Rick Crawford
As consumers, we hold an incredible amount of power with what we choose to purchase. When we buy products that align with our values, we send clear market signals that we want products that are socially and environmentally responsible, which then forces brands to become more environmentally and socially responsible to meet the demand. The holidays are a wonderful opportunity to give gifts that give back to both “the sustainable angler” in your life, but also your loved ones who may not be as hip to some of the purpose-driven brands that are working diligently to make a positive impact. So, I thought I’d make a list of some of my personal favorites, and present to you The Sustainable Angler Gift Guide:
Books are one of my favorite gifts to give and receive, so here are three that I read recently and highly recommend….
If you are looking for a great children’s book that shows not only the importance of spending time with family on the river, but beginning to understand the importance of conservation so that future generations have the same opportunities to fish together, I recommend Down By The River written by Andrew Weiner and illustrated by April Chu.
I thoroughly enjoyed A Cast in the Woods: A Story of Fly Fishing, Fracking and Floods in the Heart of Trout Country by Stephen Sautner. It’s a great read for anyone who has ever dreamed about owning a cabin in the mountains as it includes funny stories of what it’s really like (mice invasions, flash floods and more!), but also our interconnectedness with the environment.
A perfect gift for the angler who is just getting started with fly fishing, as well as the seasoned angler who appreciates the history of fly fishing as well as learning new techniques to simplify fly fishing. Both the beginner and advanced angler will learn something new in Simple Fly Fishing Revised Second Edition: Techniques for Tenkara and Rod and Reel by Yvon Chouinard, Craig Matthews and Mauro Mazzo. An excellent read with plenty of tips.
Perhaps the person you have in mind isn’t a huge reader? Well, here are a few of my favorite brands and products that are all using their businesses to solve environmental problems….
Did you know that in the U.S. we use about 500 million single-use plastic straws per day? You can do your part by refusing single-use plastics like straws and giving the gift of reusable straws because straws are served automatically at bars/restaurants and fast food joints, which is why I keep some metal straws in my glove compartment in my car and request “no straw, please” when ordering a drink. They are also great for home made smoothies! Anyways, I use the metal straws from Healthy Human, but they also offer reusable water bottles which are great for refusing single-use plastic also:
According to the BBC, 99.75% of coffee cups are not recycled, and when you consider the millions that are thrown away each year, it’s quite a pollution problem. I understand the problem as I am always on the go and run on coffee, which is why I always carry my reusable YETI Rambler 30 oz. Tumbler that carries a lot of coffee and keeps it hot all day and helps me to prevent unnecessary waste. A great gift for the early-morning angler:
Another product I use that enables me to refuse single-use plastics is a bamboo toothbrush, and the brand I use is Brush with Bamboo. According to their website, “over 4.7 billion plastic toothbrushes that will never biodegrade are dumped into landfills and oceans every year worldwide.” That is mind blowing, so I recommend Brush with Bamboo toothbrushes, which also make a great stocking stuffer:
We already know that plastic pollution is a serious threat as it is estimated that there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050, so RepYourWater decided to be part of the solution and is now offering FishMasks that are made from recycled plastic bottles! Additionally, RepYourWater donates a minimum of 3% from all sales to their nonprofit conservation partners, and they are also working towards achieving their goal of donating $65K to conservation in 2018! (To learn more about RepYourWater’s sustainability efforts, check out their 2017 Annual Sustainability Report) Each Fishmask is made from eight recycled plastic water bottles and you can see some of the killer designs below:
Did you know fishing nets make up 10% of all plastic waste in the ocean? These fishing nets are not only made of plastics, but these “ghost nets” also kill a lot of marine life who get entangled in the discarded nets, which is why I am stoked to see that Costa has partnered with Bureo to make products from recycled fishing nets with their Untangled Collection. I have the Pescador’s and they are not only great glasses, but they are also a great conversation piece and give an opportunity to quickly educate others on the plastic pollution problem! Below is an image of the Pescador’s:
Flood Tide Company has some of the most original artwork and designs in the fly fishing industry thanks to the talented art work of Paul Puckett, which is reason enough to support them; however, what I love even more is that they are 1% for the Planet Members which means Flood Tide donates 1% of their annual sales to their nonprofit partner, Charleston Waterkeeper, who works hard to keep our waterways clean! Here’s a couple of my favorite designs, which would also be great as a combo if you are looking for gifts that gives back: The Predator Tarpon Trucker Hat and the Predator T-Shirt:
If you live in the southeast, then you know that oyster season is in full swing, and there are few things finer than an oyster roast with good friends. What you may not know is that Toadfish Outfitters plants 10 sq. ft. of new oyster beds for every product sold! Planting new oysters provides valuable ecosystem services such as protection from storm surge, habitat for redfish, sea trout and other saltwater species and they also keep our waterways clean. In fact, a single oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water per day! Here’s my favorite Toadfish product, their Oyster Knifes:
As you look for that perfect gift for the angler in your life, please take the time to consider what that brand stands for and support purpose-driven brands that are working to solve social and environmental problems, give back and protect what we all love! I hope you have a happy and safe holiday season!
