Mountain & Prairie with Ed Roberson Yvon Chouinard – The Perpetual Pursuit of Simplicity
Yvon Chouinard needs no introduction. The founder of Patagonia, pioneer of clean climbing, co-founder of 1% for the Planet, and lifelong advocate for simplicity and wildness, he's one of the world's most influential environmental leaders. Now in his mid-80s, Yvon continues to live, work, and fish by the same principles that have guided him since his dirtbag climbing days: live simply, take responsibility for your impact, and keep finding meaning through deep, direct engagement with nature.
His newest book, "Pheasant Tail Simplicity: Recipes and Techniques for Successful Fly Fishing," distills those philosophies into one of his lifelong passions—fly fishing. Co-authored with his longtime fishing buddies Craig Mathews and Mauro Mazzo, Pheasant Tail Simplicity begins as a guide to tying and fishing with only pheasant-tail flies, and becomes a case study in creativity, restraint, and how simplifying our pursuits can reconnect us to what really matters. You don't have to be a hardcore angler to glean important lessons from the book—its insights can be applied to almost any part of life.
In this conversation, Yvon and I start out talking about fly fishing, of course—but we quickly veer into broader terrain: how constraints can become a path to freedom, how business can be a demonstration of ethics, and how pessimism can serve as a productive form of realism. He shares a ton of amazing stories—learning to fish with a tenkara master in Italy, teaching Crow Reservation children to fly fish, founding 1% for the Planet, why rebellious personalities make the best entrepreneurs, his love of regenerative agriculture, and why he still believes that action—no matter how small—is the cure for depression. It's a wide-ranging, funny, and wise discussion with someone who's spent a lifetime proving that the process is far more important than the outcome.
During our conversation, you'll hear us reference several of Patagonia's pioneers—Kris Tompkins, Rick Ridgeway, and Vincent Stanley—all of whom I've interviewed here on Mountain & Prairie. If you'd like to listen to those episodes or check out their books, there are links in the episode notes.
A huge thank-you to Patagonia, Patagonia Books, Patagonia Fly Fishing, and of course Yvon for the opportunity to have this conversation. Like many of you listeners, I've been deeply influenced by Yvon's work and worldview, so it was a dream come true to sit down with him for a long, relaxed conversation.
Be sure to check out "Pheasant Tail Simplicity" and the many other excellent titles from Patagonia Books. Thanks so much for listening—I hope you enjoy.
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- "Pheasant Tail Simplicity"
- "Simple Fly Fishing"
- Patagonia Books
- Patagonia Fly Fishing
- M&P Interview with Kris Tompkins
- M&P Interview with Rick Ridgeway
- M&P interview with Vincent Stanley
- Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/yvon-chouinard/
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TOPICS DISCUSSED:
- 2:50 - Intro, the blind fisherman in Labrador
- 5:37 - Why another book about flyfishing?
- 8:26 - The story of a Japanese tenkara rod
- 13:00 - It's the action that counts
- 16:03 - Democratic fly fishing
- 17:37 - Fishing emergers
- 19:45 - No shortcuts
- 25:12 - Simplifying sports
- 26:30 - Seeking constraints
- 29:06 - Juvenile delinquent energy
- 31:46 - A bug's life
- 36:05 - Origins of 1% for the Planet
- 40:16 - Yvon's regenerative ag interest
- 44:15 - Fighting climate change with market forces
- 46:36 - A happy pessimist
- 48:34 - Fly fishing forever
- 53:47 - Action as the anecdote to depression
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