Meet Kaelyn Weber | Founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kaelyn Weber and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kaelyn, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
My business is dedicated to helping the world by making the sport of fly fishing more sustainable through conservation education, removing forever plastics from gear, using local manufacturing, and being carbon neutral.

Fly fishing is something I came to love during the pandemic. Though I had fished before, in 2020 I got completely hooked. Fly fishing became an outlet to get away from problems in my life and the world and a way to bond with my partner. To this day I take every chance I get to get out on the river.

Although the depictions of fly fishing in the media and in movies like “A River Runs Through It” do a fantastic job showing how peaceful and beautiful the sport is, they unfortunately show a glaring problem with the sport. Fly fishing is overwhelmingly a sport dominated by older white men who have a concerning lack of awareness about their environmental impact.

After being belittled and ignored at more than a few fly shops, and discovering that none of them had a reasonable selection of environmentally friendly gear, I decided if I wanted a change the best solution was to do something about it myself.

My business, Fin River Gear, was founded with the goal of making fly fishing available and accessible for everyone far into the future. We make sustainable fly fishing equipment from eco-friendly materials here in Colorado. Through our actions, publications, and by working with like-minded companies and individuals, we strive to combat the abundance of deleterious plastics, gender discrimination, bias, and antiquated ideas so prevalent in our community.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Building my own company with a strict eco-focused ethos in a male dominated plastic filled industry has been full of challenges. Challenges that for the most part I have been able to resolve with trial and error (lots of error), patience, the assistance of my network, and let’s be honest, Google.

Though fishing companies are a dime a dozen Fin River Gear is special. We are a female founded and environmentally focused fly fishing gear company. We design and manufacture river focused products in Colorado, with sustainably sourced materials, and eco-friendly plastics. Our aim is to make the best products possible and promote an enhanced, bias free understanding of the natural world and how to conserve it. Fin River Gear is for the river.

Some days if feels like I’m wasting my time, and I appreciate still having my day job, but the more time I put into Fin River Gear the more I get in return.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Denver is a great city for those of us who love the outdoors. The city itself has no shortage of great fly fishing shops like (Trouts and Discount Fishing Tackle), an abundance of outdoor focused retail to go along with an ever growing list of great craft beer and fantastic restaurants. Spending time in the city isn’t what I’m about, I am escaping up to the mountains and rivers every chance I can. Get yourself some sunscreen and chapstick and get outside. Within 3 hours of denver you can find some of the most pristine rivers, trails, and mountains the country has to offer.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost, I need to shout-out nature, and everyone thought history who has played a part in conserving it. Secondly, everyone who has helped me along my journey becoming a better angler and outdoorswoman. Finally, the team at Fin River Gear who has made this dream into a growing and successful business.

Website: www.finrivergear.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/finrivergear/

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/fin-river-gear/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/FinRiverGear/