Greg Schwipps - Fishing For Dummies

Fleece pullover: There are a lot of brand names for that soft, fleecy synthetic material. All are warm, lightweight, and comfortable.

Rain gear: Get the best rain gear (a set with pants and a jacket) that you can afford and bring it along if there’s even a slight chance of rain. (Keep it in your foul-weather bag, which I will cover next.) I always have rain gear along when I'm on a boat, not just for rain, but also to break the wind when moving from one fishing spot to another. Get a rain jacket that fits over your life jacket or fishing vest. Waist-high is the best length for wading anglers. You can often get pants or a bib in your rain gear set, and bibs are often the better choice for boating anglers, because they stay in place better while frequently sitting and standing. If you forget your rain jacket, you can make a poncho out of a lawn-size garbage bag, so it’s a good idea to keep a couple in your gym bag or trunk as well. Cut holes for the head and arms and, in a pinch, you’re in business. Now, you’ll look a little funny, but you’ll be dry.

I once wrote an article for an In-Fisherman magazine publication, and in it I sang the praises of my foul-weather bag. The cartoonist who provided the accompanying illustrations drew a large man hugging his foul-weather bag to his chest, a heart floating over his head. Okay, I can admit it: He got it exactly right. I would gladly wear a t-shirt proclaiming, I Heart My FWB. And you will too once you make your own. Here’s how to make a foul-weather bag that will win you over:

Buy a waterproof packsack, available at most tackle shops and from big companies like Cabelas or Bass Pro Shops. The ones I like feature a roll-down top that buckles shut. It doesn’t need to be large — about the size of a loaf of bread would do, but mine is about the size of a small office wastebasket. It should be waterproof and submersible.

Stuff it with clothes and gear you might need, should the weather change or an emergency erupt.

In my FWB: rain gear, knit hat, gloves, fleece pullover, matches, socks. The rain gear (jacket and bibs) stays near the top because that’s what I use most often. The fleece and the hat have kept me warm on many fall and spring nights.

It can be kind of a hassle to drag along the FWB at times, especially if you’re traveling on foot and walking a good distance. If you know you’re going to be out for only a short time, and the weather has little chance of changing, leave it behind. But when it doubt, bring it along. You’ll be glad you had the extra clothing when you get cold or wet, and you’ll find that the waterproof bag protects your gear if you don’t need it. Once the bag is packed, I never need to dry out the clothes or repack it. I just put it aside, and it’s ready for the next trip. If I have worn something from the FWB, I simply put it back dry and folded tightly.

I carry gloves on every fishing trip, but I don’t bring them for the weather. My gloves are those lightweight cloth gloves dipped in a rubberized compound that are ideal for gardening and other outdoor work. As it happens, they work great for handling big fish like catfish with sandpaper mouths. You can buy gloves specifically for fishing, and they’re all designed to help you handle fish easier. Note: You still don’t want to grab a fish by its sides with dry gloves or hands, as this will remove the slimecoat — the protective layer of slime that covers a fish. (Wet your gloves and hands first.) And most of these gloves aren’t meant to protect your hands from the teeth of pike or some saltwater species. But they will keep a fish’s sandpaper teeth from filing your hands.

Are some fishing hats luckier than others? Well, that’s up for you (and the fish) to decide. But I do strongly recommend that you wear a hat while fishing. Hats will protect you from the sun or the rain (because you’re probably going to see some of one or the other on most trips), and the hat’s bill will help shade your eyes to allow you to better watch the water. Your hat, when worn in conjunction with a good pair of polarized sunglasses, will help your eyes cut through the water’s glare. (For more on sun protection and sunglasses, see Chapter 6.) This will allow you to see what’s happening beneath the water’s surface.

A baseball cap works well, as does any brimmed hat, such as a booney hat, which will keep both your face and your neck cool and shaded. Anglers fishing the Caribbean flats developed a long-billed hat, sometimes called a flats hat, which also features a bill in the back to protect your neck from the sun’s rays. Some hats now come with ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) ratings, which reflect the sun-blocking capabilities of the fabric, and are ventilated to allow cool breezes to keep your brain from overheating while you ponder fishing strategies.

Because hats tend to blow off when riding in a boat, chin straps are a good idea.

If you plan on doing any stream wading or surfcasting, you need waders. Although you can wade in the warmest months wearing little more than shorts and sneakers, to fish in cooler water, waders offer you warmth and dryness. Essentially, waders are waterproof hip boots or overalls meant to cover at least part of your legs and possibly your torso. The first time you wade into a stream wearing waders, you’ll marvel at the experience. Standing in the stream almost chest-deep, with the current gently swirling around you, is a little like becoming a fish yourself.

Waders come in a variety of styles, made from a few different kinds of materials. Waders, like tents and boots, are meant to be waterproof. But like tents and boots, waders suffer tears and punctures. Luckily, many times a hole can be patched.

Waders come in several different styles, and are available almost anywhere tackle is sold:

Boot-foot waders: This one-piece chest-high outfit has rubber boots attached to the legs of the waders, making it the most convenient design for dressing in a hurry. It is also the only design for surfcasting because sand or pebbles cannot find their way into your boots.Often, when you buy boot-foot waders, you have to choose between getting felt or lugs on the soles of the boots. When rocks are covered with algae, wet leaves, dead seaweed, or unidentifiable slime, they are very slippery. Felt soles cling and help to counteract the slipperiness. Lugged soles are okay, too, but you won’t get the traction on slippery rocks that you’ll find with felt soles. If you fish mostly in sand or mud, lugged soles will work fine. Note: On some streams, felt is illegal because of its tendency to transfer invasive species. To counter that, some manufacturers now offer soles made of things like crushed walnut shells. Look for these eco-friendly soles, or use cleats or lugs.

Stocking-foot waders: Stocking-foot waders (which are also chest high) do not come with boots attached, so they require wading shoes. Many anglers prefer this style because they say sturdy wading shoes give them extra support while wading.

Hip waders: Great for fishing streams in the summer. Hip boots reach your upper thigh, and can often be attached to your belt with garter-type straps (insert your own joke here). You can’t go nearly as deep in hip waders as you can with chest-high waders, but if the river never gets that deep, why roast inside of chest waders? You’ll also find it easier to go to the restroom while wearing hip boots.