Wondering what to wear fly fishing? In this Fly Fishing Apparel Guide, we’ll cover 16 of the best items to wear (or bring) on your next fly fishing adventure. 

What you wear on a fly fishing outing can mean the difference between an epic and memorable day on the water and a total disaster. Here at Fly Fishing Fix, it’s our goal to make sure every one of your fly fishing adventures goes well, ends safely, and carves out its own place among your all-time favorite memories.

With that squarely in mind, we hope that, by the end of this article, you will be properly informed about what to wear on your first (or next) fly fishing outing and be well-equipped for the many that will undoubtedly follow.

For the sake of keeping this brief, I’m going to assume the forecast for your spring, summer or fall fly fishing day ahead is predicted to be warm and calm with a chance of afternoon rain. I’ll also assume that you’re equipping for a more common fly fishing situation, not a tropical saltwater bonefishing trip or dead-of-winter, no wimps allowed sort of thing.

We’ll build your fly fishing ensemble from the inside out and, generally speaking, from the bottom to top. Starting with what to put on under your waders, here is what you should wear, how you should wear it and, for optimal comfort, utility and durability, what to look for and guard against. Let’s start with Phase 1 – Before Putting On Your Waders:

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we will receive a small commission (at no cost to you) if you click through and make a purchase.

1. Long Underwear

Long underwear you ask? What the…? I thought this was supposed to be a warm day, but you’re telling me to put on long underwear?

Yes, I’m doing just that. A well designed pair of light-duty, moisture-wicking long underwear not only provides a layer of warmth for a person who is probably going to be immersed, at least, knee-deep in a cold river, lake or pond all day, they absorb and wick away sweat and moisture that tends to condense inside your waders. From there, and assuming breathable waders (more on that later), the moisture will find its way out while you stay warm and dry.

Maybe this goes without saying, but make sure your pair of long underwear is well-made, properly fitted, and has a reputation for holding up over time. I can’t stand wrinkles, sags, a sprung waistband, or stretched ankle cuffs. Neither will you!

Long Underwear Recommendations:

For Women: Sitka Women’s Merino Core Lightweight Bottom

For Men: Sitka Core Lightweight Bottom

2. Thermal Socks

Sticking with the theme of keeping your lower extremities toasty and dry while cold-water submerged, a well-made pair of lighter-duty thermal blend socks will provide a welcome layer of protection between your toesies, your waders’ built-in sock foot and your fishing boots. When expecting a warm day, I stick with a fairly thin, over-the-calf synthetic (no cotton) sock. While I want the support and warmth, I don’t want my feet to feel scrunched and crowded in my boot. When things get too tight around them, it restricts blood flow, which, even on a warm day, results in cold, cramped, numb toes. And the last thing you should want on a warm day fly fishing is to be forced out of the water because your feet are freezing.

Thermal Socks Recommendation:

For Women: Women’s Merino Thermal OTC

For Men: Simms Merino Midweight OTC

3. Base Layer Shirt

When preparing for a warm day, I am more concerned that my base layer shirt is light, breathable and not too tight. That said, I also want it to help keep me warm should an afternoon storm pop up. A warm weather fly fishing outing can turn incredibly cold, even dangerously so, when a windy rain settles in. I’ve found myself in several such situations.

In fact, I can remember one particular float trip, when an eighty degree day turned sharply ugly. For about two hours that afternoon, a fierce squall decided to camp out right on top of us. As it thoroughly doused us, it wasn’t long before we were off the water sheltering under a makeshift lean-to until it finally moved off. Though well-equipped, we still fought a solid chill for the rest of the day. Had we not come prepared, I’m sure, instead of getting back to fly fishing, hypothermia would have been our main concern.

Oh, and by the way, as an aside, fly fishing during, but especially after a rainstorm isn’t something to be missed. You’re welcome.

Anybody who has spent even a small amount of time in a wilderness setting knows to prepare for such sudden weather changes. Throwing on a cotton tee-shirt as your base layer is just not wise. At Fly Fishing Fix, we encourage smart decisions, so give this vital layer some thought and spend a little more to make sure changes in the weather don’t wreck your day.

Base Layer Recommendation:

For Women: Sitka Womens Core Midweight Crew (Long Sleeve)

For Men: Sitka Core Lightweight Crew (Long Sleeve)

4. Mid Layer Shirt

Dressing for a day in the outdoors should always involve layering. Although, to different degrees, that is as true for someone headed out on an hour-long hike as it is for a mountain climber. And, of course, it’s just as true for us anglers.

Even on a summer day, fly fishing usually starts out hot-coffee chilly, warms to a mid-day swelter, then cools as the afternoon clouds and storms roll through. Add that most anglers love to fish through dusk, and it’s easy to see why layering is a perfect way to adapt throughout the day.

This kind of situation is what I usually prepare for, so I always start with the base layer (top and bottom), then add a torso mid-layer or two before donning the outer layer we will discuss next.

For your mid-layers, it’s also a great idea to wear tops that have been impregnated with insect repelling attributes. Additionally, although it doesn’t always feel great when paired with a hooded sun shirt, a collared second or third layer offers a little neck shade with an added touch of style.

Mid-layer Shirt Recommendation:

For Women: Simms Ruby River Fishing Shirt

For Men: Simms Stone Cold Fishing Shirt

5. Hooded Sun Shirt

In my opinion, the best advertising for the hooded sun shirt was when pretty much every guide on the planet started to wear them. Bathed in the sun most of their waking hours, most guides are keenly aware of the problems associated with too much ultraviolet exposure and, therefore, buy and wear the best sun protection clothing ever made.

Hooded sun shirts are typically thin, light and breathable so, while wearing a hoodie in the hot sun sounds like a heat stroke waiting to happen, it’s usually quite the opposite. Throwing a wispy thin, well-designed hood over your noggin allows the breeze in while providing just enough shade to cool you. Add that some come with insect repellent qualities and, boom, the ideal fly fishing shirt becomes an essential part of your angling wardrobe.

Hooded Sun Shirt Recommendation:

For Women: Simms Women’s SolarFlex Hoody

For Men: Simms BugStopper SolarFlex Hoodie

6. Waders

Ok, we’ve entered Phase 2, which I’ll refer to as Waders And Beyond.

Sequence is important here, so, you should put on all of the items listed above before pulling on your waders. In other words, we’re at the pivot point when everything shifts from what to put on under your waders to what goes on afterward.

And since we strive not to leave out any important details, let me advise that this is also a good time to visit the loo. If you don’t have to, try anyway, because you certainly will at the very moment you finish putting on your last piece of gear. Thanks Murphy!

Given our warm weather scenario and that a good pair of modern breathable waders will perform well in nearly every fly fishing situation, I’m going to dispense with any discussion of neoprenes here, and just urge you to invest in a trustworthy set of well-designed, well-manufactured breathable waders. I own a pair of Simms G3 Stockingfoot Guide (chest) Waders and a pair of Simms G3 Stockingfoot Guide Pants. Both have served me well for many years. On the one occasion I needed a repair, the process was smooth and the turnaround time was reasonable.

I bought the chest waders before Simms had started to incorporate waterproof zipper technology, but love having that innovation on my guide pants. The next generation Simms G4Z chest waders do feature their awesome zipper technology, so that’s what I’ll be buying next time around. (Since my G3s have held up so well, I’m not sure when that’ll be.)

Even if you purchase a different brand, I highly recommend you fork over the extra bucks for top-of-the-line breathable waders. You won’t regret it. Dealing with the frustrating problems that come with “cheapos” is not worth the few extra bucks you’ll save. As we always say here at Fly Fishing Fix, “Buy it nice or buy it twice.”

7. Wading Boots

In my youth, we rarely fished in anything other than hip waders. I remember when my dad stepped us up to hip boots with felt soles. It was almost a right of passage; as if he’d bestowed upon us our first fly fishing diploma. I loved them and wore them until the felt was completely worn off.

Later, after fly fishing gear technology adopted the neoprene stockingfoot wader plus wading boot setup, I dialed up a pair of felt-soled Hodgeman wading boots. They were affordable, light, supportive and durable.

As manufacturers started to respond to the problem of invasive species, felt-soled waders fell out of favor, while rubber soles became the norm. I’ll spare you the felt v. rubber arguments for now but, suffice to say, wading boot technology has come a long way, and the myriad of wading boot manufacturers has exploded.

With an amazing array of options, your goal is to look for a boot that fits well, supports your foot and ankles, is comfortable, and provides excellent traction in both underwater and overland situations.

Technically, boot style is of less importance but, let’s face it, we all like to look cool too. The good news is that, since fly fishing gear manufacturers know this about us fly fishers, most modern wading boots are made with great attention to eye-catching style.

You should also put a lot of stock in how they lace up.

No, really!

Because I thought the technology was edgy and innovative, I tried the wire lacing system offered by several manufacturers, but, when it came time to make my next wading boot purchase, I went right back to the more traditional boot lacing systems. Although offering thoughtful convenience-enhancing features, wire lace system never gave me quite enough of a snug fit across the top of my foot.

If you go with a traditionally laced boot, make it a point to find ones that hold the shoelaces tight in place while lacing. This is a must if you like your boots to lace-up easy and stay snug throughout the day.

Lastly, for those of you who need a little extra arch and posture support, consider investing in a set of Simms Right Angle Wading Boot Inserts. Again, you’re welcome.

Recommended Wading Boots:

For Women: Simms Women’s Freestone Wading Boot

For Men: Orvis Pro Wading Boot (With Soles By Michelin)

8. Wading Belt

Well-designed waders typically come with a wading belt and built-in belt loops, but if you already own or have purchased a pair of waders that don’t, you would benefit from adding this important piece of fly fishing gear.

While providing an extra layer of personal flood protection should you happen to take an unplanned dip, a wading belt does a great Batman-style utility belt imitation when adorned with various fly fishing extras, such as a net holster, wading staff, or wading drink sleeve.

Bat-shaped wall-scaling grappling hook and ninja throwing stars sold separately.

9. Neck Gaiter

For a guy with skin cancer in his family lineage, the neck gaiter was a simple but rather welcome sunwear innovation that I jumped on as soon as they came out. Basically a cylindrical cloth wrap, neck gaiters come in several cool patterns and color combinations and can be worn in a variety of ways. The most common of which is, you guessed it, around one’s neck.

These inexpensive cloth sleeves are typically used to shield neck, face and ears from the sun, but also provide nice wind protection, a layer of warmth on a cold day and, when dipped in cold river water, sweet relief on a sweltering July afternoon.

I own several of the original Buff® brand neck gaiters, but Simms also makes great neck gaiters.

10. Vest, Pack or Lanyard

Second only to the rod/reel/line and initial fly setup, the most important component of a fly fisher’s complete ensemble is the vest, pack or lanyard. Since they all assume the essential role of carrying the angler’s tools and supplies, the choice of which one to wear is determined by fly fishing situation and angler preference.

Not what you’d call a minimalist, I am a confessed sufferer from FONH (fear of not having) Syndrome. So, I lean toward wearing my vest, even if I’m just opportunistically wetting a line for an hour or two.

As is the case many things on this list, fly fishing vests, packs and lanyards come in a wide variety of styles, configurations and prices. Especially with vests, fit and comfort matter just as much as functionality. Buy a vest that hasn’t been well-designed with all three in mind and you’re asking for, at the very least, frustration, chafing, a sore back and weary shoulders.

When it comes to lanyards, make sure you purchase one that has plenty of tool-connecting options but that also includes a way to anchor the lanyard to your shirt. Absent that key component, they’ll just swing loose and get in your way at critical times.

When purchasing a backpack, waist pack or sling pack, be sure the pack either features a net accommodating hook or pouch, or, in the particular case of a waist pack, be sure to add a net holster to your shopping cart.

Recommended Vest: Fishpond Gore Range Tech Pack

Recommended Pack: Simms Ambidextrous Fishing Sling Pack

Recommended Lanyard: Loon NeckVest Lanyard

11. Sunscreen

Despite all the attention to sun-protective clothing, we would be remiss not to include sunscreen in this Best Things To Wear Fly Fishing post.

You’d think people would place a higher premium on wearing good sunscreen, but we’ve seen too many wickedly sunburned faces, arms and, for you fashionistas who go shirtless under your waders, backs and shoulders, to have any confidence that this is true.

Lifelong sun damage issues aside, getting blistered by an unrelenting sun on day one of your epic fly fishing trip will make days two, three and four really sucky.

12. Polarized Sunglasses

If there’s one immutable truth about us fly fishers, we will do nearly everything in our power to stack the deck in our favor. This comes at the expense of our gilled quarry who, despite our apparently superior human intellect and array of firepower, still elude us with way too much regularity.

Enter polarized sunglasses, the inventor of which, should be canonized. Why wear a pair of regular shades when sliding on a polarized pair will give you the x-ray vision you always wanted when you were still reading comic books.

A good pair of polarized sunglasses will remove nearly all surface glare, allowing you to see, at a greatly enhanced level, what’s going on below the surface! This won’t necessarily assure you of anything other than being able to see further into the depths; fish will still find ways not to bite your flies.

When selecting sunglasses for fly fishing, avoid the ones on the rotating rack by the checkout counter at the Piggly Wiggly. Whether purchasing prescription sunglasses or considering a standard pair, you won’t be disappointed with the more expensive polarized sunglasses you’ll find at your trusty vision store, a good fly shop or on a reputable fly fishing website.

Recommended Sunglasses: Smith Highwater Polarized Sunglasses

13. Croakies®

Now that you have your special glare-eliminating sunglasses, it’s time to keep them from flying off your head when dodging badly casted, nose-seeking flies or the occasional swooping pterodactyl.

A pair of eyewear retainers — generic for Croakies® — are yet another essential thing to wear when fly fishing. Though they may appear about as stylish as a pair of water wings, it’s also not a bad idea to consider eyewear retainers that float.

Since every pair of sunglasses is different, we recommend purchasing these in-person from your local fly shop.

14. Hat

When it comes to fly fishing dome covers, I’ve always been a baseball cap kind of guy. With my notoriously sparse cover, if I ever went fishing without a hat, I’d wind up looking like a cherry Dum Dum lollipop. I’d feel pretty dumb dumb too. I guess what I’m trying to say is that, unless you’re blessed with an Elvis-style mane, you should never go fly fishing without a hat.

Obviously, hats come in a lot of different shapes, sizes, styles and colors. This seems particularly true in the fly fishing realm, wherein it is as common to see anglers wearing straw sun hats as it is to see them in Foreign Legion-style caps with back flaps. (Yes, attention to style tends to go out the window when you know you’re going to be bombarded with ultraviolet rays all day.)

To sum it up, when fly fishing, wear a dang hat.

15. Sun Gloves

If this post has you thinking that a great deal of fly fishing happens under the sun, you might want to put in your application to be the next Captain Obvious. Again, when I started to notice guides wearing fingerless and half-finger sun gloves, I grabbed my first pair with.. ahem… both hands.

Suffice to say, fly fishing is hard on the hands.

From lacing up boots with usually wet laces, to stringing and knotting rigs, casting, landing and releasing fish and performing seemingly millions of other wet and dry tasks throughout the day, my hands come in achy, parched and sunburned. Truth be known, I’d rather fish without sun gloves, but since I want to keep fly fishing as much as I want to keep from getting skin cancer, I usually sport a pair. I recommend you do likewise.

Here’s an added tip: purchase more than one pair of sun gloves and, for the sake of the sensitive nostrils of those around you, try not to wear the same unwashed pair more than a day or two in a row. Sweat, sunscreen, river water, fish slime, bug repellent, dirt and a crumpled up pair of damp sun gloves add up to a stench not unlike a teenage boy’s leather sneakers. Enough said?

Recommended Sun Gloves: Simms SolarFlex Guide Gloves

16. Rainwear

Item sixteen is more often a “bring” thing than a “wear” thing, but if you find yourself fly fishing on a river or lake when the rain rolls through (or settles in), you’re either going to get to fish on through it — lightning notwithstanding — or you’re probably going to get rained off the river.

Fly fishing-friendly rain gear, from a light waterproof windbreaker to a more serious hooded rain jacket, is essential to assuring a good angling experience. Sounding very much like the dad that I am, take my advice. Regardless of what the forecast says, bring good rain gear and put it on either before or as soon as it starts to rain, but always before you get soaked. Recovering from a rain and wind-induced chill just sucks, especially since it’s so easily avoided.

Shrouded in rain gear, fly fishing activities and tasks get a bit more cumbersome, however, you’ll still be fly fishing. What’s more, you’ll be right there and ready when the rain subsides, the sun comes out and the river explodes.

Recommended Rain Jacket:

For Women: Simms Women’s Waypoints Rain Jacket

For Men: Simms G4 Pro Wading Jacket

Wearing Down

I didn’t want to end this post about what to wear fly fishing without a brief (no pun intended) discussion about thinking ahead to that moment when you actually have to start “wadering-up” for the day ahead.

If the group you’re with happens to be of the same gender and, therefore, familiar with the typical rituals and sensitivities thereof, it’s probably going to be okay to get out of the truck and start taking things off and putting other things on, higgledy piggledy. On the other hand, this process can be, well, delicate in less familiar situations. In other words, if you’re modest about accidentally showing off some of what God gave ya, keep that in mind as you think about your put on and take off moments ahead.

For those of us who don’t care all that much anymore — read, old guy who doesn’t have much that’s all that great to look at anyway — our concerns are more about comfort, convenience and keeping gravel out of our socks and undies than we are about giving our compadres a glorious glimpse of our pasty day moon.

With that in mind, if you’re planning to wader-up (and down) riverside, I recommend deploying a good folding chair and a taco bag or small tarp to stand on while you do so.

So there you have it, our recommendations for the sixteen best things to wear fly fishing. Since you won’t be able to fly fish without it, go ahead and count wearing a huge smile as #17.

Tight Lines!

P.S. If you enjoyed this post, we hope you’ll sign up to receive Fly Fishing Fix in your inbox. It’s easy and quick and our only interest is to keep sending you informative and fun fly fishing content.

So, why wait? Join us today!