The Drummer Newspaper Article October 2005 by Karen Laven

Fish'n Fash'n creator's Bev Schmitz of Winsted and Cheryl Durand of Plymouth

A pair of innovative fishing buddies has nabbed more than trophy Northern Pike over the years; they've also caught the entrepreneurial spirit. The feminine anglers, Bev Schmitz and Cheryl Durand, have been summer and ice fishing partners for eighteen years.

The entrepreneurial hook was dropped when Schmitz, from Winsted, had impulsively fashioned some bobber fishing earrings for a fishing trip. It didn't take long for Durand, from Plymouth, to recognize a remarkable opportunity.

"The next day Cheryl called me and said we should sell (the earrings) and make some money," said Schmitz. "I agreed, and asked how she thought we could do it."

Although the pair had never gone into business before they didn't allow their entrepreneurial naiveté stop them. They knew they had come upon a whopper of an idea, transforming standard fishing tackle into a pair of flashy, fun earrings.

On the heels of much experimenting, they opened their business: Fish'n Fash'n, in March of 2004. It didn't take long for the general public to bite the innovative bait.

Between March of 2004 and October 2005, the duo has created over 1,500 pairs of earrings and tie tacks combined. The tie tacks can also be utilized as flashy hat or lapel pins.

"We started at the local sporting goods shops, and picked out lures we liked and thought would make good jewelry," noted Schmitz. "Plus, we already had some favorites from fishing."

The initial process wasn't as simple as it sounds, however. "You wouldn't believe the number of lures that won't work for making jewelry because of their weight, size or design," Schmitz added. "We use all authentic fishing tackle in our jewelry."

The idea for tie tacks came about when the ladies realized they needed a "manly" offering in their product line. "We couldn't make them fast enough," Schmitz noted. "The demand out-sold our supply." She added that they could make tie tacks to match their earrings, so a couple can purchase a matching set of jewelry.

Nowadays, the fishing tackle is purchased in bulk and the women make eye-catching earrings and tie tacks using a myriad of options including spinner blades, fishing beads, bobbers and their popular nighttime head turners out of glow-in-the-dark lures.

"You can't hide from anyone with those on," shared Durand.

"Our jewelry adds just the right amount of flash to catch the big fish!" is their motto.

Just how many two-legged "fish" have been nabbed by women wearing the tackle-based items, is unclear; but it certainly makes for a one-of-a-kind icebreaker.

During their venture into business ownership and operations, these ladies have emerged into Jack-of-all-Trades.  "As entrepreneurs we do it all," noted the pair. "Create the styles, assemble the jewelry, inspect it, package it, and ship it out. We've learned to be the purchasing department, art department, production department, quality control, accounting, sales, public relations, and our own tax accountants."

Neither of the women has had previous advertising or marketing experience and both still hold down their day jobs.  "We've learned so much," shared Schmitz. "Every step is a new and challenging experience. We now have so many talents that we didn't know we possessed - from hiring the right sales reps, to designing a website, to finding the right kind of adhesive…"

The blonde and brunette team has enjoyed the hands-on promotion of their business - such as appearing in parades during the summer months and they have also sold their wares at craft fairs and festivals.

Their goal would be to have their business turn profitable enough to allow them to focus solely on that venture.

"I'd love to work from home creating and assembling our jewelry full-time," noted Schmitz. "I've worked outside the home since I was 16, and usually had more than one job at a time - and still do. (However), it's really hard to be a business owner in today's world; especially if you need health benefits for a really good cash flow."

The most popular sellers are the holographic patterns -- most notably, the lavender and blue fish face. Schmitz's favorite earrings are the silver sparkle and the gold sparkle. "I've worn those almost every day this summer - they go with everything." Durand especially enjoys the glow-in-the-dark styles.

This tackle-based jewelry makes nifty gifts as well as unique stocking stuffers. Football fans are not left out, either; they also have Vikings and Packers earrings available. The pair can also create jewelry in school colors.

"We don't recommend swimming while wearing our jewelry," said Schmitz. "You never know what you might catch!"

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Herald Journal, Nov. 29, 2004 Newspaper article by Heidi Stutelberg

Area Women create 'fishy' jewelry

Did you think that fishing lures were only used for catching fish?

Well, think again.

Wildlife Accents produces a line of earrings made from fishing tackle.  Business owners and also fishing friends for the past 18 years, Schmitz and Durand, together created the line of earrings. The entrepreneurs call the earrings Fish’n Fash’n Tackle Jewelry.

But over the years of fishing together, their families always stayed home. The women fished as a time to get away. Schmitz and Durand enjoy both ice fishing and summer fishing.

In March, the fishing friends came up with the concept Fish’n Fash’n tackle jewelry.   They buy the fishing tackle unassembled in bulk to create one-of-a-kind earrings.

Spinner blades, fishing beads, lures, glow-in-the-dark lures, and bobbers are among some of the fishing tackle parts used in designing the earrings. Some of the earrings look like fishing lures, but others do not.

Wildlife Accents even has Viking and Packer earrings available for the football fans.

"We make all kinds of excuses why we should make them," Durand said.

"They make great stocking stuffers," Schmitz added.

Avid anglers are their biggest customers.

"We sometimes have to sell them right out of our ears," Schmitz said, recalling the time when Durand was at a bait shop and a customer liked the earrings Durand was wearing, so she sold them.

With no previous marketing or advertising experience, the owners of Wildlife Accents have created, produced, and made available in retail stores their own jewelry line.

It’s been a combined effort since the beginning from Fish’n Fash’n conception to the package design.

The entrepreneurs are the art department, production assembly, quality control, and shipping and packaging.

They’ve even come up with a motto: "Our jewelry adds the right amount of flash to attract the big fish!"