Layering for Cold-Weather Fishing

With today's high-performance outer- and underwear it's easier than ever before to stay warm and dry--without excessive bulk that might restrict your movement and casting--in the worst wet or cold weather. The trout may not be rising where you live but if you chase steelhead, or get a kick out of deep nymphing or streamering for winter trout, it's possible to catch fish 12 months a year in many northern states. I've spent most of my life fishing in Alberta, Colorado, and most recently Pennsylvania, and while cold weather has its drawbacks, it also has its advantages. If you can dress to survive bad weather, you can often have a much greater degree of solitude and sometimes the best fishing of the year.

Never wear blue jeans, sweatpants, or any cotton material under your breathable waders if you expect to stay warm. Cotton soaks up moisture, has little or no insulation value when wet, and if it is next to your skin, the dampness will chill you to the bone.

You need three basic layers to move moisture away from your body, regulate your body temperature, and protect you from outside elements: a base layer, a thermal (insulation) layer, and an outer shell made up of your jacket and waders. There are literally hundreds of products that will help you accomplish this goal. We have named a few important products here, and direct you to our bulletin board for more product suggestions and evaluation from other fly fishers. If you have anything to add, please join in to make this a more complete information base for fellow fly fishers.

Base layer. Your base layer is the one that contacts your skin. It should be tight and stretchy for maximum mobility and contact with your skin. A tight base layer is less likely to bunch up when you pull the next layer over it. Stirrups on pants are a nice feature so they don't ride up, but some people find them uncomfortable for walking. The primary function of the base layer is to keep you dry by moving moisture away from your skin. Manufacturers call this "wicking."

Under Armour Long Sleeve Turf Shirt

You can often find varying "weights" of base layers. Thin, light weights are best when you expect to exert yourself or perspire--such as a long or steep hike into your favorite fishing hole. Thin layers wick more rapidly while thicker base layers offer more insulation. I prefer the performance of a thin base layer because I can wear it alone under my waders in the summer for maximum comfort, and just add thicker layers over it in the winter. Thick base layers are only good in one season. A new base layer on the market is Under Armour Heat Gear Leggings ($40) and Long Sleeve Turf Shirt ($35). This is the stuff NFL players wear under their uniforms so you know it manages moisture well and won't restrict your movement. In cold weather, try Under Armour Mock Turtleneck ($50) and Action Leggings ($50) as a base layer. Under Armour is introducing a line of base layer clothing in olive and tan colors for hunters and fishermen in 2005. Look for it in fly shops and the Cabelas catalog. [For more product suggestions, view the product list and reader poll for tops and bottoms on our bulletin board.]

Patagonia R3 Radiant Jacket

Thermal layer. This is the layer that insulates your body and traps warm air between your base layer and your outer layer. Synthetic fleece is the best choice for fly fishers for a thermal layer because it wicks moisture from the base layer toward the outer layer, it breathable, and is warm for its weight. You can get fleece in many different weights to suit the conditions you are most likely to find on your local waters. It's wise to have at least two different fleeces, one a lightweight for late fall and early spring, and a heavier fleece you can wear mid winter. If you have the right fleece, your thermal layer should consist of just one garment, but in extremely cold weather, or if you just have two lighter fleeces, it's possible to have a thermal layer made up of two garments. Beware, this can get bulky, restrictive, and uncomfortable, depending on what you wear. [For more product suggestions (thermal layer, top), view the product list and reader poll on our bulletin board.]

Some fleece jackets have a wind-blocking material sandwiched between layers of fleece. These jackets are meant to be worn as an outer layer and are not the best choice to integrate into your layering system because they don't breath well or move moisture toward the outside.

Simms Polartec Power Stretch Fleece Pants

The thermal layer isn't just for your torso. In winter, your legs should have a thermal layer as well as a base layer. Simms Polartec Power Stretch Pants ($139.95) and Cabela's Moisture Management Wader Pants ($59.95) are fleece inside with a nylon face so you can wear them into a restaurant or gas station without looking like a bad Mikhail Baryshnikov impersonator. Patagonia Capilene Expedition Weight Stretch Bottoms ($63) and Simms RiverTek Heavyweight Pants (79.95) also make good thermal layers. [For more product suggestions (thermal layer, bottom), view the product list and reader poll on our bulletin board.]

Outer layer. Your outer shell should be a waterproof, windproof, breathable jacket and waders. Neoprene waders have some insulation value but they do not breath--they trap moisture inside, and that moisture can make you cold and clammy. Their only advantage is that they add buoyancy to your body if you manage to fall in a river. People have drowned in neoprene waders so don't consider them as a PFD. Buy a Coast Guard-approved flotation device like SOSpenders for maximum safety. Today's breathable materials have no insulation value but if you have the right layers underneath, you can stay warmer and drier because they actively pass moisture away from your body. There are many breathable wader products on the market today but they aren't all equal when it comes to puncture resistance, overall durability, price, and breathablity. Buy the breathable waders that are right for you. [For more wader suggestions, view the product list and reader poll on our bulletin board.]

Redington Q-Nimbus II Wading Jacket

A well-designed fishing jacket should have an effective cuff system to keep rain from running down your arm when you hold your arm up to cast, and should have plenty of pockets to hold your fly boxes and everything else you need. Some people buy oversized jackets so they can wear a fishing vest underneath. Don't do it. In bad weather you don't want to keep opening your jacket, and a vest under a jacket is bulky and awkward. Examples of quality wading jackets are: Patagonia SST Jacket ($295) (product will soon to be replaced by the new Patagonia SST Stretch Wading Jacket), Cabela's Stretch Gore-Tex XCR Deluxe Wading Jacket ($259.95), and Simms G3 Wading Jacket ($399.95). [For more wading jacket suggestions, view the product list and reader poll on our bulletin board.]

Boots. When it is really cold, boot-foot waders keep your feet warmer than stocking-foot waders because they don't fit as tightly. This encourages better circulation in your feet and creates a dead air space inside your boots that helps keep your feet warm. If you can't afford two pairs of waders—bootfoot for winter and stockingfoot for summer—then at least consider having two pairs of boots for your stockingfoot waders. One pair should fit snugly with standard socks for summer wading, the other should fit loosely so you can wear thick socks and still have some space inside the shoe. It won't help to add extra socks inside boots that are already tight. That will only serve to constrict circulation in your feet and make you cold.

Simms WaderWick Liner Socks

Socks. Most breathable stockingfoot waders have neoprene booties that don't breath. This moisture trap demands high-performance socks when water temperature dips below 40 degrees F. Again, do dot wear cotton. It compresses easily and has no insulation value. The best sock combination I have tried is a thin polyester liner sock that moves moisture away from your foot, with a heavier socks over that absorbs water but retains its insulative qualities. Simms Waderwick Liner socks ($9.95), Simms Wading Socks ($19.95), Patagonia Capilene Silkweight Liner Socks ($11.50), and Patagonia Capilene Expedition Weight Hiking Socks ($19) are four products I have personally had good results with. It's the same type of system alpine climbers use to keep their feet warm and dry on Mount Everest and elsewhere, so it should work on Ohio's Ashstabula river in November or elsewhere.

Patagonia Windzone Fingerless Gloves

Gloves. I don't know of another sport that requires more finger dexterity in extreme conditions than winter fly fishing. Anyone who has released a February trout and then tried to tie an improved clinch knot on a #22 midge pupa knows what I am talking about. Even if you are tough enough to keep fishing, cold hands can literally prevent you from catching fish. Simms Windstopper Foldover Mitts ($39.95) are for extreme conditions only. On moderate winter days, I try to get away with just fingerless gloves such as Simms Windstopper Half-finger Gloves ($34.95) or Patagonia Windzone Fingerless Gloves ($37) for greater manual dexterity in handling the line.

Gloves are about the only place I can still recommend using an organic material. Classic wool gloves snag hooks more easily than fleece, dry more slowly, and aren't wind-resistant. However, wet wool provides good insulation when wet and provides better grip than fleece when tailing large salmon or steelhead and are relatively inexpensive.

If you are stripping/handling the line as in most trout fishing, you need fingerless gloves. One of the advantages of winter steelheading using Spey casts and a set length of line is that the line can stay clamped under your hand—you don't need a great amount of dexterity. In this case, good ski gloves or ice-climbing gloves will keep your warmer than any fingerless fishing glove.

Cabela's Nordic Gear Cinched Balaclava

Headwear. Your scalp is a major source of heat loss, so it's critical to have the proper headwear to stay warm. Your jacket must have a hood you have adjust to keep rain and snow out of your face but maintain your vision. Sometimes a baseball cap underneath is good enough but in winter you'll need a fleece or wool (itchy!) hat to cover your head and ears. if you are fishing the Frying Pan River on a cold, clear January morning in Colorado's Rocky mountains, you might need a neck tube as well--or even a balaclava!