About US

As a kid I started on the Kishwaukee River AKA “the mighty Kish” mostly fishing for bluegills. I left the hobby behind for a while as I grew up and away from the river. After coming home from the Army, I rekindled my love of fishing.  I often found my self-fishing rivers under old, rusty bridges throughout the Midwest.

River fishing stuck with me because it’s different from lake fishing. You have to understand the current, read the water, and pay attention to how fish use seams and structure. It’s not about just casting. It’s about learning the river.

I always found the sound of moving water calming, and rivers became the places I spent the most time. Smallie, pike, and musky were usually the target, but the setting mattered just as much as the fish.

Midwest winters are long, and when the rivers freeze, I wanted something to stay busy. That’s when my wife and I started making clothes as a winter hobby. Something connected to fishing when the bite was not as strong during the winter.

Spending so much time under old bridges made me think about where we live — the Rust Belt. Being a river rat myself, the name Rust Belt River Rats just made sense.