I came to know Yakoda Supply about a year ago, and have been drooling over/following them since. Based out of Colorado, they are a company that creates fly fishing gear that celebrates what is needed for a great day on the water. They are obsessive about simplicity in design, and are conscious to avoid over-engineering anything. And they are very price considerate – without sacrificing quality.. Check out their gear and you’ll see what I mean.
It really resonates. Especially with a guy like me who has been fly fishing for about eight or nine years. I went through the ‘gear hoard’ phase, where I bought and fought with everything, and have happily evolved into the simplistic version of a fisherman. Yakoda is right there. Bullseye.
I recently connected with Justin Fuller, a co-founder of the company, and it was like talking to an old college buddy. Turns out we know A LOT of the same people, and determined there is a much better than average chance that we were at some of the same Widespread Panic shows in the late-90s/early-00s (Mikey era). Besides talking about his company, it was great to connect with a like-minded bro all because of fishing. At this point we are sending each other text messages with links to obscure WSP shows.
I’m really excited to share the Yakoda story. Of course you can read all about it on their site, but here’s a ‘behind the brand’ that should resonate with all of you Red Clay Soldiers:
What is the history of Yakoda? Yakoda started pretty quickly after Jason and I met on a fishing trip to the North Platte in Wyoming. We were quick friends, with similar interests in live music and fly fishing, and have kids that are the same age. I had an idea for a simple bag to haul all your gear—what’s now the Yakoda Gear Transport—and riffing on that with Jason led to a bunch of other ideas from both of us and a realization that there was something missing in the fly fishing industry. Before we knew it, we had started a business around those things.
In a lot of ways, that first product defined our philosophy for the brand—make things that solve a problem or fulfill a need, build something that will outlast the customer, and make sure it looks good in the process.
Describe your perfect day of fly fishing… We live in a place where we’re fortunate to have a lot of really good fly fishing on public land within a 3 hour drive, and Jason and I both have families, which means a lot of day trips. So getting the most you can out of a single day usually involves waking up before 5am and getting home after 10pm. The perfect day would start and end there but would definitely include some hiking to get to the water—it’s always more rewarding when you earn it—a lot of moving around to cover as much water as possible, and taking some time to just enjoy the places we get to go, even if the fishing isn’t living up to expectations. In terms of the type of fishing, sign me up for a dry-dropper, a 4 wt., and healthy, wild fish on smaller water.
What are some of your favorite Yakoda products? We essentially have three types of products: Gear, Flies, and Apparel so I’ll pick one from each category. For gear, I think our Convertible Utility Pack kind of sums up what we’re all about. It’s our version of a hip pack but can also be worn as a sling or chest pack, so it’s super versatile. It’s also the right size—big enough for the stuff you need but not so big you can just stuff everything inside of it. It makes you think about what to bring to the water and it’s bomb-proof because of its simple construction. Along with all of our other cut-and-sewn gear products, it’s made in Colorado with American-made materials and has a lifetime guarantee.
Our flies are unique because they’re all patterns that Jason has designed, which means you can’t get them anywhere else. We also have an intentionally small selection, which again, comes back to keeping things simple and giving you fewer flies to choose from so that you can develop confidence in certain patterns. And we sell them in 3-packs because who buys just one fly? I’m partial to all of them because they all get the job done but the Funky P is a great example of a very unique fly that can do a lot of heavy lifting by imitating multiple types of bugs.
I’m a big hat guy and we’ve been able to develop custom silhouettes for all of our headwear. I think we have some of the nicest and best fitting hats in the game and there are a ton of new styles on deck for the summer. If I had to pick one to shout out, it’d probably be the Trout Brain. It’s one of our most simple but most popular graphics.
What type of person is a Yakoda customer? It’s anyone who fly fishes but because of our focus on simplicity and staying organized on the water, I think our products appeal to a certain type of angler. In a lot of ways, those two things appeal most to the novice and to the person with years of experience because just like any hobby or sport, it can be intimidating at first and then you go through a phase where you have too much stuff, just to realize as you get better that less is more. So we see a lot of beginners and a lot of really seasoned anglers, including guides.
I do think we attract the younger generation in an industry that’s dominated by legacy brands and has traditionally catered to older customers. Outside of our products, I think we’ve built a brand that feels younger and fresher than what you see from the rest of the industry.
What do you like to do outside of running the company? Dad, hack guitar player, and of course fishing. We’re trying to travel more as a family—our son has turned into an awesome travel companion.
Knowing that you are a big WSP guy – what is your go-to live show (or shows)? Oh man, that’s a tough one. I was lucky to see the majority of my shows from 1997 through the end of the Mikey era in 2002, so I’m probably dipping into those years if I’m looking for a whole show to listen to. It’s hard to beat the spring and summer of 1997. It reminds me a lot of the Dead’s timeline in 1977 and those famous shows. The bands were both arguably hitting their full stride a decade or so into it and there are a ton of high quality soundboard recordings, which helps amplify how good the music was at that moment in time. It’s hard to beat Light Fuse, Get Away, since it’s a compilation of live takes from that era.
I placed my first order a while back (and have since ordered more), but here’s a good feel of the ‘fun stuff’ that you’ll get from these guys:
Must more to come…gear reviews, hopefully a fishing trip…stay tuned.
