New Marketing Trends

New Marketing Trends, Rich Hohne from Skwala, Half-sized Tippet Material

Check out this week’s buzz on the fly-fishing industry. The dog days and elevated river temps are here, so treat your fish with the utmost respect. 

New Marketing Trends

Have you noticed the marketing shift in fly fishing from how things perform to how things look and feel? I think that’s a phenomenon. And it’s probably a good thing, on a number of levels.

First, fly fishing is a pursuit that, by its very nature, involves intentionally simplistic tools. A stick. A string. A spool.

Of course, we’ve evolved way past most of that, with good reason. The stick is now made of high-performance aeronautic grade graphite, with resins that keep it strong and light. The string…could you even imagine drying and treating a silk line after every time you went fishing? Thank goodness for coated fly lines (probably the single greatest technology advance in the history of fly fishing)! Reel braking systems that can stop a truck are cool, but–let’s be honest–in 99.9% of the fly-fishing world, total overkill. I don’t know how much more techno-speak mumbo jumbo the average fly consumer is going to buy.

Which is why so many of the reels you see these days are marketed as much on aesthetics as they are on the guts that are inside them. The latest example I noticed comes in the from the new Redington, Grande Limited Edition, ArtistSeries “Heavyweight Champion” collaboration reel with Alana Louise. I want one. I don’t really care how the reel works: I think Alana’s art is cool.

I think maybe the soft goods sector is the one swimming in the other direction. After all, that’s been all about designs from the get-go–tech is the new frontier. Maybe now the difference between the blue shirt I like because it keeps the sun off me and matches my pants and the one I want to buy is that the second one is “tactical.” It must have ninja-like powers, or help deflect fallout from a thermonuclear explosion.

Then again, you could just slap the logos of a sexagenarian band, over half of who are either dead or octogenarians, and see how that flies. While the competition mocked, and half the market rolled its eyes, the other half bought it all.

I’ve long felt you can’t really judge a book by its cover, and maybe selling product on looks alone runs counter to fly-fishing ethos. But in this day and age, when people want to be part of a community, when they’ve been priced out of the tech war, when they just want something they’re proud to wear, or cast, or crank–especially when there’s a cause connected to the aesthetics–yeah, that’ll work. – Kirk Deeter

Recent News

• A New Center: the outdoor industry has evolved: “There’s a temptation to think that big retailers dictate taste. Maybe if REI just decided to lean into hardcore alpine gear again, the market would follow and we’d go back to ‘the good old days’. But that’s not how it works. Most retailers don’t hold real taste-making power; they curate and distribute what already has cultural velocity. The real tastemakers are upstream: designers, brand storytellers, athletes, creative directors, and smaller brands. REI and others stock what people already want. And right now, people want comfort, versatility, and gear that fits into their everyday lives. The market isn’t being overrun by alpine purists. It’s being filled by weekend walkers, dog park dads, and trail runners who also wear their gear to brunch. That’s not a failure of the outdoor industry–it’s the result of its success.”
• The True Cast: Deeter talks about the history of Michigan brown trout and origins of Trout Unlimited. “Under normal circumstances, the thought might have been to pour those fingerlings into one of the larger mainstem rivers in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, like the Muskegon or the Pere Marquette. However, at that time, those rivers were largely choked with floating timber being sent toward Lake Michigan to be shipped to Chicago to help rebuild that city after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. And thus, those brown trout were ultimately poured from a railroad trestle into a smaller feeder creek—the Baldwin River…”
• Barry Barr, the founder of KAVU True Outdoor Wear, has been navigating the rapid rise of tariffs during the Trump administration. “Layoffs? Price Increases? Companies Make Hard Choices as Trump’s Tariffs Set In. This week, Mr. Barr was trying to wrap his head around the punishing new tariffs that were set to click on shortly after midnight on Thursday. It was hard for him to know whether the slate of duties on about 90 countries would ultimately hold given the ever-evolving nature of Mr. Trump’s trade policy…”
• Episode 146 of the Cut & Retie Podcast: Rich Hohne from Skwala Fishing reminisces about the “best marlin dinner he ever ate and that one time he was a last-minute Esox hero, we complain about swag bags and overcook the tuna, get hammered right before our presentation on skorts and obtain special access to private ranches in Russia.” Skwala is also rolling out their new Fusion Tactical Hoody, which we'll review later this fall.
• An “amphibious vehicle” was spotted driving through Montana’s Blackfoot River and the local fishing guides and fly shops were not happy–they shouldn’t be. Let’s keep the war vehicles out of our trout streams.
• Boundary Waters at Risk Again as Trump administration declares support for copper mine: “Lukas Leaf, Executive Director of Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters, has been on the front lines of the seemingly endless fight for durable BWCA protections for over a decade. ‘Rollins’ assertion that they’ve already got the public input needed to reverse the moratorium is flat out untrue,’ he tells Field & Stream. ‘In fact, there have been multiple public-input periods over the years that resulted in hundreds of thousands of supportive comments for the mining withdrawal…’”
• From AIRE Boats: AIRE, Outcast Sporting Gear and AIRE Environmental are now 100% employee-owned. “Over the years, we’ve had offers to sell, but many would have moved production overseas and changed the heart of our business. Becoming an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan company) protects our culture, keeps jobs right here in the U.S.and ensures we keep building the high-quality products you know and love.”
• From author and photographer Christie Fitzpatrick: Rafting the Tatshenshini: What I Learned From the Wild Arctic River. “When I signed up to raft the Tatshenshini-Alsek, I thought I knew what I was getting into. I’d read the trip reports, watched YouTube videos, and studied route maps. But nothing can prepare you for this river. I was there under the expert guidance of Nahanni River Adventures, who have been guiding on rivers in northern Canada and Alaska since 1972…”
• From Fly Fusion Magazine: Winners Announced for the 2025 Stimmies Fly Fishing Film Awards. “This year’s competition introduced five distinct categories for the first time: Freshwater, Saltwater, Salmon & Steelhead, Soul of the Story, and Angler’s Choice Best Film Overall.”
• STRUNG magazine has gone from print to digital, becoming the Strung Dispatch: “We had to adapt and will be sending a high-quality email newsletter once a month, with a mix of hunting and angling pieces. It is totally free. No fluff, no artificial intelligence, just good outdoor writing, photography, recipes, gear reviews when we find them worthwhile, occasional gear giveaways, all within your email inbox, once a month.”

Gear Buzz

• Skwala Fishing is rolling out their new Fusion Tactical Hoody, which we'll review later this fall.
• From Field Mag: Alpaca vs Merino: A Guide to All-Natural Performance Fabrics. “While Merino is far and away the most common animal fiber, alpaca wool is more of a spunky upstart. Though it has been around for centuries, the fabric is being used by emergent companies like PAKA and Arms of Andes, who are making some big boasts about its superiority—classic spunky upstart behavior. To help you understand the difference between merino and alpaca wool, we’ve put together this guide so you can make informed decisions and feel superior about your animal fiber knowledge.”
• Ombraz Sunglass Brand Exits Asia: The Ombraz sunglass brand is reporting that it has relocated the manufacture of its armless sunglasses from Asia to a family-owned workshop in Northern Italy.
• New Book: Pheasant Tail Simplicity: Recipes and Techniques for Successful Fly Fishing by Yvon Chouinard, Craig Mathews and Mauro Mazzo. “Conceived as an advanced follow-up to Simple Fly Fishing, Pheasant Tail Simplicity focuses on essential fly patterns that all share one critical ingredient–pheasant tail. The book explores the techniques required to tie and present these flies to trout, anadromous and saltwater species. More than just a guide, it challenges the industry norm that thousands of fly patterns are necessary to catch fish.”

Boats

Small Craft Sales is THE go-to marketplace for buying and selling small boats and other specialty watercraft. Looking to buy or sell a small boat? Check out the brand-new used boat marketplace: modern, searchable, community-driven platform built for anglers, paddlers, rowers, tinkerers, outboard junkies and anyone dreaming of their next waterborne adventure.

Best Fishing options this week:

• 2019 Boulder Boatworks Pro Guide
• 2025 Boulder Boat Works Low Side Dory
• 2003 13-foot Gheenoe
• 2023 Outcast Stealth Pro Stillwater Pontoon
• 2024 Outcast Pac 900 Inflatable Pontoon
• 1971 Boston Whaler Fly Fishing Skiff
• 2019 Gheenoe LT 10
• Vintage Refurbished Clackcraft
• Wooden Drift Boat

Check out the new Flycraft Ninja: the ultimate one man raft. “The Flycraft Ninja is a motor-compatible one-person boat built for fishermen who want to leave the bank behind and cover more water, without messing with a trailer or full-sized boat.” Price range: $1,795.00 - $2,795.00.

A deeper look at the NT600 Electric Outboard Motor: “Built for serious anglers, this 6HP-equivalent motor (3,000 watts) delivers the power and reliability of a gas motor without the hassle. Engineered for versatility, the NT600 features battery flexibility, allowing users to pair the motor with a variety of external battery options.” Price: $2,499.99.

TrackFly Industry Trends

TrackFly is a data aggregation and analytics platform, connecting specialty retailers, brands and sales professionals. They are helping Flylab track key industry trends.

YTD through July, total product sales have been down low single digits (versus comparable months of 2024).

That said, several important categories have been up: Flies, Leader-Tippet, and some Accessories (specifically Nets, Indicators, Floatant). This strongly suggests that, although fly anglers have not spent on larger-dollar gear categories quite to past year's levels, they are spending on the “consumables” categories needed to get out on the water. So, we believe people are fishing as much as last year, but many are doing so with rods, reels, waders, softgoods, packs and watercraft they have acquired prior to 2025.

That is not to say that no one is buying higher-dollar gear; only that those higher-dollar categories are down measurably from 2024.

One notable and interesting exception is the category of Vehicle Racks/Transport (think Riversmith, Thule, Trxstle, Yakima, etc.). It's a tiny category, but it's up in 2025 more than any other product category.

TrackFly: “You have to make business decisions every day; why not do it with real data and insights on your side?”

AT Trackfly Analysis

Here’s what we think about fly-fishing buying trends in 2025 thus far:

And thank you, Trackfly...

People are still fishing, because fishing is fun, cool and an escape from the norm. For example, the Texans still spent a good part of the summer in Colorado (trust me). One local shop reported record Lone Star-based business this year sent dozens of guided trips into local waters over the July 4 weekend, which was a record.

Nationwide participation data suggests a flattening or even a dip amongst the “newbies” who found fly fishing during the pandemic. But the core is still the core, and the core still fishes. Some of the newbies stuck, and some of the old base aged out. That’s natural.

Travel is still up. But those who don’t have the means to go exotic, are fishing “regionally.” They’re buying racks, loading up the rods and venturing by roads to scratch the itch. Those who do have the means to travel afar are choosing their trips very carefully, but they’re still going.

Not sure there’s enough excitement in the market to get the average Joe to buy a high-end rod or reel. Some really cool “big stuff” items were introduced in the last couple years, specifically when it comes to rods and reels (especially those that look really cool), but what’s the splash now? This is a cyclical thing, and the next company to come out with the next big deal when it comes to a 9-foot 5-weight will do okay, and things will rotate from there.

The market is still picking around the edges when it comes to fishing for species other than trout (which still command roughly 75% of the SKUs when it comes to fly fishing). Saltwater fly fishing is more bad-ass than ever, but that costs money.

I guess the lesson is: focus on the small stuff. Show the DIY angler how to fish well. Make them part of the tribe. The water matters, and that’s where opportunity lives.

I think 2026 will be a much better year, and I’d buy “futures” on the fly-fishing scene in America in 2026.

Of course, we’ll see.