AUSSIE ANGLER GLOVES
Philip Weigall warms to a new pair of fishing gloves.

I’ve never really found a pair of fishing gloves I’m happy with. The trade-off has always been between warmth and dexterity—palms and fingers thickly clad but clumsy; or finer material that eventually fails to keep the cold out. But following an early season week in snow and ice-stricken Tasmania, I can report that the new Aussie Angler fishing gloves go a long way towards striking the near impossible balance.

Created from a very cosy and water resistant blend of 300 weight Maldon Mill and Polafleece, these gloves wrap
the wrist entirely, then cover the back of the hand as far as the knuckles, and the bottom of the hand as far as the base of the palm.

The assumption is that if the surface veins in these areas can be snugly covered, then the rest of the hand will stay warm, even if exposed.

At first, it seemed this assumption was optimistic. Surely the ‘price’ for the freedom of movement offered by the Aussie Angler gloves, would ultimately be frozen extremities? But remarkably, no. Most of the time, my hands have stayed warm even in conditions that would have tested my previous favourites—a pair of fingerless woollen gloves. This efficiency can only be partly explained by the vein heat-loss theory.

I wonder if another advantage of the Aussie Angler design, is that line moisture only comes in contact with skin, which can dry relatively quickly. This avoids a common problem with conventional gloves, where fabric on fingers and palms absorbs this moisture, and slowly becomes water-logged. Similarly, a little bonus of the Aussie Angler product is being able to handle fish without sliming up the gloves.
These gloves are not the complete answer. When fishing in a combination of wind and sub-zero temperatures, they were no longer able to keep the chill at bay. Maybe thick neoprene gloves would have worked (cumbersome as they are), or maybe there is a point when you should stop fishing!

Either way, at around $30 a pair, Aussie Angler fishing gloves represent a very good investment for fly fishing in all but the most extreme conditions.

Retail or trade enquiries: Aussie Angler 03 9432 1501.