Flyfishing and nature form a close relationship, where memorable moments are highly dependent on clean nature, healthy fish stocks and waters. For a flyfishing brand like Guideline, our business activities and pure existence rest on these basic criteria. Thus, we place extra emphasis on minimizing our footprint on nature. We call it “Clean All the Way”.
Our journey towards environmental responsibility, embodied by the phrase "Clean all the way," traces back to 2017. This commitment began with an employee workshop, where we defined our core values and the company's purpose. We conducted surveys and interviews with our customers and suppliers and identified areas where we could improve our impact in nature.
To strengthen the importance of this mission, every Guideline employee now has an incentive to implement an environmentally friendly initiative, with 10% of their bonus linked to this effort. In daily operations, "Clean all the way" dictates that all of us, regardless of our role, consistently choose eco-friendly options. As an example, our logistic department are now monitoring both inbound and outbound CO2 emissions and we set specific targets for reduction each year.
It's not an easy task, challenges arise due to our size as a brand, making it challenging to convince traditional suppliers to adopt new and eco-friendly materials and production techniques. It’s a never-ending task and we often take the initiative to source and pay for these materials ourselves to get things moving.
Transparency is a cornerstone of our approach. We communicate our commitment to environmental responsibility through various means, in our business purpose, on our packaging, sales training, advertisement and detailed product specifications on our website.
The cost of environmentally friendly materials and production techniques are often higher than traditional industry production and managing these costs is a priority. We aim to balance and share costs between suppliers, brand, and customers to ensure our mission remains responsible.
We anticipate that, in the long run, more consumers will be willing to pay a premium for products that leaves a reduced impact on nature, resulting in a "win" for all of us.
Despite the environmental footprint associated with fishing tackle production, we are determined to influence product design, material choices, production facilities, and transportation to minimize our impact.
Rather than using the term "sustainability," we prefer "responsibility" to emphasize transparency in product composition and encourage consumers to make eco-friendly choices.
We have introduced ground breaking eco-friendly products like the NOVA reel and Elevation fly rod, and we are continually working on new projects. Additionally, we are focused on reducing CO2 emissions in our worldwide logistics.
In summary, "Clean all the way" represents our holistic commitment to environmental responsibility, impacting every aspect and corner of our business.
For all designs in Guideline, we try to do as little impact on the nature as possible, meaning besides having longevity as a top priority. We always strive to find the most environmentally friendly materials that we can work with for each product. When it comes to our waders, we make sure that they are PFAS-free (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), which otherwise could bleed into the water and contaminate it. We also have a clear focus on minimizing micro plastics throughout our business.
Most of the materials we use are also either OEKO-TEX® or bluesign® certified, which guarantees that materials are manufactured with strict environmental and social standards. It assures consumers that the production process minimizes harmful chemicals, conserves resources, and promotes worker health and safety, contributing to a more sustainable and responsible supply chain.
We strive to use as much recycled materials as possible, as well as organic cotton.
You can learn more about the eco features for each individual product on their product pages.
We prioritize a reduced environmental footprint when designing our fly fishing hardware. On both rods and reels, we have pushed the boundaries far, resulting in both the Elevation rods and the NOVA-reel which really leaves a benchmark for how we want to take responsibility for the nature when we design fly fishing gear.
Elevation is our most eco-friendly rod series that is crafted with sustainability in mind. The blanks feature a matte, lightly buffed finish, and excess carbon waste is collected separately. Cork grips lack rubber reinforcements to reduce epoxy resin use. Reel seat metal parts undergo a clear anodizing process, avoiding toxins. Coatings and adhesives are made from low-toxic epoxy. The rods have sustainable single-leg guides with a gun smoke powder coat finish to avoid chrome plating which contains lead. Rod bag and tube cover are recycled polyester. The tubes are recyclable Polypropylene, lighter and smaller for transportation efficiency.
In 2023, the NOVA-reel represents the beginning of a new era for our fly reels. Through a comprehensive design study, innovative industrial design and recycled raw materials with a minimal footprint, we have created our most environmentally conscious fly reels ever. Constructed from recycled raw-material ingots, the reel is an aluminum marvel committed to sustainability. Notably, it proudly stands as a Single-Use Plastics-free product, with recycled 600D Fabric Reel cases and packaging.
We are measuring the CO2 footprint on both ingoing and outgoing shipments, according to the GLEC-standard. We always strive to choose the most environmentally friendly way of shipping, such as sea and train. In that way, we reduce our carbon emissions.
For our packaging, we mostly use recycled paper. We always try to make the packaging as small as possible, – a good way to scale down the size of the shipments.
Super light and strong double hand rods with a deep progressive rod action. Built with C.A.P M4.0™ technology, an advanced carbon layup that creates a unique rod flex. Premium rod stacked full of features, rarely seen at these prices.
Read moreLPX Chrome 4-PC
719.99 USD
The NOVA reel represents the dawn of a new era for our fly reels. This model features a Polymer Cassette spools made from recycled PCR [Post Consumer Resins] and an Innovative, “Minimal-Touch” press release.
Read moreNOVA Cassette
239.99 USD
Since 1993, knowledge and passion have been reflected in each of our products. We are dedicated to meet the high expectations of the modern fly angler with lesser impact on nature, while giving rise to everlasting moments by the water.
Because, at the end of the day, It’s all about the experience.