Photo: Alex Stulce
I love fly fishing in the dead of winter. The quiet and solitude are hard to beat, but the biggest stumbling block I hear about from folks who haven’t fly fished with snow on the ground is staying warm.
My answer is always the same: ditch the cotton and go for wool. Heck, I’d even suggest folks stay away from the synthetic base layers (mostly polyester-based) as well, because they’re just not as good as wool.
Wool insulates even when it’s wet, so if your waders spring a leak, you’re not in immediate danger of hypothermia. Just last week I was on the water when my waders started leaking in one leg. The leak was slow enough that it didn’t get me too wet. More importantly, though, I didn’t get cold, because I had two wool layers on.
I’ll share my wool layering system here in a moment, but I really want to drive home just how great wool is. It’s versatile enough for use on chilly, to downright frigid, days. It’s usually more breathable than synthetic base layers, and it’s about a million times better than cotton in every way. Cotton has its place, sure, but not in the winter.
My love for wool has advanced to the point that I just bought my first genuine Shetland wool sweater. Shetland wool is regarded as the best-insulating wool on the planet, but it’s not as soft as merino. The scratchiness doesn’t bother me too much, but my wife can’t stand it.
Shetland wool is so warm, though, that it’s the only outer layer I wore last week while on the water, when the temps peaked at 24F. No bulky jackets or vests, just a wool sweater over a simple T-shirt was enough to keep the chill at bay.
Oh, and wool is naturally odor-resistant, so you end up washing these pieces a lot less. Less laundry is always a win in my book.
I could go on, but I hope I’ve made my point. Now, let’s take a look at the wool products I firmly believe in.
These are my go-to socks. They’re thick enough to insulate and keep you warm, and they’re tall enough to stick out the top of most wading boots. They don’t add too much bulk to your waders, either, so you shouldn’t have a problem fitting into your wading boots.
Darn Tough guarantees their socks for life, and I’ve yet to wear out a pair (although one is getting close). It’s odd to think of socks as something with a lifetime guarantee, but Darn Tough makes good on that promise.
I’ve used these base layer pants for almost two winters now, and they’ve been great. Base layers aren’t the most durable, but the Vertx pants have held up better than most. They’re light, comfortable, and add another layer of defense against the cold. I rarely wear a base layer on my chest, but always have them on my legs. Standing in cold water, in the winter, can quickly chill you if you’re not prepared.
I know I’ve sung the praises of these pants before, but I just can’t overstate how great they are. These are heavyweight merino wool, so they’re a lot more durable than lightweight base layers. I’ve yet to ruin them, and they get worn two to three times a week in the winter. Paired with my base layer, I’ve yet to get cold when wearing these pants.
Those are the wool pieces I always depend on. For an upper layer, any wool piece will do. My favorite—the Filson Shetland 5-Gauge Wool Sweater—isn’t in production anymore, but you’ll be hard-pressed to go wrong with any wool jacket or sweater.
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