I am thrilled to share this interview with Lucas Bissett, fly fishing guide, conservationist, and Executive Director of the American Fly Fishing Trade Association (AFFTA), to unpack how the organization is moving the fly fishing industry forward through community, advocacy, and education. We talk about AFFTA Confluence, the industry’s upcoming gathering in Salt Lake City, and…
Mending the Line Blog
EP 100. How Angler’s All Fly Shop Makes Sustainability Profitable with Chris Keeley
Can a fly shop actually make sustainability pay for itself? On this episode of The Sustainable Angler, I sit down with Chris Keeley, angler, conservationist, and owner of Angler’s All fly shop in Colorado, to find out. I am especially stoked to share this episode because it’s #100, and Emerger Strategies worked with Angler’s All…
EP 99. The Best Fly Fishing Is Everywhere: Storytelling & Conservation with Jesse Lance Robbins
In this episode, I sit down with angler, writer, and conservationist Jesse Lance Robbins, author of The Best Fly Fishing Is Everywhere: Stories in Celebration of Why We Fish, to unpack how storytelling shapes fly fishing education and river advocacy. Jesse takes us through his winding path in the fly fishing industry — working in a fly…
Guest Blog: We Need NOAA
By Grey Gowder, Executive Director, Carolina Ocean Alliance “What is your water?” asked Dr. Wallace J. Nichols. This was far from the first time the founder of the Blue Mind movement asked this question. “What are your foundational memories of water, of the waters that shaped you?” For residents of the South Carolina Lowcountry, we…
The Ultimate Guide to Retail Sustainability Requirements: How Fishing & Outdoor Brands Can Meet the Sustainability Expectations of Walmart, REI, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Bass Pro Shops
When I first launched Emerger Strategies in 2016, my clients were pursuing sustainability for altruistic reasons, such as doing their part to minimize their contribution to climate change and plastic pollution, and for business reasons such as reduced costs and meeting consumer demand. However, in the last five years, much has changed with the increase…
EP 98. REI’s Product Impact Standards: What Brands Need to Know — Brent Kawamura of REI
Brent Kawamura’s path to sustainability wasn’t a straight line — it started with an Environmental Science degree, wound through LEED-certified building projects, and landed him in Product Sustainability at REI. Along the way, fishing has remained the thread that keeps it all grounded. In this episode, I interview Brent to pull back the curtain on REI’s Product…