Simms Fishing Products, the preeminent manufacturer of waders, outerwear, footwear, and technical fishing apparel and a Revelyst brand, has unveiled the launch of Dead on the Water, an all-new campaign encompassing a limited-edition product collection in collaboration with the Grateful Dead. At its surface, it’s a line of technical and lifestyle pieces—T-shirts, hats, sun hoodies, and a special limited-edition G3 Guide Wader—but at its core, it’s something deeper.
Some things don’t need to be explained—they just feel right. The flow of water, the pulse of great music in an idyllic setting, and the way time seems to stretch and dissolve when you’re deep in either one. That’s where Simms and the Grateful Dead meet.
In essence, music and fishing ask the same thing of us—presence, surrender, and the willingness to embrace what comes next.
“This collaboration was born from feeling, not formulas,” states Head of Simms, Ben Christensen. “Fishing and music are both immersive experiences. They quiet the noise. They shift your focus from the outside world to the present moment. Dead on the Water is our effort to capture this state of mind and an invitation to our community to join us on this long, strange trip.”
For decades, the music of the Grateful Dead has echoed across rivers, drift boats, and streamside hangs—the unofficial soundtrack of the angler’s pursuit. Improvisational, raw, and emotional—it mirrors the experience of fishing itself. No two days, no two casts, no two moments ever the same. You don’t control it—you accept, enjoy, and immerse yourself into it.
That spirit is present and alive in every piece of Simms’ collaboration with the Grateful Dead. It’s the melodic meander of a float down your home river. It’s the wader built by hand, heart, and soul in Bozeman, Montana. And it’s the belief that gear, like music, can do more than just perform—it can move you.
“What we’re tapping into is that egoless state both artists and anglers chase—a place where instinct takes over and connection becomes everything,” adds Christensen. “For the Dead, it was the music. For us, it’s the river. But the reward is the same—you get lost in the moment, and that’s where the magic lives.”
The centerpiece of the collection is the GD Guide Wader. Made in Bozeman, Montana, the GD Guide Wader is based on Simms’ renowned and multi-award-winning G3 platform and trimmed with Grateful Dead-inspired detailing. Around it orbits a collection of gear that’s both river-ready and speaks the angling lifestyle: classic and technical headwear, cotton tees, and limited-edition sun hoodies designed to keep the good times rolling, from the water to wherever the current leads.
At first glance, the collaboration may seem unexpected. But once you feel it, it’s undeniable. One brand known for performance and craft. The other is for culture and connection. Together, they speak to something both soulful and universal — the pursuit of moments that move us.
With Dead on the Water, Simms steps beyond category silos and deeper into culture, reminding the world that fishing is more than a sport and/or pastime — it’s a state of mind. And it belongs right alongside the music, art, and freedom that shape our lives.
The Simms x Grateful Dead: Dead on the Water Collection will be available in limited quantities online and at select retailers.
