The Best Technical Clothing for Fall Fly Fishing: Stay Warm and Dry on the Water

Finding the Right Balance

If you understand how to best use layering when dressing for a day on the river, you can fish comfortably well into winter. It's not as simple as piling on as much clothes as you can. The art is in the balance of understanding fabric performance, using as few layers as possible to maintain ease of movement, while using enough layers to keep you warm and dry. Find the right balance and you can fish all day. 

Learn Your Fabrics Attributes and Limitations

Understanding the different clothing materials on the market and how they perform in the outdoors is crucial to good layering. Things to consider are air circulation, wicking of moisture, warmth retention, comfort, and odor resistance . This is a lot to consider, but once you understand how the different fabrics perform then layering for warmth and comfort will be less of a mystery. 

A Fly Anglers Best Friend - Merino Wool

This is the MVP of my layering system. I don't care how much fabric technology has advanced, you will be hard pressed to find a textile as comfortable and functional in the outdoors as merino wool. 

Why Merino Wool 

• Temperature Regulation: Merino wool excels at regulating body temperature, keeping you warm in cold conditions and cool in warm conditions. Wool breathes and allows the air to circulate within the layers of clothing. 
• Moisture Wicking: Merino fibers have a natural crimp that helps to transport moisture away from the skin. This property is crucial in the outdoors, where sweating is common. By keeping your skin dry, merino wool helps to prevent chills, chafing, and that ugly clammy feeling when dampness sets in. 
• Odor Resistance: This is the one I really appreciate. Merino wool is naturally odor-resistant thanks to its antimicrobial properties. Because of this I'm able to pack less and wear individual items of clothing longer without smelling up the joint. This is ideal for multi-day outdoor trips.
• Softness and Comfort: Merino wool is known for its exceptional softness next to the skin. It doesn't wear like the traditional wool we grew up with. No itch or roughness. 
• Quick Drying: Compared to other natural fibers like cotton, merino wool dries quickly. 
• Continues to insulate when wet: Merino wool retains a significant portion of its insulation properties even when wet. This is due to the unique structure of its fibers, which can absorb moisture without collapsing and continue to trap air. This is also a safety feature. Clothing that can keep you warm when wet can help prevent hypothermia from setting in. In some fly fishing environments this is a real factor to consider. 
• Biodegradability: As a natural fiber, merino wool is biodegradable. This means that at the end of its lifecycle, it will decompose naturally, reducing its environmental impact compared to synthetic fabrics.

The Layering System That Works for Me

First layer- T-shirt: This layer isn't meant to help with keeping me warm so it doesn't need to be wool. Its purpose is to keep my skin dry, the material has to be able to wick moisture and dry quickly. This first layer makes the whole system feel better. I like my base t-shirt to be the athletic type that I wear at the gym. It fits close to the body to make sure it is in contact with as much skin as possible. This allows for more efficient removal of moisture. My go-to is the Nike Dri-fit. 

Second Layer - Merino wool T-shirt: This shirt is the first layer of warmth. I get the shirt in a medium weight. I've fished during the Fall where the days warmed up enough that I could strip off my layers down to this T-shirt and it would keep my core warm enough to be comfortable. That is the great thing about layering. It becomes a regulating system that you can adjust as the day heats up or cools down. Just add a layer or take one off. 

Third Layer- Merino wool Long Sleeve: This is the most important layer and the core of my system. Other pieces of this system can be removed and it will still work, but if I remove my wool long sleeve I become underequipped. Because of this I will spend a little extra money to make sure I get a quality product. 

I'm a big fan of the Duck Camp Merino Baselayer Crew or Baselayer Quarter Zip. In this layer I don't need flash or a high tech look, I need function. Duck Camp makes no-nonsense, high quality tops that are simple in color and style, made to last, and feel great. 

Fourth Layer- Thin Vest: I wear the Grundens Bering Fleece Pro Vest with a chest pocket and side pockets. The inner layers in this system are for warmth and comfort only, but starting with the vest I want pockets to carry fly fishing tools, fly boxes, my phone, and for warming up my hands. I find a vest teamed up with a long sleeve wool shirt allows me to go without a jacket on most days. 

Fifth Layer- A Puffy Jacket: Mornings are when it's usually the coldest. My body is tight and cold, and I'm moving slow. I wear a puffy jacket until the day warms up, or I warm up. It's easy to remove and stuff into a pack when I'm done needing it. The same is true with a thin rain jacket. 

The Legs Need Attention, Just Not as Much

Keeping my legs warm is a much simpler process. Because of the insulating properties of a good pair of waders, I find I don't need to stack on the layers, one quality base layer is enough. I wear the Deep Space Base Layer Bottoms made by Forloh. These things are a new find for me, and the quality is exceptional. They have an athletic fit, and high performance material that captures body heat and re-radiates for warmth. They feel excellent against the skin while having a scent control technology that keeps them from getting funky. A combination of the price, technology and athletic fit is why I go with these instead of merino wool. Plus they are made in America and come with a lifetime warranty. 

Don't Forget the Neck Area

You can layer all you want but if cold air can get in through the opening in the neck area, the system won't work. For Fall and Winter I like the BUFF Adult Polar Neck Gaiter. This neck gaiter is longer than your average Buff to cover more real estate against the cold. Half of the gaiter is microfiber, the other half is PrimaLoft fleece. I stuff the fleece down my neck, and pull the microfiber up around my face and ears. If I start overheating I can take it off and let heat out through the neck opening. 

This is My System, Not the Only System

This is the system I used while guiding in Alaska. A lot of trial, error and experience led to this finished five layer setup. It works for me because I can regulate my body temp by adding or removing layers, and the use of wool makes it low care, fewer washings, still functional when wet, and adaptable to temperature swings. It's always a work in progress though, I'm forever tweaking it and open to trying new fabrics. 

No such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. 

Five layers sounds like a lot but it really isn't. The initial t-shirt is thin, a puffy jacket is light, and a vest gives your arms freedom of movement. Try it out, experiment, and find what works for you. If nothing else, rediscover how wool is still your best material to use for the outdoors. Pay the extra price because one item of wool equals three of the same item in any other material. KB

“The gods do not deduct from man’s allotted span the hours spent in fishing.” - Herbert Hoover

_{Some of the gear reviewed in this article was provided to me at no cost for evaluation. The views and assessments presented are entirely my own. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.}