Flylab

Flylab

Home
Notes
Chat
Angling Trade
Fly-fishing Jobs
Memberships
Members
Sponsorships
Archive
About

Gear

On Skates, Ski Boots and Fly Rods
Must you be an expert fly caster to decide whether any given rod is “worthy” or not?
 • Flylab and Kirk Deeter
Gear Roll-up: More 2025 Gear “Likes,” Three Trout Reels, Deeter on the Ross-Coors Light Collab
2025 provided a mix of newcomers, long-running workhorses and a little “fishing-adjacent” gear that quietly makes the day on the water better.
 • Flylab, Andrew Steketee, Kirk Deeter, and Tim Romano
So, You Want to Know the Real Story About Fly Lines
Fly lines can be pretty damn expensive these days, but they are undeniably the jet fuel that makes the planes fly.
 • Flylab and Kirk Deeter
“Conflicted” About $1700 Graphite Fly Rods
Not all that long ago, I thought breaking the mythical $1000 barrier for graphite fly rods would send shockwaves through the fly-fishing trade. I was…
 • Flylab and Kirk Deeter
Words to Avoid In a Rod Critique
The term “tracking” is used to describe the quality of a rod to remain in a single plane as it is moved through the casting stroke.
 • Flylab
It’s All About the Sweet Spot
Talking about oversized heads (no, not talking about casting instructors or magazine editors) and fast-action graphite fly rods.
 • Flylab and Kirk Deeter
An Observation on the Fly Rod Market
The majority of the rods made today are generally too stiff for their intended use…
 • Flylab
Gear Roll-up: The Victorinox Swiss Army Knife, Epic Titanium Series Fly Rods, Small Stream Four-weights
I like the Huntsman, because it has a little saw that comes in handy when you’re doing things like cutting thick cord, or cleaning birds.
 • Flylab, Andrew Steketee, Kirk Deeter, and Tim Romano
Gear Roll-up: Skwala Sol Tactical Hoody, Rocky Talkie Radios, 3BIRD Apparel
As with most of the gear from Skwala, this hoodie is designed with the angler at the forefront of the equation.
 • Flylab, Cliff Watson, Andrew Steketee, Kirk Deeter, and Tim Romano
Gear Roll-up: Scott’s GT Fly Rods, Yeti GoBox 15, Packs & Slings
In eager and diligent hands, Scott’s GT can absolutely be a game changer.
 • Flylab
Gear Roll-up: Skwala Sol Wading Pant, Sage R8 Core 696 Fly Rod, Ombraz Sunglasses
There are many high-quality shades out there for anglers, but none that are quite like Ombraz. The first thing you’ll notice is they don’t have arms...
 • Flylab, Andrew Steketee, Tim Romano, and Cliff Watson
Gear Review Roll-up: YETI Cayo Backpack, Rain Jackets, Freshwater Fly Rods
If you fish and hunt (especially if you do both) enough, you’ll come to realize that a good, water-repelling day pack is one of your most essential…
 • Flylab
© 2026 Flylab · Publisher Privacy ∙ Publisher Terms
Substack · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture