Rick Crawford
I fell in love with fly fishing during the summer of 2008 working as a waiter on a guest ranch in Wyoming called the A Bar A Ranch. As it turned out, the decision to move from Savannah, GA to Encampent, WY is the best decision I ever made because I met my wife that summer as she was also on the wait staff, and as luck would have it, my roommate happened to be a fly fishing guide who showed me the basics of casting and entomology. It was great because I had open-access to all of the rods, reels, flies, etc. in the guide shop and my roommate let me borrow whatever I needed. I became obsessed with fly fishing and completely immersed myself in related books, movies and YouTube videos to learn as much as I could so that I could catch more trout.
After the season ended at the Ranch, I moved to Steamboat, CO to fulfill a dream to live “out West.” Besides, our economy was crumbling and I had no idea how I was going to put my Liberal Arts degree to use anyways, so I figured I should at least live somewhere really beautiful while I figured what I was going to do with my life. I worked in a t-shirt shop, and even installed solar panels, but was mostly just saving up to buy my own fly fishing gear as I no longer had access to a guide shop with all of the gear I needed. I couldn’t afford a rod and reel yet, so I decided to start small, and the first piece of fly fishing gear I bought was a Fishpond chest pack to carry my flies, tippet, and other items.
The reason I bring all of this up is because things seem to have come full circle over the last ten years. While I was working in that t-shirt shop with clever shirts that read, “I’ve Never Been Higher – Steamboat, CO” I was really struggling with trying to find my purpose and wound up reading a couple of books (“Let My People Go Surfing” by Yvon Chouinard and “Getting Green Done” by Auden Schendler) during that slow winter that introduced the concept that business could be used to solve environmental problems, and the seed was planted to try and figure out a way to marry my two passions: fly fishing and sustainability.
Well, here we are ten years later, and I did find a way to marry my passions by starting Emerger Strategies and helping brands in the fly fishing industry increase their growth while minimizing their environmental impact by turning their sustainability achievements into powerful marketing stories. Through this process, I now have the opportunity to interview John Land Le Coq. John is the CEO of Fishpond who makes products designed for anglers and those who live an outdoor adventure travel lifestyle. Fishpond is a certified B-Corp, gives back to environmental nonprofits and is even using recycled fishing nets to make their product line Cyclepond. Additionally, Fishpond is also an activist company for public lands and John has traveled to DC to meet with politicians to advocate for better climate change policy. Finally, the very first piece of fly fishing gear I bought was from Fishpond, and I still use that chest pack to this day. So, I’d like to thank John for not only making wonderful products, but also taking the time to discuss sustainability and how Fishpond is using its brand to make a positive impact!
Tell me a little bit about yourself…
I was born and raised in Colorado, have two wonderful daughters and currently live on a ranch on the western slope of the Colorado Rockies. I came from a design and branding background and love photography. Currently, I am focusing on leveraging Fishpond’s brand voice to create more awareness about environmental threats to species around the world.
How did you get into fly fishing and running Fishpond?
I originally got into doing some photography and branding for big brands like Apple and then founded Case Logic, which I eventually sold and bought the ranch where I live today. I always loved design and after I sold Case Logic I wanted to get into manufacturing and pursue my passion for fly fishing and design. Fishpond is all about kicking ass with product design and is a design-driven company.
What effects of climate change are most concerning to you?
Well, economics are big, but my real concern is for people who are living in poverty in island-nations who will be displaced because of things like sea-level rise, but also what’s happening in my own backyard regarding climate changes impacts on species. I mean, just take a look at the increase in fish-stress levels because of warming water temperatures, which has both economic and species impacts; or the fact that bears are increasingly losing their natural habitat which results in a lack of biodiversity of fauna because bears distribute seeds and enhance biodiversity with their skat. We want to use our voice at Fishpond to protect animal species because it’s not only the right thing to do, but there are real economic implications. Consider that right now there is a 5 month ski season and we are on track to have a 28 day ski season by 2050 if current climate change trends continue.
Consider that right now there is a 5 month ski season and we are on track to have a 28 day ski season by 2050 if current climate change trends continue.
John Land Le Coq
What is Fishpond doing to address climate change?
We have aligned with Protect Our Winters (POW) and are committed to using the Fishpond brand to educate and demystify climate change. In fact, I went to Washington DC with 6 Olympic Athletes, Auden Schendler and others tell our elected officials that the time to act on climate is now. We also are using our brand to educate consumers, so for example, every hat we sell has a hang tag about POW and every product has an environmental story. We even partnered with Chaco to create a Fishpond/Chaco sandal and $5 for every pair sold is donated to Western Rivers Conservancy. We are also changing all of our products to being made from recycled plastics because all plastics are carbon based. And we are a B-Corp.
What made Fishpond decide to become a B-Corp?
Well, basically being a B-Corp means you give a damn. The B-Corp certification is all about social and environmental performance, transparency and helps us to avoid greenwashing because of the metrics associated with the certification. I mean we are getting down to percentages of recycled content! We love being a B-Corp and also love the social component that enables our ability to treat our employees fairly and engage the community. B-Corps are companies that make change.
Tell me more about Cyclepond….
Cyclepond uses recycled ocean plastics to create new Fishpond gear. When we first heard that we could make products from recycled ocean plastics we thought, yeah, we can do this! I mean, why not? Well, it turns out that it is more expensive, which is why others don’t do it. We also have to remain competitive in terms of price, so we actually eat those margins, but we are ok with that because we think the cost benefit ratio is high.
John Land Le Coq
When we first heard that we could make products from recycled ocean plastics we thought, yeah, we can do this! I mean, why not?
What have been the greatest benefits of sustainability for your business?
I think the greatest benefit sustainability has brought to our business is it gives our employees a beacon, as well as our suppliers. Sustainability has also helped to create more awareness of the brand, especially as there are a growing number of conscious consumers. I mean if two bags are competitively priced and one is made from recycled ocean plastics and the company is a B-Corp, why would you not buy from the sustainable brand? On a personal level, I love that sustainability helps to protect all the species who don’t have a voice.
Sustainability has also helped to create more awareness of the brand, especially as there are a growing number of conscious consumers.
John Land Le Coq
What have been the most challenging obstacles Fishpond has faced in implementing a sustainable business model?
As I just mentioned, we do a lot to try to help species so we advertise with the Humane Society and we started an initiative for shark-free marinas, which means that marinas would not be allowed to have sharks brought in by boats into their marinas because we are seeing a massive depletion of sharks in our oceans, especially in Asia where they are have been over 70 million sharks that are “finned” meaning their fins are removed and they are thrown back into the ocean! As a result, we actually had a few dealers pull out and wouldn’t do business with us! To which I say, good riddance!
What is something you wish other companies knew about sustainable business?
I wish more brands knew the power of what their brand can be. I mean even a kid selling lemonade can attach a brand story and sell more lemonade!
How is Fishpond using its business to effect positive change?
We want to inspire people to make change. I mean that’s the heartbeat of Fishpond, is to inspire others to be something! To dream it and do it! We are all in this together and we can all effect positive change!
Take Action
There are lots of ways to take action on climate, and here are a few:
- Minimizing your own personal impact by conserving natural resources like energy (LED bulbs, renewable energy) and water (WaterSense faucets), and also minimizing the amount of waste you send to the landfill (reduce, reuse, recycle, compost).
- Another way to take action is to simply support brands that are making a positive impact such as Fishpond. As consumers, we vote with our dollars every day, and when we support purpose-driven brands, we are sending a clear message that we want buy products from brands that align with our own values.
- Yet another really important action is to let your elected officials and those running for office know you are deeply concerned about the impact climate change is having not only on our fisheries, but our economy and the ability of future generations to meet their own needs and that your vote depends on their position on climate change. Protect Our Winters has made it very easy for you to do just that with the Climate Activist Roadmap.
I’d like to thank John for taking the time to do an interview with me. Ten years ago, I never would have thought that I would be interviewing the CEO of Fishpond. I am so very grateful for companies like Fishpond and people like John, so thank you!
On a side note, if you are interested in what other leaders in the fly fishing industry have to say about climate change, John was also a panelist on The Sustainable Angler: Climate Change Panel Discussion that I moderated at the International Fly Tackle Dealer Show (IFTD) show in Orlando this past July with Hilary Hutcheson from Lary’s Fly & Supply, Garrison Doctor from RepYourWater and Dr. Aaron Adams from Bonefish & Tarpon Trust.
Stay tuned for October’s “The Sustainable Angler” as I have a very special guest and will also be launching The Sustainable Angler podcast! As always, thanks for taking the time to read my blog and if you’d like to stay up to date in the latest interviews and sustainability tips, don’t forget to sign up for The Sustainable Angler Newlsetter!