Patagonia’s Steve Duda joined the Marine Fish Conservation Network’s Waterside Chat with host Tom Sadler on June 5th, 2025.
Steve has an impressive background in journalism, fly-fishing and music. At Patagonia, his storytelling uses film, video, web, and social media to showcase the values intrinsic to the brand. His wonderfully entertaining book, “River Songs,” chronicles the lessons he’s learned from fly-fishing. He was editor of Flyfish Journal and his byline has appeared in Rolling Stone, Huffington Post, and many others, and he now manages Patagonia’s Fish Tales program. We learned about Steve, his passion for writing and music, his work at Patagonia, and much more! Watch now:
Among many other topics, the conversation included:
- Steve’s journey to becoming the head of Fish Tales
- What it takes to communicate in today’s environment: “We have such a short time to convey our messages that they have to be powerful… Extraneous words must get chopped away or they’ll get lost in the noise.”
- How anglers are “exposed to wonder all the time — we’re humbled by the beauty of nature”
- What it takes to build a literary fishing magazine that thrives to this day
- More writing and editing tips
About Waterside Chat
The Marine Fish Conservation Network’s Waterside Chat series connects people who depend on healthy oceans and fisheries with the issues that directly affect them and their communities. Each episode the Network’s Deputy Director Tom Sadler talks with different guests about ocean policy and fisheries management topics. He engages them in genuine and thoughtful conversations about what policy decisions mean for people’s livelihoods, communities, recreation, and coastal ways of life. Join the Network’s email list to learn about future Chats. You can also watch past Chats and subscribe to the podcast on the Network’s website.
