Anglers and conservationists Yvon Chouinard and Craig Mathews are scheduled to discuss and sign their new book, “Pheasant Tail Simplicity: Recipes and Techniques for Successful Fly Fishing,” at Montana State University on Wednesday, October 8. The event will take place at 7 p.m. in Norm Asbjornson Hall Room 165 on the MSU campus. It is free and open to the public, but seating is limited and RSVPs are encouraged.
The gathering is co-hosted by Patagonia and the MSU Library as part of the library’s Trout and Salmonid Initiative. This initiative aims to educate the public about angling, environmental issues, water policy, and public access. According to MSU Library Dean Doralyn Rossmann, both Chouinard and Mathews have been closely involved with supporting this program.
Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia and a long-time advocate for conservation efforts, reflected on his early experiences with fishing: “When I was 7 living in Maine, my brother caught a pickerel when I wasn’t looking and put it on my line and made me believe I caught it. When you catch your first fish, the fish catches you.”
Discussing his connection to Montana’s rivers, Chouinard said: “I’ve been fishing in Wyoming and Montana for 70 years. When the rivers are out with runoff in Wyoming, I go up to the fishable areas in Montana. I’ve fished all over the state. Patagonia used to have its customer service center here in Bozeman, and one of our most successful retail stores is in Dillon, where I fished the Beaverhead a lot.”
On the topic of his new book’s premise—that anglers do not need thousands of fly patterns—Chouinard shared insights from his own experience: “I actually spent a year fishing with only one type of fly, the pheasant and partridge soft hackle. I caught bonefish, steelhead, salmon and trout in numbers that were the same as always. This proved to me that it’s not the gear, it’s what you do with it. Perfection is achieved through simplicity and putting in 10,000 hours of effort.”
Chouinard also addressed his views on capitalism: “The extractive model of capitalism is what got us into this mess in the first place. Using up non-renewable resources in a consumer/discard business model leads to a dead end. That’s why the lifespan of the average American corporation is now 18 years. It used to be 40 years in 1970.”
Regarding his work with Craig Mathews on founding 1% for the Planet—a network that brings together businesses and environmental organizations—Chouinard stated: “I don’t look at the 1% giving we do as ‘philanthropy.’ It’s the cost of doing business. No matter how responsible we try to be as a business we are still polluters, still using non-renewable resources. It’s our way of doing penance.”
For those interested in pursuing either angling or business ventures, Chouinard advised: “Focusing on simplicity and quality leads to success in both fishing and business. We’ve lost our way as a society with thousands of junk products, marketing that says we’re not good enough without the latest gadget and a throwaway mentality that is trashing the planet. If we want clean waters to fish and a healthy ecosystem in which to run a business, we have to prioritize the health of the planet.”
Addressing graduating students from MSU about their responsibilities toward future generations, he said: “This is the generation that must save our planet. It is more important now than ever before, and they know it. If you believe that climate change is happening and you choose not to do anything about it, then you really don’t believe that climate change is happening.”
