Let’s Make Fly Fishing Respectful Again

Let’s Make Fly Fishing Respectful Again

Many thanks to those of you who responded to our first Flylab newsletter, especially the “Let’s Make Fly Fishing Artful Again” column, which I closed with these words: “If we collectively put more effort into putting the artful aspects of fly fishing back into the game, maybe embrace the learning curve a bit more, more people are ultimately going to care. And that’s how everybody wins.”

That prompted a number of great conversations which caused me to realize that caring is often born of respect, and as such, I also wish we could work together to make fly fishing more respectful again.

I’m going to work on that myself, because I think even just a little bit more respect for the resources, respect for the fish, and, most of all, respect for each other, would go a long way these days.

As a community, we’re actually accomplishing some great things when it comes to making water cleaner, and recreational fisheries more sustainable. But we’re probably never going to run out of challenges–and opportunities–to make things better.

How we, as anglers, interact with our waters and the fish, is, in and of itself a conservation concern. I surely get that “how many” and “how big” have been the benchmarks for success in fishing since the hook was invented. I don’t think pulling on fish for fun is a disrespectful act–quite the contrary. In my life, fly fishing has been a catalyst for appreciating wild places and creatures. But maybe “ripping lips” and “whacking pigs” aren’t the most respectful mindsets.

It’s important to respect the fact that people approach fishing for different reasons, and it’s more than okay to have different opinions. Everyone has their own angle, and that’s fine. I think charged conversations are vital to the future of the sport. But nasty comments on social media, and putting people down for expressing their thoughts (or their enthusiasm) has become the ugly side of a sport that has absolutely no reason to be associated with anything ugly at all. Sadly, the social media stuff is a reflection of the goofed-up world we live in. I fish to escape that crap, not to compound it. 

At the end of the day, it’s just…fly fishing. And respect will ultimately do more for the future viability and value of fly fishing than just about anything else. – Kirk Deeter

What is Flylab?

Flylab is a consumer-facing, fly-fishing brand.

This sport has become pretty complex to research, vet and understand. So, we help anglers by removing the inherent media and consumer bias, so they can make more intelligent purchasing decisions. We make it easy to: 1. Find the best products and gear via our extensive reviews 2. Connect with a network of vetted retailers, outfitters and outdoor brands 3. Consistently save on products and gear with our discount program.

That’s basically it.

All of our product reviews and “how-to” content live online and are free, so you can access this extensive repository whenever and wherever you want.

The subscription plan ($120 annually) is where paid members can access some bonus content, plus our network of partners (fly shops, outfitters, lodges, outdoor brands) and exclusive discount deals. The membership math is also pretty simple: our average partner discount is 15%, so if you make a few (bigger) purchases during a year, the plan basically pays for itself.

We think today’s anglers are looking for organized, independently tested and credible product information. And we're here to help. 

Product Buzz

Scott Fly Rods announced the launch of their “Session” $675 rod line: we reviewed the 9-foot 5-weight. We also took a look at the Hatch Iconic 4+ fly reel and the RIO Elite single-handed spey line–Deeter thinks it’s an amazing summer, hopper line, and it is. The Devil’s Canyon wading boot review breaks down the risks of Korkers BOA closure systems and interchangeable soles. Kara Armano, new staff writer for Flylab, checks in on the Simms Pursuit Shoe. Deeter blasts out his “starting fly lineup” for the coming season: “you can travel the world, fish in any local season and catch fish anywhere if you carry these patterns in your box.”

Fly-fishing News

From Trout Unlimited, one of the best native trout comeback stories ever: “Resilience”–The Rise of Apache Trout. Check out the The Flyfish Journal profile on Jay Johnson, from Bajío Sunglasses: “he spins enough chaos to keep you on your toes.” Christian Bacasa, of the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast, speaks with Geoff Vukelich, the owner and custom craftsman of Duluth’s DAM goods and gear. onWater Fish, the all-in-one fishing app, just went through a full rebrand, “offering free public land data to all anglers, regardless of experience or target species.”

Recent Press

“Here’s why you should care about and subscribe to Flylab: Their gear reviews aren’t just longer; they’re more interesting, more in-depth, and more revealing than you’ll find elsewhere. They’re written better. They just are better, period, than the endless reviews dumped thoughtlessly online by people looking to score a free five-weight. 

Flylab readers don’t just get info about the products, they get info about the companies and the people that make those products. Consumers should embrace that–it’s part of the sport. Their team brings decades of experience and predispositions to the table, so you might not always agree with their assessments, but you will learn some things–and save time and money along the way.” – Tom Bie, Editor, The Drake

Scouting Report

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

‍Tajima Direct is a completely different service offering than the standard eyewear brands you’ll see on the racks at most fly shops, because they provide lens replacement as well as products.

It works like this: If you have a favorite pair of glasses from Costa, Smith, Bajío, etc., but you’ve scratched, cracked, or otherwise ruined the lenses, or maybe you just want to convert your shades for low light, bright days on open water–you go to Tajima Direct and opt to either send your glasses to them (they give you a shipping label), or specify the make, model, lenses you want, and they’ll send you new lenses to snap into the frames yourself.

The lens material is a urethane, providing an interesting alternative to polycarbonate, nylon, or glass. In our experience, it’s clear like glass, but lighter and shatterproof. On the other hand, it’s more scratch resistant and offers sharper contrast than polycarbonate or nylon. Tajima also offers a good range of tint options that cover any fishing situation out there. We like the “Yellow Green 40 Silver Mirror” for high light transmission on darker days, or in canyons, wooded cover, etc., and the “Brown 15 Green Mirror” for bright fishing situations.

FlyLab discount: 20% off lens replacement (standard and prescription). Which is an awesome deal. Join and save.

Partner Spotlight

onWater

onWater is a do-it-yourself app for fishing adventures: offline river maps, private/public access points, boat ramps, real time streamflows, river shuttles, fly shops, fishing reports. Make more informed fishing decisions when you have answers right at your fingertips.

FlyLab discount: 30% off the annual (already discounted) subscription plan.

We’re excited about partnering with the onWater team, as they build a versatile, fly-fishing mapping solution that will be as powerful as the onX app has been for hunting and exploring.

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. On the fly-fishing industry side, we also have rolled out “industry pro” memberships–contact us directly to find out more.