Carter Abramson joins Emerging to talk about his path from leading the Five Rivers Club at Colorado State to working in social media and community marketing at Simms Fishing Products. We get into the chaos and charm of college fishing trips, his love for discovery and fishing, and the unexpected moments that pushed him deeper into the industry.

Carter breaks down what his job at Simms really looks like—organic marketing, events, community engagement, and the team effort behind the brand’s social presence. He also gives a behind-the-scenes look at Simms’ Grateful Dead partnership, from the San Francisco activation to the upcoming film Mountains of the Moon.

We wrap with Carter’s thoughts on the future: balancing passion with a career, the appeal of freelance creative work, and why staying connected to the fishing world still matters most.

Simms Fishing Products 

Colorado State University

College fly fishing trips and stories

Guiding and industry entry paths

Organic social media strategy in outdoor brands

Grateful Dead × Simms collaboration

Outdoor content creation

Career growth in the fly-fishing industry

Jon “JK” Kłaczkiewicz is the founder of Fish Camp and has over 20 years of experience in high-impact filmmaking and branded content. JK is a passionate and motivated media professional with a proven track record of leading and executing film, commercial, and marketing projects from development to distribution, while managing resources, budgets, crews, and talent.

As a director and producer, he has created dozens of films and campaigns that have won awards, reached millions of viewers, and inspired action. His credits include the critically acclaimed snowboard epic, “The Fourth Phase” for Red Bull Media House, the impact documentary “Tribal Waters” for Patagonia, and the annual signature ski and snowboard film projects for Teton Gravity Research. He loves collaborating with creative professionals, growing strong teams, and tackling a variety of challenges along the way with the goal to tell stories that matter.

In 2018 Jon directed “Beyond The Horizon” winning the Best Film at the Fly Fishing film awards. In this Emerging episode we talk about all of JK's film expirence, and his newest endeavor - FISH CAMP

In this episode of Emerging, we sit down with Bennett Kittleson, a 5 Rivers student whose time with the CU Fly Fishing Club has opened the door to a role with Flylords. Bennett talks about what drew him into the industry, the excitement of capturing authentic fly-fishing moments online, and the places he hopes the sport will take him next.

His enthusiasm for community, storytelling, and chasing new water makes this a fun look at someone building a life around the outdoors.

Craig Mathews has done it all - guide, author, conservationist, and one of the most respected names in modern fly fishing. Founder of Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone and author of Pheasant Tail Simplicity: Recipes and Techniques for Successful Fly Fishing, Craig has built a life around clean waters and honest fly design. In this episode, we dive into his latest book, some of his trout fishing techniques, and many of his past story's from his journey! 

At the 2025 Western Rendezvous, we were joined by Jason Faerman and Lincoln Key from Yakoda Supply, a proud supporter of Trout Unlimited’s 5 Rivers program. Yakoda was fired up to join the podcast and share their story! From Funky P Flies to their signature purple hip packs, Yakoda continues to stand out by doing things differently.

Tune in to hear how Yakoda was born, what the name means, and how Jason and Lincoln are inspiring others to give back and keep fly fishing creative, intentional, and just a little bit funky.

Tyler is the current president of the University of Wyoming Fly Fishing Club and a lifelong lover of the great outdoors. His main passion lies in studying and protecting the lands we all cherish and recreate on. In this episode, Tyler walks us through his master’s research on biodegradable fishing products and how they fit into the fly fishing world. From durability and popularity to awareness and adoption, Tyler dove deep to explore whether and how fishing line can or should be changed for the better.

Colby Acuff is one of country music’s most inspiring new voices, breaking through with a style defined by passionate and honest songwriting. He blends his love for the outdoors with the soul of country music—whether it’s fly fishing on a quiet stream or duck hunting at sunrise, Colby’s songs create the perfect soundtrack for anyone who feels at home outside.

His latest project, the YouTube series Fin and Feather, takes that connection even further. Traveling across the country, Colby shines a light on guides and natural resources that often go overlooked, celebrating not just the fish or the birds, but the people and places that make the outdoors so meaningful.

Catch Colby on tour HERE

Watch Fin and Feather HERE

At the 2025 western rendezvous, around 85 college students went to the Yampa river to plant trees! Listen in to learn about the event, tree planting, and some awesome conservation happening in northern Colorado!

The annual TU Costa 5 Rivers Ambassadors Summit is, simply put, the greatest event a college angler can attend. This past August, eight club leaders from across the country gathered on the Wind River Reservation to celebrate the core values of 5 Rivers: community, conservation, and fly fishing.

5 rivers coordinator, and past Emerging host, Cliff Watson joins in this episode to fill us in on all the details from the 2025 summit, and share some more exciting news for the upcoming semester including merch, rendezvouses, and fundraising opportunities! 

In this episode we sit down with Johann, executive director of the Indifly Foundation. Our conversation explores the incredible people, places, and potential impact that community-driven conservation holds for the world. While Johann’s work spans globally, we focused on the Wind River Reservation project and the TU Costa 5 Rivers Ambassadors Summit.

Please spend some time researching Indifly and consider supporting them at the links below:

Indifly  

Instagram  

More!