If you could only wear one hat when fishing, what would it be? May fishermen wear Baseball Style brimmed hats that feature their favorite shop, racecar, political statement, or camo. These brims tend to be sweaty, dirty, and full of personality.
Wide, full brim hats are also a good choice. The 360 degrees protection from the sun is certainly an solar protection advantage. Cowboy hats or large sombreros are a great choice, especially if the casters in your boat or area are lousy. When I was guide, my hat size reflected on the quality of my clients casting skills. No one wants a hook in the head or eyes.
Lefty Kreh always wore an oversized brimmed hat with a drape or curtain across the back. Like the Kepi’s of the French Foreign Legionnaires, the necks of the wearers are protected from the sun.
The color of your hat makes a difference. Many photographers swap brightly colored hats out with the sweaty hats the fishermen are wearing. These bright colored hats scare ever fish in the river but make for an attractive, if not an untrue, picture.
Camo hats are a good choice, but hat color should match the background behind and above you. Sky Blue, Forest Green or earth tones are good choices. Also, consider the weather. Snow, hail, rain, and bugs will all land on your hats.
Hats need to vent! Human heads sweat! You need some air moving to allow the “Cabeza to stay cool”. I always wondered if premature baldness may be influenced by stinky, closed in caps. I like a hat that on a hot day can be dumped in the river and put back atop my hot head. AAhhh! In the winter, you want the opposite.
One of my old buddies always wore a Yellow Hat. Hence, that was his nickname. If you are wearing a MAGA hat, you may have rocks thrown at you from passing tree huggers. Red is also too bright for stealthy fishing.
Old, nasty, sweaty hats are earned. It takes a lot of hours on the water to create that sweaty, gnarly, torn, smelly hat. This why so many fishermen rarely throw their fishing crowns away. There are a lot of great memories in those sweaty brims. If you are picking a guide, choose the one with the sweaty hat of experience.
Pick a hat that fits your style, personality, and head.
Montana Grant
For more Montana Grant, find him wearing a hat at www.montanagrantfishing.com.
