2024 seems to have zipped by in a flash and it feels strange that in 2 weeks’ time we’ll be ringing in another new year. We’re already excited to see what new adventures 2025 will bring, but we thought we’d take a moment to reflect on a year that was full to the brim of excitement, new experiences, and plenty of fly fishing (once the rain had finally stopped!)
As always January was a fairly quiet month, the stormy winter weather not being particularly helpful to those wanting to get out on the water, but here at the Orvis UK office and in Stockbridge store, we were busy bees getting ready for what turned out to be one of the most exciting parts of our year – the launch of the all-new Helios fly rod.
Our launch campaign headlined that our new rod boasts four times the accuracy than its predecessor, Helios 3, however we invited you to try it out for yourselves to see how true those claims were on our UK Helios Test Cast Tour throughout the spring. We took the faithful Orvis Land Rover from its home in Andover, all the way up to Glasgow, across to Staffordshire, down to London and over to the West Country before returning home, all so you could try your hand at casting what has quickly become our best-selling fly rod.
Unfortunately, even the power of the Helios couldn’t help the weather we experienced that delayed the start of the trout season. Flooding through many parts of the country wreaked havoc with UK waterways, and we saw over 200 flood alerts issued across England and Wales at the start of April. Lucky for us, we didn’t see much interference from the weather as our jam-packed 2024 Orvis Experiences programme kicked off with Brett O’Connor teaching folks how to improve their spey casting in Dorset, pursuing reservoir trout from a boat with Chad Critchley up in Derbyshire and, not to forget, the spring term of the Orvis Fly Tying School at Orvis Stockbridge. These exciting days out, hosted by some of our best guides, continued through the rest of the year. Turning to trout, carp, bass and mullet through the summer and early autumn, then on to grayling and pike once trout season had closed. We’ve ended the year with another group of delighted anglers who have joined us in the search of a new adventure.
Here at Orvis UK, protecting what we love and the environment around us is at the heart of everything we do. So, we were once again proud to stand in support of the UK River Summit for a second year. The Summit provides an ongoing platform for collaboration and communication on the current issues surrounding the health of our rivers, bringing together environmentalists, anglers, policy makers, regulators, campaigners, and more. Located this year on the River Wandle, the day included panel discussions from a variety of speakers, activities and workshops, and with over 250 attendees from all industries and walks of life, the event opened the door for serious change on our UK rivers.
With the summer finally came the sun, and our attentions turned from our rivers to the saltwater of the south coast with our Beginners Saltwater Weekend and Orvis Saltwater Fly Fishing Festival. Through the support from our amazing guiding team, we were able to offer two of our best events to date, and new faces in June quickly turned into new friends who joined us on Hayling Island in September too. Our first Youth Competition at the Orvis Saltwater Fly Fishing Festival was a great success, and all the participants benefitted from the expert help of one of our Orvis US colleagues, Pete Kutzer. Friday evening saw the festival elevated even further with the first YETI® Night Station and after-dark fishing competition. Even battling strong winds throughout the weekend couldn’t quash the excitement of competition between the attendees, and the festival truly showcased the skill and dedication of our anglers.
This autumn we announced our sponsorship of the UK leg of the 2024 Fly Fishing Film Tour (F3T), which tours the globe with its handpicked group of best-in-class fly fishing films. It aims to inspire and encourage anglers not only to embark on new adventures but to be aware of the world around them, speaking out about environmental issues and helping the local communities they may encounter on their travels. We hosted the tour at Stockbridge Town Hall with a fantastic turn out and carried on with the party after hours in Orvis Stockbridge store, where viewers were invited to come along and continue their discussions about the films, and share their own experiences.
And quickly enough, December has rolled around once more. As we speak, we’re working hard in our UK warehouse to get all your Christmas gifts delivered on time for the big day, and welcoming friends & new customers alike into Stockbridge store for some festive cheer. We hope your year has been as full of adventure and excitement as ours has been here at Orvis UK, and we look forward to seeing you out on the water in 2025.
