Grundèns Rick Matney Chasing Chrome is a multi-generation outdoorsman through and through. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, he sowed his outdoor roots by learning the ropes of fishing, hunting, and commercial trapping with his father and grandfather.
His passion for wild places took him to Bozeman, Montana to obtain a college degree – but, more importantly, to pursue a career in fishing where he eventually became a trout guide.
With guiding in his blood and an affinity for promoting sustainable fisheries, Rick landed in the Tongass region of Southeast Alaska – an area that he explored as a young man, documenting steelhead on numerous rivers while his dad operated a local commercial trapping business.
As he dove deeper into the world of becoming a “steelheader,” the need for conservation became more and more apparent.
Through the foundation set by Trout Unlimited, Rick – along with a coalition of dedicated steelhead anglers – documented the salmonoid species to protect habitat throughout the Tongass coastal range. Simultaneously,
Rick worked tirelessly alongside commercial fisheries management to shift fishing seasons and safeguard wild steelhead in small streams where they were being captured as bycatch during the Chinook Salmon run.
Today, Rick operates a premier five-week guide service and lodge on an island in the Tongass National Forest, providing clients with a unique opportunity to explore Alaska’s remote wild steelhead fishery. And true to his commercial fishing roots – Rick isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty pulling crab pots for his guests to ensure a uniquely Alaskan experience.
This is the story of Rick Matney – outdoorsman, conservationist, businessman, and “Chrome Chaser,” who takes us through the journey of preserving one of Alaska’s most-precious resources: wild steelhead.
Born by Necessity
