With your help we have made a huge difference in protecting and preserving miles of wild trout habitat and enhancing the fishery in Yellowstone National Park .

Now, more than ever before, wild trout and wild places need our help . With ever shrinking federal budgets it is up to those of us that make a living because of a healthy environment to step up to the plate and join, volunteer, and support financially nonprofit, grassroots organizations who’s missions include protecting wild trout and wild places. It is also up to all who love wild trout and wild places to do the same; that means all of us.

We can make a difference by becoming more active in issues and projects that protect the Yellowstone ecosystem. All fly fishers have an infectious passion about the very issues they support. Here these issues include clean air and water, and protecting wild trout and a healthy habitat for trout and the abundant wildlife we appreciate. As anglers we have been thrust to the front lines in the fight to protect, preserve, and enhance the rivers, lakes, and streams and the wild fish that inhabit them. When you read the newspapers or watch the nightly news you can see that all the gains we are making are being done by organizations like The Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Montana Trout Unlimited, Montana Trout Foundation, The Whirling Disease Foundation, The Yellowstone Park Foundation, Henry’s Fork Foundation, and The Montana Nature Conservancy and other groups that sometimes have to force politicians and corporations to take steps in the right direction.

In the U.S. there are over 30,000 nonprofit groups addressing issues like water conservation, wilderness protection, climate change, and protecting and preserving Yellowstone . These small organizations have mostly arisen independently without any common institutional framework, a true statement of the extent of our environmental crisis. Most of these groups work long hours with minimal resources and hang on to their existence by a thin thread depending on small donations to keep up their important work. That’s where we all come in by joining up, volunteering, and supporting these groups financially.

 

Blue Ribbon Flies has been honored with several conservation awards : The Nature Conservancy’s Award or a business doing the most to protect wild trout habitat. Yellowstone National Park ’s “ Protector of Yellowstone ”, this seldom presented honor is given to a business helping to protect, preserve, and enhance Yellowstone Park ’s wildlife and other wonders. The Greater Yellowstone Coalition’s award for our contribution to “the enhancement and preservation of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.” The State of Montana’s Award for our ongoing efforts to help preserve the Madison River ’s wild trout and wild trout habitat for future generations. The Federation of Fly Fishers’ Lee Wulff Award for our work on conservation and environmental projects in Yellowstone . And finally, as this catalogue goes to press, we were notified of winning “The Angler of the Year Award” presented by Fly Rod and Reel magazine after a nomination by Nick Lyons for efforts in conservation, fly tying, and furthering the sport of fly fishing. We are very proud of these awards and will continue to work even harder to protect and preserve what we all love.

We are now in the process of putting together land acquisition projects along the Madison River in places you fish. We want to ensure that these lands remain open for angling, and the wild trout and other wildlife habitat will be forever protected. Stay tuned, we will need your help on this one soon.

We encourage your support of the organizations listed on the next page.

 

We are an eclectic group of passionate fishing bums. Our fishing passions have always overflowed to include the environs in which we spend so much of our lives. Spending as much time as we do immersed in the country that surrounds us, you can not help but develop a deep concern for its health and sustainability. This concern fuels an ongoing desire to protect and preserve the places in which we live and work. We are lucky to have such a wild place to call home, and we are constantly working to protect it.     

That being said, there has always been a feeling that more could be done. It was this feeling that led Craig and Jackie in 1997 to begin self-taxing Blue Ribbon Flies 2% of our gross sales annually and donating these funds to local conservation groups like the Yellowstone Park Foundation. In the years that followed, we learned that we were not alone in this crusade. Yvon Chouinard of Patagonia had been practicing the same ethic with his company for years.

After several brainstorming sessions, Craig and Yvon formed a new grass roots movement in the shape of a club for environmentally conscious businesses. Businesses which exist because of our natural resources, and pledge 1% of their gross sales annually to financially support the protection of these resources. The 1% for the Planet Club was formed in 2001, with Blue Ribbon Flies and Patagonia as its first members. To date, there are more than sixty members nationwide.

As a business and as consumers, we make choices. Our challenge as a business is to bring our customers the highest quality merchandise, while at the same time trying to uphold an ethic of environmental consciousness. As consumers your challenge is to support businesses that not only enhance the sport you love, but protect and preserve the resource we all use.

For years, Patagonia has been the perfect choice for both businesses and consumers. Their products are unmatched in quality and design. Their business ethic does more to protect our wild places than any other company that we know of.

This year, Patagonia has a new fishing line that is full of exciting products. We feel that this is the finest assortment of gear available to today’s fly fishers. Whether we are chasing trout in Yellowstone Country or Permit in Belize , all of us at BRF live in head to toe Patagonia gear.

 

By now you all know that this important conservation project on the Madison River is completed! It will be forever protected and open to fishing. Please help future projects and continued upkeep such as fencing and litter control by putting your $3.00 fee in the safe, just like the old days.

We were honored to receive a plaque with $3.00 Bridge and the safe in the background with a rainbow arching overhead, over the river. The award says: "Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks on behalf of Montana Sportsmen and women thank you for your dedication and efforts to acquire the $3.00 Bridge fishing access site into public ownership and thereby ensure the public's continued enjoyment of the beautiful Madison River...August 2002".

This award goes to all of you who supported this project. Thank You all for stepping up to the plate! Check out your award hanging near the door in Blue Ribbon next time you are in.

 
On August 25, 1997 at the 125th anniversary celebration of Yellowstone National Park, Blue Ribbon Flies was recognized as a Protector of Yellowstone Park. This high honor is given "In Recognition of Our Efforts to Preserve Yellowstone for Future Generations." The award was presented to us by Yellowstone Park's Superintendent Michael Finley. You may recall, in 1993 we were presented The Nature Conservancy's business award for our efforts in preserving wild trout habitat and being the business leader in Montana in keeping Montana the last best place. Blue Ribbon Flies stands alone as the First, and only area business to win either of these awards, let alone both. From all of us, "Thank You" for your encouragement, support, and response. Because of you, our stewardship to Yellowstone Park will only grow stronger!