In math and science, constant variables provide stability. Without fixed structure, the chaos of relativism prevents us from seeing what works and what doesn’t.
Life is an incredibly complex equation. We need reference points.
fly fishing is our constant variable
Fly fishing shows us how we’ve changed and how we’ve remained the same. It offers perspective on shifting watersheds, ecosystems, and fisheries. Fly fishing takes us to new places and brings us back to the same places again and again—maybe with different eyes.
Fly fishing gives us something we know how to do, even (and maybe especially) when we find ourselves in utterly foreign landscapes. It provides a shared language and culture, a mechanism for finding community and identifying allies, whether we’re hunkered in an airport bar or hovering around a neighbor’s BBQ.
The details of fly fishing change—we go to new places, catch new species, make new friends, cast new rods, fish new flies—but the idea of fly fishing, the act itself, remains. That’s a big part of our philosophy here at Skwala. We’re constantly working to build better fly fishing gear, but we're not trying to change fly fishing.
A new year always invites reflection: What did we accomplish? What stories did we create? Where are we hoping to go next? Read on for our annual rundown on 2025 and a glimpse into 2026.
What did we accomplish?
Stepping into footwear (pun 100% intended) was always the plan. We launched our company with stocking-foot waders. Without boots, stocking-foot waders are useless. Of course we were going to make boots. In fact, we thought we were going to release them way back in 2023.
But that didn't happen. We weren’t willing to slap our logo on a pair of oversized water shoes and call it good. We had to re-think, re-design, and re-build wading boots. Then we had to test them and tweak them until we had something unique and functional that would hold up against seasons of use. Boots that would make people’s fishing experiences better.
So, two full years later than planned, we finally gave you Skwala boots. Carbon Boots have earned high praise from anglers who find fish with their feet, and RS Boots keep snagging industry accolades. Dom Swentosky from Troutbitten calls them “The best wading boots [he’s] ever worn.” Spencer Durant at Fly Lords named them the best wading boots of the year, saying they're “easily the most comfortable boots I’ve ever worn.” RS also recently won Fly Fisherman Magazine’s Best New Boots Award.
We wish we could have launched boots sooner—for a lot of reasons—but we made the right decision. We will never rush to put out a product until we're confident that it's good enough for you to fish in.
Early last year we launched the RS Outpost Jacket, which also took home Gear of the Year Awards from Fly Fisherman Magazine and Fly Lords. Simply put, the Outpost is unlike any other fishing jacket you’ve worn. It’s insulated and fully waterproof, but also breathable and stretchy—check it out the next time you’re in a great fly shop.
A couple years ago we asked ourselves, “Can we make a hoody that would work as a standalone cool weather fishing shirt, a high-insulation midlayer, and a light outerlayer for mild conditions?” That spawned the Fusion Tactical Hoody. Ross Purnell, the editor for Fly Fisherman Magazine, described it this way, “It has the fit, UPF protection, and comfort of a sun hoody and it’s lighter in weight than many of the other fleeces and micro puffies on the market. It’s perfect for spring and fall days as a top layer but its fit and fabric make it a clutch midlayer in cold weather.” So yeah, we pulled that off.
We love Merino, you love Merino, everyone loves Merino—adding the Thermo 260 Top and Bottom to the Thermo Collection just made sense. At 260 grams, they split the difference between the super light 150 and the toasty warm 350.
Finally, we launched the new Sol Defense Hoody, because good fishing sometimes comes with clouds of voracious insects, and bug bites suck.
What Stories Did We Create?
Last year marked our second as presenting sponsors of the Fly Fishing Film Tour and, just like the year before, we had a blast. The Hard Way—the film we helped produce with our buddies at Off the Grid Studios about Deschutes River guide Matt Mendes—not only made the F3T rounds but was also selected for the Banff Mountain Film Festival. We thought that was pretty cool.
Another film we supported from Off the Grid Studios, Silent Spotter, told the story of Tommy Batun—a young, up-and-coming, Mexican fly fishing guide who lost his hearing as an infant. The success of that project has amplified Tommy's story, boosted his guiding career, and helped him save for a home to house his young family. Tommy's now a signature tyer for Umpqua Feather Merchants, and you can purchase the same fly featured in the film, Tommy's Floating Crab, on their website. Silent Spotter took home the Audience Choice Award for best film at the International Fly Fishing Film Festival.
We linked up with the most interesting man in fly fishing, Brian O’Keefe, to create The Life of Brian. The series pairs Brian’s captivating storytelling with his legendary photography to take you all over the world. Get tips on DIY lake fishing in New Zealand; hear about Brian’s favorite place to fish in the Bahamas; find out how introduced salmon are changing Chile’s trout fisheries. It's honest, unscripted, and utterly unpretentious, just like Brian.
We went to Iceland... Well, most of us did. (Sorry, Ryan and Miles.) It was an incredible trip, and everyone caught their first Atlantic salmon. We also learned how much cultural context matters in fly fishing.
Highlights from the crew:
Kevin:
"Anadromous fish have always been near and dear to me, and this year was especially memorable. An early trip to Northern BC in August yielded a once-in-a-lifetime, 41-inch Steelhead. I was fortunate enough to share this fish with my long-time steelheading buddy and Skwala ambassador Todd Scharf. We had the entire river to ourselves, because everyone thought it was blown out. To quote Woody Allen, "90% of life is showing up," and I'm glad we chose to show up that day. Little did we know that Todd would pass away suddenly on this same stretch of river just two weeks later. This will always remain a very special fish for me."
Ryan:
"I didn't get to fish locally this year as much as I would have liked. (Someone has to keep this place running while everyone else is "gear testing" in Iceland, Alaska, BC, New Zealand, Belize, etc.) I did, however, take a couple trips. I caught my first yellowfin tuna in Mexico—my biggest and most delicious fish on the fly so far. But probably my highlight this year was taking my nephew to Port Aransas, Texas, and introducing him to saltwater fly fishing."
Rich:
“Last spring, I spent five days steelheading in Southeast Alaska on a live-aboard vessel called The Adventurous. Every morning we woke up somewhere new—new rivers, new weather, new problems to solve—with the same people I’ve been fishing with for decades. The fishing mattered, but what stayed with me was how familiar everything felt inside something completely foreign. That trip reminded me why fly fishing endures: it gives you an anchor when everything else is moving.”
Scott:
"This year we doubled down on story telling and visited some incredible places. The most notable location was Iceland, which had been high up on both my filming and fishing bucket lists. While there, I was able to check Atlantic Salmon off the list and capture some of the coolest visuals of my career. I also spent some time back in the Midwest chasing smallmouth and visiting with old friends at Schultz Outfitters."
Miles:
“A decade ago, while visiting New Zealand with my wife, we hit the evening rise on a North Island river. Right at dusk, I hooked a rainbow on a dry fly that broke me off on the hookset and then proceeded to jump over and over again across the whole pool, just so I knew exactly how big it was. My wife turned to me and sarcastically said, “Holy crap. Was that a shark?” The fish haunted me. Last year, I returned to that same river and hooked another big rainbow right at dusk on a dry. Though I’m convinced it wasn’t as big as the one I lost, it still felt like redemption.”
What’s Next?
Here are a few hints about what we have planned for next year.
We won’t tell you any fibs. Trout and salmon spawn in tribs. Good fishing snacks stick to your ribs. If you understand our rhyming hint for the next big launch, you’ll want to call dibs.
Hypothetically, if we were to build another vest, would we make it insulated?
In our experience, hands are pretty important when it comes to fly fishing.
final thoughts
Every year we ask ourselves what we’ve done for fly fishing more broadly. This year, we profiled a couple of successful conservation efforts led by local fly fishing guides and anglers that didn’t get the attention they deserved. First was the Belizean permit flat purchased by Texas developers and slated to become a private eco-tourism lodge until the fishing community got wind of it and shut the whole thing down. The second was the multi-year effort by the Atlantic Saltwater Guides Association in particular, and Northeast anglers in general, to conduct the first longitudinal studies of false albacore. The results were surprising, and those efforts led to two states adopting the first ever harvest regulations on an important but understudied species.
We also donated 5% of the retail total for our 12 Days of Skwala Holiday Sale to Trout Unlimited and Bonefish & Tarpon Trust. Is that enough? No. Fly fishing depends on functional fisheries and ecosystems, and right now those systems are heavily dependent on the work of conservation organizations. It is, however, more than we were able to do in 2024. As we grow, so does our capacity to support essential research and advocacy. Next year, we’re planning to continue increasing that support. As always, we’ll hold ourselves accountable to all of you.
Thanks, again, for taking our gear fishing this year and for taking the time to read this. We appreciate all of you and hope you will come visit us at Skwala HQ in Bozeman.
Happy New Year,
The Skwala Crew