When loading the boat, foul weather gear is often forgotten at home. And that’s not surprising, with anglers more attentive to bringing tackle, rods, reels, gears, baits, ice, lunch and electronics onboard. Prepping the boat and getting to the boat ramp is surprisingly involved, so something usually gets forgotten at home. To prevent forgetting your foul weather gear, anglers should leave their foul weather gear onboard inside a waterproof hatch.
One piece of foul weather gear that’s necessary, whether fishing in warm or cold weather, is a pair of light-weight pants. Jackets get the most attention because they protect your body’s core, but pants should not be ignored. Here are three quick reasons to make sure you have a pair of foul weather pants onboard during your next fishing trip.
When compared to a pair of bibs, foul weather pants are much easier to put on and wear. Simply put, bibs definitely have a use on the boat, but they can be overkill in many situations. Bibs can be downright cumbersome; pants easily slip on over whatever shorts or pants you’re wearing. You don’t have to take off your jacket to wear foul weather pants. You have no suspenders to mess with when wearing pants. Foul weather pants can be taken off and put back on easily depending on weather conditions. Plus, most foul weather pants are machine washable, so you don’t have to do anything special cleaning them after a day of fishing.
Columbia’s Men’s Rebel Roamer Pant are a light-weight option for anglers who don’t need heavy cold protection, but want to protect themselves against a rain storm. Made from 100 percent nylon, the machine washable pants feature proprietary Omni-tech waterproof and breathability, plus are fully seam sealed. Adjustable waist and leg openings allow these pants to slip on over other clothes while still providing protection against rain and spray.
Most importantly, foul weather pants protect your legs against rain, boat spray and even snow. Nothing ruins a day as quickly as soggy shorts that make your life miserable. But it doesn’t have to be that way, and a quick fix is to keep a pair of foul weather pants handy on the boat or in the kayak. If you expect storms on and off all day, wear foul weather pants all day without becoming overheated.
Grunden’s Men’s Weather Watch Pant are made from 100 percent nylon with fully taped seams, but still have 8,000-millimeter 3,000-gram waterproof and breathability rating, perfect for light rains in moderate to cool weather conditions. An adjustable hook-and-loop cinch allows for ankle closures to prevent water intrusion.
The clouds don’t have to be angry in order to wear foul weather pants. The pants are a great option to protect against the wind and sun. In sunny, climates throw on a light-weight pair of pants instead of slathering up with sun block. Pants can also protect your legs against a piercing wind that might otherwise push you off the water and indoors.
Frogg Toggs All Sport Rain Suit features waterproof, non-woven polypropylene material that’s breathable and durable. The jacket has an adjustable and detachable hood, plus a full-zipper front with waterproof storm flap and guttered cover. The pants have a 1-inch elastic waistband with adjustable cord and a four-panel cut for a flexible fit.
Treat foul weather pants as the top layer of defense against the elements. Paired with deck boots, boat shoes, or flipflops, foul weather pants are a great addition to any angler’s foul weather gear.
