Best way to dress in layers for winter fishing

FAOL Community Fly Anglers Online
1

I saw the thread requesting suggestions on fleece pants but I want to ask a more general question - what’s the best clothing to use for dressing in layers for winter fishing.

I live in upstate NY and try to take advantage of the fall runs of salmon/browns/steelies and usually I’m freezing after a fairly short time out - especially if the wind is blowing. I know that you don’t want to wear cotton against your skin but there’s so much gear out I really don’t know what to be looking for. Are we talking Underarmor here? Anything else? What about your feet? Normally I just throw a pair of long-underwear on and a pair of jeans and suffer - this year I want to do what I can to minimize the suffering. I realize nothing will be 100% but there has to be better options than what I’m currently doing. And as Christmas is only a few months away I need some suggestions anyway!! :wink:

2

We have a 12-month “season” , so I fish in the winter. I can’t tell you my way is best, but it does work for me.

I start with synthetic long underpants and turtleneck shirt and a pair of heavy synthetic or wool socks Next comes fleece-lined wading pants and a heavy weight synthetic shirt. A heavy wool sweater goes over that, then a fleece jacket. Finally a breathable parka style jacket that is waterproof and windproof and my breathable stocking foot waders. Surprisingly, my breathable waders have proven way warmer than my neoprene ones.

I keep my head warm with a hat and an ear band. My hands stay warm enough with fingerless rag wool gloves that have a flap that converts them to mittens. If it is real cold, I’ll also bring along a couple of pair of disposable latex gloves to wear under the gloves. Otherwise I carry a towel so I can dry my hands after reviving the fish and before I put my gloves back on.

I generally don’t fish too far away from my car in the cold weather due to safety concerns. I’m usually fishing alone and the crowds aren’t there. I keep a heavy sweatsuit in my car along with a beach towel as insurance against getting dunked.

3

To answer your question, yes we are talking under armor. The cold weather stuff is great. My favorite fishing season is during the winter and here in Idaho it can get pretty chilly. I start with under armor both top and bottom. Then its a mid to heavy fleece pant, a light cotton long sleeve, fleece jacket and I top it off with my waders and a soft-shell. For days with heavy weather I wear my gore-tex shell. For socks, i prefer mid-weight Merino wool. I have found that it is better to have room for circulation rather than wearing a bulky winter sock. My $.02 hope this helps.

4

What my son said :cool:. It’s good to know they pay attention now and then:D.

Kelly.

5

First off, lose the jeans. For a first layer, find some polyester briefs; cotton, particularly against the skin, will absorb moisture from the skin and function as as an excellent conductor, very effectively drawing heat directly away from the body. For a second layer, I favor knit polyester or stretch fleece; such garments are available in a variety of weights. Don’t worry about the brand name, there’s nothing magical about UnderArmor or any other proprietary brand, the important characteristic is that it absorb little or no moisture, which is true of all polyester.

You’ll hear people talking about “polypro”; to the best of my knowledge, no one is still making polypropylene underwear, the material had great wicking properties and absorbed virtually no moisture, but it tended to absorb and bond with oils from the skin and, as the oils became stale, would begin to stink (climbers used to call it “polystinkylene”) and, after repeated washing, tended to become rough and scratchy.

In really cold conditions another, outer, layer might be necessary and polyester fleece pants are available in several weights. Good places to look for such garments include ski shops and, of course, Cabela’s. For the upper part of the body, the same principles apply. Polyester tee shirts or long-sleeve crew-necks make a good base layer; I like a zip turtleneck because of its greater ventilation flexibility (again, avoid cotton). Finish it off with a waterproof and windproof layer (breathable waders and a breathable rain jacket work nicely).

Feet are an area of particular concern: The best material for socks is, without question, wool. The strength and resiliency of the wool fiber retains more loft, particularly under the foot, and provides better insulation than any synthetic material. Again, don’t worry about the brand, almost any 80/20 wool/nylon blend will do the job; overpriced, over-advertised brands are just that. Bootfoot waders, particularly those with insulation, will always be warmer than stockingfoots with wading boots. Circulation, especially in the feet is the key to warmth, always make sure you have “wiggle-room” for your toes.

Hats seem to be a very personal choice, something to cover the ears is nice and, in very cold weather, even a balaclava might be useful, the rain jacket hood should provide wind protection. I hope this is some help to you.

6

I suggest wearing your rain jacket over the top of the waders and use a wading belt to seal the jacket to the waders. This way if you sit down in knee deep water, you may not get water flooding over the top of the waders ending a good day on the stream. This happened to me last winter and ended my day 5 minutes after I got in the stream and since I didn’t have dry clothes, it was a cold drive home. I even considered a kayaker’s dry top as the ultimate way to keep dry.

Rich

7

Important part was AVOID COTTON,… absorbs moisture and moisture will make you cold.
No point in wearing a Gortex shell if the moisture is trapped next or near your body.
Mato has an excellent sheet on dressing and keeping warm

8

Just a note, if you buy fleece or some other type of wader pants with a stirrup under the foot, check for seams. Some of those have some big seams that really bite into your ankle and foot when worn with waders and wading boots. I switched from stirrup fleece to a material similar to what Preston described for a fairly seemless fit.

Kelly.

9

Hey Steve! Been a long time. How have you been? First thing you need is a good warm hat, since we lose most of the heat through our heads. I also use under armor and heavy weight fleece. Cotton will ruin your day. It gets wet and stays wet. I use micro fiber clothing as my base layers. I finish off with an under armor jacket (very thin, yet very warm) and my wading jacket as a shell. By dressing in layers you can remove clothing if you get too warm. I never have any problems keeping my body warm, it’s always my feet that get cold.

10

Thanks for the replies everyone - info was very helpful. One more question - I knew I shouldn’t wear cotton next to my skin but I didn’t have the “right stuff” to wear. Now, the question - does this mean I shouldn’t wear cotton AT ALL or just next to my skin. Lets say I get some Underarmor or Polartec or some other 1st layer - could I still wear jeans on top of that or should I dump the idea of jeans entirely?

And how are ya Phil? yep it’s been awhile. Some people would say I don’t need a hat as my head is usually up my … but that’s another issue :slight_smile:

11

As far as Under Armor goes, there are much less expensive alternatives. I got mine at a great discount under the Nike brand at Sam’s Club. You just have to look for it. As far as cotton, I disagree that it should be avoided as I wear it over my wicking layer and it helps pull the moisture out. Gore-Tex is breathable, so as an outer shell it is primo in allowing the wicked up moisture to exit, as are breathable waders. Now, if you use a nylon shell, be prepared to stay wet inside as the moisture is wicked from your body it will settle at the nylon/plastic membraine and stay there.

We fish as many days in cold and ultra cold situations here in Idaho as we do during better weather times, and we have almost got this cold-weather layering down to a science. When it is really cold I will add a pair of thermal (yes, cotton) underwear over my wicking layer for added warmth, same up top. I prefer to wear a mock-turtle neck (yes, cotton again) as my next layer over the wicking layer.

Here’s a blow-by-blow of what we normally dress to for cold-weather situations where we fish:

[ul]
[li]Feet: Medium weight wool socks[/li][li]Legs: Medium weight Under Armor type leggings. This is a tight-fitting compression layer made of material designed to wick moisture away from your body.[/li][li]In really cold situations I will add a pair of cotton thermal underwear to aid in providing warmth and pulling the water from the wicking layer.[/li][li]Next, a pair of cotton pants, thin material as an outer layer before putting on waders.[/li][li]Lastly, breathable waders - we learned long ago that when we dress in the layers I’ve described that a good breathable wader is much warmer than pulling on tight-fitting neoprene waders.[/li][li]Torso: Same as down below, a compression-type long-sleeved shirt to wick away moisture[/li][li]In colder situations I will add a thermal cotton top for added warmth[/li][li]A long-sleeved, black, mock t-shirt[/li][li]Topped off by one of my many fishing shirts - again cotton[/li][li]Fleece as added warmth on colder days[/li][li]Gore-Tex shell with hood for waterproofness as well as breathability[/li][li]Head: I always wear some type of hat, usually a ball cap. In colder situations I were a beanie to keep my ears warm[/li][li]We always carry some of the air-activated hand warmers in pockets and such - some days they can make or break a trip in cold weather.[/li][li]Hands: Always we wear some type of gloves. I prefer a fingerless wool in a fairly thin weave. Why fingerless? I can’t do what I do with flies, leaders, tippets and fish with non-fingerless gloves. (Thus, the handwarmers packets in pockets)[/li][/ul]Now, I’m not dictating how this should work for others, and many of you may disagree, just stating how we do it in some of the coldest weather in the western United States. Ice in the guides is a whole other topic for discussion:D
Nor am I trying to start a debate on the wicking or non-wicking qualities of certain materials. Only that we’ve been doing this for a lot of years and this is what works the best for us in our neck of the woods. With several layers there is a fear of not being able to move freely, so we use the thinnest, most effective materials available.

Preston Singletary’s info is as good as it gets, just adding my 2-cents from long experience.

Last March on the lower Henry’s Fork of the Snake River, ID:

Kelly.

12

I never wear any type of cotton clothes when I am fishing, whether it is hot or cold. Cotton gets wet and stays wet and synthetic or wool clothing is more comfortable and warm when it gets wet. I wear nylon pants any time that I am fishing because unlike jeans, nylon pants dry quickly if they get wet.

The key for fishing and being comfortable in cold weather is to wear the right amount of layers. I have light weight and heavy weight thermal underwear (pants and shirts) that I wear udnerneath fleece and wool layers. The heavy weight thermal underwear is great when it is really cold and I know that I will be relatively stationary, but I wear the lighter weight underwear more often because I want to avoid sweating. It it also good to have some layers that are thin but warm, such a light weight wool shirt or thin fleece pullover. Sometimes adding that extra layer can make a big difference.

Check out your local fly shop, outdoors store, or a web site like Cabelas and see what is available.

13

I’ve said this before, but if you can find silk long underwear get it. It really works.

14

I’ve said this before, but if you can find silk long underwear get it. It really works

I’ve heard good things about it Ladyfisher but i’ve never tried it. Steve, avoid anything cotton. If you lived out west, were humidity isn’t as big a problem, then it works fine (especially in the southwest). Up here our weather is way to damp for cotton. If you use some sort of micro fiber, as your base layer and cotton over that, it will still get wet and stay that way. Moisture will pass through the microfiber and then be trapped in the cotton. I avoid it at all cost. Think breathable.

We have to get together this season, man. I was sick as hell, this past year, so i’ve got a lot of making up to do. lol.

15

Again, lose the cotton! Jeans may be fine for wearing around generally, but for cold weather (and particularly under-wader) wear nothing could be more useless. If you’re wearing breathable waders the idea is to allow the moisture to reach the outer layer and to allow the temperature differential to pass moisture to the outside. I used to question this, but I experienced a Goretex demonstration that convinced me that it does work. By the way, the Goretex patent lapsed over ten years ago and today many of the Goretex “imitations”, using similar technology, work just as well. Ladyfisher: in all studies of insulative and wicking properties, silk ranks well below common synthetics such as polyester, polypropylene and even acrylic; while not as bad as cotton, it does absorb a fair amount of moisture, which is the enemy of warmth.

16

http://www.websiterepairguy.com/articles/household_tips/stay_warm.html
Here you have it wear wool or other natural materials. That’s what I do and I am always warm no matter how cold and wet it is.

17

Lose the cotton. Ever get a pair of jeans wet? They stay wet for days!
I use a brand name of wool or recycled milk bottles for the insulating layers but the warranty states… ‘If you are ever not happy with our product…’ The problem is, Patagonia stuff is so well built and so well thought out that in the past 25 years or so of using their gear I’ve never needed the warranty. Gotta love that plus the fact they give a certain percentage of profit back to the resource.
Most of the major points have been covered but here are a few tricks learned in my years of steelheading, ice boating and ice fishing in Michigan.
Don’t wear the socks and heavy clothing you plan on fishing in with while driving to the site. You build up a sweat and start the day out in clammy, damp clothes.
Try an antiperspirant on your feet before heading out. Again, less moisture and if it is combined with an anti-deoderant your friends will thank you at the end of the day.
Lay off the booze. It seems to warm you but that is short-lived. Hydrate instead.
You lose most heat through your head. Wear a good, warm hat.
I love my Simms fuzzy plastic, windproof fingerless gloves with the flip over mitts.

18

I was actually happily reading all the replies until this one - thanks Jackster!!! :slight_smile:

I appreciate all the replies and advice. I’ll definitely have to get something before the weather turns too cold. Hopefully this year will be more comfortable.

Phil - yeah we need to hook up sometime. I’ve got a long weekend planned fishing in the Catskills in October with a buddy of mine - hopefully they’ll get some water in the freestones. Other than that maybe hit up the Oatka a couple times and then concentrate on the lake run fish out where I live. I didn’t do all that much fishing over the past year either but hopefully that’ll change. I’m DO at a local volunteer ambulance corps and that pretty much sucks my time up but I’m stepping down as chief at the end of the year. We’ll have to work something out!!!

19

As a Saltwater surfcaster, I could recommend the drytop idea. Look for a company called Aquaskinz, they have 2 neoprene drytops that work well for keeping you dry and warm. Many of us use them. They also have warm weather models. Some of the Kayaker specialty brands are well received also.
Ladyfisher is on the money about the silk longjohns, they’re great for everyday wear too. Look for them at Sportsmans Guide or Sierra Trading Post.
Stay warm - stay dry - stay safe.

20

Phil - yeah we need to hook up sometime. I’ve got a long weekend planned fishing in the Catskills in October with a buddy of mine - hopefully they’ll get some water in the freestones. Other than that maybe hit up the Oatka a couple times and then concentrate on the lake run fish out where I live. I didn’t do all that much fishing over the past year either but hopefully that’ll change. I’m DO at a local volunteer ambulance corps and that pretty much sucks my time up but I’m stepping down as chief at the end of the year. We’ll have to work something out!!!

The Catskills should be excellent in October. At least their streams are flowing. lol. How are the streams up your way? Still low? I might be heading up to the Oatka on Tuesday, with Ryan W… if you’ve got any free time, let me know. Haven’t been there since the hennies. We hit the upper Catt., today and did pretty good. Ryan caught a nice 18" brownie. The lower Catt., should be good as soon as it drops. A buddy of mine got into quite a few before it blew out. Let me know when you’ve got some time and we’ll whip the water into a froth! lol.