Flylab’s Top Products of 2024

Flylab’s Top Products of 2024

2024 was a banner year for innovative fly-fishing product releases, as well as classic remakes, and we certainly couldn’t cover them all, but here are a few standouts…

Check out our full “Top Products” overview here.

Epic Fly Rods: The innovative fiberglass (FastGlass) and graphite rod maker from New Zealand is making fly rods that are beautiful to cast and fish, exceptionally durable, highly versatile and also overdeliver from a customer service perspective. We tested the Reference 6-weight 686 FastGlass and Reference 4-weight 476 FastGlass and loved them both.

The Winston PURE 2 8-foot 3-inch 4-weight Fly Rod. Winston has built another (soon-to-be-classic) line of smooth casting dry fly rods. “The 8-foot 3-inch 4-weight is 100% a dry-fly rod. Or a rod for sight fishing with a single nymph, without any weight or indicator. This rod shines with single dry flies, and the size of the dry doesn’t really matter a ton (within reason).”

The Lamson Purist II Fly Reel. “If you are a fan of click-pawl reels, if you are truly a primitive tool ‘purist,’ if you want a click-pawl that is legitimately engineered (and has a braking system that actually matters), if you like a reel that sounds and looks great, if you value a super-light reel on the end of a bamboo, fiberglass, or feathery graphite rod–this might just be the number.”

The Skwala Carbon Jacket. In the “packable” category of rain jackets/shells, we loved this easy to stow, smartly designed addition from Skwala. For summer fishing, or fending off tropical showers, the Carbon Jacket is a light and dependable solution for traveling anglers. It’s also a versatile piece of gear that can be hiked, biked or skied in.

The Korkers Stealth Sneaker. Light, surprisingly durable and a good looking entrant to the wading boot category. “If you appreciate product value, if you’re focused on foot comfort as you fish, if you’re a ‘sneaker head’ who actually cares about footwear styling, this shoe/boot is for you.”

A newcomer in the sunglass market, Ombraz is doing something entirely different: stemless glasses. They not only are comfortable, but our pair of RX Teton’s (with a brown tint) have surprisingly good optical quality from edge to edge. Perfect for whitewater enthusiasts, bikers, skiers, photographers, anglers or anyone who values sunglass security, or is constantly taking their shades on and off. More to come on this innovative brand.

Astral has been one of the go-to brands for dependable PFDs (lifejackets) for a while now. Most of the summer (and into the fall) we’ve been rocking the newish “Sturgeon” Fishing PFD Life Jacket on mellower river floats and have been impressed by the combination of low profile wearability, comfort and the ingenuity of a single clamshell (front) pocket. Our favorite feature? A side zipper that provides easy on/off access.

See our full “Top Products” overview here.

Castwork Profile: Bob Lamm

There is no denying that the Henry’s Fork is one of the most beautiful and challenging places to fish with a fly rod. Even as the sport grows and more people visit the river, the sense of wild adventure to be found here hardly diminishes.

In a sense, the Henry’s Fork is to the angler what Pebble Beach is to the golfer. A lot of folks come here to play, but there are not many who score well on this course.

Part of Bob Lamm’s connection with the area is that he respects and even embraces its harsh, unforgiving character. In fact, he cannot contain the wry sense of satisfaction that comes with the knowledge that the Henry’s Fork can humble the inexperienced or overconfident angler.

“This ain’t the Green or the Bighorn, where you can show up on the right day and catch a bunch of fish, no matter how good you really are. The purple Patagonia yuppie guys can go into the Railroad Ranch and get their ass kicked, plain and simple.”

Read the entire essay from Castwork: Reflections of Fly Fishing Guides and the American West (2002).

Product Buzz

From Flylords: The Complete Guide to Sinking Fly Lines and the Best Headlamps For Fly Fishing 2024. Some great info from Ken Baldwin about sink tip fly lines and quick converting (sink tip) leaders. From Outside: How to Clean, Waterproof and Care for Your Technical Apparel. Hatch reviews a new book by Paul Schullery and Steve Raymond: This Artful Sport: A Guide to Writing about Fly Fishing. “Many, if not most, newcomers find that learning to be a good writer isn’t as much fun as learning to be a fly fisher…” New Canadian lodge launches: Gaspé Coastal (Kyle Schaefer partners with Sarah Nellis and Andrew Murphy). MidCurrent reviews the Winston Pure 2 7-foot 9-inch 4-weight: “Unlike some of the older Winston rods, the Pure 2 is noticeably more stable throughout the cast–new materials Winston used in this rod (the same technology in their Air 2 lineup) allow for a crisper, tighter experience…”

Fly-fishing News

Check out the BONEDALE FISHING REPORTS twenty-three and twenty-four, featuring legendary guide, Kea Hause, from Colorado’s Roaring Fork valley. Montana Supreme Court rules in landmark climate case: “The court was unequivocal, stating that the ‘plaintiffs showed at trial–without dispute–that climate change is harming Montana’s environmental life support system now and with increasing severity for the foreseeable future…’” Skwala partners with the Wild Steelhead Coalition: “If you’re seeking virtual steelhead connection, consider the Wild Steelhead Coalition as an alternative to vapid, vicarious YouTube vlogs…” From The Flyfish Journal’s Sidechannels podcast: a conversation with Dylan Tomine (author, filmmaker, Patagonia Ambassador and diehard conservationist). “[Dylan’s] first book, Closer to the Ground, is an exploration of ‘an outdoor family’s year on the water, in the woods and at the table…’” If you want to vote for the IF4™ (International Fly Fishing Film Festival) official selections, check them out and vote here.

Recent Press

“All your content is thought provoking and gets me thinking about all the stuff that’s not being written in this industry.” – Alan, Flylab Fan

“I found your site recently and love what y’all are doing–great concept and content, meaningful reviews, and fishing tips without the rampant, self-serving BS…” – Wilson, Flylab Fan

“I’d definitely like to see more lodges, outfitters and travel partners–don’t take this the wrong way, but no one really wants to book expensive travel through a fly shop that’ll never really handle the customer-service-side correctly. It’s a lot smarter and easier to book direct.” – Allison, Flylab Fan

“I know you guys love the fly shops, everyone does, but you should partner direct with the brands too–consumers want online choice, not to be told where and when to shop.” – Jason, Concerned Consumer

Good food for thought for brands and customer service providers, and where the (service delivery) future is headed…

We’re always looking for Flylab feedback–send any comments, thoughts, suggestions, and we’d love to hear from you.

Scouting Report

We’re hard at work hunting down the coolest new products, brands and partners you’ve never heard of.

Amazon Eden Lodge

Built as a family retreat, this location is one of the most exclusive peacock bass locations in the Amazon. Best of The Wild did an exploratory trip to this program in August of 2024, and it far exceeded expectations. The Sonhos River river is a clear-water system of reasonable proportions, breaking into a series of smaller channels with boulders or rapids. There are deep back eddies where monster fish can be found, and lots of rapids and rocky structure that creates accessible pocket water. Unlike many of the fishing programs in the Amazon, long casts are not required.

Flylab discount: 10% off Amazon Eden Lodge packages.

Partner Spotlight

Lone Bison Fly Tables

Cris Jackson is the proprietor and sole craftsman at Lone Bison Fly Tables. He handcrafts world class, one-of-a-kind fly-tying workstations (tables, tool & thread holders, fly displays etc.) for discerning fly tyers. Built one at a time from hand-selected, upcycled, Oklahoma hardwoods, these tables have been  described as “functional pieces of art.” Check out our “Heritage” Fly Tying Table review.

Flylab discount: 10% off all Lone Bison products.

If you’re a fly shop, outfitter, fishing lodge or outdoor brand and interested in becoming a new Flylab partner, learn more about our program here. Join the best partner network in fly fishing.

For the holidays, enjoy Brian O’Keefe chasing freestone browns at the Owen River Lodge on New Zealand’s south island: long leaders, tough casts, big, wild tout…