Dressing for Winter Red Fish Fishing
Winter is one of my favorite times to fly fish and light tackle fish in Beaufort, SC. Don’t let “winter” scare you! The majority of our winter consists of mild days with night lows in the 40s and day highs in the upper 50’s and 60’s. Even better our red fish (red drum) school up in large schools that make for excellent shallow water sight fishing throughout the winter. With a little planning you can dress for success and enjoy some great fishing all winter.
My two best recommendations are to plan for temperatures 10 degrees colder than predicted and layer your clothing! Planning for 10 degree lower than predicted helps deal with wind chill created from running the boat. Layering lets you add and remove layers to stay comfortable throughout the wide range of temperatures you’ll experience on a boat. To give you an idea of what an effective layering system looks like I’ll outline the system that has been working for me. We are all different so don’t feel like you need to copy my system piece for piece.
Outer Shell - A wind blocking, waterproof shell is essential for keeping the heat in and everything else out. This layer typically stays on throughout a cold day. I also keep this layer on the boat with me year round. I really like the Simms CX line for my jacket and bibs.
Bibs - If you fish a lot in all sorts of conditions and don’t have bibs to go with a hard shell jacket, you are missing out on a substantial level of comfort. Most days I just wear regular pants under the bibs but you can add more bottom layers as needed.
Hats - I bring a beanie and a regular hat with me. Most days start with the beanie and switch to the brimmed hat when the sun gets bright.
Neck Gator - A medium thickness wool neck gator is awesome for coving your face when the boat is moving and for keeping heat trapped in your coat.
Base Layer (upper body) - On most days I wear a regular sun shirt as a base layer but extra cold days may call for an actual base layer type material.
Fleece (extra cold days) - A fleece is a great way to add some serious warmth in your layers.
Puffy Vest - Vests are underrated. They offer warmth where you need it most without limiting your arm’s range of motion.
Puffy Coat - We all know they are awesome.
Gloves - Warm gloves are tough to fish with. I usually go without gloves and warm my hands in my pockets. If its extra cold I keep warm, wind proof mittens inside my bibs and use them when the boat is moving.
Base Layer (lower body) - I typically just wear regular quick drying fishing pants.
Puffy Pants (extra cold days) - Puffy pants, like a puffy coat, offer exceptional warmth. Many brands make puffy pants that zip on and off like a track suit for convenient removal when it gets warm.
Wool Socks - I’ll wear various thicknesses depending on the day. If your feet sweat a lot or you're afraid of getting your feet wet throw another pair of socks in your bag.
Deck Boots - Rubber deck boots are the best thing I have found for solid deck traction, and warmth with a snag free surface that doesn’t catch your fly line.
Hand Warmers - Hand warming packets are nice to have in you pockets but be sure to get them fired up well before the trip starts.
Hopefully this information is the encouragement you need to kick cabin fever and enjoy some fishing this winter!