Yvon Chouinard was talking with his doctor in Jackson when he heard a story that perfectly captured a message he’s currently out spreading with the publication of his new book, titled "Pheasant Tail Simplicity: Recipes and Techniques for Successful Fly Fishing."

The doctor's son and a friend had just climbed El Capitan in Yosemite — 3,000 feet of sheer granite — completely naked, at night, without telling anyone.

"For me, that is perfection," Chouinard told a packed hall at Montana State University on Oct. 8.

It wasn't bravado or recklessness the 86-year-old Patagonia founder was celebrating. It was evidence that as sports evolve, it’s possible to do more with less.

That principle drives Chouinard and longtime Montana author Craig Mathews' new book.

While fly shops overflow with milli

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