Kyle Schaefer of Soul Fly Outfitters becomes World’s 1st Carbon Neutral Fly Fishing Guide

For Immediate Release: October 30, 2020

Climate change is the single greatest threat to fish on the planet and nobody knows this better than Soul Fly Outfitters owner, and seasoned fly fishing guide, Kyle Schaefer. Kyle has guided all over the world, including: Argentina for golden dorado, Colorado for trout and his home waters of southern Maine for striped bass. Schaefer has witnessed first-hand shifts in the migratory patterns of the stripers he targets and the Gulf of Maine is warming 99% fast than the rest of the world’s oceans, GMRI 2020. In fact, Kyle had this to say, “this season in late June I was poling a sandy flat with my client, sight fishing for striped bass. I’ve poled this flat many times and we’ll typically see some young flounder and of course, our target, striped bass cruising along in shallow water feeding on crabs, shrimp and small baitfish. I had to check myself when 6 full sized Bonito came tearing onto the flat at 30 miles an hour. Not the target we were expecting that day but a real-life effect of climate change and fish adapting to warming coastal waters.” In an effort to protect what he loves, Schaefer did some research and decided to join the Fly Fishing Climate Alliance in July 2020, and as a result, Kyle is proud to announce that Soul Fly Outfitters is now the world’s first carbon neutral fly fishing guide.

The Fly Fishing Climate Alliance (FFCA) is a collection of guides, shops, lodges, brands & nonprofits that share the common belief that it’s their responsibility to take action and solve the current climate crisis. Members of the FFCA have pledged to go Carbon Neutral by 2030. Kyle had this to say about the decision to join the Fly Fishing Climate Alliance and the process of going Carbon Neutral: “I profit off of our shared waters, both salt and fresh, so It’s absolutely critical that I step up and do my part to protect our flowing waters and wild places.  Naturally, I have a deep vested interest in doing anything I can to help ensure healthy, abundant fish stocks for millennia to come so joining the FFCA was a no-brainer.  As a business owner and as an outdoorsperson my life is built around the health of our planet.  It’s time for us all to come together through the Fly Fishing Climate Alliance to protect what we love. It was seamless getting my business carbon neutral with Rick’s help and expertise.  I look forward to watching other guides, brands, shops, lodges, and other businesses join in on the movement. We got this.” 

The FFCA was founded by the sustainable business consultancy Emerger Strategies President Rick Crawford, who worked directly with Soul Fly Outfitters to calculate their carbon footprint and provide a pathway to carbon neutrality. Crawford had this to say about working with Soul Fly Outfitters and the Fly Fishing Climate Alliance: “I am humbled and grateful for the support of all of the FFCA members who genuinely love what they do and care enough to not just talk the talk, but walk the walk by going carbon neutral, and Kyle is no exception. It was actually really fun diving into Kyle’s carbon footprint and showing him some steps to take to not only reduce his footprint, but actually achieve carbon neutrality!”

In addition to being a Fly Fishing Climate Alliance member, Kyle is also a board member of the American Saltwater Guide’s Association and a Protect Our Winters ambassador, so if you are looking to book a trip striper fishing, look up Soul Fly Outfitters, and don’t forget to look out for the Fly Fishing Climate Alliance logo and support FFCA members who are working to do their part to protect the fish and places we love.

ABOUT SOUL FLY OUTFITTERS

Soul Fly Outfitters, owned by Kyle Schaefer, is a fly fishing guiding and travel business based on the southern coast of Maine.  By summer Kyle guides striped bass fishing on the fly specializing in sightfishing the flats and exploring diverse coastal systems.  By winter Kyle manages lodges, guides for other species, and enjoys taking clients to flats destinations.  Soul Fly Outfitters is a dedicated advocate for abundant fish stocks, healthy habitat, and solving our climate crisis.  To learn more, please visit: www.soulflyoutfitters.com, or please email kyle@soulflyoutfitters.com.

ABOUT EMERGER STRATEGIES

Emerger Strategies is a sustainable business consultancy whose mission is to solve the climate crisis by helping businesses go Carbon Neutral and Zero Waste. Emerger Strategies is the founding member of the Fly Fishing Climate Alliance, is a proud member of 1% For the Planet, and looks forward to helping your business solve the climate crisis. If you would like to learn more, please visit: www.emergerstrategies.com, or please email rcrawford@emergerstrategies.com.