4/7 AFFTA Weekly Newsletter

The numbers are in, and they aren't good. The American West is sitting at roughly 21% of normal snowpack, with nearly a quarter of monitoring stations reporting zero at a time of year when conditions should be near their seasonal peak. For the fly fishing trade, that's not a weather headline. It's an early warning of compressed seasons, Hoot Owl closures, degraded late-summer flows, and the wildfire risk that compounds them all. This week's newsletter also covers what's actually inside that $1.3 trillion outdoor recreation economy figure, a significant governance change in Idaho with direct implications for the Henry's Fork, and a West Virginia fly shop that's calling it a run.

Every Fly Fishing Retailer in America Has a Free AFFTA Membership Waiting

Are you a fly fishing retailer? Not currently an AFFTA member? This is your invitation.

AFFTA is sharpening its focus on retail, and we're backing that up with action: free membership for every fly fishing shop in the country for a full year. That means access to the peer networks, industry intelligence, and trade conversations that help retailers make smarter buying decisions, build stronger vendor relationships, and run more profitable businesses. 

To claim your free year, email Lucas Bissett at lucas.bissett@affta.org

The West's Snowpack Crisis and What it Means for Your Season

A detailed new analysis from the outdoor and travel publication Here & There put hard numbers on what many in the industry already sense: the American West is having its worst snow year on record, and the downstream effects for fishing, guiding, and retail could be severe.

The median SNOTEL monitoring station across the West is currently sitting at roughly 21% of normal snowpack, and nearly a quarter of stations are reading zero, at a time of year when most locations are typically approaching their annual peak. The culprit was a brutal seasonal combination: record warm temperatures in December caused precipitation to fall as rain rather than snow, January was outright dry, and a mid-March heat dome accelerated snowmelt a full month ahead of schedule.

For the fly fishing industry, the implications are direct and immediate. Rivers will see fishing windows compress dramatically due to Hoot Owl closures, with flows drying up months ahead of typical peak season. Reduced snowmelt means lower late-summer flows, elevated water temperatures, and degraded conditions for cold-water species at exactly the time when guided trip revenue is highest. The fly fishing economy is built on assumptions about functional natural systems, and rural recreation economies could be hard hit by a new normal where rivers run low by June, and wildfire closes wide swathes of public land through the summer

The wildfire risk compounds everything. Researchers found that low snowpack drives not just more fires, but more severe ones, with higher tree mortality, greater ecosystem damage, and increased likelihood of long-term forest loss. Smoke, access closures, and degraded watersheds can effectively cancel entire seasons in affected regions.

The West faces a summer where fire could close huge swaths of public land and water systems are at breaking points. This is not just a weather story. It's a business story and it's one the fly fishing trade should be telling loudly.

Full piece: hereandthere.club

What's Actually Inside That $1.3 Trillion Number?

The Bureau of Economic Analysis released its updated outdoor recreation economy estimates for 2024 this month, and SGB Executive took a hard look at what that headline number means and what it doesn't.

The short version: the $1.3 trillion figure widely used by industry advocates takes some liberty with rounding, and more importantly, it measures gross output, which counts intermediate products multiple times. The BEA's preferred measure, value-added (essentially GDP by industry), puts the outdoor recreation economy at $696.7 billion for 2024, which is what represents 2.4 percent of U.S. GDP. The $1.3 trillion is a useful lobbying number, but it isn't apples-to-apples with other economic comparisons.

For the fly fishing trade specifically, the fishing category numbers are worth noting. Boating and fishing were the largest conventional outdoor recreation activity in the nation, with $38.4 billion in value-added, and the top conventional activity in 34 states. Within that category, fishing alone accounted for $8.75 billion, separate from boating figures. That's the number our industry should be leading with in policy conversations.

Also worth flagging: real GDP growth for the outdoor recreation economy came in at 2.7 percent year-over-year in 2024, roughly half the 5.3 percent growth rate of 2023. That deceleration tracks with what most outdoor retailers have been feeling on the ground.

One additional data point relevant to AFFTA members: guided tours and outfitted travel totaled $26.1 billion in 2024, including guided trips by air, land, and sea. That figure encompasses the guide and outfitter sector, which sits at the core of the fly fishing economy, and it reinforces the case for protecting public land access, water quality, and wild fish populations that make that sector viable.

The $1.3 trillion number isn't going away, but understanding what's in it makes us more credible advocates, not less.

Full piece: sgbonline.com

2026 Leadership Hiring Trends Report 

Economic uncertainty is reshaping how consumer and lifestyle brands hire and lead. A new report from Shop Eat Surf Outdoor, surveying senior leaders across the industry, finds that companies are moving away from growth-at-all-costs hiring toward a more disciplined, efficiency-first approach in 2026. Key findings cover the continued evolution of remote, hybrid, and in-office workplace models; why career development and compensation have become the primary levers for retaining top talent; and how AI is beginning to influence both leadership expectations and broader talent strategy. For trade industry executives navigating a tighter, more demanding market, the report offers a useful benchmark for where peers are placing their bets this year.

Download the Report Here

Idaho Gov. Signs Agency Appointment Bill Amid Harriman State Park Concerns 

Idaho Gov. Brad Little has signed Senate Bill 1300 into law, a measure that shifts the appointment of the directors of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, the Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Idaho Transportation Department from independent boards to gubernatorial appointment with Idaho Senate confirmation. The law takes effect July 1.

The bill has drawn particular concern from the fly fishing community because Harriman State Park includes about eight miles of the Henry's Fork of the Snake River, a world-famous fly fishing stream. The Harriman family donated the 11,000-acre property to the state with the condition that the park be managed by a professional staff selected on the basis of merit, a stipulation opponents say a political appointment process could violate and potentially trigger reversion of the land back to the family. Governor Little pushed back on those concerns, arguing the bill does nothing to alter the statutory qualifications for agency directors and simply amends the appointment process. The Harriman family has indicated it may pursue legal action.

Read the full story HERE

West Virginia's McFly Outdoors Hits the Selling Block 

McFly Outdoors, a family-owned outdoor and fly fishing retailer in Horner, West Virginia, has announced it is putting both its business and storefront property up for sale. Founded in October 2012, the shop grew from a single location to multiple storefronts WDTV and became one of the region's premier fly fishing destinations, offering a full-service fly shop with the area's largest selection of fly fishing equipment. WV Living Owners cited the decision as a personal and family one, saying "this was not an easy decision for our family, but it is one we feel is necessary in this season," Google and encouraged customers to continue supporting independent small businesses. The property and business are being handled by Garton Real Estate Group.

Read more HERE