Northwest Reel Life Jan-Feb 2024 Volume 4 Issue 4 - Flipbook - Page 24
spending $1000s on highend gear. The key that I
have found is to layer and
to make sure that you
have an impervious outer
layer to wear when it rains
and the wind blows. The
addition that I made to my
repertoire last year was a
battery powered, heated
vest.
I bought this online for
around $60 and it was the
best money that I have
spent. I am known to wear
3-4 layers below the waist
and 6-7 above, and even
then, I tend to get cold.
This investment has been
the single greatest factor in
staying warm on the worst
of days.
I have found that the
combination of cold
and slowly getting wet
over hours of floating is
exacerbated by the reliable
late morning and afternoon
winds that blow through
the river valleys. While we
may start warm and dry, we
often finish the day damp
and cold. That warm cup
of coffee at the end of the
float is always a welcome
sight.
So, how do you keep
warm and dry? This is the
million-dollar question,
and I am here to tell you
that it does not mean
Here is my suggestion on
how to dress. I will clarify
that my opinion is based
on either walk-and-wade
fishing or floating a river
in a drift boat. You will
obviously stay warmer if
you are moving, which you
do very little when fishing
from a drift boat. Start out
with a good base layer of
long underwear, both top
and bottom. Wear a warm
pair of pants or sweats over
the bottoms, preferably
something that is not
cotton. Remember, cotton
is rotten, meaning that
when it gets wet, you get
cold. I wear a pair of Simms
M's Thermal Mid-Layer
Bottoms which will set
you back about $90. They
are fantastic and keep you
warm. Over these pants, I
wear two pairs of socks and
stocking foot waders with
wading boots. My lower
half, including my toes,
rarely gets cold.
Let’s move to the top half
of the body. Start with a
base layer, a long-sleeve
shirt. This should be tightfitting to keep the heat
against your body. I wear
a second layer of longsleeve shirt over this,
generally a light fleece or
mid-layer garment. At this
point, I put on the battery-
