Orvis Built the Church. Duck Camp Is Filling the Pews.
Fly fishing is experiencing a surge, adding 2.2 million participants over the last decade and shifting its core demographic to 25‑34‑year‑olds. The fastest‑growing segment is first‑timers, who made up 17% of new anglers in 2024. New‑generation brands such as Duck Camp, Howler Brothers, Free Fly and Skwala are winning by selling a lifestyle narrative rather than pure performance gear. Meanwhile, legacy player Orvis is cutting staff, closing stores and abandoning its catalog to chase a digital‑first, younger audience, while fashion collaborations push fly fishing into streetwear culture.
Reformation and Reignition: A Series
Will Rice launches "Reformation and Reignition," a series that revisits and repackages his decades‑long fishing narratives. The collection blends early drafts, polished magazine pieces and brand‑new stories, spanning adventures from upstate New York to the Bahamas and British Columbia. Rice,...
Boat Trailer Lights: Troubleshooting and Fixes
A boat trailer’s lighting system can fail suddenly, often due to a loose ground wire, as illustrated by the author’s experience of losing all lights on a previously functional trailer. The post identifies the ground wire disconnect as the primary...
AT News: The Ethical Minefield of AI-Generated Journalism
The post examines two pressing issues: the ethical gray area of AI‑generated journalism and the recent Senate vote that lifted a ban on copper mining near Minnesota’s Boundary Waters. It highlights the lack of disclosure in AI‑written articles, high‑volume AI‑assisted...
Welcome to The Rising
The Rising, a new bi‑weekly column on Flylab, spotlights the emerging Gen Z fly‑fishing community, especially women forging connections through unconventional gatherings like earring‑making with fly‑tying materials. The series argues that the industry’s post‑COVID hype—expensive rods, influencer noise, and shallow content—misses...
Why Orlando Is a Bucket List Destination for Fly Dealers This Summer
Orlando’s ICAST trade show has become the premier summer gathering for fly‑fishing retailers, drawing roughly 13,000 attendees from over 70 nations. The event has amplified its fly‑fishing focus with a dedicated replica shop, expanded product awards, and a spot on...
Montana Brothers Rodworks: The Inside Skinny
Todd Tanner reflects on how seasoned fly‑fishing professionals have lost the thrill of unboxing new gear. He notes that once‑exciting rod and reel shipments now sit untouched for weeks as anglers prioritize experience over novelty. The piece uses Montana Brothers...
Mayfly Outdoors: Dealer Days Spring 2026
Mayfly Outdoors hosted a multi‑day Dealer Days gathering in spring 2026, bringing together 50 select fly‑fishing dealers and over 200 attendees, including media and non‑competing brands such as Benchmade and Coors Brewing. Participants experienced hands‑on tours of Mayfly’s manufacturing line,...
A Lost Line Weight
Fly fishing rod line weight has trended toward five-weight as the default for western trout, but veteran caster John Juracek argues it’s suboptimal for most anglers, especially beginners in Montana. He contends that a six-weight rod provides superior casting in...
A Winter That Forgot How to Snow
A recent NOAA/NIDIS briefing highlighted an alarming drought outlook for the Intermountain West as winter transitions to spring. Reservoirs such as Green Mountain in Colorado are at historic lows, and precipitation forecasts remain well below average. The water scarcity threatens...
New Books: A Fishable Feast Has Arrived
Fly angling author Kirk Deeter and writer Matthew Supinski have just released "A Fishable Feast – Fly Fishing & Eating Your Way Around the World" through Rizzoli. The coffee‑table book pairs travel‑rich fly‑fishing narratives with 20 region‑specific recipes, illustrated with...