On the Water

Ross is more of an inshore guy. Jason likes the blue water. But they both share a love of fishing, along with concern for conservation and a passion for polo shirts.

Ross Appel, 25, and Jason Fowler, 23, are co-founders and partners of a home-grown company called Homewaters Clothing. They make polo shirts with embroidered fish emblems on the left breast, where you might normally find a horse or crocodile.

And there's a catch.

Homewaters Clothing donates 5 percent of every shirt's profit to conservation groups. Donations are based on which fish a customer chooses. If you buy a redfish polo, the Waddell Mariculture Center gets a cut of the profit to help pay for its red drum restocking program. If you prefer a marlin or dolphin on your shirt, some of your cash will wind up with The Billfish Foundation or Dolphinfish Tagging Research Project, respectively.

Ross and Jason's biggest hope is that besides getting great-looking shirts, customers eventually will help pay for better fishing trips for everyone.

Ross, a recent graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law, and Jason, a senior finishing up a degree in civil engineering at Clemson University, have logged many weekends working on the Homewaters project out of their cars, inside cafeterias and in an empty room at Jason's mom's office building.

Ross and Jason hope to see their business explode as they finish school and free up more time for work. They seem to be off to a good start, having doubled their retail accounts in the past few months, despite the recession. (Locally, the shirts can be found at both Haddrell's Point locations, as well as M. Dumas & Sons downtown. They're also sold elsewhere in South Carolina, as well as in Louisiana, Alabama, and Georgia.)

Tideline caught up with the Homewaters crew to hear more about what the boys like to call "Conservation in Style."

TL: Who came up with the idea for Homewaters Clothing, and how did you become partners?

Ross: The idea hatched during my senior year in college. My good friend and fishing buddy Rex Taylor and I started making shirts for our friends at the University of Florida, and Rex figured out how to work an embroidering machine. After we got in touch with some conservation groups and launched a little Web site, Jason found out about us and decided to get involved. Rex decided to pursue guiding full time, so Jason stepped in.

Jason: I met Ross in 10th grade, but I didn't get involved until much later. I started out helping out with the sales at Clemson, and it's been growing from there.

TL: How did you get into fishing?

Ross: I grew up crabbing and surf fishing : but I never really fully got into it until I went to school in Florida and my buddy Rex took me out sight-fishing for redfish at Mosquito Lagoon in central Florida : That's how I got into sport fishing and not just soaking lines.

Jason: My grandpa taught me when I was a little kid - I could barely walk on the dock - catching crappie and brim on Lake Wateree. After I moved to Charleston from Camden, when I was 11, I started inshore fishing. When I was about 12 or 13, I gained interest in offshore fishing : I had a neighbor, Dr. Johnny, who was very good at it and taught me the ropes. I cleaned his entire boat probably 30 times, so I got to go out with him and learn from the best.

TL: Describe the best fishing day you ever had.

Ross: I think Jason might want to take this one : My best fishing happens in 4 inches of water; Jason's best fishing happens out, like, 60 miles.

Jason: One of my favorites was when we took this girl, Sara : It was her first time going offshore, and her first fish was a sailfish. Second fish was a blue marlin :

TL: : All hers?

Jason: Yeah, we let her fight them all. Third fish was a sailfish. Her fourth fish was a blue marlin. Then we caught a dolphin and called it a day. I mean, it doesn't get any better than that. It was one hell of a day.

TL: How did Homewaters Clothing get its name?

Ross: I remember the exact moment. Rex and I were headed back from Mosquito Lagoon, and it had been killing us for a couple of weeks, what we were going to call this thing. I came up with Homewaters, because : the idea was to help out your own home waters. The target is to conserve, specifically, your favorite fish. That way, it's more personal than with other companies who donate to more general conservation organizations.

TL: When and how did conservation become important to you?

Ross: I think it comes natural being a fisherman and a surfer : But when we started out we didn't even know that these groups existed : A lot of people who love fishing so much don't know. Hopefully Homewaters can really spread awareness beyond the financial contributions that we do.

TL: Why is conservation of the dolphinfish, marlin and redfish especially important?

Ross: These are some of the most popular game fish in the Southeast - redfish for inshore and marlin and dolphin offshore. With that popularity comes increased pressure - all the more reason to be focused on conserving these fish for future generations.

TL: Ross, what do you plan on doing with a law degree with an emphasis on environmental law?

Ross: I'm studying for the South Carolina Bar this summer, but I would love to practice law on my own terms : A lot of my classmates are just joining firms, and they'll be pushing papers for 10 years. Hopefully Homewaters can put me in a position where I can study law as a hobby and fight for what my friends and I believe in instead of taking orders. A lot of these conservation contacts that I've made along the way will be great for things down the road.

TL: What business role models do you look up to?

Jason: Mike Able, the owner of Haddrell's Point Tackle and Supply, has been a big inspiration. He gives us a lot of advice. I shopped there for years and talked to Mike about (Homewaters Clothing) one day, and he was our first retail account. He gave us a shot.

Ross: My aunt's company, LILLA P, runs a terrific women's clothing business in New York City. They have been instrumental in our learning how to develop first-rate products and successfully run a wholesale clothing business.

TL: Fishing role models?

Jason: Dr. Johnny.

Ross: To me, my friend Rex Taylor exemplifies what it means to be a true outdoorsman. Right now he is living on his flats boat in the Everglades. That's keeping it real.

TL: One of your taglines is, "Conservation is in style now." Conservation and environmental "green" movements have become part of popular culture. How much do you think your conversation efforts help make sales?

Ross: We're saltwater fishermen and we started the company as a way to provide products for people that are into saltwater fishing, but the appeal of Homewaters goes far beyond that. This is a company that can be appreciated by people who are solely conservation-minded. Down the road we might consider opening up the concept of freshwater fish, waterfowl, and maybe more general conservation efforts, but the theme at the heart is conservation, which can be taken in so many different directions.

TL: Why did you pick classic polo shirts? Do you plan on expanding the collection?

Ross: The fishing apparel industry is a billion-dollar-a-year industry, but it's just filled with T-shirts and performance gear. And there are plenty of people who love fishing, and when it's time to go out at night or go to an event where you have to wear a polo shirt : We just think if you gave some people the choice, they'd rather pick a redfish or a marlin, something they can relate to. Having that product support the sport that they love made it kind of a no-brainier.

Jason: Part of the idea is that our product can be sold in your tackle store, as well as your men's fine clothing store. There aren't many brands that can do that.

TL: What has been the most rewarding thing about the Homewaters movement?

Jason: It's just seeing people get excited about our potential and wanting to become involved. Because that's what we're doing it for - the potential : It certainly isn't any kind of monetary award for us, yet. We're going to do the work and hope that we get somewhere with it : And when we saw one of the kids in Tideline wearing our shirt - that's really cool.

TL: What has been the most challenging part about starting and running your business?

Ross: The most challenging thing for me was starting a business while in law school. Now that Jason and I are out of school, watch out. I just graduated in May: It'll be amazing to see what Homewaters can do without two hands tied behind our backs.

Jason: I was home every single weekend from school, which is a four-hour drive.

Ross: But it's almost like a blessing in disguise, because now that we're out of that situation, it's like we're unleashed.

TL: What has been one of the best perks of the job?

Jason: I got to meet Gary Lumis when I was in New Orleans. That was a great honor. He's a huge leader in conservation.

TL: What is the ultimate dream goal for the future of Homewaters Clothing?

Ross: It's not really specific, but to get to the point where our contribution in conservation groups is just really, really meaningful : Like it becomes an institution in game fish conservation : And we take down all the other polo companies.

Jason: Then every day would be that dream-fishing trip. That'd be the goal.

TL: What inspired you to be so ambitious at such a young age when most of your peers were probably not as career-focused?

Ross: I think we both want to avoid soul-crushing 9-to-5's. That and we want to stay closely connected to what we both love. We've met and fished with some incredible sportsmen throughout the Southeast. It's been a lot of fun. The payoff dwarfs all the hard work.

Jason: And a lot of our buddies get excited about getting involved and helping out, too.

TL: Do you have any other hobbies besides fishing?

Ross: I'm a surfer.

Jason: I hunt and play golf.

Ross: And I would say yoga, but I wouldn't want to tarnish the company image here :

TL: Is there anything you tell yourself as a reminder when business gets tough or you are under high stress?

Ross: We just know at the end of the day that we've got a good idea. It's just a matter of executing it. And when we need to relax, we go fishing.

Jason: Yeah, go get away from the phone.

Reach Emily Lane at 843-937-5519 or elane@postandcourier.com.