The Sustainable Angler

In this episode of The Sustainable Angler, I sit down with Scotty Davis from the American Saltwater Guides Association to discuss critical changes looming over our redfish fishery. South Carolina and Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources is considering lowering the Spawning Potential Ratio (SPR) for redfish from 40% to 30%—a move that would forever compromise the health and recovery of this iconic species.

Scotty explains what’s...

In this episode of The Sustainable Angler, I sit down with National Geographic photographer, and TED speaker, and Executive Director of Naturaland Trust, Mac Stone to talk about the power of imagery in protecting wild places. Mac and I go back to 2008, when we first met working at the A Bar A Ranch in Wyoming, and we trace his journey from field biologist in the Everglades and Francis Beidler National to globally recognized storyte...

In this episode of The Sustainable Angler, host Rick Crawford welcomes Dr. Susan Johnson, founder of Nature at Work, a statewide initiative in South Carolina dedicated to connecting healthier people with healthier places through nature. Rick and Susan explore the healing power of the outdoors—from kayaking the Lowcountry’s salt marshes to research showing how hospital patient outcomes improve when they have views of nature.

Together...

In this episode of The Sustainable Angler, I sit down with Dylan Coates and Stephen Vaughan from Hobie Eyewear to talk about one of the most innovative sustainability stories in the fishing industry.

Hobie Eyewear is transforming waste into value by upcycling leftover plastic from Hobie kayak manufacturing into their best-selling Hobie Hull sunglasses. The process is simple but brilliant: grind down kayak manufacturing scraps into p...

In this episode of The Sustainable Angler, I sit down with New York Times Best-Selling writer Monte Burke, author of Lords of the Fly and his latest book, Rivers Always Reach the Sea. Monte shares unforgettable stories of fishing with icons like Captain Steve Huff, Lefty Kreh, Andy Mill, and Yvon Chouinard, while reflecting on the deep connection between storytelling, fly fishing, and conservation.

We talk Atlantic Salmon, wild adve...

In this episode of The Sustainable Angler, host Rick Crawford sits down with Ali Wines, founder of Uncommon Ground Communications and former Executive Director of Protect Our Winters Canada, to explore the critical role of storytelling in sustainability and climate communications.

Ali shares her inspiring journey from practicing law to becoming a leading voice in climate action and communications. We discuss how authentic, transpare...

In this special episode of The Sustainable Angler, I sit down with filmmaker, fisheries biologist, and master storyteller Josh “Bones” Murphy. You might recognize his powerful work in Artifishal, Purple Mountains, and The Scale of Hope—films that challenge the status quo and advocate for a deeper connection between people and planet.

We explore how stories help us make sense of the world, Josh’s evolution as a filmmaker at Liars and...

In this special bonus episode of The Sustainable Angler, host Rick Crawford is joined by James Pollack, attorney at Marten Law, to unpack the rapidly evolving world of sustainability regulations. From PFAS restrictions and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws to SEC and California's climate-related disclosures and the crackdown on green marketing claims, this episode offers a high-level overview of the regulatory forces...

In Part 4 of The Rise of Sustainability Regulations series, host Rick Crawford sits down with environmental lawyer James Pollack of Marten Law to explore one of the most high-stakes topics in sustainability today: green marketing claims.

With regulators, retailers, and consumers cracking down on greenwashing, how can brands in the fishing and outdoor industries talk about their sustainability efforts without getting into legal troub...

In this episode of The Sustainable Angler, we continue our Rise of Sustainability Regulations series with a timely conversation on climate-related disclosures featuring James Pollack, environmental attorney at Marten Law.

With new regulations like the SEC’s climate disclosure rule and California’s SB 253, SB 261, and AB 1305 taking effect, brands in the fishing and outdoor industries are under growing pressure to measure and report ...

In Part 2 of our special series The Rise of Sustainability Regulations, host Rick Crawford is joined by environmental attorney James Pollack of Marten Law to unpack one of the most important—and misunderstood—emerging policies in the outdoor industry: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Packaging and Textiles.

With states like California, Oregon, Maine, and Colorado rolling out EPR for Packaging laws, fishing and outdoor bran...

Welcome to a special 4-part series of The Sustainable Angler, where we tackle the most pressing sustainability regulations shaping the fishing and outdoor industries.

Over the next four weeks, I’ll be joined by James Pollack, environmental and regulatory lawyer at Marten Law, to unpack what brands need to know about PFAS (forever chemicals), Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), and climate regulations.

At Emerger Strategies, I hel...

In this powerful episode of The Sustainable Angler, we're diving deep into a topic close to my heart: America’s public lands. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to spend countless days camping, hiking, and fly fishing on these wild, beautiful landscapes. Public lands connect us with nature, fuel our $1.2 trillion outdoor recreation economy, and offer a spiritual refuge that’s becoming increasingly rare. But right now, they’re unde...

Hilton shares his extraordinary journey from political operative to documentary filmmaker after surviving cancer twice and receiving a life-changing stem cell transplant that he calls his "rebirth." This profound reset led him to abandon the pursuit of power for the authentic storytelling that now defines his award-winning films like "Tension" and "Father Nature."

Meanwhile, Paul reveals how h...