FARM STORE FLY FISHING EXCLUSIVE: Washington Photographer JOSH TARR
APRIL 2013
F LY B O X E S
CONTENTS
APRIL 2013 • VOL 6, ISSUE 4 bigrflyshop.com
FEATURES
7 Anatomy of Spey by Dustin Bise
Dustin Bise riding dirty with his Speydicator Rigs
11 Washington Artist Spotlight
Light through the lens with Photographer Josh Tarr
25 Seeing Red in Florida by Sam Wike
Sam Wike and Erik Haugen travel to Florida for big Redfish action
DEPARTMENTS
24 Creature Feature with Fred Telleen
Fred ties a Spring Breaker Leech that likes to get horizontal
30 Wader Maintenance with Mat Gutzmann Matt demonstrates how to revive an old pair of waders SANDPOINT, ID THIS MONTH
31 Captain Planet Interview by Fred Telleen
Fred sits down with 1% For the Planet co-founder and eco-hero Craig Mathews
fly fishing film tour INSANE DEAL OF THE MONTH FLY BOXES pg10
ON THE COVER & THIS PAGE Photo by Josh Tarr
F I S H F U L OMAK
T H I N K I N G
WASHINGTON
Okanogan and Methow Valleys
The Methow and Okanogan Rivers are closed until June and our Steelhead season is over for the next six months. We put away the Spey rods and all look forward to the lakes opening up the last Saturday of April, this year on the 27th. The lower lakes have thawed out and the roads to the high mountain lakes are almost drivable. Tom McCormick here at the shop said he saw the first fish rise at his 40 acre backyard lake just a few days ago. The aerators have been shut down with the water temps hitting the upper 30s to 40s. The cool nights are going away, giving way to longer, warmer days. Omak Lake is really turning on now with big LaHontan Cutthroat Trout cruising the shore lines in bigger numbers. They are a prime target to get out and tune up your single hand casting skills on. Try walking out at Cow Pie Beach with an 8ft aluminum ladder with a laundry basket attached to the top. Go in as far as you can without filling your waders and climb up and do some great site fishing. Try to cast about 15 feet in front of them. Let the water settle and when the Cutty are just a foot or two away, give that first short strip to get their attention. I’ll use a Zonkzilla with a nymph trailer about 15 to 18 inches behind. I landed my biggest fish out there just this way, being able to hone in on the larger targets. Just be careful and remember, you’re still standing on a ladder. Pat Holden of Conconully has his Fly Fishing Rendezvous and Tyer Fair on the 13th. Fly tyers and fly fishing enthusiasts come from miles around to see some top notch tiers in hopes to learn a new tying trick or fly. There are raffles all day long for flies and an end of day raffle for trips and gear. I’ll be out there again this year doing casting tune ups, so bring out your rod and reel and let me see what your problem might be and get it fixed. There is always good BBQ and lots of great people. Some of the lakes turned back to catch & release. The Greens outside of Omak, Rat down Brewster way. Lenore and Lenice are not far away. Many of us will travel down one more time to fish Rocky Ford before the snakes come out to see about landing that 8 lb or larger bow on a small #16 to 20 emerger or dry. We have now filled our fly bins with over 500 new handpicked patterns. Many are the ones you’ve been asking about. We’re sure you’ll find your new favorite one to try out, or that one that you just don’t want to tie yourself anymore. We have lined up the new Sage, Scott, Winton, and Echo Rods for you to come try out. Replace that old rod with new technology so you can cast farther with less energy. So come on by the fly shop. Have a cup of Blue Star Coffee on us, cast a new rod or two, grab your flies and find out where the best fishing is to be had. Greg Bennett Big R Fly Shop | April 2013
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REFISHULOUSNES PER F ECT H O LI DAY BY
K A R IM R EJ EB S M IL E
MUSIC B Y
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Big R Fly Shop | April 2013
FISH Lady Luck - Pickwick Hacienda Motel - Pickwick Staged Names - Pickwick Hold On - Alabama Shakes Alabama Shakes - Always Alright Everything Went Numb - Streetlight Manifesto Burning Down the House - Talking Heads June Hymn - The Decemberists Lonely Boy - The Black Keys Kinetic - Erik Telford Sushi Pimp - Gnappy Early Cynical Mystery - Craig Pilo Deep Freeze - Albert Collins Play by Play - Aute Ne Veut Where I’m Going - Sir Sly Dissolve Me - alt-J Big R Fly Shop | April 2013
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In Anatomy of Spey, we demonstrate a specific spey configuration for a specific purpose. This month, Dustin Bise in Ponderay, ID disects his
Speydicator Setup> > > F
Airflo Speydicator 79.99
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or spey fishing with an indicator, I like a reel that is light and holds a good amount of line. A reel like a big Lamson or a Hardy Ultralight is perfect. I start off with bright yellow 30lb backing connected to the reel with a good strong knot of your choice. I use a clinch not with a double overhand backup but there are many options. After filling my reel with backing I attach the Speydicator with a loop to loop connection. The line has a welded loop, and I use a triple overhand to form the loop in my backing. The Speydicator has an integrated running line, so the next step is to connect our leader to the welded front loop with another loop to loop connection. I prefer a very heavy tapered indicator leader to my first fly, like a 10ft 0x Rio Indicator leader. The heavy butt
Big R Fly Shop | April 2013
1� Thingamabobber 4pk 3.99
section helps keep the indicator from slipping and won’t kink as bad when you change depths. At the end of my indicator leader I clinch knot to my first fly. I prefer a heavy fly here to help anchor the rig and fight against the current. Tied into the same eye, I add a section of 1x fluorocarbon that is longer the length of the fish I am targeting, so at least 3 feet for steelhead applications and 2 feet for trout. This will help from foul hooking the fish with your dropper fly or bead. Add split shot on your tapered leader about 1-2 feet up from the anchor fly to help get down quicker or in heavy currents. For shallow lies (less than 6-7 feet) I will generally use a shorter leader, like a 9ft 1x tapered leader cut down to around 5 feet.
Trout Hunter Fluorocarbon 1x 16.99
Lamson Velocity 4 359.99
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S ore about E m S n r a S e l A to t n L a W FREE C
m a 0 1 @ p o h Big R Fly S S Y A D N U S DAYS SATURin OMAK
in PONDERAY
WE COVER:
n • Fly Selectio ion • Gear Select ries e h is F l a c o L • hniques • Fishing Tec e Safety k a L d n a m a e • Str itats b a H d n a s it b • Fish Ha y (bugs) g lo o m o t n E • Basic
rmation o f in e r o m r o f p ho Contact the Fly S 0 4 8 9 2 2 4 9 in OMAK 50 7 5 7 5 5 5 2 8 0 2 in PONDERAY
e to start?
101
her t never know w u b , g in h is f fly
A R T I S T
S P O T L I G H T
JOSH TARR W e n a c h e e
V a l l e y
P H O T O G R A P H E R
I
was born in Greenville, SC yet grew up on the wet side of the mountains in what is now called Sammamish, WA. Since graduating high school in Redmond, I've lived my entire "adult" life in the Wenatchee Valley. I moved to Wenatchee to ski and take some college classes and never left. Wenatchee is my home. It has almost EVERYTHING I want (just missing a salt water beach); mountains, rivers, creeks, lakes, desert, forest, and my family. My parents, wife, son Gibson 8, and Andi 11 all live here in Wenatchee and my oldest daughter Kyrie, who just made me a 39 year old grandfather, lives in Spokane with my perfect little ball of perfection, granddaughter, 6 week old Emily Alice. My friend Sean O'Connell, a complete redfish magnet from Nola had moved to Wenathee to go to school, although I think he was here to escape the
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Teamwork: Danny Frank of Delta Trout Force and his first saltwater fish on the fly, a nice bull Dorado off the East Cape Baja, Mexico. Danny spends most of his time chasing trout in remote parts of Colorado. The 12 wt was a bit foreign. Opposite page: Two Central Washington species, Lahontan Cutthroat and hack photographer. Photo by Kevin Stull
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Baja "selfie": After shooting for a few hours in the wee hours of the night on the beach in Baja I decided to catch myself next to my favorite piece of driftwood, the sunrise color, Milky Way, Andromeda, and tiny shooting star (top center, just to the right of the MW) made the shot. I resisted the overwhelming urge to remove myself with Photoshop. pg 13
Right: An HDR of houseboats on Lake Union from Gasworks Park, a personal favorite.
law, got me interested in fly fishing. I first cast a fly rod on the Wenatchee River, a Sage rod I saved for months to buy from Bill Marts of the Blue Dun Fly Shop. I fished that starter 5wt for everything from toads at Rocky Ford, carp at Banks Lake, Lahontan Cutts at Grimes lake and tiny rainbows way up the Entiat and Icicle rivers. That, until I bought my second rod...all downhill (downstream) from there for this admittedly hopeless gear addict. I’ve fished Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Alaska, B.C., the whole NW. I think one of my favorite trips ever was with my oldest friend Kevin
Stull, where we went deep into the St. Joe for miles catching those GORGEOUS Westslope cutts. In more recent years, I've been blessed enough to travel to Costa Rica, Belize and my very favorite place in the world, the East Cape of Baja about an hour North of Cabo on the Sea of Cortez. Casting from the beach, you can catch sierra, roosterfish, ladyfish, jacks, pompano, needlefish, yellowtail, DORADO...the list goes on and on. Hell, this very morning my pal Mitch sent me a picture of a bonefish caught there!
“
One of the best things about not being a professional clicker is that I don't have to define myself. Some of my favorite subjects are landscapes, but I'm not a stickler about only shooting nature, It doesn't bother me that there's an old ratty tarp covering a faded fruit bin in a sunrise shot out my back door. I try to find beauty where you wouldn't normally look. I am a night shooter, and more often than not, if it's near a new moon and clear out, I'm somewhere at 3 am shooting the sky freezing my ass off in the darkest location I can find.
I try to find beauty where you wouldn't normally look�
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Left: Cliche old homestead picture, now with MORE Milky Way! Shot on the Waterville Plateau East of Wenatchee. (My MW pictures are shot at 15-30 seconds, at the smallest f number your lens offers, using ISO 3200-8000, using a tripod and usually with no moon in the sky. Try it!) Center: Ah, the Sea of Cortez, this is the exact same water in which you can catch trophy size Roosterfish. In this pic caught my friends Eric, Kyra and Mitch and my incredible wife Casi relaxing between casts. Right: Casa Laguna, Buenavista, B.C.S. Mexico (aka Roosterville)
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Matt "Snakebite" Jones, a triple threat, amazing pro photographer (see him at theflyphoto.com), sick fly caster, and artist on the vise. A sweaty gym sock Mullet pattern for Pezgallo. Right: We had a brutal fire season last summer in Central Washington. Nearly the entire Western edge of Wenatchee burned. This was a picture that was WAY over processed but I kept after all. A September, a surreal photo.
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I shoot a Canon 5D mark III, but am NOT a “Canon or die” guy. I almost sold the farm and switched over to Nikon a few months back after trying their amazing 14-24 wide angle zoom on my Canon, but I was too lazy to do it. To my wife's chagrin, I travel with almost all my gear, a large Pelican roller seems to do the trick. Some of my favorite shots are still taken with an iPhone. The accessibility you have with today's camera phones is second to none, and way easier to put in your pocket than a full size DSLR! The lens I use most often is a 16-35mm Canon wide angle zoom, my favorite lens is a compact 15mm fisheye, and for the next 50 days I'm going to try to take at least one picture a day with my cheapest little lens, Canon's least expensive ($100) "nifty fifty". I'm an open book, everything I've learned about shooting, I've learned from other folks. Ben Canales of TheStarTrail.com really fueled my night shooting fire with his fantastic tutorials. You can learn just about any photo trick out there by doing a simple YouTube search, the trick is to find a way to make it your own. Lightroom 4 is my main tool in post and I use Photoshop for stitching panoramas (my latest fave). I've been
“
repairing shoes since I was 16 years old and something in me just can't keep from fixing pictures. I often go back to old shots and work them over with my current tastes. I'll even grab photos from friends and work them over. Some of my favorite people to watch are all relatively local photographers, two of the most local I'm constantly inspired by are Mike Bendtsen of McGlinn's Public House (one of Wenatchee's greatest ambassadors, look him up) and my friend Frank Cone. Other clickers I watch are Ben Canales, Gary Randall, Ken Vensel and a newly found landscape astralphotographer, Aaron Groen from the midwest. It almost seems cliche now, but the best thing I've done for my photography was to learn my camera by shooting in Manual; learn how aperture, shutter speed and ISO settings affect your shot. Learn to bracket, your camera isn't perfect and neither are we, so giving yourself multiple exposure options is important, plus bracketing is a gateway to the seedy and often maligned world of HDR photography. I wish someone had told me earlier that the best HDR photos are the ones that don't look it.
Some of my favorite shots are still taken with an iPhone”
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Big R Fly Shop | April 2013
Exactly why we had such an active fire season, tons of lightning. I've been to the Midwest, I've been South, but I've never seen the amount of lightning anywhere like we did last year. This is straight up the Wenatchee River valley, Mt. Cashmere in the distance.
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Left: Casa Laguna again, just before sunrise, the lights of Los Barriles glowing in the distance. Right: Why do we always want to shoot our rods? Moonrise over a bunch of 8, 9, and 10 weights in Baja.
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CREATURE FEATURE
Telleen’s
Spring
Breaker Leech
Fred Telleen ties up his Spring Breaker Ice Out Leech. With a plummeting bead, jig hook and flat head pin combination, this fly is balanced perfectly horizontal when dropped straight down from a float tube or boat. Materials: Daiichi Jig Hook Size 6 Plummeting Tungsten Bead FL Orange Size 3.8mm Simi-Seal Canadian Olive Rusty Brown & Olive Brown Marabou Flat Head Pin
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Cam Straps 900 lb Rating
2‘ or 3‘ Cam Strap
12‘, 9‘ or 6‘ Cam Strap
by
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ON LOCATION My life and fly fishing rule #1 is, and has been affirmed by my friends Jim and Calvin Fuller, “Never leave fish to find fish”. My expectations of any new saltwater destination are not high. To the point that I believe no matter what you were told, who you heard it from, or what you googled really doesn’t mean boo about what’s going to happen when you get there. Not only that, but even if you have been there before, there are a
By Sam Wike
“it’s no use if it ain’t chartreuse pg 25
Big R Fly Shop | April 2013
lot of places for a saltwater fish to hide in the ocean, it’s not small; the fish don’t have to eat, and mother nature can certainly keep you from seeing them even if they are there. However, my newer and highly self-promoted second life/fly fishing rule is, “Never miss a possible day of fishing for any reason”. If it looks crappy outside, I have chores I “kinda” need to do, or I’m just being a lazy bum and talking myself out of it; I now revert to rule #2. Free time has become scarcer.
Made Me a Drink After, Good Tier, Knows His Schtuff, Pimp Boat}… he comes recommended by us. We only had a day on this trip so we were really banking on the weather to work with us. It really wasn’t. It was cloudy and windy, exactly what you don’t want for a day of sight fishing Redfish. It was warm though, and after a huge show season and a long winter in Montana, just ripping across the water in a flats boat was refreshing. Erik was sleepy so we thought he should go first, as his daily dose of Red Bull wasn’t doing it for him. But after 2 minutes on the stage, his first dose of Red Fish was a different story. Evidently adrenaline trumps his immune conditioning to caffeine because Erik was fired up. For good reason too, Erik’s first Redfish ate a fly called, “I know better than to give away guide secrets fly”, presented by a perfect 40 foot cast to a couple of feeding Redfish, and one strip later that Redfish violently attacked Scott’s prior
So when Erik and I realized the two of us had to travel to Orlando to attend world’s largest pet show to be sure that everyone’s bird dogs, fluffy things that sit on couches with you that they also call dogs, and other “Red Bull wasn’t doing it for critters have the latest him. But after 2 minutes on and greatest; we decid- the stage, his first dose of Red ed to find time to Fish was a different story” pursue rule #2. Thanks to our friend Denny responding to our Facebook plea for a good guide close to Orlando we were hooked up with Scott MacCalla. Scott is a lifer from Titusville, and grew up fishing Mosquito Lagoon. He worked in the former fly shop in Titusville and was a self-proclaimed shop rat. Shop rat is not a derogatory connotation to fly fishing “dudes” (or dudettes). In my mind it tells me a few things; most of the ones that fit this bill know more people who own land, therefore know more about the water, are better tiers, have a respect for local fishermen, and get people more stoked to fish than non- “shop rats”. I just want to give Scott some props here {Fishes Hard, Cool, Gets Excited, On Time, Explains Well,
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evening tying session. Erik’s first Redfish was a 10-12 pound beauty on Mosquito Lagoon. I took the pictures… don’t judge. To be honest, I really didn’t know anything about Redfish before the trip, just the little bit that you read in magazines or watch on TV. I brought some flies, which I kind of knew was pointless, and Scott quickly affirmed my thoughts, although he did tell us later that he does use a few of those but we still didn’t use a single one that day. I was up to bat now, and the clouds and wind had got way worse. We were seeing lots of Redfish but not until they were less than 10
see the front of the boat until I was slaying Hog Johnson this time. feet from the boat and mostly already spooked. I stood up My time did come. Not quite as big but a good fight. I can’t there a long time, and Erik was sitting behind me in all his believe the power of these fish. Erik and I landed 7 fish (Erik 4 vs glory as it was looking like he may have snuck away with the Sam 3), farmed at least 3 others, and had consistent shots most of prize of the day. I stood in the front, so long in fact that I startthe day. Had we had 5 mph less wind and a bit more sun I think the ed to feel bad for him and gave him back the thrown. Of fish count would have been greater but it really doesn’t matter course, about 5 minutes later Erik was angling another big Red because we were high enough on ourselves by the time Scott poled Fish about the same size as his first. I was still taking pictures the final flat. The final flat was the same flat we poled most of the but being a lot less polite this time. I assured him he would not pg 27
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day after Scott literally quoted word for word Rule #1, which made me think, “All of the best fly fishing people I know keep quoting the same rule…hmm”. Erik had a fish take him way out in to his backing, and after my dry spell in the morning and a hearty lunch of M&M’s and a bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos, Erik and I pretty much just took turns setting the hook. I had one fish eat with about half my leader out the end of my rod tip, and had I known that when they are that close you can literally just set the hook like Jimmy Houston. I probably would have had the day’s equalizer. The sun came out in the afternoon, further justifying Rule #2, and leaving behind hardcore Costa the Raccoon tan lines.
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M A N D I T O R Y
M A I N T E N A N C E
CleaninG Your Waders
By Matt Gutzmann
Most breathable waders are sprayed with a durable water repellant (DWR) coating at the factory. This coating helps bead and wick water away from the fabric which keeps the waders lighter, from not being waterlogged, and keeps them breathable. DWR coatings eventually begin to wear down due to dirt, grime and regular use. You should use these steps at least once per season to safely clean and renew the DWR coating on you waders. Always check and follow the care label on your waders before you begin anything. Avoid using a washing machine or dryer as the moving parts may damage the neoprene boots and suspenders. Step 1 • WASH YOUR WADERS Fill a bathtub or large sink with cool water and Nikwax Tech Wash. Hand scrub waders thoroughly or use a soft brush if your waders are particularly soiled. Then rinse your waders with fresh cool water. Do not let your waders dry completely.
r fully Read label ca e
Step 2 • REAPPLY DWR COATING With your waders still damp, but not dripping, liberally coat the entire exterior of the waders with McNett Revivex spray-on water repellent. This new coat will not cure if they air dry, you must complete the next step. Step 3 • CURING THE COATING With the waders still damp and completely sprayed, take a hair dryer with high heat and blow dry the waders dry. With the blow dryer about 6” away from the waders, keep the dryer moving as you don’t want to melt the breathable/waterproof membrane in the fabric. Continue this until the waders are completely dry. Step 4 • Go Fishing You’ll catch more fish with your clean waders… Guaranteed. Revivex Spray-On Water Repellent 7.99
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Nikwax Tech Wash 8.99
ellent not so water rep
BEFORE - SOAKED
AFTER - LO OK AT THAT H22O BE AD...go od as new!
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I N T E R V I E W For over 30 years, Craig Mathews has been giving back to the sport he cherishes, and his efforts have not gone unnoticed. Fred Telleen from the Great Falls Fly Shop talks with a true
Champion PlanetW for the
Interview by Fred Telleen
est Yellowstone, Montana 1979, Craig Mathews is laying down the law, literally. He was the police chief and his wife Jackie was the dispatcher. A year later, he founded Blue Ribbon Flies where he employed handicapped fly tiers and soon began filling orders for major retail outlets. In 1982 Craig retired from police work and Blue Ribbon Flies opened up their first full-line retail store. Craig has authored dozens of articles for major fly fishing publications on Yellowstone fly fishing, fishing for Bonefish and Permit, fly patterns, and more. He has authored and co-author six important books on fly-fishing: Fly Patterns of Yellowstone (1986), Fishing Yellowstone Hatches (1992), The Yellowstone Fly-Fishing Guide (1997), Western Fly-Fishing Strategies (1998), Fly Fishing the Madison River in 2001 and Volume 2 of Fly Patterns of Yellowstone in (2008). Craig has also produced Telly Award winning DVD's like Fishing Yellowstone Hatches, Tying Yellowstone Fly Patterns, Bonefishing the Flats, and Fly Fishing the Madison. He has developed several famous fly patterns like the Sparkle Dun, X-Caddis and Iris Caddis, Nature Stone Nymphs, Pops Bonefish Bitters, TDF Shrimp, Turneffe Crab, and many others. NBC's Tom Brokaw says, "Craig Mathews is a
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master fly-fisher, and his knowledge of Yellowstone is matchless." Craig and Jackie serve on boards of directors of The Montana Nature Conservancy, The Montana Trout Foundation, The Madison-Gallatin Wild Trout Foundation, 1% for the Planet, The Yellowstone Park Foundation, and Trout Unlimited's Stewardship Directors Council. Craig and Jackie and their Blue Ribbon Flies have been awarded many conservation and environmental awards. These awards include The Nature Conservancy's coveted Business Conservation Award for their work in protecting and preserving wild trout habitat. In 1997 they were presented the most prestigious award given by national parks: The Protector of Yellowstone National Park Award. This seldom given honor was presented by Yellowstone National Park in recognition of their work to "preserve and protect Yellowstone for
Big R Fly Shop | April 2013
all future generations". In 2000 The Greater Yellowstone Coalition presented them with their highest honor as "the business giving the most to preserve and protect the greater Yellowstone ecosystem for the future". In 2002 The State of Montana presented Craig and Jackie with a special award for their efforts "to preserve and protect, and keep open to the public over a mile of the Madison River. In 2003 The Federation of Fly-Fishers presented Craig and Jackie and Blue Ribbon Flies with the Lee Wulff Award for their conservation and environmental work. Trout Unlimited presented its conservation of the year award to the Mathews in 2007. And in 2008, the Madison River Foundation presented them with its Stewardship Award for their on-going work to protect and preserve Montana's famous Madison River. In 2001, Craig and Yvon Chouinard of Patagonia founded 1% for the Planet. Member companies donate at least 1% of their gross sales to environmental and conservation causes; like an earth tax for doing business. By 2009, the program hit 1000 members and in that year alone, $15 million went toward sustainability. Craig and Jackie are committed to preserving and protecting wild trout, wild trout habitat, and wild places for all future generations. Fast forward to 2013 and Craig is a much sought after speaker and fly fishing personality. Craig was the featured presenter at our February Missouri River Fly Fishers Club meeting. I got a chance to chat informally with Craig and some other fishy folks at the world famous Sip & Dip after the meeting. I tried not to dominate the conversation, but I had some questions for Craig. Fred: “How did you meet and get involved with Yvon Chouinard?” Craig: “We met in our shop and became instant friends.” Craig went on to explain: I was in the middle of helping customers, answering the phone and organizing guides. It was a typical busy day in the fly shop. I see this guy looking me over. Finally, when things cleared out, he came up to me and said, “Why don’t you carry Patagonia waders?” Craig said that he wanted to, but the rep was not returning his calls.
“Well I own Patagonia,” says Yvon and you look like you have a hard working fly shop. I will get you Patagonia. Fred: “How did you get started with Tenkara?” Craig: “Yvon brought a Tenakra rod when we fished together about 6 years ago and I became an instant fan of how simple, efficient and effective a fishing tool it is.” Fred: “Do you think Tenkara is going to continue growing in the US?” Craig: “Yes, it brings youngsters and beginners into our sport.” Craig went on to explain that Tenkara rods are particularly good for teaching children how to fly fish. Without the complication of the reel and line, it is easy to focus on a perfect drift.” Fred: “What was your largest fish landed on Tenkara?” Craig: “A 24” brown and a cutthroat of the same size.” Fred: I was a big incredulous and asked, “How did you manage that?” Craig went on to explain the secret to landing big fish with Tenkara. “When the fish run, just let go of the rod.” They tow it around for awhile and then you can go out and retrieve it. I was immediately thinking of Eddy in “The River Why”. Now I understand. I’m going to have to try that from my drift boat. Fred: “How has 1% for the planet changed your life?” Craig: “Continually reinforces our idea (Yvon and Craig) that when your business makes a living using a precious public resources, whether it be Yellowstone Park or Montana Rivers, that business must give back more. 1% is an investment in our own as well as our kids and grandkids future on our rivers, in our wild places and a healthy environment.” Craig also went on to say that since Blue Ribbon Flies began 1%, his sales have dramatically increased. It seems that fly anglers often make informed buying choices. It is a great testament to a novel idea and unique business model. Giving back can actually
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create a stronger business and the cycle sustains itself. The 1% program allows its members to earmark where their money ultimately goes, so it is a win, win. Fred: “What is your favorite fly pattern that you tie?” Craig: “Sparkle duns that we came out with in 1983.” Craig gave a great fly tying demo and provided the pattern’s background to our club. There is more going on with this fly than an initial look might perceive. Craig explains the proper selection of the deer hair, how to tie it in to maintain the correct profile and the power of zelon.
From the 1% For the Planet website Not long ago, a mountain climber and a fisherman realized they had a lot more in common than a disdain for wearing a suit to work. Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, owner of Blue Ribbon Flies, were also passionate environmentalists that happened to be running successful businesses. More important, they understood it was good business to protect the natural resources that kept them in business. 2001: Based on their own business models, the two men hatch a plan to encourage businesses to donate 1% of sales to environmental groups. Yvon calls it an "Earth Tax." Craig calls it 1% for the Planet. They go with Craig's idea.
Fred: “If you could fish anywhere tomorrow, where would you go?” Craig: “The Firehole River in Yellowstone National Park and the Madison River near my home in the Madison Valley.” Fred: “I’d call that a pretty good backyard!” Thanks for coming up to Great Falls, Craig. It was a pleasure to meet you. To learn more about Craig Mathews' products, flies and guide services, visit www.BlueRibbonFlies.com.
2002: 1% FTP holds an official launch event at the Patagonia store in San Francisco, California. Twenty-one businesses, including a winery, a coffee company and a guide service sign up as members. Not bad for the first day. 2003: A second launch event takes place at the Fly Fishing Retailer show in Denver, Colorado, engaging an industry that understands the connection between business and the environment like few others. Several more members are, um, reeled in. To learn more about the movement visit
http://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org pg 33
Photo by Josh Tarr Big R Fly Shop | April 2013
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Photo by Josh Tarr
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