As fly anglers we are failing at caring for our environment. Although fly-fishing is supposed to bring us closer to our environment and open our eyes to our impacts on it, we continue consuming a mind-boggling amount of plastic and taking actions that are not aligned with our conservation ethos. 80,000 tonnes of plastic are estimated to have gathered at the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (the largest, but 1 of 5 areas in the planet's oceans where most garbage accumulates), source: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-43490235 This plastic all starts somewhere, and we need to drastically reduce our consumption of it. In this episode we'd like to make a plea for the community of fly-anglers to be more conscious about our impact on the environment. There are some super simple and immediate steps everyone can take that will help: - Use reusable water bottles! Whether at events or fishing outings, have large jugs of water and refill your bottle/cup. The "convenience" of disposable water bottles isn't worth it. - Choose reusable or at least compostable/ paper products rather than plastic/styofoam for your events and trips. - Don't leave your car idling because you need a few extra minutes of air conditioning or to charge your phone (I have seen both of these) - Don't use the straw your server left on the table! Trust me, your cup won't kill you.... This list is just a few things we could start doing immediately...they won't really inconvenience you much and are easy to do. I'd love it if you shared your thoughts with people organizing events that you know, your fishing guide, or just be aware of your own habits. We can all do much better!