In the Scottish Highlands, an accidental observation during a stalking expedition has led an Inverness fishing company to claim that graphene-infused fabric repels ticks without chemical treatment — a discovery that, if verified, could address a growing public health concern as Lyme disease cases rise across the Northern Hemisphere. Mackenzie Fly Fishing, built over two decades on precision craftsmanship and materials innovation, now stands at the threshold between anecdote and breakthrough, awaiting the independent scrutiny that separates promising curiosity from genuine advance. The story is
Scottish fishing firm claims graphene-infused clothing repels ticks without chemicals
Ryan Rutherford has contracted Lyme disease twice, highlighting the health impact that effective tick protection could address.
covered in ticks while I had absolutely none on me
Mark
Why did it take an accident to discover this? Surely they were testing the fabric for other properties?
Mimi
They were. The anti-microbial effect was expected and useful. But tick repellency wasn't on the radar. Sometimes the most valuable discoveries happen sideways, when you're looking at something else entirely.
Mark
So we have one man tick-free and one man covered. That's not exactly a controlled trial.
Mimi
It's not. That's why the lack of published methodology matters. One field observation is enough to spark investigation, but it's not enough to stake a claim on. The company knows this, which is probably why they're being cautious about expansion.
Mark
Rutherford has had Lyme disease twice. Does that change how we should read his involvement?
Mimi
It makes him a credible witness to the problem, but it also means he has skin in the game. He wants this to work. That doesn't make him dishonest, but it does mean independent verification would matter more here than in a story where the stakes were lower.
Mark
What's the actual mechanism? Why would graphene repel ticks?
Mimi
That's the question nobody's answered yet. The anti-microbial properties might play a role, or it could be something about the fabric's texture or electrical properties. Without the testing details, we're speculating.
Mark
If this works, what changes?
Mimi
Everything, potentially. Tick-borne illness is a real and growing problem. A non-chemical solution that actually works would be genuinely valuable. But that's a big if, and it hinges on someone other than Mackenzie Fly Fishing proving it.
The Pulse
- A stark field observation — one man tick-free, his companion covered — set a Scottish fishing company on a collision course with an unexpected materials science claim.
- Ryan Rutherford, who has contracted Lyme disease twice, gives the stakes a human face: tick protection is not a luxury but a genuine health imperative for millions of outdoor workers and enthusiasts.
- The company has launched a full graphene clothing range — the FX1 — but its tick-repellent claims rest entirely on internal testing with no published methodology or independent laboratory verification.
- Scientists and consumers alike are watching: if peer-reviewed validation follows, the market for chemical-free tick protection across North America and Europe could be substantial and rapidly expanding.
- For now, Mackenzie Fly Fishing occupies an uncomfortable middle ground — a credible innovator with a compelling story and a claim the wider world has not yet been given the tools to trust or dismiss.
In the Scottish Highlands, an accidental observation during a stalking expedition has led an Inverness fishing company to claim that graphene-infused fabric repels ticks without chemical treatment — a discovery that, if verified, could address a growing public health concern as Lyme disease cases rise across the Northern Hemisphere. Mackenzie Fly Fishing, built over two decades on precision craftsmanship and materials innovation, now stands at the threshold between anecdote and breakthrough, awaiting the independent scrutiny that separates promising curiosity from genuine advance. The story is a reminder that transformative discoveries sometimes arrive not in laboratories, but in the quiet contrast between two people walking the same hillside.
On a Highland stalking trip, Scott Mackenzie returned without a single tick while his companion Ryan Rutherford was covered in them. The only meaningful difference between the two men was their clothing. Mackenzie was wearing fabric his own company had developed using graphene — and that contrast was enough to launch a product line.
Mackenzie Fly Fishing was founded in Inverness roughly twenty years ago by Mackenzie, a five-time World Casting Champion, and businessman Angus Morrison. A decade in, they brought on composites specialist Professor Gary Savage, whose career spans Formula 1, aerospace, and military engineering. Their original ambition was a graphene fly-fishing rod. What followed was a broader exploration of the material's possibilities in performance textiles — including, unexpectedly, insect repellency.
The company had anticipated anti-microbial benefits from graphene fabric, which had already shown promise against mosquitoes in warm climates. Ticks were a surprise. Rutherford's testimony sharpened the significance: he has contracted Lyme disease twice, a serious illness with lasting neurological and physical consequences. Seeing the difference between his tick-laden gear and Mackenzie's clean clothing, he called it shocking.
The resulting FX1 range — base layers, mid layers, and outerwear — claims to regulate temperature, wick moisture, and improve durability alongside its tick-repellent properties. The outer jacket pairs a graphene membrane with recycled ocean plastics. Design firm Atacama, which previously outfitted a record-setting Pacific rowing expedition, led the collection's development.
The critical caveat is that none of this has been independently verified. No peer-reviewed study exists. The evidence is internal and, in its origins, anecdotal. Mackenzie Fly Fishing plans to expand into other sports and protective equipment, and the potential market is real — Lyme disease cases are climbing across Europe and North America. But until outside laboratories examine the claims, the story remains one of genuine promise held in careful suspension.
On a stalking expedition in the Scottish Highlands, Scott Mackenzie noticed something unexpected. His companion, Ryan Rutherford, returned covered in ticks. Mackenzie himself, wearing clothing made from graphene-infused fabric his company had developed, had none. The contrast was stark enough to prompt investigation—and now, Mackenzie Fly Fishing is claiming the material repels ticks without any chemical treatment.
The Inverness-based company has spent two decades building a reputation for high-end fishing equipment. Mackenzie, a five-time World Casting Champion, and businessman Angus Morrison founded the firm around twenty years ago. A decade into that run, they began collaborating with Professor Gary Savage, a composites specialist whose background spans Formula 1, aerospace, and military engineering. The initial goal was ambitious: create what they describe as the world's first graphene high-performance fly-fishing rod. The material's properties—strength, conductivity, thermal regulation—made it an obvious candidate for performance gear.
But graphene doesn't simply get sewn into fabric. The company learned that the material must be paired with complementary substances and incorporated through specialized construction methods. Working with fabric developers, Mackenzie Fly Fishing developed techniques that wove graphene into textiles alongside other advanced materials. The company had anticipated some insect-repelling benefit from the fabric's inherent anti-microbial properties, which had already proven useful in warm climates where mosquitoes posed a problem during fishing expeditions. The tick effect, however, surprised them.
Rutherford's experience lent weight to the claim. He has contracted Lyme disease twice—a serious tick-borne illness that can cause long-term joint pain, neurological symptoms, and fatigue. When he saw the difference between his own tick-covered clothing and Mackenzie's protected gear, he described it as shocking. Both men now speak of graphene as a wonder material, marveling at its migration from semiconductor labs and military applications into something as everyday as outdoor clothing.
The company has launched the FX1 range: base layers, mid layers, and outerwear all constructed from the graphene-infused fabric. Beyond tick repellency, Mackenzie Fly Fishing claims the material regulates temperature, wicks moisture away from skin, and increases durability. The outer jacket combines a graphene membrane with recycled ocean plastics, delivering waterproofing and breathability in a single layer. Atacama Design, the firm behind the collection, drew input from Mackenzie guides worldwide and has previous credits designing performance wear for the Maclean Brothers' record-setting Pacific rowing expedition.
There is, however, a significant caveat. The company has not published its testing methodology or results. No independent laboratory has verified the tick-repellent claims. The evidence rests entirely on Mackenzie Fly Fishing's internal assessment—a single anecdotal encounter and whatever controlled testing followed, details of which remain proprietary. In the absence of peer-reviewed validation, the claims remain intriguing but unproven.
Mackenzie Fly Fishing is already planning expansion. The company says it will extend the graphene range into other sports and into personal protective equipment. If independent testing eventually validates the tick-repellent properties, the market could be substantial. Lyme disease cases have risen sharply across North America and Europe in recent years, and anyone who spends time outdoors in tick country faces genuine health risk. For now, though, the story remains one of promise and anecdote—a Scottish fishing company betting that a material born in aerospace engineering might solve a very old outdoor problem.
Notable Quotes
I was out stalking with a friend, Ryan, who came back covered in ticks, while I was wearing our graphene-infused Mackenzie clothing and had absolutely none on me.— Scott Mackenzie, founder of Mackenzie Fly Fishing
Ryan Rutherford described the difference between the two as shocking and said it prompted a testing process.— Ryan Rutherford, who has contracted Lyme disease twice
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