What if the lure you tie on could catch fish and leave nothing harmful behind ? On this episode of The Sustainable Angler, host Rick Crawford, founder of Emerger Strategies, a sustainability consulting firm serving fishing and outdoor brands sits down with Jonas Urwyler, angler and co-founder of Capt. Greenfin, a Swiss company challenging the fishing industry to rethink lures, hooks, jigs, and more. Their mission is to develop baits that catch reliably while leaving no plastic or other pollutants in the water.

Jonas and I dig into their sustainability innovation journey, including:

• Developing plastic-free, biodegradable, protein-based lures made with natural, non-toxic ingredients like garlic and amino acids
• The successes and failures of testing ingredients for their lures
• Their lead-free weights and jigs
• Efforts to source more sustainable packaging, including Cradle to Cradle certified options
• What gives Jonas hope about the future of the fishing industry

This was a really fun interview. Jonas shares an honest look at what it takes to change an industry for good, and why anglers, brands, and retailers all have a role to play.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to The Sustainable Angler, leave a review, and share it with a fishing buddy who cares about clean water.

Learn more about Capt. Greenfin: https://www.captngreenfin.com/en

Sponsors:

This episode is brought you by: Emerger Strategies, and A New Earth Project, the sustainability initiative of Atlantic Packaging.

🎣 Like what you heard?

Subscribe to The Sustainable Angler wherever you get your podcasts and leave a review to help us grow the conversation around sustainable business in the fishing and outdoor industries.

For more resources, or to learn how Emerger Strategies can help your brand turn sustainability into a competitive advantage by making it simple, strategic, and profitable, visit www.emergerstrategies.com.

Follow us on Instagram @emergerstrategies and @thesustainableangler and stay tuned for more insights from leaders at the intersection of conservation, business, and the outdoors.

On this episode of The Sustainable Angler, host Rick Crawford, founder of Emerger Strategies, a sustainability consulting firm serving fishing and outdoor brands sits down with Lucas Bissett, fly fishing guide, conservationist, and Executive Director of the American Fly Fishing Trade Association (AFFTA), joins us to unpack how the organization is moving the fly fishing industry forward through community, advocacy, and education.

We talk about AFFTA Confluence, the industry's upcoming gathering in Salt Lake City, and how events like it build connection across the trade. Lucas breaks down AFFTA's advocacy work on pressing issues like tariffs, and the range of education AFFTA offers through in-person events, webinars, and more.

We also dig into Save Public Lands, a new sign-on letter aiming to collect one million signatures by September 26 with a clear message to politicians, billionaires, and corporations: hands off our public lands. Finally, we discuss how climate change is reshaping the fly fishing industry and how the AFFTA Sustainability Toolkit gives businesses practical tools to measure and improve their sustainability performance.

Adocacy: Sign the Save Public Lands Letter

Education: Register for the AFFTA x 1% for the Planet webinar

Community: Register for AFFTA Confluence

Whether you're an angler, a guide, or run a fly fishing business, this episode connects the dots between advocacy, education, and sustainability in the sport we love.

🎣 Like what you heard?

Subscribe to The Sustainable Angler wherever you get your podcasts and leave a review to help us grow the conversation around sustainable business in the fishing and outdoor industries.

For more resources, or to learn how Emerger Strategies can help your brand turn sustainability into a competitive advantage by making it simple, strategic, and profitable, visit www.emergerstrategies.com.

Follow us on Instagram @emergerstrategies and @thesustainableangler and stay tuned for more insights from leaders at the intersection of conservation, business, and the outdoors.

Can a fly shop actually make sustainability pay for itself? On this episode of The Sustainable Angler, host Rick Crawford founder of Emerger Strategies, a sustainability consulting firm serving fishing and outdoor brands sits down with Chris Keeley, angler, conservationist, and owner of Angler's All fly shop in Colorado, to find out.

Chris shares how Angler's All is turning environmental responsibility into a genuine business advantage — cutting energy, water, and waste costs through solar panels, EV charging stations, composting, and native landscaping. He also breaks down how the shop curates its brand lineup around companies that put their money where their mouth is, prioritizing B Corps and 1% for the Planet members on the shelf.

Beyond the bottom line, Chris opens up about why conservation and giving back are core to how Angler's All operates, and closes with practical, actionable advice for any shop owner ready to start their own sustainability journey — no matter the budget or size.

Whether you run a fly shop, work in the outdoor industry, or just want to see conservation-minded business done right, this conversation is packed with real-world takeaways.

Sponsors:

This episode is brought you by: Emerger Strategies, and A New Earth Project, the sustainability initiative of Atlantic Packaging.

🎣 Like what you heard?

Subscribe to The Sustainable Angler wherever you get your podcasts and leave a review to help us grow the conversation around sustainable business in the fishing and outdoor industries.

For more resources, or to learn how Emerger Strategies can help your brand turn sustainability into a competitive advantage by making it simple, strategic, and profitable, visit www.emergerstrategies.com.

Follow us on Instagram @emergerstrategies and @thesustainableangler and stay tuned for more insights from leaders at the intersection of conservation, business, and the outdoors.