AT News: Why Social Media Marketing in Fly Fishing is Dying
That’s because fly fishing is all about authenticity...
Why Social Media Marketing in Fly Fishing is Dying
A few weeks ago, Mayfly Outdoors (parent company for Abel, Ross Reels, Airflo, Airlite, DynaKing and Renzetti) brought several dozen fly shop dealers from around the country–as well as members of the media, conservation organizations and other dignitaries–to the town of Montrose, Colorado.
Pulling the meeting off at all was a major feat and doing so in a lovely, yet miles-from-anywhere town on Colorado’s West Slope was nothing short of a statement.
I am told that one of the most enlightening moments of the event happened when, during a panel discussion on marketing, many in the room admitted that social media-based campaigns were flopping. “Social media isn’t working,” many said.
I’d tell you I’m shocked, but I’m not. That’s because fly fishing is all about authenticity. It’s deeply personal. By definition, it is, literally, immersive.
That’s what angling consumers want. Heck, that’s why 99 percent of us took up fly fishing in the first place.
Social media can be fun. It can also be addictive and dangerous according to a recent California Court Ruling. Social media is superficial. It’s about instant gratification. It often lacks integrity and credibility.
What social media really is, is open mic night. That can be a fun thing, and it can empower some who otherwise would not be heard. Whether that’s good or bad, you can decide for yourself. The algorithms decide what content gets sent your way, but you get to ultimately decide if you like it or not, or if you even believe it or not.
I remember sitting in the room at an AFFTA board meeting about 15 years ago, where the discussion was all about recruitment. We need more anglers. To get more anglers, we need to get them “pulling on fish”–the tug is the drug, and once they feel that, they’ll be converted forever.
Didn’t always play out that way.
There is indeed a side of fly fishing that’s about instant gratification, Instagram photos, cheap products, flea markets, fish counters and conveyor belt float trips. I call that the “commoditization” of fly fishing.
But the side that endures, and I think the side that’s going to regain more prominence in coming years, is the side that rewards things like craftsmanship, investment, practice, passion and talent. Talent in fishing, for sure, but also talent in art and storytelling. It’s about vesting yourself in a community. It’s about harmonizing with the resources and stewarding them, not just extracting from them.
In sum, it’s about authenticity. And more and more young anglers are realizing (and appreciating more than preceding generations, in my opinion) that fly fishing isn’t really about pulling on fish, it’s about people and the places we share.
So, go ahead and put all your marketing eggs in a social media basket, because someone told you that’s how you reach younger consumers, but do so at your own peril. As I understand it, younger anglers are so inundated with that stuff in their everyday lives, they turn to fly fishing to escape it. Young anglers are also smart enough to know that the substance of your content speaks volumes about the substance of your brand.
Print is dead? Baloney. Print is just warming up.
Video is for people who don’t want to read? Nah, great film and video demands more than pretty scenery, it’s all about storytelling.
Trade shows are dead because nobody wants to stand around in a big hall under fluorescent lights? Well maybe, but the “family” does enjoy getting together. They just need reasons.
“Dealer Days” in Montrose was proof, and trust me, it will also prove to be a catalyst for more interesting industry gatherings in the future.
There’s a time and place for everything. And the time for authenticity and deeper meaningful relationships with consumers and each other is now. The time for social media leading the way in fly fishing is slowly and predictably dying. – Kirk Deeter
Ombraz: “Better With Friends”
Today only, Ombraz, the armless sunglasses brand, has partnered with BioLite (clean burning products) for their annual one-day “Better With Friends” sale. It’s their only markdown before the fall holiday push and an opportunity to grab a discount on some “rad” sunglasses. The code applies to all their styles, including Limited Editions.
Sale Details:
Code: GEARUP26
Discount: $25 off all Ombraz Sunglasses @ Ombraz
When: Wednesday, April 8th at 12am PST to Thursday, April 9th at 10am PST
Also, check out our interview with Ombraz founder, Jensen Brehm, if you haven’t already. He discusses the company’s carbon-negative supply chain and mangrove planting initiative for every pair of sunglasses sold. They’re a cool, young brand, making a positive impact.
Lower Blue River Update
Blue Valley Ranch (BVR), a 25,000-acre estate owned by hedge-fund billionaire Paul Tudor Jones, and Friends Of The Lower Blue River (FOLBR), a non-profit organization focused on the Lower Blue River Valley (and backed by Jones and his consultants), are pushing back in the media against the narrative that they have been proposing “a limited and permitted float system for anglers (and only anglers) to reduce the strains of fishing pressure on this section of water…” Their online executive summary, however, tells a different story.
Why are we linking to an archived web page? Because after a bunch of bad press they pulled down their website management plan, which clearly articulates their longterm goals.
Here’s their topline proposal:
“To manage and protect the biological integrity of the Lower Blue River, Friends of the Lower Blue River is proposing a 10-year pilot permit system to regulate and allocate float angling trips on the River. The plan is designed by locals, for locals, shaped by a community-based research framework, and best practices in watershed sciences.”
The permitting intent seems pretty straightforward.
Now the spin from Fly Fisherman’s reporting: FOLBR and BVR Push Back, Angler Input Crucial at Upcoming Meeting. “While stakeholders float possible solutions and the debate over best practices for the fishery continues, board members from the non-profit Friends of the Lower Blue River (FOLBR) rebutted allegations to Fly Fisherman (FF) that they proposed regulations that many anglers were vehemently opposed to. In particular was the idea of implementing a limited and permitted float system for anglers (and only anglers) to reduce the strains of fishing pressure on this section of water as a solution to recent news of an unhealthy Blue River system.”
And more from FOLBR board treasurer, Nick Zomer:
“We have never said that we’re fully in support of a permitting system, and we don’t see ourselves ever implementing one. We’re just a non-profit. But if that group of stakeholders comes to the conclusion that we should be working with a governmental agency to look at what a permitting system could be, I think we’d be open to that.”
It’s pretty hard to “rebut allegations” of a permitting system when you clearly articulate in your executive summary that you’re lobbying for a restricted use on a public waterway. Also, you’re not “fully in support of a permitting system,” but on the other hand, you’re “open to it”? This is boilerplate doublespeak.
At this point, FOLBR’s credibility is strained at best.
An upcoming FOLBR stakeholders meeting (Thursday, April 9 between 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.) should provide more transparency, and should be open to the public and media. Here’s a virtual link: meeting info in the FOLBR calendar. – Andrew Steketee
Recent News
Kyle Frost on the brutal (western) snow conditions and the consequences for outdoor industries: The West’s No Good, Very Bad, Snow Year. “Skiing is the obvious one here, and Vail’s stock price is a decent bellwether for just how bad this season was for the industry. I’ve seen a few pictures of backcountry zones I usually ski until the end of June almost bone-dry this week. But a whole range of water-dependent activities face a shortened or uncertain season. Rivers will see rafting windows compress dramatically, with flows drying up months ahead of typical peak season. A couple rivers in Colorado are flowing at ~200% of normal right now, and not in a good way. That’s going to quickly drop to a fraction of normal as they reach peak flows months early, then dry up. Fishing, floating, and reservoir recreation all depend on a seasonal water cycle that’s broken this year…”
Re:Public reports on recent challenges (attacks) to the Endangered Species Act and U.S. Forest Service. “On March 31, the six-member committee–composed of the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Army, and the chairs of the Council of Economic Advisers, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration–rubber-stamped a request from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to exempt the whole Gulf of Mexico from endangered species protections, citing national security and ‘ongoing Endangered Species Act litigation that threatened to halt oil and gas production.’ (Hegseth was seemingly referring to a lawsuit filed in May 2025 by environmental groups against the National Marine Fisheries Service, challenging a biological opinion that left endangered species at risk.) The gulf is home to dozens of threatened and endangered species, including critically endangered rice’s whales, population maybe 51. Later that afternoon, the U.S. Forest Service announced a reshuffling that left a lot of cards on the floor, rolling out plans to move headquarters to Salt Lake City, close research offices in 31 states, and consolidate regional offices.”
More on the U.S. Forest Service disaster from Wes Siler, and logging operations in particular, where the rubber actually meets the road: The Sky Is Not Falling On The Forest Service. “Under the Trump administration and as mandated in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the USFS sure is selling a lot of logging permits. But the issue that a lot of the fear mongers miss is that in addition to being evil, these assholes are also incompetent. Expanding logging operations requires three major prerequisites: roads, lumber mills, and legal permitting. Road construction through national forests must be funded by taxpayers under current law. But, Agriculture Secretary Rollins has only allocated $50 million for new road construction over the next five years. A mile of road in a national forest costs anywhere from $10,000 on the low end, to over $600,000 in a challenging landscape like Alaska’s Tongass National Forest. And that’s before any bridges or erosion mitigation work come into play. That budget is nowhere near enough money to open up significant new areas to logging…”
Hard market lessons for outdoor specialty retailers: Wes Allen, principal at Sunlight Sports, unpacks The Outside Economy vs. The Outdoor Economy (aesthetic consumers vs. gearheads). “Here’s the thing most of the industry hasn’t been willing to say out loud: heritage outdoor brands have been serving outside customers for a long time. This isn’t new. Think about Patagonia. Their growth over 40 years was powered first by outdoor economy credibility and then supercharged by outside economy adoption that they didn’t fully engineer and probably couldn’t have predicted. A Better Sweater fleece sold to someone who wears it to a brewery isn’t an outdoor sale. It’s an outside sale made through an outdoor channel. Patagonia counted it as outdoor. So did every other heritage brand enjoying the same tailwind. Patagonia may be the exception that survives straddling both economies–they spent decades building a brand around environmental activism that gives them credibility well beyond product specs. Most heritage brands rode the same tailwind without building any of that. The problem today isn’t that heritage brands are suddenly chasing the outside economy. It’s that they’ve been in it for years without admitting it, and now they’re losing that business to companies that were purpose-built for it…”
Eoin Comerford, outdoor industry expert and former CEO of Moosejaw, provides some survival analysis on the evolution of the “outdoor gear shop,” and soft goods in particular. “So, is the classic ‘Outdoor Gear Shop’ model dead in today’s world? Looking at the specialty chains that are expanding would certainly support that view–Gearhead Outfitters, Half-Moon Outfitters and Mountain High Outfitters are all chains that lean into apparel and footwear far more than equipment. Why is the equipment-centric model under attack? I see a number of factors…” Eoin and Wes Allen sit down to unpack The Outside Economy vs. The Outdoor Economy (aesthetic consumers vs. gearheads) on the Outdoor Unfiltered podcast.
Outdoor retailer attrition: Denver’s Wilderness Exchange to Close. “Denver’s Wilderness Exchange is closing its doors after 26 years this coming weekend, although the outdoor retailer reported that its website will remain active ‘for now.’ Black Diamond’s partner-run shop on the main floor reportedly will also close. Owner and Founder Don Bushey announced the closure on the store’s website and social media pages on Tuesday, March 24, but did not go into detail about why the store was closing, only stating that ‘all good things must come to an end.’”
Fly-fishing Media
What anglers wait all year for: Brown Drake spinner falls and summer…
Robert Chaney at Mountain Journal is thinking about the 50th anniversary of A River Runs Through It (the movie), and its impact on Montana’s resources. “In 1976, Norman Maclean published his 104-page novella chronicling events of his family during the summer of 1937. He also stuffed an image of piscatorial Eden into a time capsule that modern trends have shattered beyond repair. The Blackfoot River fishing holes where the Maclean brothers tangled with trout and family radiated splendid isolation on the page. Today, it’s a different story: that same river now sloshes with what Maclean called a ‘Spanish Armada’ of floating anglers taking more selfies than fish from the waters. Many locals wonder how much more the river can take. One might as well wonder how much more the story has to give…”
Nick Parish of Current Flow State writes about the connection between fly fishing and mental health. “Attention and concentration: Fly fishing both reduces the number of outside stimuli (moving from a built, technological environment to an outdoors environment) and raises the intensity of those stimuli. You’re intensely concentrating on a tiny fly as it floats down the river, willing a fish to rise and eat it. Looking at the Fishing for Answers report, helping rebuild concentration and attention by focusing on it as a trainable skill is a key aspect of fishing: Angling ‘fascinates’ attention, allowing people to concentrate for long periods of time seemingly effortlessly. As they become completely absorbed there is no room for other thoughts and the singular focus serves as a mental break.”
Lindsay Kocka on surf and fly-fishing towns and The Geography of Belonging. “On the surface, surfing and fly fishing are distinctly different activities. One is fast, reactive, visibly dynamic, and incredibly athletic, while the other, especially on western trout water, tends to be a bit slower and more subdued. But when you step back from the technical differences, the core similarities become clear. Both practices are built on timing, patience, observation, and a close relationship with conditions. More importantly, both create communities that shape the details of their lives around access to water.”
A podcast about a podcast? TFFJ chats with Will Rice on his beginnings in journalism and decision to start pursuing certain stories in podcast form: “In 2018, Rice began hosting Down the Path, a podcast that investigated the disappearance of an angler in Mexico. A second season soon followed, looking into the tragic death of a fly-fishing guide and his client in Belize, and Rice eventually returned to the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Bain for the third season of the podcast in 2023.”
More info and story links from Will’s podcast series:
TFFJ Season One: The Disappearance of Ronald Scheepstra
TFFJ Season Two: Collateral Damage
The Drake: The Disappearance of Stanley Bain
The Drake: Thoughts On a Badass Birthmark
Gear Buzz
House of Fly’s Top 10 Bonefish Flies of 2026. “This list is built with patterns that are readily available, which means they are tied commercially. They are not unique patterns, only known by a singular guide. In other words, they are not secret flies, and they are not custom patterns tied by an online fly tyer from Instagram (even though there are a ton of cool ones out there). Instead, these are patterns you can easily secure for your trip.”
How to Pick The Right Fly Line from Spencer Durrant. “Line weight standards are largely suggestions these days, because a lot of fly rod companies are building rods that are stiffer. A term you’ll hear to describe this is ‘faster.’ It means that less of the rod bends during the cast. So a rod designed to handle the regular duties of a 5-weight–dry flies, nymphs, and smaller streamers – might need a heavier line to properly load it. A heavier line adds more weight to the casting process, which will slow the rod’s action down, forcing it to bend more.”
Matthew Reilly from Hatch magazine considers his good friend, Slack. “‘Slack is evil.’ Admittedly, this oft-recited fly fishing mantra has always hurt me a little. As someone who does the vast majority of his fishing with streamers, Slack and I have grown close over the years. From murderous musky eats to impossibly subtle subsurface smallmouth inhalations, Slack has been there all the way, playing a pivotal role. If we have to call it something, I prefer ‘Slack is the devil,’ because in the case of Slack, the devil is in the details…”
From Outside: The Best Swim Shirts for Long Days in the Water. Patagonia’s Capilene Cool Sun Hoodie was the top entrant. “Patagonia’s Capilene Cool Sun Hoodie ended up being the most versatile swim shirt in the entire test. It felt just as natural during long swims as it did wandering through town or lounging at the resort. The standout feature was the zippered chest pocket, which proved perfect for stashing my phone or a quick snack for my daughter when I was out of the water.”
Yellow Dog Flyfishing rolls out the 9-weight and 11-weight addendums to their 2026 Saltwater Invitational: 8-Weight Bonefish Course. These are the go-to choice for permit anglers: “Fly rod performance is situational. A rod that excels at punching a fly seventy feet into the wind to a tailing permit might be exactly what you are looking for, but that same rod can feel overly stiff and disconnected when a redfish appears at close range in high, tannic water, demanding a quick and accurate presentation in close quarters. If your comfort zone lives in the 40 to 50 foot range, the rods that stood out there deserve your attention. If you regularly fish ultra clear water, where longer presentations matter, there are rods in this lineup that clearly separate themselves at distance…”
Boating News
From Small Craft Sales, the go-to marketplace for buying and selling small boats and other specialty watercraft.
Chesapeake Light Craft has a spring sale on everything from kayaks, canoes, sailboats and rowing-craft to paddle boards and powerboats. Esquif Canoes launches the new Echo 2.0. This boat “builds on the spirit of the original model, loved by paddlers for its agility and responsiveness. But it goes even further. With an additional 1.5 inches of depth, it now delivers greater load capacity, while maintaining its efficiency, lightness and maneuverability.” Protect Our Rivers opens registration for the 19th annual South Platte River clean up. Maria Blevins investigates sexual misconduct in the river industry–with the aim of making the river industry and community a safer place for everyone. Check that out at Paddling Mag. AIRE introduces the Sweet Potato, and upgraded version off the Tater, the full-sized version of the SPUD—and gives it a serious upgrade. Built with the same rugged Précontraint Ferrari PVC construction as the Hot Potato, this kayak delivers enhanced toughness, stability and longevity, while keeping the same compact, playful design that makes the Tater a whitewater favorite. Lastly don’t forget to check out SCS’s partnership with Down River Equipment and their Raftopia event. They’re offering free boat listings, expanded visibility, and a broader marketplace for one of the country’s largest raft gatherings.
Job Seekers
Mike Myers. Raised in a Navy family that bounced around the Gulf Coast, California and even Guam before settling in Boulder, Colorado in elementary school, Mike has spent most of his life with one foot in technology and the other in the water (trout streams, mainly). He’s an IT support lead and Jamf Pro administrator by trade, managing Mac fleets for enterprise teams and using automation to keep creative and knowledge workers productive on their Apple gear. Away from the desk, he’s a long‑time Colorado fly angler and a familiar face on the regional fly-tying circuit, having demonstrated at events like Orvis Fly Tying Fanatics Fest, The Fly Fishing Show, the West Denver Fly Tying Clinic and multiple local fly shops. Focus: Mike is looking for ways to merge those two worlds–supporting a fly shop, lodge, or conservation‑minded organization that runs on Macs–so he can keep the tech dialed while staying close to the fisheries and fly-fishing community he’s passionate about.
Gregory Gondella. With more than 30 years of experience in the outdoor industry, Greg has built his career around stewardship of the land, safe instruction and a deep commitment to conservation and outdoor access. Greg is a licensed fly fishing, hunting and hiking guide, as well as a Licensed Wilderness First Responder with an Associate’s degree in Wilderness Medicine. He has extensive credentials in firearms and equipment training, serving as a Certified Armorer Instructor across multiple weapons platforms and as a Law Enforcement and Military Firearms and Less-Than-Lethal Instructor. His work focuses on helping individuals–from beginners to professionals–build confidence, skill and respect for the environments in which they train and explore. Focus: Greg’s tenure in the outdoor industry has been in sales, marketing and brand management fields, and is interested in those roles.
Music
If you haven’t heard Sturgill Simpson’s / Johnny Blue Skies’ new release, Mutiny After Midnight (out only on vinyl LPs, CDs, cassette tapes), you wouldn’t be the only one wondering why he’s making it so hard to grab a copy. But the answer isn’t really that complicated: he wants you to work a little and care about the music, particularly in a world overrun by Nashville faux-country garbage. Sturgill built a country music persona only to destroy it with a rock release, then destroyed the rock persona with a 2020 bluegrass release–that’s the point of his art: unapologetic innovation. He also tends to view the world in black and white terms–you’re either creating great music or you’re not. Not surprisingly, this “experimental” album rollout still landed him at No. 3 on the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart a few weeks ago. Johnny Blue Skies explained the album this way on Instagram: “You can break down the songs on this album into two categories–the dark state of the world and the bright state of love. Light lives in darkness just as darkness lives in light. I have come to find over time that it’s far easier to just embrace contradictions rather than attempting to resolve them.” You’ll have to buy the album physically, for the time being, and we’ll review it when it’s available.
In the meantime, listen to Sturgill’s Cuttin’ Grass Vol. 1: The Butcher Shoppe Sessions (2020), an all-time classic bluegrass release. Songs worth listening to: Breakers Roar, I Don’t Mind, I Wonder, Just Let Go, Life of Sin, Turtles All the Way Down. The Pitchfork write-up, “The best bluegrass players balance blazing technique with close attention to the song and deep knowledge of the canon. Even when the picking is deft, it’s rarely showy; instead, there’s a modest ostentation to Cuttin’ Grass, which simultaneously plays up the cosmic quality of Simpson’s songwriting but also grounds it in earthy arrangements. Dreams are constantly intruding on reality in his songs; God infuses everything, light constantly battles darkness, and death just takes us to another plane. “Gonna transmigrate to my destination far beyond time in an eternal dream,” he sings on Just Let Go, right before the band joins him on the chorus: ‘Am I dreaming or am I dying?’ It’s a murder ballad where the ego gets the knife…” – Andrew Steketee
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Since I don't partake in social media any longer, save engaging sources like this one, I'm not surprised either. People are longing for open and honest communication that breeds valuable and challenging thought, or even inspires those to build their own fly rod and tie their own flies. Think back to the days when a Sunday afternoon was spent on the front porch or back patio, relaxing in the moment of the people who sat around you.
Maybe that's too nostalgic for some, but I think it's what people long for, no, they crave to have that experience.
Take that to the water, start wading or drifting, tossing some flies in the water, engulfed in the beauty of your surroundings, and life just gets simple and uncluttered, and enjoyably honest. (Unless you're just learning how to cast your first flies, but thats another topic altogether. 😊)
Good read! Thanks for sharing.
P.S. I really like your "little red book" and "little black book." Timeless thoughts and techniques for fly fishing. A must have for any angler!
Some really great points here, Kirk, as always. Thank you for sharing.
Great branding always - no matter what the format or industry - revolves around authenticity and compelling storytelling.
That said, I'd be curious to see a recording or read a transcript of this panel discussion to understand more of the context and hear more of why social media isn't working for these particular groups. Not to say I don't believe their findings, but it seems like bigger brands tend to struggle more with this than smaller groups and brands, for example.
Social Media isn't a fix-all or single messaging solution by any stretch, but it is a tool in the marketing/messaging toolbox and I don't see it going away. It will - and should - evolve, to be sure. But to write it off completely is ignoring certain demographics and the evolution of storytelling on the whole. Removing my personal feelings on the effects of social media/algorithms (hint: I'm not a huge fan), I don't think we can "throw the baby out with the bath water" in the case of social media. Modifying our approach with an understanding of the pitfalls as we develop better strategies, yes. And the more we bring these issues to the fore (again, thank you), the better the results.