As the part-time Patagonia Fly Fishing Sales Manager, I had the pleasure of working closely with the Product Category Manager, Steve Stracqualursi. Steve, aka Straq, was the mind behind many of the signature products in the line, some of which are still in the line today. In 2012 Steve took his vision, attention to detail, fit, and finish and helped co-found the brand Twelve Weight with the goal of providing effective sun protection products for long days on the water.
The brand has come a long way from its initial small offering of sun gloves and masks. It now offers a wide variety of apparel designed to provide anglers with comfortable all-day sun protection. From material to stitching style, they keep a close eye on every detail, and that ethic has culminated in their just-released Back Channel and 7 Mile Button-Down Shirts.
These new shirts combine multiple new fabric technologies, numerous thoughtful design elements, and precise stitching construction, resulting in shirts that are as functional and comfortable on the water as they are when the day’s fishing is over.
The Back Channel Button Down is a unique, multi-fabric technical fishing shirt featuring a woven polyester/nylon blend and stretch knit mesh panels. This fabric combination and a raglan sleeve design provide unrestricted movement, UV protection, incredible airflow, and quick-drying capabilities. A single button-thru chest pocket has a small lanyard loop for accessories, and a side panel drop-in pocket is deep enough to hold other small items securely yet within easy reach. The Back Channel is available as a short sleeve ($99) and long sleeve ($109) and is offered in Sky and Navy Network colors from size XS to XXXL.
The 7 Mile Button-Down Shirt is made of Seawool fabric, which is lightweight, super-soft, and quick-drying. Seawool yarns, made of crushed oyster shells and recycled plastic bottles, block UV rays, regulate heat, and control odor while maintaining a pleasant feel. Soft-Touch Air Flow venting mesh has high air permeability and is comfortable next to the skin. The high button-down collar protects necks from harmful sun rays and stays secure in the wind or on the run. Pattern-matched, button-thru chest storage pockets securely fit passports and other small items. The 7 Mile Button-Down Shirt, available as short sleeve ($89) and long sleeve ($99) in both Blue and Green Hashtag colors from size XS to XXXL
My old friend Steve and his team have brought to market a wide variety of products designed to provide comfortable sun protection to savvy anglers. With its headquarters in Portland, Maine, roots in the Florida Keys, and Field Team across the globe, Twelve Weight pulls inspiration from fly fishing environments of numerous types, where sun protection in various temperatures is critical. Today’s product line includes sun hoodies, shirts, sleeves, masks, button-downs, hats, tees, and an updated version of the keystone product, the SUNwt 2.0 sun gloves.
“One of the core product decisions here at Twelve Weight is selecting the right textile for a project,” says Stracqualursi. “No amount of features will correct poor fabric selection. With these new button-downs, we think we hit the target.”
Check out the new button-downs and all their other products on the Twelve Weight website.
