Image: Alex Stulce
I like fly fishing in the dead of winter season. The peaceful and privacy are tough to beat, however the greatest stumbling block I find out about from folks who have not fly fished with snow on the ground is remaining warm.
My response is constantly the exact same: ditch the cotton and opt for wool. Heck, I ‘d even recommend folks keep away from the artificial base layers (mainly polyester-based) also, due to the fact that they’re simply not as great as wool.
Wool insulates even when it’s damp, so if your waders spring a leakage, you’re not in instant risk of hypothermia. Simply recently I was on the water when my waders began dripping in one leg. The leakage was sluggish enough that it didn’t get me too damp. More notably, however, I didn’t get cold, due to the fact that I had 2 wool layers on.
I’ll share my wool layering system here in a minute, however I actually wish to drive home simply how excellent wool is. It’s flexible enough for usage on cold, to downright freezing, days. It’s generally more breathable than artificial base layers, and it has to do with a million times much better than cotton in every method. Cotton fits, sure, however not in the winter season.
My love for wool has actually advanced to the point that I simply purchased my very first real Shetland wool sweatshirt. Shetland wool is considered the best-insulating wool in the world, however it’s not as soft as merino. The scratchiness does not trouble me excessive, however my other half can’t stand it.
Shetland wool is so warm, however, that it’s the only external layer I used recently while on the water, when the temperatures peaked at 24F. No large coats or vests, simply a wool sweatshirt over a basic Tee shirts sufficed to keep the chill at bay.
Oh, and wool is naturally odor-resistant, so you wind up cleaning these pieces a lot less. Less laundry is constantly a win in my book.
I might go on, however I hope I have actually made my point. Now, let’s have a look at the wool items I securely think in.
These are my go-to socks. They’re thick sufficient to insulate and keep you warm, and they’re high sufficient to protrude the top of a lot of wading boots. They do not include excessive bulk to your waders, either, so you should not have an issue fitting into your wading boots.
Darn Difficult warranties their socks for life, and I have actually yet to break a set (although one is getting close). It’s odd to consider socks as something with a life time warranty, however Darn Difficult makes great on that pledge.
I have actually utilized these base layer trousers for nearly 2 winter seasons now, and they have actually been excellent. Base layers aren’t the most resilient, however the Vertx trousers have actually held up much better than a lot of. They’re light, comfy, and include another layer of defense versus the cold. I seldom use a base layer on my chest, however constantly have them on my legs. Standing in cold water, in the winter season, can rapidly chill you if you’re not prepared.
I understand I have actually sung the applauds of these trousers before, however I simply can’t overemphasize how excellent they are. These are heavyweight merino wool, so they’re a lot more resilient than light-weight base layers. I have actually yet to destroy them, and they get used 2 to 3 times a week in the winter season. Paired with my base layer, I have actually yet to get cold when using these trousers.
Those are the wool pieces I constantly depend upon. For an upper layer, any wool piece will do. My preferred– the Filson Shetland 5-Gauge Wool Sweatshirt– isn’t in production any longer, however you’ll be hard-pressed to fail with any wool coat or sweatshirt.
