a senior marketing representative and admissions officer more to fishing than the catch. You observe the birds eating or based in Lander, Wyoming. There, fly fishing was a the wind pushing the bugs and how that affects fish popular pastime, so she taught herself how to fish behavior. You need to respect the water: how you treat on the Popo Agie River. the wild and where you step,” Nelson said. “You need “I kept getting stuck in trees. I was terrified awareness of the technical way you interact with fish going on the water alone. It was stressful and — what products do you use on your skin, which frustrating. But when I set my mind to doing affects bugs and the water? I’ve seen the fishing something, I at least want to be mediocre at it. I industry and particularly white folks have a tunnel was challenging myself to catch at least vision that this is just about fish, which one fish. I ended up fishing every worries me that they’re not caring for single day,” she said. anything else.” When a NOLS instructor position Self-centeredness leads to a hoarding Nelson smiles as she enjoys some time out on opened up for a river instructor mentality in the sport’s culture, which the river. photo by Ryan Duclos course, Nelson applied for that, too. inspired Nelson to launch the Awkward Out of 300 applicants, she landed Angler Instagram platform and podcast. “Hózhó means, balance, harmony and the job. For three years, she juggled Her mission is to hold space for walking in beauty. There’s so much guiding and instruction alongside her uncomfortable conversations and administrative role. storytelling with a focus on elevating more to fishing than the catch. You “I love field instruction and it was a diverse perspectives, social justice and observe the birds eating or the wind milestone, but I was struggling with my equity on the water. pushing the bugs and how that job inside of headquarters,” Nelson As Nelson and I worked on retying our said. “There was toxicity and I lines, which had become tangled again, I affects fish behavior. experienced a lot of discrimination. I asked her how folks can support was dedicated to the mission of the inclusivity. While holding my rod for me, company but seeing the ethics she said, "The perfect place to start with within the organization was hard to deal with, so I had to leave.” inclusivity is yourself: understand who you are and be comfortable in your In 2018, Nelson took a job with Vail Resorts as the learning and identity. Then you can understand where other people come from, too, and development senior specialist, where she offered one-on-one consulting develop compassion. We like to think we aren’t the problem — you should with senior leaders, managers and teams to guide them on effective identify that you are both the problem and the solution.” communication and growth in a classroom setting. That same year, Nelson also became an ambassador for BFF. “Throughout Follow Nelson on Instagram at @awkwardangler. my experience as an angler, I’d get stared at for not only being the only woman, but the only woman of color, especially at boat ramps. That MORGAN TILTON is an award-winning adventure journalist specializing in outdoor opened my eyes to the fly fishing industry as it is. I noticed all the industry news and adventure travel. She grew up on Colorado’s Western Slope, where she magazines and advertisements had no people of color. Through Brown first explored the mountains by way of foot in her backyard of Telluride, a movement that Folks Fishing, we come together to call out the fly fishing industry for a continues to inspire her curiosity and joy. Crested Butte is home.. lack of representation and hostility on the water, and to be that representation in the space,” Nelson said. Over the past two years, she helped establish BFF’s Angling for All Pledge, the first-ever industry commitment and curriculum for organizations and individuals to adopt diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Components of the pledge were inspired by the Outdoor CEO Pledge, which was founded by Teresa Baker to address the same issues in the broader outdoor industry. By the time the pandemic hit, which caused Nelson to be furloughed, she was ready to launch her own business: REAL Consulting, which she co-founded with Sydney Clark — the former NOLS Diversity and Inclusion Manager — to address the racial equity and inclusion needs of organizations. The duo facilitates intergroup interactions with an end goal of reducing prejudice, working with a wide range of outdoor industry retailers, outfitters, brands and manufacturers, as well as communities and government agencies. As a Diné (Navajo) woman, Nelson believes in Hózhó, a Navajo philosophy that recognizes a holistic connection between humans, our environments and ecosystems. With that mindfulness, fishing can be a gateway to conservation — as long as diversity exists on the water. “Hózhó means, balance, harmony and walking in beauty. There’s so much Nelson shares her passion for fly fishing with others interested in the sport. photo by Ryan Duclos S U M M E R
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