New fly fishing apparel maker launches in US

A new brand promising to ‘push the limits of fly fishing apparel’ has been launched. Skwala, based in Montana, has its roots in brands like Sitka, Yeti, Simms, Patagonia and Orvis, says its CEO and founder, Kevin Sloan.

“This team, with more than 100 years of accumulative experience in best-in-class brands, has created what we think is an amazing product line that will definitely resonate with anglers looking for the best gear in the world,” added Sloan, who led the Sitka Gear business for almost ten years.

“We have been working on the brand for well over two years, and now we are pleased to let the world see what we have been up to. We think the fly fishing apparel sector is ready for some new thinking about design and construction that allows anglers to go further in their pursuits.”

Rick Hohne, formerly Senior Director of Marketing and Brand Management at Simms Fishing Products, is part of the team behind the brand. Like Simms, Skwala is based in Bozeman, Montana.

The company’s initial line of core products includes two pairs of waders, two jackets, two insulation pieces, two sun shirts, wading pants and shorts.

THE RS Wader is built for demanding environments, while the Carbon Wader is designed for warmer days, travel or a quick conversion to waist high and highly breathable waders.

The RS Jacket and Carbon Jacket complement the waders by building on the brand’s system approach to apparel. The Fusion 3/2 Puffy and Fusion Hybrid both use insulation design and technologies to provide warmth, as well as stretch textiles.

The sun collection includes the Sol Tactical Hoody and Sol Hoody featuring a 50+ UPF rating along with wicking and fast-drying fabrics. The Sol Wading Pant and Sol Wading Short use a trademarked stretch fabric for comfort and breathability and which dries faster than other fabrics, says Skwala.

“The goal is to combine design and technical expertise and blend that with a unique channel strategy,” says Sloan.

The complete line will be available online and at select retailers in the US.