Fly Fishing Clothing

When it comes to fly fishing clothing there is no standard or uniform. Pretty much anything goes so long as it blends into the scenery. You'll not see a lot of bright colors or flashy designs on the river.

Hats, the status symbols of fly fishing clothing

There does seem to be one area in which fishermen and women agree on fly fishing clothing fashion – the good old hat! The agreement is that the more worn and battered it appears, the more acceptable it is.

The fisherman's hat has taken on a symbolic status. The old timer, expert angler is never seen without one. Fly fishing hats can be caps with green-lined peaks. You'll see an array of them with or without favorite logos. The fellas wearing those are advertising their amateur status. The traditional fishing hat is the all round floppy-brimmed type. Often these floppies will have fleece or wool bands that are loaded with flies of all shapes and sizes.

I'm not sure that these flies are actually users. My experience with flies hooked into hatbands is that they are the dickens to remove. I think they're probably character symbols like the ones that hang from my vest, placed there when a gust of wind played havoc with my cast.

Fly fishing clothing: the vest

The vest is the most important piece of fly fishing clothing that you will buy. I reckon that the number of pockets it has defines its worth. Anything less than 30 pockets is a reject. Realistically, your fly fishing vest should do the job that it is designed to do – carry the tackle that you need on the water on a particular day. You don't need to carry the whole season's supply at once. The vest should fit! There's nothing fun about having a wet vest dragging at your knees. It can hang up on debris and overhanging vegetation and become a real nuisance.

Miscellaneous fly fishing clothing

If you believe the ads, you'll never catch a fish unless you are attired in brand named, specially designed fly fishing clothing. I've seen a rain jacket described as the latest thing in fishing gear and the same jacket advertised as the best of all hiking jackets. What was the difference? The logo on the pocket!

If I follow manufacturer's advice I should hike into my favorite river wearing the jacket with the hiking staff logo then change to the jacket with the fly rod on its pocket when I wade into the water.

The same thing applies to my fishing/hiking pants. Darn it, I knew there was a reason I didn't catch fish on my last trip. Had nothing to do with my technique and everything to do with my clothing.

Dressing up your fly fishing clothing

What every women needs to accessorize her fly fishing clothing – earrings. Yep ladies, you too can step into the water with trout shaped danglers hanging from your ears. Could be that some hungry lunker will leap out of the water and attach itself to your lobes! The latest in lures no doubt.

Guys, don't think that you've been left out of the fashion stakes. There are ties arrayed with a variety of fish for you to hang around your neck in grand style. They do have a practical application – make a great stringer if you've forgotten yours.

I've taken a good look at those old timers again. I counted the pockets on old Jim's vest – nowhere near 30. He doesn't carry too much on the water, but he sure catches the fish. His hat's a real beauty though. I wonder if I should forget about all that fly fishing clothing in my closet and go scrounging for hats!

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