Rick Crawford
I first learned of 1% for the Planet from reading Let My People Go Surfing by Patagonia Founder, Yvon Chouinard. I later discovered that Yvon had co-founded 1% for the Planet with Blue Ribbon Flies Founder, Craig Mathews. For those of you unfamiliar with Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone, MT, it’s a fantastic shop and Craig has done a lot to ensure that the Madison River is protected and open to the public (more on that in the interview). Mathews sold the shop a few years ago, but he can still be found working behind the counter during the summer months, still making a positive impact as the first-ever 1% for the Planet Individual Member and continuing to create more awareness about climate change.
I recently caught up with Craig, who alongside Yvon and Maura Mazzo, published a second edition of Simple Fly Fishing, which is an excellent read for the beginner or advanced fly angler. For example, I enjoyed reading about horsehair tippet and other ways to simplify our sport that we anglers have spent a lifetime making more complex. Simple Fly Fishing marries not only the history of Tenkara angling, but educates with entomology basics, tips on reading water, and much more that any angler can benefit from.
I am very grateful to have gotten the chance to chat with Craig, and would like to take this opportunity to thank him for all he has done for fly fishing and for carving out a few minutes to discuss fly fishing, 1% for the Planet, Simple Fly Fishing, climate change and more. I hope you enjoy the interview…
Photo Credit: Tim Davis & Courtesy of Patagonia
Q. First, can you tell me more about yourself and the origins of Blue Ribbon Flies?
A. I was in law enforcement in Michigan and working on a couple of Master’s degrees and my wife was a police dispatcher and she said, you know what, let’s move to Yellowstone for one year, so we came for one year and I was the police chief in West Yellowstone, Montana and she came as a dispatcher about three years later I decided we are not going to go back to Michigan because we love the mountains so much and the wildlife and the native trout.
I always had this idea because my sister was born with spina bifida and I taught her how to tie flies and she taught some handicapped kids how to tie. I thought to myself, we are going to get a business going and hire disabled fly tiers and that’s we got involved in the fly fishing business. We went and found six handicapped fly tiers in Helena, MT, brought them back to West Yellowstone and taught them how to tie flies and the rest of history. That was back in late 1979 and in 1982 I decided I had enough of police work as I had been doing it for thirteen years or fourteen years and we decided to go full retail and hired guides and that’s how we got involved in the fly fishing business. I am the luckiest guy in the world because things just fell into place.
I was also taught a conservation ethic as a young child from my grandparents and my parents and you have to give back to the resource. If you use the public resource to make a living you have to give back, and that’s how I got involved in conservation.
Q. Let’s talk a little fishing…do you have a favorite species of trout and why?
A. It has evolved. I was a guy who really loved brown trout, rainbow trout and brook trout, probably in that order. And now I have become a big fan of the Yellowstone Cutthroat and the Westslope Cutthroat because of their native species status. They have become my favorite fish because of where they live and the indicators of the wildness of it…the clean and cold water and because they are native. Now don’t get me wrong I live on the Madison River and can see it from my house, but I still love fishing the Madison, and there are still a few native species that flow into the Madison from tributary streams, and as restoration is more and more prominent in this area, we are going see more native species back in the Madison River.
Q. What about salt water species?
A. Without a doubt, bonefish. We used to spend 6-7 weeks fishing bonefish and get out of the cold and head down to Belize, Mexico and the Bahamas.
Q. If you knew you were going to be stranded indefinitely into the wilderness and you only had 1 fly, what would it be?
A. Probably a beetle. I’ve caught fish on beetles 12 months out of the year and it’s an all-purpose fly. I love to fish dry flies the majority of the time, but if there is nothing going on, you can always put on a beetle and catch a fish. And sometimes just the way a big fish comes to a beetle. If you are sight fishing a beetle the fish will slide over and just eat on such a suttle rise. And just look at the spring creeks anytime of the year. Sometimes they are just taking a size 32 midge, but if you don’t happen to have a midge, you put on a size 16 beetle and quite often they swim right over and take the beetle.
So, we thought, let’s form a business alliance with like-minded businesses and donate to these causes and see if we can’t inspire others outdoor businesses, fly fishing, rafting, guide services to join along and create a global movement and give back to these causes.
Craig Mathews
Q. My company, Emerger Strategies, is a proud 1% for the Planet member and have always been inspired by Patagonia and Blue Ribbon Flies. After reading Let My People Go Surfing, I knew I wanted to find a way to use business as a tool to solve environmental problems, and frankly, when I saw the 1% for the Planet video with you and Yvon, that was when I decided I wanted to marry my passion for fly fishing and sustainability. Can you tell me a little bit of how you and Yvon decided to start 1%?
A. I probably ought to back track a little on how I met Yvon. I was sitting in Blue Ribbon Flies one night and I was the only person sitting in the shop tying, oddly enough, some beetles, and this gentlemen walks into the shop and he says, “how come you don’t have any Patagonia clothing in here?” I said, believe me, we have been trying for a long time, but we can’t crack the code with our sales rep. So, he sticks out his hand and says, “I happen to own the company…I am Yvon Chouindard, this is a working fly shop and you need to have Patagonia!”
That was 35 years ago and we became instant friends, and for the next 20 years we were both giving at least 1% of our GROSS SALES and that’s the kicker, not profit or none of that hocus pocus, our gross sales to conservation causes and neither one of us new the other one was doing it. One day we are sitting on the bank of the Henry’s Fork talking about conservation and the need to give to grassroots organizations that support what we know and love, and it dawned on both us that we were both giving 1% of our sales to conservation and grassroots causes. At that time, we said, what are we going to do about this?
So, we thought, let’s form a business alliance with like-minded businesses and donate to these causes and see if we can’t inspire others outdoor businesses, fly fishing, rafting, guide services to join along and create a global movement and give back to these causes. It took a little bit longer than we expected to get going, but it’s cruising now and 2 years ago we started the individual membership program, so individuals who don’t own a business can join and that’s been a huge success. Now anybody and everybody can join and it’s really become quite a movement.
You can buy a fly rod from a million different sources, but when people say, I am buying it from you because I love that you give back to conservation and what we enjoy, that’s why we are your customer, it’s special.
Craig Mathews
Q. I tend to look at things through the lense of sustainability, but 1% for the Planet has also become a very effective marketing tool for your business, right?
A. You know that’s something Yvon and I didn’t discuss initially and about a year later we were watching our businesses grow by leaps and bounds! I spent a lot of time behind the counter talking to people on the phone and there wasn’t a day that went by that several people who didn’t poke their head in the door, call or email and say, “I wasn’t a customer of yours before, but I heard about what you are doing and I am a customer now and it will always be that way.” So, I would go to my competitors and colleagues and say “we are eating your lunch, you ought to join 1% for the Planet” and it became a great advertising tool, but we didn’t consider that initially. You can buy a fly rod from a million different sources, but when people say, I am buying it from you because I love that you give back to conservation and what we enjoy, that’s why we are your customer, it’s special.
Speaking of Yvon, you, Mauro Mazzo and Yvon just released the 2nd edition of Simple Fly Fishing and I wish I had a copy of this book when I first started fly fishing! Very interesting to read about the history of fly fishing and tenkara and strategies to catch trout.
So many people, and particularly youngsters, it’s really gratifying when people call or stop in and say I want to tell you I gave a copy to a friend of mine who was thinking about getting into fly fishing and thought fly fishing was so complicated and never made the jump, and all of a sudden they get into fly fishing and it’s all a result of Simple Fly Fishing.
When I lived in Wyoming I bought a Tenkara rod, and my wife, Jodie, really enjoyed it because it was so simple and she was catching fish!
You know it’s funny because some of my friends who own more fly rods than some shops stock said let me try this Tenkara thing and the next day they would come back in saying how much fun they had with it. When they hook their first fish they don’t know what to do because they are looking for their reel, but it makes such difference and it’s so simple.
Tenkara is also great for disabled anglers, such as veterans, who may be missing a limb and you give them a Tenkara rod and they are catching fish immediately and it means so much to them.
Another thing I’d like to add is that Simple Fly Fishing isn’t just for beginners, but we made quite a few revisions and it really tickles me when advanced anglers tell me I want to buy the first edition too! You know because every minute you spend fly fishing you are learning something new and there’s always a lesson out there.
Q. So, you have lived in West Yellowstone for a number of years. Have you seen the impact climate change has had on the fishery?
A. No doubt about it. We see direct effects of climate change almost daily. Living here in the Madison Valley and we don’t see the volume of snowpack we used to see, nor do we see it last in the summer months, which provide those cooler flows. We’ve seen streams closed in Yellowstone Park, the Firehole, Madison because the water is too warm. There was fish die off the summer of 2017 and we’ve seen a lot of the effects of climate change and it’s coming fast.
I don’t know how anybody can be a (climate change) denier anymore because it’s happening right now.
Craig Mathews
You know we are also starting to see it here in the Lowcountry in Charleston and Savannah. If we have a big spring tide or a flood tide combined with rain, the streets in downtown Charleston flood, and in Savannah, the road to Tybee Island gets completely submerged and people who live on Tybee can’t get on or off the island.
Isn’t it amazing that we still have climate change deniers? I was a keynote speaker at the Presidents Banquet at the International Federation of Fly Fishers and I scolded them because they had not taken a stand on climate change. I’m proud to say that they now have taken a stand on climate change, but when you represent 40,000-50,000 anglers around the world, climate change is the #1 threat to fly fishing, whether you are a cold water angler, or a warm water angler and we are seeing the direct results right now. I don’t know how anybody can be a denier anymore because it’s happening right now.
Conservation has no political party and it’s happening so fast that we need to coalesce and let science tell us, or our kids and grandkids are going to be in real trouble.
Q. What has Blue Ribbon Flies done to address climate change?
A. Well, I no longer own Blue Ribbon Flies, but work their part time in the summer. I am doing more and more presentations around the country on climate change and how we can inspire and educate within our little sport of fly fishing. And it’s really inspiring to become involved with organizations like Conservation Hawks, and I’d encourage people to take a look at their website. We do a lot of work locally with Yellowstone Forever who does a lot of fisheries and climate change work. We are also involved with Montana Trout, whether it be about mining or climate change, and the same thing with the Madison River Foundation, which is our local group here to protect the Madison River and have been directly involved with restoration projects like O’dell Creek whose temperatures have been reduced by three degrees due to a restoration project we supported. O’dell Creek also happens to be a major tributary to the Madison. These are projects that we worked on that are directly related to climate change and native trout species and I really enjoy getting involved with these projects. My wife and I are member #1 of the individual 1% for the Planet individual membership too.
Therefore, we have to get involved, jump in with both feet and fight like heck and give more of our personal resources to those grassroots organizations that protect and preserve the resources that we love.
Craig Mathews
Q. Why is acting on climate change important to you?
A. We as a society think that someone is going to jump in at the last minute and save us in the nick of time so, if we just sit back and wait for the effects of climate change to take hold, then our kids and grandkids have every right to kick the proverbial crutches and walkers from underneath our feet and demand to know what they hell we were doing and not doing to protect these wild species and places that we so love. Therefore, we have to get involved, jump in with both feet and fight like heck and give more of our personal resources to those grassroots organizations that protect and preserve the resources that we love.
I’ll give you an example, when we started doing this, a lot of people have heard of the $3 Bridge Project on the Madison River where 30 years ago we were gonna lose several miles of the Madison to harmful streamside development and an old rancher who I came to know, I told him that when you go to sell this you let me know because I know some people that will buy it, protect and won’t develop it and it happened. They called one day and said we have to sell the farm and we mobilized immediately and I’ll never forget an old customer heard me after I got off the phone and turned around with a $35,000 check and said this should get you going. We are fighting like mad to raise $5.6 Million to acquire this property and find a conservation buyer and a guy walked in the door one day and asked what we were trying to do and I told him he said, I’ll sell you the river corridor so angler can forever fish here and I’ll buy the rest, put it in a conservation easement and make it open to the public and I’ll never put a building on it. I said, “I could just kiss you on the forehead!”
What people said was an impossible goal…that we would never get this done. Well, we got 5,000 acres done and it has morphed into 15,000 acres. With that, people say “we can’t do it.” I hate the word “can’t.” You can get it done, and we have protected over 60% if the Madison River Valley through conservation easement. It will never be developed and protect wild trout populations, grizzly bear, wolverines and 10,000 elk and it will forever look the way it looks now for all of us to enjoy. I’m really proud of that and anglers from around the world have stepped up and supported these conservation causes here.
Everybody’s doom and gloom in the latest political climate, but here’s our latest success story…We just secured 4 miles of the Madison River that has never been accessible to walking anglers before. With the purchase of a private 327-acre parcel that adjoins public land we are now able to give the walking angler access to another 4-5 miles of the Madison River that’s never been accessible. People say, how did you do it? Well, you grab on, jump in with both feet and don’t let go with your teeth! You shake it and find money, present your ideas to the public and bingo…it comes back!
Q. If you could leave a message about climate change to anglers, what would it be?
A. Learn what you can about it. Don’t say it’s too daunting to get involved in because every person that believes in it and becomes involved in it and supports those small grassroots efforts, inspire your friends to get involved. Go out today, and grab two more people and say, hey, we gotta do something about this, or we are not going to be able to give anything back to our kids and grandkids.
I’ve watched grown men and women and I’ve watched young people get involved, and all of a sudden they get involved and they can transform this whole thing into something positive. When you get a mass movement by becoming involved either financially, or with your time, and inspire others by leading by example, we are gonna win this thing! Without that kind of support, we are not, so it’s really important to learn what you can and get involved and we can turn this around!
TAKE ACTION
Special thanks to Craig for everything he has done to grow the sport of fly fishing while maintaining a conservation ethos. From being a 1% for the Planet Co-founder to Co-writing Simple Fly Fishing to protecting stretches along the fabled Madison River, I am forever grateful.
Climate change is happening right now, and if we want to protect the planet for future generations we have to ACT NOW! Here’s a few tips from Craig Matthews
- Give Back: If you are a business-owner, or an individual, interested in giving back to environmental nonprofits working to fight climate change and other environmental threats, consider becoming a 1% for the Planet Member.
- Educate Yourself: There are lots of great resources to educate yourself on climate change, but here are a few: The Sustainable Angler BLOG and PODCAST, Emerger Strategies FACEBOOK page, and Protect Our Winters has a great CLIMATE ACTIVIST ROADMAP page.
- Get Involved: Volunteer and get involved with a local nonprofit working to solve environmental problems, and grab two friends today who love to fish and might be on the fence and tell them that climate change is happening now and may ruin our fisheries forever if we don’t do something about it!
The intent of The Sustainable Angler blog and podcast is to educate and create more awareness about environmental threats (Pollution, Policy & Population) to our fisheries, but also share sustainability success stories in an effort to inspire positive change. If you enjoyed the interview, please share on social media, and stay tuned as we will be releasing more interviews on The Sustainable Angler and other sustainable business and sustainable living news and tips!