WFS 520 – Skwala Fishing with Kevin Sloan – Merino Wool, Fourchette, Gore-Tex

     

Show Notes with Kevin Sloan on Skwala Fishing. Hit play below! 👇🏻

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Episode Chapters with Kevin Sloan on Skwala Fishing

1:41 – Kevin shares the story of how he got into fly fishing. His interest in the sport started when he was very young. Then his dad took him to a Trout Unlimited Barbecue when he was just 10 years old where a guy doing a casting demonstration spent an hour with him to teach him.

4:01 – Most of their customers in Skwala Fishing are advanced fly fishers.

4:30 – He takes us back to how he got into the industry. He started guiding when he was 19 then at 25, he worked at Orvis in product development. That’s where he got his start and foundation in the fly fishing space. Then he got involved in Sitka and led that business from day one to nearly a decade.

7:49 – We dig into their product design and development process at Skwala. He mentions their Carbon Jacket that is fully waterproof and has a four-way stretch shell that will keep you dry but still allow you to comfortably with it.

11:38 – We talk about their waders. The major factors that they considered while developing their waders were mobility and breathability.

12:42 – He explains what a fourchette is.

14:30 – He gives valuable tips on how to take good care of your waders to make them last for years.

19:45 – He tells us about merino wool which is one of the materials used for designing their Thermo 150 Hoody. Merino wool gives a warm fuzzy feeling even when it’s wet.

24:50 – He gives recommendations on what products to choose from their line if you’re going fishing during cold months. If you’re going steelhead fishing in December, he highly recommends their RS collection.

27:54 – We talk about the features of one of their favorite pieces, the Fusion 3/2 Puffy which is water-resistant and breathable.

         

31:26 – They have a collection that has just been released this year.

33:10 – For waders to be durable, they have to be puncture-resistant and tear-resistant. He tells more on how to test your waders at home to see if there are tears on them.

36:12 – He talks about their guarantee and warranty.

37:50 – We dig into Gore-Tex and similar materials that they use in their products for waterproofing and breathability.

39:53 – He loves all kinds of fishing, especially swinging for steelheads.

40:40 – For saltwater fishing, he recommends their Sol collection.

41:37 – I ask about bamboo fabrics.

42:53 – Looking ahead, they also plan to release their line of boots.

45:14 – He takes us back to that time when he started building Skwala Fishing and shares how he came up with the name and branding.

48:34 – We do a rapid-fire round. He likes listening to both music and podcasts when on the road, particularly Dave Matthews Band Radio and The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway.

49:50 – His go-to setup for trout is a 691 Sage X, 9′ 6wt with a fighting butt on it.

50:20 – He tells us the trips on his bucket list.

You can find Skwala Fishing on Instagram @SkwalaFishing.

Facebook at Skwala Fishing

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Visit their website at SkwalaFishing.com.

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WFS 464 – Fly Fishing for Atlantic Salmon with Topher Browne – Casting Tips, Swinging Flies, Arthur Wood

Read the Full Podcast Transcript Below

Conclusion with Kevin Sloan on Skwala Fishing