Morning,

How's your head?

As the new year begins, I’d like to take a moment to thank you for your incredible support throughout 2025. It’s been a year of tight lines, tall fishing tales, and exquisitely tied flies that, hopefully, convinced even the pickiest of fish that they were gourmet meals.

At Barbless Flies, we’re not just in the business of selling flies; we’re in the business of creating memories - one perfect cast at a time. Thanks to our email community - that's you - we’ve had another year of doing what we love, helping you try and outwit fish with a little style and some stunning flies.

New Year. New Designs. New You.

As it's a new year, we want to kick it off with some NEW Designs - ones which proved so popular on our recent launch of our NEW 'Arty' Fly Boxes that we've now made them available on our full clothing range:

This is proper top-quality clothing that will last you years ...

Built well, built ethically, but more importantly, built to last.

The Story Behind our NEW 'Trout Flank' Designs

Ryan Keene - The Art of Water, Light, and Memory - rakart.net

The Fish Art fly boxes have been a bit of a hit. Which is lovely, but it's also meant I've spent the last few days fielding questions like "Can I get that as a print?" and "Do you do posters?".

Short answer: No, we don't. We're a fly fishing business.

Here’s the slightly longer answer: We do now, sort of. But only on premium t-shirts instead of posters, because at least you can wear a t-shirt to the pub.

I believe Ryan's 'trout flank' artwork deserves more than being hidden in your vest pocket - it really is that good.

These trout designs - Brown, Rainbow & Brook - are proper celebrations of why we fish. Not cartoon fish. Not generic river scenes. The actual, detailed beauty of the flanks we spend our lives trying to catch a glimpse of.

Why Am I Telling You This?

Because the fly boxes worked. Not in a "shifted some units" way (though we did), but in a "people actually get it" way. They understood that fishing gear doesn't have to be purely functional. That there's room for beauty and craftsmanship even in something as simple as where you store your flies.

And if we're celebrating trout flanks on boxes, why not celebrate them properly? Why not create something you'd actually want to wear, even when you're nowhere near the water?

These aren't cheap. I'm not going to apologise for that. They're premium shirts with premium printing, featuring artwork that took months to perfect.

They're also not for actually fishing in - they're too nice, and I'd feel terrible if you ruined one. These are for before and after. For looking stylish without looking like you've just crawled out of a river.

 

Premium shirts. Proper quality. Both short and long sleeves, because our weather makes choosing impossible!

If our fly boxes made you smile, these will too. Just on a larger canvas.

A Quick Note on Dispatch Times:

Because everything is printed to order, there may be a slight delay before dispatch - especially during this holiday period.

But trust us, when you open the parcel, you’ll see (and feel) why it was worth the wait.

Premium Garments Only

Each of our new T-Shirt range (both short and long sleeve) is the very best we could buy, they are made from 185gsm premium weight 100% organic cotton - it has a fine gauge and tight knit. They have seams down the sides (like all premium t-shirts), with the material cut 'on grain' - this ensures that each t-shirt keeps its shape after years of washing. We partnered with Earth Positive because they produce what we believe to be the best t-shirt blanks in the world:

• 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton
• Made in a renewable-energy-powered “Green Factory”
• Fair Wear accredited (since 2006)
• Up to 90% lower carbon footprint

Thick, soft, beautifully structured fabric - the exact opposite of those flimsy, fast-fashion blanks most fishing brands use.

For our NEW 'trout flank' designs, we kept it clean and classic:

Colours:

• Latte (soft oatmeal, inspired by river stones)
• Espresso (deep black, sharp and timeless)

Styles:

• Short-sleeve T's
• Long-sleeve T's

Designs:

• Brown Trout Flank
• Rainbow Trout Flank; and
• Brook Trout Fank (ok, they're not native, but the colours really do pop)

Sizes: S through XXXL (see website for exact sizing details).

Please Note: These are not those 'cheap' T-Shirts (we're looking at you: Fruit of the Loom & Gildan) which look great once they arrive, but wash them once or twice and they lose their shape, twist and are never the same again.

Printed In-House, One at a Time

We’ve invested in high-end printing equipment and we’re doing every garment ourselves, by hand, here in North Yorkshire - see the very end of this email to check out the full process.

This means two things:

• A slight delay in dispatch (because every shirt is made to order - see below)
• You’ll receive something of far higher quality than anything mass-produced

Crisper detail. Better colour. Longer life. Worth the wait.

As we look forward to 2026, we are more committed than ever to bringing you the finest flies and the kind of service that feels like a warm hug on a cold fishing trip.

We’ve got exciting things planned for 2026, and I can’t wait to share them with you - just give me a few days to recover from last night!

Thank you once again for being part of the Barbless Flies community.

Both Jack & I wish you tight lines and a 2026 filled with adventure, laughter, and maybe even that one elusive fish you’ve been dreaming about.

 

Tight lines & Happy New Year.

P.S. Keep scrolling to see exactly how we make each and every one of our t-shirts ...

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Barbless Flies Limited Unit 3, Bridge Farm Business Centre 43a Main Street, Seamer Scarborough, North Yorkshire YO12 4BX

How Your Shirt Is Actually Made (By Us)

1. We Start With Earth Positive Garments

Before we print a single pixel, your blank tee comes from Earth Positive — 100% organic cotton, Fair Wear accredited, and made using renewable energy. They arrive thick, soft, weighty, and beautifully made. No cheap blanks. No shortcuts. If we’re printing on it, it has to be good.

2. Your Order Triggers the Print

Nothing is printed ahead of time. When your order drops in, we:

• Pull your chosen colour (Latte or Espresso)
• Check your sizing
• Lay the garment out on the print platen

This is the opposite of fast fashion — slow, controlled, intentional.

3. The Pretreatment

To get crisp lines and deep colour, the fabric needs to be prepped. We apply a light, invisible pretreatment that helps the print bind perfectly to the fibres. This is why our prints don’t fade or “crack” after a few washes.

4. Positioned by Hand — One at a Time

Every single design is lined up manually. No rushed conveyor belts. No “close enough” positioning. We align each shirt by eye and by feel — the only way to guarantee consistent placement across every size.

5. High-Resolution DTG Printing

This is where the magic happens. We’ve invested in professional-grade equipment, the kind used by premium streetwear brands.

These machines give you:

• Ultra-sharp detail
• Deep, rich blacks
• Smooth gradients; and
• Long-lasting print durability

Your trout tail illustration, coordinates, or wordmark comes out clean, bright and razor-sharp.

6. The Cure

After printing, your garment goes through a controlled heat cure. This locks the ink into the fibres, softens the finish, and ensures it survives the wash, the riverbank, the pub, and everything in between.

7. The Quality Check

Before anything gets folded:

• We check the print alignment
• We check the colour density
• We check the fabric for defects
• We check the cure; and if it’s not perfect
• We print it again

This is why we’re doing everything in-house - because you simply can’t guarantee this level of quality when someone else prints it for you.

8. Packed With Care (No Plastic)

Once it passes inspection, your tee is folded neatly and packed into eco-friendly packaging.

Nothing unnecessary, nothing wasteful, just a premium garment, ready for its new home.