
Mezzie - In Memory
We lost Mezzie last year, a month short of her 14th birthday.
A medium-sized American Lab, she was responsive, obedient and strong.
She was a powerhouse in the cattails,
excelling later in life as a puppy-training tool and home companion dog.
She spent the last few years in comfortable retirement.
