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boonie hat fly fishing stuff fly fishing's ultimate hat military boonie hat outdoor wear
Added Date:
Wednesday, 16 Jun, 2010
Summary
As someone who had his first bout with skin cancer at the age of 18, I'm uniquely qualified to write about the necessity of sun protection. Which largely begins with a hat. Over the years, I've mucked around with a lot of different warm-weather hats (including a brief flirtation with a French Foreign Legion desert hat that guaranteed a bare minimum of interaction with the opposite sex), and I've come to some surprising conclusions about the state of fly fishing headgear. Which is that it basically sucks.
Content
As someone who had his first bout with skin cancer at the age of 18, I'm uniquely qualified to write about the necessity of sun protection. Which largely begins with a hat. Over the years, I've mucked around with a lot of different warm-weather hats (including a brief flirtation with a French Foreign Legion desert hat that guaranteed a bare minimum of interaction with the opposite sex), and I've come to some surprising conclusions about the state of fly fishing headgear. Which is that it basically sucks.
First: Baseball Hats Are For Losers
I'll be blunt. The Ultimate Fly Fishing Hat is not a baseball hat. In the solar radiation department, baseball hats qualify only as Poseur Headwear - a pathetic attempt at man-portable shade that leaves fully 3/4 of your head, neck and shoulders vulnerable to the sun. Their only saving grace is their stickiness in the wind and - for those reluctant to experience the outdoors without advertising somebody's product - they feature logos. Frankly, when Sage is willing to pay my dermatology bills, I'll consider a Sage baseball hat. Otherwise, I'm sticking with the sun hat that offers the best possible combination of protection, cost and function - and advising the Undergrounders to throw off the inadequate sun protection of their baseball hat oppressors.
And The Winner Is...
So which hat delivers real protection, but doesn't require delicate treatment - or bring tears to your eyes if lost? What is fly fishing's Ultimate Warm-Weather Hat? Ladies, gentlemen and Undergrounders, we give you: I can almost hear the puzzled looks. The Boonie? The floppy-brimmed hot weather hat of the US military? Yep. Here's why.
It's the Right Size & Shape
At the Underground, we're all about sun protection, and the Boonie offers the perfect brim - not so big that you're constantly whacking it against something (or threatening to enter Sombrero territory, with all its attendant fashion risks), but more coverage than a bucket hat. Since the military realizes it's bad form to be seen when someone's trying to shoot you, Boonie hats also offer a low visual profile. That's good on the detection front, but also means your $10 investment is less likely to disappear into the teeth of a strong wind (most Boonies come with a chinstrap in case things really blow up). And frankly, they're comfortable. Mine are 100% cotton, and once they're on, I forget they exist. They're also washable, and - despite being cotton - dry surprisingly quickly. In other words, there's a good reason the US armed forces have kept Boonie hats around since Vietnam; the damned things work. Of course, modern, high-tech versions of the Boonie are available at pretty much any outdoor store, but frankly, they just aren't the same. They're expensive and made from synthetics, and I don't like the feel or the cost. Since the "real" thing lasts forever and costs 1/4 to 1/6 the modern variants, I'm going with the original.
It's Portable
There's nothing worse than a fishing hat that demands babying; if you can't wad it up and jam it in your vest, it's not a fishing hat, it's a pain in the ass. And yes, personal experience tells me you can wad up a Boonie hat and stuff it in your vest, and even forget it for a couple weeks (try that with a straw hat or Stetson). Drive over it? Stuff it in a suitcase for that trip to the Bahamas? Wad it up and throw it at that charging Grizzly? When you're done, pick up the hat, dust it off, and you're back in the solar protection business. In the larger sense, the phrase "cheap, effective and rugged" has largely disappeared from the modern lexicon, so when I see something that fills that yawning void, I buy it.
Priced So Even an Undergrounder Can Afford One (or Several)
You can find Propper Boonie hats for as little as $10 each - far less than you'd pay for those pathetic, "I want skin cancer" baseball hats that litter fly fishing's landscape. If you're cheap (and we are), you're already a winner. If you're less cheap but still forgetful, you can buy several Boonie hats, stashing them as insurance against those little bouts of CRS (Can't Remember Shit) that increasingly plague us as we age. For example, for the price of one Simms wide-brim hat (embarrassingly named the Solar Sombrero), you could buy four rugged boonies, sticking one in your fishmobile, one in the back pocket of your best, one in your gear bag... You get the picture. As Josef Stalin noted, quantity has a quality all its own, and that's as true for sun hats as it is for T-34 tanks.
Camo? Did You Say Camo?
Sure, khaki tan and olive drab hats will suit the majority of us, but for the real small-stream Rambos, Boonies come in a dozen different camo patterns, including the digital multicam now favored by the US Army. Woodland Camo? Urban Camo (actually a good winter pattern)? Bright Orange (or Purple or Pink) Camo? Solid navy blue? Black? Vintage tigerstripe camo? For $10-$14, any of the above can be yours.
The Bad News
We're not blind. We realize the US Military style Boonie hat doesn't actually flatter most people. In fact, it only really looks good atop the chiseled features of highly trained Delta Force Commandos, and that's because they're carrying powerful automatic weapons and chunks of high explosive. (No, you tell them they look stupid.) Still, once you've broken one in - faded it, dirtied it, added a few hard-won sweat stains - style considerations fade, and in fact, things start looking a lot better. And don't overlook the Potentially Violent Crazy Fisherman effect. To another fisherman - contemplating crowding you off the only rising trout on the whole river - a faded Boonie hat suggests ownership of a sniper rifle and a certain familiarity with shallow graves. Problem solved - thanks to your Underground-recommended sun hat. (Don't forget us when the holidays roll around.)
The Details
My first Hard Earned Lesson? You gotta buy your Boonies to fit - they aren't adjustable. Buy one size bigger than you measure. My head measured out exactly to a size 7 1/4 (a medium), but the 7 1/2 (large) fits a lot better in the long run (you'll find a sizing chart here). Not only are Boonie hats available in multiple colors and camo patterns, but they're also made by a lot of different manufacturers and in slightly different styles. Mine are 100% ripstop cotton, but many on the market are 60/40 nylon/cotton. I honestly can't tell you if one performs better than another, though as I get older, I've developed a real appreciation for cotton in non-rainy environments. (You can buy supposedly waterproof Boonie hats here.) Most Boonie hats come with an adjustable chinstrap, screened side vents and even a sewn-on web loop (supposedly you can stuff branches in the loops for camo purposes, though that seems a little extreme for most fly fishing scenarios). Naturally, an online search for "Boonie hat" produces thousands of entries. I bought several from The Command Post (disclosure: no financial interest whatsoever) and was happy with the service. If anyone has any other bargain hat hunting tips, feel free to add them to the comments. In the meantime, we recommend getting the hell out of the sun, and one of the best first steps in the solar radiation prevention department might just be a Boonie Hat - the Official Warm Weather Hat of The Trout Underground.
But Wait, There's More
Coming down the pike is another odd Underground post about other useful military-surplus gear - our Salute To Good Cheap Stuff That Typically Comes In Olive Drab. Like this post, it's largely guaranteed not to bring tears of joy to the eyes of high-end outdoor headwear manufacturers, but frankly, that's just a bonus. In the meantime, feel free to thank me profusely for my informational largess. At the Underground, we're a lot like BP; we care about the small people. See you in the shade, Tom Chandler.
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This is a small town with a big heart, a veritable fisherman’s paradise. Located near the fish-filled Madison River, and surrounded by the waters of Ennis Lake, the Ruby River, Hebgen ... moreLake, Quake Lake, Henry’s Lake, the Big Hole River and scores of smaller streams, the town boasts what many consider the best trout fishing in the world. As well known for its wranglers as its anglers, Ennis has succeeded in maintaining the look and feel of its original, gold town roots. Warm and hospitable, the area offers a wide variety of accommodations ranging from simple campsites, rustic motels and gracious hotels, to full-service, luxury resorts. Fly shops are numerous, stocked by local experts ready to advise and assist, while guides can be booked for trips throughout the area.
Boredom is the only thing unavailable in Ennis. Throughout the summer season the city hosts a series of events, including its renowned 4th of July Celebration Parade and a genuine, old-fashioned rodeo. In August, fly-fishing luminaries from around the US, flock to Montana to compete in the Madison Fly Fishing Festival. Athletes also find their way to Ennis to compete in the city’s Madison Trifecta, two shorter races followed by a full Marathon at 9000 feet, the highest elevation run in America. For the true sportsman, October falls in with the annual Hunter’s Feed. What’s caught, typically elk, moose deer, pheasant and bobcat, gets cooked on the streets and served up to hungry spectators.
Flanked by three grand mountain ranges, The Tobacco Root, Gravelly and Madison, Ennis is scenic and entertaining – truly an authentic, fly fisher’s haven.
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Maclean’s famous story, A River Runs Through It, is set on the now famous Blackfoot River. Despite this, Robert Redford’s 1992 movie version was largely filmed on the Gallatin as he ... morefelt the scenery and fishing were more cinematic. The river originates high in the mountains of the Gallatin Range inside Yellowstone National Park and flows for 115 miles until it intersects with the beginning of the Missouri River at Three Forks. Inside the Park, where it runs for more than 25 miles, floating is not allowed and there are restrictions on fishing. Once it exits the park, it crosses a forty-mile expanse of mostly public lands, and runs parallel to a highway that makes it quite accessible. Because the river is narrow for much of its run, float fishing is restricted from Yellowstone Park to the confluence with the East Gallatin River. No wonder this river has a great reputation for wade fishing!
Unimpeded by dams, the river provides consistent, easily waded flows from mid-summer through mid-spring. Rainbows predominate with an estimated 1400, 8+ inch, fish per mile from the West Fork confluence at Big Sky to the mouth of the canyon. Browns are abundant accompanied by occasional cutthroats, brook trout, white fish and graylings. New to the lower most band of the river are northern pike. Never known for trophy trout, the river offers excellent dry fly fishing and beautiful surroundings. Since the fish are recognized as indiscriminate eaters, the Gallatin has come to be known as an excellent river for those learning to fly fish.
Like much of Montana, the River played a significant role in the state’s history. First explored by Native American hunters, by the early 1900’s, the area eventually became known to fur-trappers and gold prospectors. By the turn of the twentieth century logging rose in importance to the local economy as loggers famously rode the logs down river to prevent them from jamming. The towns of Bozeman and Three Forks are most closely associated with the River although given the importance of Maclean’s legacy, Livingston should also be considered as part of its history and heritage.
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The Jefferson River is an important part of a system of rivers that combine to form the majestic Missouri. Starting at the confluence of the Big Hole and Beaverhead rivers near Twin ... moreBridges, Montana, it winds 77 miles in a northeasterly fashion to Three Forks. Here, it meets with the Madison and Gallatin rivers that together converge into the Missouri River at the Missouri Headwaters State Park. Like so many other rivers in Montana, the Jefferson, named by Clark in honor of the U.S. President, runs deep with history. In fact, the Jefferson River is a segment of the larger Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, administered by our National Park Service.
When thinking about the Jefferson, a Class 1 river for recreational enjoyment, most observers view the river in three distinct sections. Characterized by slow, meandering flows, the upper third works its way through a broad, arid valley. Along this braided, 44 mile long floodplain, you will encounter working farms, dense cottonwood stands, flowered meadows and a variety of wildlife until you reach the town of Cardwell. Throughout the next 15 miles, its waters flow through a narrow, steep canyon where the water can be deep, slow and contained. As a result, the stretch from Cardwell to the Sappington Bridge has comparatively fewer trees, swamps, meadows and wildlife.
At Sappington Bridge the river once again becomes a circuitous, rambling river, rich in swamp life, colorful fields, large cottonwood groves and productive agricultural land. The presence of significant agriculture has resulted in competition for water use. During dry years, the river was tapped generously for irrigation, dropping water levels to the point where fish populations were adversely affected. Recent improvement in riparian management has tended to alleviate these issues. Primarily known as a brown trout river, rainbows, mountain whitefish, burbot and northern pike can also be found here. Less well known and less discovered, the Jefferson offers the opportunity to catch large fish in a scenic, un-crowded environment.
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The Madison River is arguably one of the best trout fishing rivers in all of southwest Montana, if not the entire world! It’s certainly the most talked over, written up and frequented ... morein the state of Montana – which is considered by some the capital of fly fishing. Anglers will find plenty of great access sites to wade or float along the Madison’s banks and reservoirs (including Hebgen Lake and Ennis Lake). Rainbows, browns, cutthroats, and more abound in this majestic fishing stream.
The Madison begins its course almost twenty miles into Yellowstone National Park. Within the Park, fishing rules apply: no live bait and catch and release only. Once outside the Park the river meanders past working ranches, stately conifer forests and cottonwood lined banks, interrupted by riffles and quiet runs that contain large rainbow and trophy brown trout. Flowing alongside Yellowstone’s West entrance road, the river enters Hebgen Lake, created by Hebgen dam, until it reaches Quake Lake, a bit downstream from the dam. At this point the river is commonly called either the Upper Madison or the Lower Madison, although in fact, they are one and the same.
Upper Madison – Quake Lake to Ennis Lake
Directly below Quake Lake the river roars into 5 long miles of Class V whitewater with steep gradients and large boulders along the way. As the rapids decline, the magic begins. For the next 53 miles, often referred to as the 50 Mile Riffle, the cold river runs north and the fish jump high. Annual runs of spawning trout make their way from Hebgen Lake, rainbows in the spring and browns in the fall. Known the world over for its “hard fighting” trout, it’s not unusual to pull a 25” brown from these upper waters. In deference to the purists and fly-fishing enthusiasts, it’s wading only from Quake Lake to Lyons Bridge. Boats may be used to access the river, but if you’re going to fish, your feet must be on the riverbed. Fortunately, the Hebgen Dam releases water throughout the year, leveling its flows and relieving it of spring runoff issues and summer shrinkage.
Lower Madison – Ennis Lakes to Three Forks
A short section of the river between Ennis Dam and the power station maintains relatively low water levels and provides wonderful opportunities for wading. Past the power station the river regains its muscle and for 7 miles winds through Bear Trap Canyon. Hiking trails offer the only entry, great for those that like to walk and seek the solitude of a designated wilderness area. Floating is permitted but requires a lengthy shuttle and the ability to work through Class III-IV whitewater. Once out of the canyon the river flows in shallow riffles until it reaches Three Forks and joins the Missouri. From Warm Springs to Greycliff, the river is easily accessible for drifters and wading.
Our 2 day and 3 night fly fishing packages include comfortable accommodations at our Alder, Montana fishing lodge, three home-cooked meals each day, and all ranch activities. They ... morealso include private access to the Ruby River with a guide and your choice of a day on the Madison River or the Beaverhead river. Guided day fishing trips include a Montana fly fishing guide, lunch, and refreshments.
On occasion, water levels may require that we alter the rivers fished. To maintain a high level of personal service, we limit our guests to 10 per week. Please contact our Montana fly fishing guides if you need a custom package or wish to arrange special rates for your fly shop or club.
Notes
Montana accommodation tax is not included.
Fishing licenses are not included.
Children are welcome.
Days: On Mon, Jul 16 2018 - Mon, Jul 23 2018
The Wind River Mountains have the largest Golden Trout in the world. Catching golden trout is the pinacle in wild trout fishing, and for good reason. Pound for pound they fight better ... morethan any other trout. Secondly, they are the most beautiful trout imaginable. Pictures don’t do them justice. Lastly, they only reside in very remote high mountain pristine lakes. We’ll help you get this elusive fish checked off your bucket list.
TFC is the exclusive guide service for Chamley Outfitting LLC, the finest outfitter in Wyoming. Chamley Outtfitting LLC., has the greatest stock which have been trained to navigate the very rough terrain of the Windy’s. Each animal has been riden by their staff for 2 years or more before a guest ever will. They ensure each animal is very well behaved.
Trips are flexible and we now booking for 2016. Trips are all inclusive except Wyoming license. We eat well, and this trip is a trip of a lifetime!
All food/tents/gear/supplies etc., are packed in by horse. Base camp is a 4-5 hour ride located right between 2 beautiful lakes full of trout! A camp cook prepares all the food for a trip you will never forget!
Experience the Madison River Like Never Before
Learn the best spots on the Madison River with 3 great fishing days with Red Mountain Adventures. Eric Shores, with over 35 years of ... moreexperiencing guiding on the Madison River will take you down a journey of the best places to fish.
The journey starts on the Upper Madison River on a guided float trip covering about 8-11 miles of premier fly fishing water. The following day includes a recipe (location flies, and technique) on a do it yourself wade location near the fly fishing town of Ennis. The third day moves you on to where the Madison River dumps into Ennis Lake for a full float day stalking the giants.
Note: The order or location may change based on where the best spots are at the time.
Welcome to Zach Neville Outfitters. With over 10 years experience, we are one of Bozeman, Montana's premiere fly fishing guide services. We offer float and walk/wade fly fishing trips ... moreon southwest Montana's finest trout waters. Here in Bozeman we are centrally located among The Yellowstone, Madison, Gallatin, Missouri and Bighorn rivers. In addition to this, we have access to some of the best private water in the region. At Zach Neville Outfitters it is our mission to provide you with a fun, safe and educational day on the water regardless of your background or level of experience.
Trouts N' at Outfitters is based in southwest Montana. They offer trips on the Madison, Big Hole, Jeferson, Missouri, Ruby and Yellowstone rivers.
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