Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: Chehalis_Steel on December 05, 2012, 01:57:32 AM
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Hey guys I just wanted to get some opinions on good waterproof AND warm gloves for steelheading and which stores have them. I tried neoprene and fleece ones but they were both pretty useless and didn't keep my hands warm very long, esp. in the rain. I found a pretty sweet spot where I caught my first one on the fly in December last year so I hope to repeat, but without freezing my fingers off this time :P
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I wear wool gloves. They keep your fingers warm even if they're wet.
But just remember to take them off before you handle a fish
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Hey guys I just wanted to get some opinions on good waterproof AND warm gloves for steelheading and which stores have them. I tried neoprene and fleece ones but they were both pretty useless and didn't keep my hands warm very long, esp. in the rain. I found a pretty sweet spot where I caught my first one on the fly in December last year so I hope to repeat, but without freezing my fingers off this time :P
I have always struggled with the cold... (I guess it is good I live in Florida now!) I found the best setup for me was to buy a pack of the smaller cotton gloves, and layer them with neoprene gloves on the top. I felt that still gave me enough sensitivity to control the spool on my pin, or when I was using my flyrod I even had a little notch cut in the finger where I was stripping line. The cotton gloves are really inexpensive and dry fast, so if I got my hands wet or cold I could change out the liners a few times during the course of the day.
But my best advice is - keep your core warm. Layer big time, even layer your head - maybe a thinner polypro stretch cap with a wool hat on top, ear flaps if possible. If you start out warm and stay warm your hands & feet will stay warm longer, but when your core starts to drop the hands and feet get cold first.
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X2 wool
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Contrary to what Stuart suggests, cotton gloves are a very bad idea IMO. They have minimal heat retaining qualities when dry, and when wet they speed up how quickly your hands get cold. That said, different things work well for different people and maybe - like stuart - you'll find his suggestion works for you.
I think you'll find however that there are better routes to go.
Personally, I love wool gloves - I really do - they're relatively cheap, easy to find, and they keep your hands warm even when wet.
That said, the Simms Windstopper gloves I use now with a flap for your fingers are by far the nicest gloves I've ever worn. They are NOT waterproof... but they can be wrung out and dried fairly quickly, they keep the wind off, and they're sleek enough to not impact handling your rod or line too much. They do develop an "odor" after a lot of use - you'll have to judge how important that is to you.
Wool fingerless would be my close second choice though, and I often carry a spare set in my pack. :)
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I wear wool gloves. They keep your fingers warm even if they're wet.
But just remember to take them off before you handle a fish
BINGO.
If it's really cold out you can consider getting some hot shot hand warmers and putting them in your pockets for the purposes of warming up your hands from time to time. Although I've never done this personally I've heard of people taping them to the underside of their wrists.
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If it's really cold out you can consider getting some hot shot hand warmers and putting them in your pockets for the purposes of warming up your hands from time to time.
I found found my butt and thighs to be the best hand warmers. Just stick your hands down your pants and warm em up. ;D
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I think a reasonable combo that I have seen mentioned is wool gloves with disposable latex (or nitril or ?) over top.
You may need to have fingerless wool depending on your need for sensitivity.
That way your hands stay warm and dry but you can still handle the fish.
Latex gloves (or neoprene) work much like your hands and won't knock off much slime.
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I think a reasonable combo that I have seen mentioned is wool gloves with disposable latex (or nitril or ?) over top.
You may need to have fingerless wool depending on your need for sensitivity.
That way your hands stay warm and dry but you can still handle the fish.
Latex gloves (or neoprene) work much like your hands and won't knock off much slime.
The issue with this sort of system is that in order to actually be able to use your hands the gloves need to fit snugly, which unfotrunately limits circulation and will ultimately cool your hands.
Best bet is to use the tried and test wool gloves. I personally use fully fingerless gloves so I am able to bait my hook without removing my gloves. When it comes to landing fish it only take a second to remove the gloves and everyone is happy.
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If you are not fishing with bait use those thin wool gloves you can find at Army&Navy for a couple of bucks.
When fishing with bait use those cutout glove that have mitts to cover all the fingers.
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I echo what Stuart said...
Best way to keep your hands warm is to keep your core warm and make sure you have good circulation to your hands.
If it gets REALLY cold out, I'll throw on a pair of wool gloves and ditch the bait for artificial's.
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the only problem is half of the wool glove ends up in the gears of your bait caster. i use a centerpin but sometimes i use a levelwind and that's the problem i have found with them. just bought the simms ones but haven't had a chance to try them yet.
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X4 wool gloves
The $10 fingerless wool beige ones at MEC come in 3 different sizes, they fit... well like a glove...very tight around fingers and hand. Work pretty good. I'd buy 2 pairs and leave one in the car. While wool does keep you warm when wet, it's not super comfortable or anything to put after you're warm again driving to the next spot.
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Contrary to what Stuart suggests, cotton gloves are a very bad idea IMO. They have minimal heat retaining qualities when dry, and when wet they speed up how quickly your hands get cold. That said, different things work well for different people and maybe - like stuart - you'll find his suggestion works for you.
Cotton by itself I would agree with you for sure. I found that either cotton or polypro 'liners' if you will - the very thin gloves used under a waterproof neoprene - allowed me to layer on my hands. I tried wool but found it cumbersome for fly-fishing in particular as you can't strip line effectively, and also my grip on the rod & sensitivity on the pin were not as good as I would like. I found that layering neoprene with cotton worked really well, especially if I brought a couple of extra pairs of the cotton liners, I used to keep them inside the cap of my thermos and then they would be toasty when I changed up!
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The funny thing is, now I have the opposite problem. Living in South Florida and fishing in the summer can be brutal. I kayak fish offshore, and unless you are out before dawn and in by 9-10am it is oppressively hot out on the water. I resorted to a gallon milk jug with the bottom cut out and I just dump water over myself to cool off! A little taste of the action down here - baby blackfin tuna:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjhF-AJ_Nyg&feature=share&list=UULbqAm8PyvUK-QikEFCTkIQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjhF-AJ_Nyg&feature=share&list=UULbqAm8PyvUK-QikEFCTkIQ)
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I have those Simms gloves got them last year for the T. They are awesome but stupid expensive and mine already have a bunch of seams ripped open. The thing I like about them the most is that when wet still very light and warm.
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wow luongo leafs suck, dont tip your kayak like you tipped our dreams.
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I went to MEC and bought a pair of kayaker's gloves. They're a really thin neoprene and are meant to keep your hands warm even when wet. I just cut off the tips of my pinky finger and my ring finger on my right hand so I can control the pin better.
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I agree on wool gloves.
Also carrying an instant portable fire makes a difference for warming up those freezing hands. An old Altoids tin filled up with some insulation, then fill up one of those 4oz. squirt containers you find in Walmart with Methyl Hydrate for fuel. When you want to use it, open the tin and pour a half oz. or more depending on how long you want the fire to be and light it. When hands are warm and fire is still going, simply flip the lid over the tin and deprive the fire with oxygen. Off to the next spot:) Just keep the bottle of Methyl Hydrate in a warm spot of your body to keep it warm. They can be difficult to light when cold.
They are also nice mini portable stoves if you wanna make some coffee/hot chocolate/tea or warm up some instant noodles. An oz. usually can bring a cup and a half to a rolling boil.
Cheers.
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Stuart -
As I said, different things work for different people, and you're right about the neoprene being an insulator. I just find (personally) the cotton as a base layer is rarely a good idea. Polypro makes a lot more sense to me. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjhF-AJ_Nyg&feature=share&list=UULbqAm8PyvUK-QikEFCTkIQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjhF-AJ_Nyg&feature=share&list=UULbqAm8PyvUK-QikEFCTkIQ)
Cool vid, Stuart, that's a nice life to be living!
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I'm usually fishing a pin during steelhead season and have personally found gloves to get in the way of my fishing properly. I usually go gloveless but invested in a zippo hand warmer (can be purchased at mec) a few years ago, it's made a huge difference. Most other handwarmers lose their heat when it really gets cold but the zippo stays nice and toasty for the whole day.
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I'm usually fishing a pin during steelhead season and have personally found gloves to get in the way of my fishing properly. I usually go gloveless but invested in a zippo hand warmer (can be purchased at mec) a few years ago, it's made a huge difference. Most other handwarmers lose their heat when it really gets cold but the zippo stays nice and toasty for the whole day.
I've got one of those heaters too! So nice for the really cold days. I use finger less wool gloves, the ones that Fred's sells.
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Could have used those today!!
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Simms gloves hands down. I own a pair with and without the flaps. $60 for a pair of gloves is pennies to keep your fingers warm, my palms never get cold but my fingers will freeze off quite easily. also having a good wading jacket with handwarmer pockets(fleece lined) will warm up your hands pretty quick too as they are warmed by your body heat ;D
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I've always used the wool fingerless gloves with hand warmers in my jacket. Works, but somedays its just to cold to work. Where would you find the Zippo hand warmers?
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Where would you find the Zippo hand warmers?
Cantire - $30
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/Gifts/Outdoorsman/Hunter/PRD~0757143P/Zippo+Hand+Warmer.jsp?locale=en
(http://s7d5.scene7.com/is/image/CanadianTire/0757143_1?$medium$&defaultImage=image_na_EN)
MEC - $28: http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/HikingCamping/HealthSafety/PRD~5014-829/zippo-hand-warmer.jsp
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Thanks
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I got one of those hand warmers handed down by my dad. The inscription on it was "Made in Occupied Japan" The fuel sticks were also "Made in Occupied Japan" (my dad was in the Army during WW2). Still works.
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As mentioned wool gloves are great. They are cheap, warm and insulate even when wet.
I also have the Simms windstopper full finger gloves. They are decent but are not waterproof and do not insulate as well as wool does when wet so if it's raining, snowing, stripping in wet fly line, etc they get wet and your fingers get cold.
I am much happier with my cheap eight dollar fingerless wool gloves verses my fifty dollar fancy simms gloves. Usually you get what you pay for, but not in this case IMO.
Something to try on those really cold days, is handwarmers on the insides of your wrists. I picked up this trick on one of the forums a while back. As blood circulates, fingers and toes are the furthest things away and get cold first. A warmer on the inside of your wrist will warm the blood going to your fingers and help keep them warm. My jacket has adjustable cuffs, so I will place a warmer on the inside of my wrist and tighten the cuff holding it in place. Sometimes by doing this, it will keep my hands warm enough to not use gloves when I otherwise might of had to. Used with gloves, it works even better. The Simms gloves even have a pocket built in for warmer's in that location.
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Simms gloves hands down. I own a pair with and without the flaps.
Dropped one of mine yesterday (Sat.) on the road by the train bridge if someone happens to find it. It's the foldover Simms model. I didn't need them yesterday so when I unzipped my jacket to take it off when I packed up it must have fallen out. They're my favourite for spey fishing because I can expose only the finger tips I need to use....the rest of them can remain covered.
PM me please if you find it~
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Stuart -
As I said, different things work for different people, and you're right about the neoprene being an insulator. I just find (personally) the cotton as a base layer is rarely a good idea. Polypro makes a lot more sense to me. :)
Cool vid, Stuart, that's a nice life to be living!
It sure is at this time of year, you wouldn't envy me in the middle of August though, by 9am it is too hot & humid to be outside doing anything!!! I checked off another bucket list item this weekend:
http://youtu.be/QEvhG28nAXc (http://youtu.be/QEvhG28nAXc)
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man up gloves are for sissys.
real steelheaders don't wear gloves!
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what about other clothes? real steelheaders go naked.
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man up gloves are for sissys.
real steelheaders don't wear gloves!
I'm guessing you're a young real steelheader? If so, I was once like you and never wore them because I didn`t need them. Different tune now ... cold and wet hurts big time, hence quality gloves. Or stay home which I normally do anyway, lol!
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BNF861 - are your Simms gloves the new grey/black ones or the model before them which were green and more fleecy ? I have a pair of each and my newer ones are leaps and bounds better. they may get wet but keep my hands warm, when im changing spots on stick them on the heater vent by the windshield with heat on high and they will dry pretty fast, also if you ring them out they are almost dry. I have bad circulation to my hands and feet so im always on the pursuit for different gloves or socks to keep the heat in, so far i have both figured out pretty good. Thank you Simms ;D
HOOK - tips for keeping your feet warm. buy wading boots that give you enough room to wiggle your toes while your wearing heavy socks. sock layering - go buy a pair of liner socks to wear under your big heavy socks, your feet may get cold while standing but a minute or so walking or a few out of the water and your feet will warm back up. I know guys that go all day without even getting cold feet while using the layering. Im envious because mine still get cold but it takes awhile, if i wear just my heavy socks they get cold way faster
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BNF861 - are your Simms gloves the new grey/black ones or the model before them which were green and more fleecy ? I have a pair of each and my newer ones are leaps and bounds better. they may get wet but keep my hands warm, when im changing spots on stick them on the heater vent by the windshield with heat on high and they will dry pretty fast, also if you ring them out they are almost dry. I have bad circulation to my hands and feet so im always on the pursuit for different gloves or socks to keep the heat in, so far i have both figured out pretty good. Thank you Simms ;D
HOOK - tips for keeping your feet warm. buy wading boots that give you enough room to wiggle your toes while your wearing heavy socks. sock layering - go buy a pair of liner socks to wear under your big heavy socks, your feet may get cold while standing but a minute or so walking or a few out of the water and your feet will warm back up. I know guys that go all day without even getting cold feet while using the layering. Im envious because mine still get cold but it takes awhile, if i wear just my heavy socks they get cold way faster
In regards to the feet, I think most anglers dress too heavy. This creates perspiration and once you start sweating its down hill fast from there as the perspiration is easily cooled by the cold river water. I wear one pair of socks that are able to circulate air well and I've never had cold feet... Well except for that one time I fell in the river and got soaked :-[
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same age as you Dave!
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I carry two pairs of gloves ofr steelheading. The ones I wear 99% of the time are the Simms fold back gloves (forget the exact name). Theya re nice in that both the mitt for your fingers AND the thumbs fold back. Great for tying knots, adding bait etc.
I find these gloves are great if it's not TOO cold or TOO wet out.
If it's really cold and /or wet I wear a pair of fleece lined neoprene gloves I got at Wholesale Sports. Forget the name buy I got the ones withOUT the finger and thumb that flip back so they're 100% waterproof. They are a bit of work to get on and off so I if I use them I don't fish bait and instead go to spinners, etc.
I don't own a pair of wool gloves but would say they'd be good too as wool stays warm when wet.
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as for gloves i use one on my right hand with the index finger and thumb cut out (neoprene). i have a pair of fleece gloves as back up.
the neoprene glove(s) do the job so im happy. and when it gets wet its no big deal.
as for layering(a bit off topic):
invested in the columbia omni heat base layer, a fleece top and a light hoody, warm as a ray of sunshine
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Johnny - the liner socks are designed to pull moisture away from your feet, my heavier Simms socks also do this of course. If i wear just the Simms socks my feet will get cold over time and they take alot longer to warm up, with the liner socks they warm up quickly. My feet only get cold when im standing in the river swinging flies, if im gear fishing im hardly ever in the water.
liner socks i have are from Wholesale sports and are the ones made with CoolMax. exactly they same as the Simms liner socks but less money. I only wear these during the winter months steelheading otherwise its just the Simms or even lighter socks
Save yourself the headache and buy quality stuff the first time, it will save you money over time and you will enjoy yourself more when your in the elements
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Wool gloves, cut mitten flap off. They always seem to get in the way. Handwarmers in palm of hand.
It's kinda weird to get use to, but your fingers stay nice and warm. As mentioned before, make sure
to remove gloves before handling fish.
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Tried using them .. But can't be bothered .. For flyfishing anyways..I can see gear fishing as u don't have to strip in line and hold line or casting. Also everyone has their tolerance levels to the cold..I'm fine as long as my core is nice and warm. I just use my hand warmer on my waders .. Seems to work fine.