Hatches: New & Notable Fly-Fishing Gear

Scientific Anglers' new clear lines offer stealth, shootability, and serious trout performance. Plus killer hats, grabby boots, and a new sling.

October 15, 2025 By Fly Fisherman Staff

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Scientific Anglers Magnitude Infinity Clear Float & Trout Expert Clear Float

In early May I did a weeklong trip to the Florida Keys to fish for tarpon. I fished for five days, each day with a different guide. Every single guide recommended I use their setup already rigged in the rod holders, and each one said the critical element was not the rod and reel or even the fly, but the Scientific Anglers Magnitude Tarpon Clear Float line. They already liked the taper from previous Scientific Anglers Tarpon lines, they liked the stiffness, the way it shoots through the guides, and the lack of tangles on the fly line deck. But primarily what they liked was the stealthy clarity. They witnessed daily that big tarpon would swim right under it and not get spooked. Even if the fly line landed in their field of vision—sometimes necessary to swim the fly in a crossing path in front of them—the fish would rarely react. With their regular clients who don’t always have their line in exactly the right place, they feel it’s now a necessity. In tournaments with the very best an-glers it doesn’t give them an edge—most of the winners are using it—but it’s a tool they cannot give up if they hope to compete with the other top guns.

Now, Scientific Anglers is bringing that same kind of clear technology to trout fishermen with the Magnitude Infinity Clear Float and Magnitude Trout Expert Clear Float. Textured versions are in white boxes and smooth versions are in teal boxes.

Infinity Clear Float lines are the same half-size heavy taper as reg-ular Infinity lines and have a 47- to 52-foot head (depending on line weight) for long casts and line control at a distance. When there’s no hatch, this is a versatile line for nymphing and throwing streamers.

The Trout Expert Clear Float line is true to weight, which means it follows the American Fly Fishing Trade Association (AFFTA) guidelines for line weights. For a 5-weight, the first 30 feet should weigh about 140 grains. If you are strictly match-the-hatch dry-fly fishing with small or medium flies, you don’t need the extra weight of an Infinity taper. True to weight is also better on some rods with more traditional actions. They don’t need extra weight to bend and load them properly.

Infinity Clear Float lines are available with a 10-foot clear tip or a clear head. The rear of the line is a buckskin color. A 10-foot clear tip is basically a 10-foot extension of your leader. With an entire clear head, the whole working length of the fly line—most of what you have on the water—is clear. Both the smooth and textured Trout Expert lines are available with only a 10-foot clear tip, the rear is a stealth sage green color.

We used both the Infinity Clear Float and the Trout Expert Clear Float on cool April days when the mornings started crisp and Blue Quills and Quill Gordons hatched in the warm afternoons. I was worried with cold starting temperatures that the line might be coiled with memory loops but it was fine, and the slick, stiff line shot like an arrow.

The manufacturer recommends these lines for temperatures above 50 degrees. They might not be the best for actual winter fishing but for most trout fishing conditions they are ideal. Given how the Magnitude Tarpon Clear Float performed in the Florida Keys, I suspect these clear trout lines might hold up better in hot summer temperatures than most other trout fly lines.

Historically, Scientific Anglers fly lines are often a polyvinyl chloride coating over a braided multi-filament core. Tiny glass spheres in the coating make the line float. But with those tiny spheres and an opaque core, it was impossible to make a clear floating line.

This new generation of Magnitude Clear Float lines have a clear monofilament core and a dual-polymer coating called Duracoat. The inside polymer layer makes the line supple with low memory, and the polymer on the outside is harder for slickness and abrasion resistance. The polymers used to make the line are naturally buoyant, so there’s no need to add air bubbles or glass spheres to make the line float. The lines have Scientific Anglers EST+ slickness additive, welded loops, and SA Line ID printed on the line tip so you can quickly identify the line after it has been removed from the box and is on your reel.

Do you need this line for blue-lining for brook trout in the Appalachians or for alpine cutthroats in the Rockies? Probably not. You can also effectively use a highly visible line to throw hoppers or Salmonfly imitations from a drift boat, or drift weighted nymphs below an indicator.

But in highly technical situations and on pressured waters where the fish see a lot of fly lines, going into invisible stealth mode gives you a distinct advantage. I expect to see a lot more of these lines in use on Silver Creek, the West Branch of the Delaware, the Henry’s Fork, and similar fisheries in the near future.

After many years of design, field trials, and redesign, Skwala is finally stepping into the footwear category with two all-new wading boots: the RS Boot and the Carbon Boot. Skwala has been “kick-ing it” with waders and outerwear since its start in early 2022, and now for the first time has a com-plete fly-fishing kit that includes the important foundation of every adventure: how you get there.

“This launch is a major moment for us,” said Kevin Sloan, Skwala founder and CEO. “We’ve built our brand around solving real problems for serious anglers, and now we’re extending that same ethos to footwear. These boots are designed from the ground up to meet the unique challenges of wading and walking.”

Skwala has two product families that extend across waders, jackets, and now boots. In Skwala par-lance, RS means maximum durability, robust performance, and top-tier technology to take on the most challenging kinds of conditions. Carbon products are built around the “light and fast” ethos for maximum mobility, speed, and comfort.

The RS Wading Boot delivers maximum support and traction when navigating unforgiving terrain. It is double lasted with a fully molded toe cap, and a tall ankle collar built from engineered mesh. Underfoot, a dual-layer ESS rock plate provides rigidity and protec-tion, but still allows you to feel the riverbed. This ESS rock plate is the same flexible plastic founda-tion used in many high-performance trail-running shoes. The Vibram IdroGrip outsole has Skwala’s custom-designed tri-tiered traction lugs to aid stability on irregular river bottom terrain. The boots have removable OrthoLite insoles and a glass-impregnated D-ring lacing system to minimize fric-tion and extend lace life. Think of those slippery ceramic inserts on your fly rod stripping guide.

The focus of the Carbon Wading Boot is all about agility and mobility, and it’s built for anglers who like to get as far away from trailheads—and people—as possible. It feels more like a hiking boot on the trail, but is still very capable in the river. It has a breathable ripstop textile upper with a burrito-wrap tongue design that provides a snug, comfortable fit and eliminates many of the historic pressure points and hot spots. It has a rockered dual-density EVA midsole with a supportive arch and the same dual-layered ESS rock plate, Vibram IdroGrip outsole, and OrthoLite insoles as the RS Boots.

RS: $330 | skwalafishing.com

Carbon: $290 | skwalafishing.com

Simms Headwaters Sling Pack

Studio photo of a Simms fishing sling pack in brown. — $199 | simmsfishing.com

Previously this year we reviewed the Simms Headwaters Backpack, in fact we awarded it “Best New Pack” in our 2025 Gear Guide, and you can read that review here. But the Headwaters Backpack is just one element of a completely new line of super functional non-submersible fishing packs from Simms that include the Headwaters Chest Pack, Hip Pack, and Sling Pack.

The 12L Sling Pack is ambidextrous, has a zip-open compression-molded work station, and a main compartment large enough to hold a jacket, lunch, and enough large fly boxes to handle any situa-tion. There are even “beverage sleeves” inside in case you want to carry beer.

The work station has a fly patch and a magnetic-closure pocket to help you quickly and easily change flies on the water. There’s a retractor docking station on the outside and webbing on the backside of the shoulder strap for multiple tool attachment options, and there is a net holster sleeve located on the bottom of the pack.

It’s built from tough, water-resistant 630-denier High-Density Oxford Nylon fabric with the front TPU coated and the backside PU coated. The zippers are coated, water-resistant YKK AquaGuard zippers, so while you might not want to swim with this, we believe it will withstand any thunderstorm you can throw at it.

$199 | simmsfishing.com

Bajio Patch Trucker Hats

Studio photos of four Bajio trucker hats with fish artwork on them. — $35 | bajiosunglasses.com

Bajio’s Patch Trucker Hats combine breathable comfort, bold fish-forward artwork, and technical design–making them a standout choice for anglers who want style with substance. In my opinion, these hats were Best in Show at ICAST 2025.

These hats aren’t just accessories–they’re wearable tributes to the fish we chase and the waters we love. Bajio’s Patch Trucker series features species-specific designs like trout, permit, tarpon, and largemouth bass, each illustrated by tattoo artist and cutthroat trout guide Casey Anderson. The result is a collection that feels personal, artistic, and unmistakably rooted in the fishing lifestyle.

If you’re the kind of fisherman who sees gear as an extension of identity–and you appreciate thoughtful design–Bajio’s Patch Trucker Hats are worth a spot in your rotation.

$35 | bajiosunglasses.com

––Josh Bergan