Tom Sadler | Page 78 | The Middle River Group, LLC

Worth the Read: 20 ?’s with Craig Mathews on Eat More Brook Trout blog

September 18, 2011 By Tom Sadler

My good friend Chris Hunt who blogs at Eat More Brook Trout has started interviewing some fly fishing notables. Last week he interviewed another good friend, Craig Mathews.

Chris writes:

“In addition to being one of the country’s fly fishing elite, Craig is a staunch conservationist who, over the years, has been able to speak truth to power in a way that is constructive and helpful. And he puts his money where his mouth is–in partnership with Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia, Craig helped start the “1% for the Planet” program, where businesses and industry could earmark 1 percent of their profits to conservation-centric the non-profits of their choice.”

Click here to read the entire interview: Eat More Brook Trout: 20 Questions: Craig Mathews.

Craig is responsible for my getting me started on tenkara and it was a treat to spend some time with him at the tenkara summit last month.

He also shares a very special place in the Sadler household having officiated at our wedding 5 years ago.

Craig, Beth and Tom at $3 Bridge 08/09/06

Tenkara Fishing out West: $3 bridge, Yellowstone NP and Flat Creek

September 13, 2011 By Tom Sadler

After the tenkara summit in West Yellowstone, MRS and I took off for Wyoming and some tenkara fishing in the Jackson Hole area.

Before we left West we made a trip to the Madison River and some fishing at $3 Bridge.

tenkara at $3 — tenkara in the shadow of $3 bridge

Five years ago Beth and I go married at this spot and we were excited to be back.

5 years later — we stood right here 5 years ago

We worked our way down through Yellowstone National Park, fishing as we went. Ok I fished, Beth took pictures…

We wound up in Hoback, WY. for a couple of nights with the Rivers of Recovery crew. BTW: If you don’t know about RoR then click here and check it out.

Be sure to watch the two videos, start with the one on the right. If you are unmoved by them, check your pulse.

We made a foray to the headwaters of Flat Creek. It was a spectacular 4×4 drive into the backcountry.

The chance to visit the headwaters of Flat Creek and to do it in the company of good friends made the trip special.

That they have served our country with honor and distinction makes me proud to be in their company.

As they say the road goes on forever and the party never ends.

Stay tuned for more pictures in episode two. Coming soon.

Defenders

September 11, 2011 By Tom Sadler

Anyone living that morning ten years ago watched their world change forever. Some didn’t make it out alive. Many have changed and been lost in these last ten years.

The call went out that morning and was answered by many brave men and women. Some didn’t make it out alive. Many have changed and been lost in these last ten years.

Some who answered the call that day and in the following ten years have been defending you and me. Some didn’t make it out alive. Many have changed and been lost in these last ten years.

When some who answered the call that day and in the following ten years defending you and me return they are changed. They deserve our thanks. They deserve our help. They need to be part of our community again.

As you reflect on that day and the intervening ten years, take a moment to reflect and remember those who went forth to defend our country and the price they pay.

Not sure what that means?

Watch this:

Veterans and Suicide – We Must Overcome

Leave a comment if you would like to learn how to help.

Keep the faith. Aho.

Why we fish: Tom McGuane

September 10, 2011 By Tom Sadler

“We have reached the time in the life of the planet and humanities demands upon it when every fisherman will have to be a river keeper, a steward of marine shallows and a watchman on the high seas. We are beyond having to put back what we have taken out. We must put back more than we take out. We must make holy war on the enemies of aquatic life as we have gillnetters, polluters and drainers of wetlands. Otherwise, as you have already learned, these creatures will continue to disappear at an alarming rate. We will lose as much as we have already lost already and there will be next to nothing, remnant populations, put-and-take, dim bulbs following the tank truck.” –Tom McGuane writing in the Some Remarks section of his outstanding book The Longest Silence.

Conservation Funding Cuts Continue

September 9, 2011 By Tom Sadler

The National Wildlife Federation has this report on the continued destruction of conservation funding by Congress, this time in the Senate Appropriations committee: Roadkill: Lawmakers Throw Wildlife Under the Bus – National Wildlife Federation.

Tenkara Summit

September 9, 2011 By Tom Sadler

Last month I traveled to West Yellowstone, MT for the first Tenkara Summit. More than 100 hundred people showed up to hear presentations, talk tenkara and see an on-stream demonstration.

Here is part of the write up by Daniel Galhardo on the Tenkara USA blog:

Originally we had expected, optimistically, that about 70 people would show up. The conference room was setup to accomodate 100 people, but that was not enough. Over 100 people showed up yesterday. People came from 23 different states, and from 3 different countries specially for the Summit (well, they did come to fish in Montana…). I’d really like to thank all those who came and helped make this an extraordinary event; it was the best crowd ever. Thank you!

The Tenkara Summit had the presence of special guests Dr. Hisao Ishigaki, the leading authority on tenkara in Japan; Chris Stewart of tenkarabum.com; Craig Mathews of Blue Ribbon Flies who gave a very passionate presentation about tenkara in Montana and showed some great clips of large fishing being caught; Ryan Jordan of backpackinglight.com as well as ryanjordan.com; and Tom Sadler who spoke about the advantages of using tenkara as a guide and as a way to introduce new people to fly-fishing so they can continue conserving the environment in the future.

Dr. Ishigaki is known as the “Tenkara King” in Japan. His presentation was a wonderful insight into the world of tenkara. He is a warm and charming story teller lacing his presentation with witty anecdotes of his tenkara exploits.

Chris Stewart, Daniel Galhardo and Dr. Ishigaki, share a panel discussion.

It was a special honor to part of the summit and to learn from fellow tenkara enthusiasts!

One personal highlight was to have lunch with Craig Mathews and Yvon Chouinard. Those two were the reason I got started with tenkara so it was a special treat to spend time with them both at the summit.

Dr. Ishigaki showed his tenkara chops during an on-stream demonstration.

Watching Japan’s Tenkara King put a tenkara rod through it’s paces was fascinating. It was also reassuring to see that my on tenkara technique was not so bad.

tenkara, conservation, communications, politics