BE COOL
Fly fishing can turn heads—just make sure it’s in a good way
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AESTHETICS
According to fashion experts, dressing cool means looking put-together without seeming like you’ve tried too hard. You don’t need expensive clothes, but a cohesive vibe is good. In fly-fishing terms, that means a tweed jacket just does not belong with a trucker hat.
Consider your style. Are you a Tweedy Troutster wearing a flat cap and earth-tone sweater? Maybe you’re an Orvis Dad with a fleece vest, zip-off pants and cotton ballcap, or a Glamour Caster, immaculately coiffed with labels strategically visible and ready for the perfect Instagram shot. I’m a failed Orvis Dad who now primarily identifies (especially in summer) as a Weedline Wrangler, wearing faded, untucked shirts and looking a little too country for respectable fly fishing, but perfectly geared up for chucking flies into the cabbage for bass and pike.
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Then there’s the hat. It’s essential and practical, but also a stylistic anchor, much as shoes are to women’s fashion. A few guidelines: No one older than 30 can pull off a flat-brim ball cap; fedoras best suit mature anglers; and Stetsons belong in the West (unless you’re in the West in your mind, in which case go for it). Finally, your tackle doesn’t need to be fancy, but make sure it’s set up correctly and in working order.