Long days on the water are a lot more manageable when you’re comfortable. I used to never worry about the sun, but after 50 years on this rock, I’ve been a little more concerned about protection. So if you see me on the water I’m often on the water in long pants and a fishing hoodie. I do wear shorts, but almost always a sun hoodie of some sort. So when Free Fly asked me to review their Free Fly Elevate Hoodie, I was intrigued to get it in and see what the hype was about it. I’ve had several people ask me about it, so it’s worth reviewing those items that people are already interested in but not sure if it’s worth the investment.
ELEVATE HOODIE STARTS WITH MATERIALS
From the first time I put it on, I was very impressed with how well made the hoodie is. The Elevate Hoodie is made of a very fine material that is super soft but feels very solidly made. The material is smooth and feels different than any fishing hoodie I’ve ever worn. It’s hard to describe because it’s not your standard polyester sun shirt. This thing takes your sweat and sort of evaporates it off of you. Like this summer, on those 100 degree days, the sweat would collect on my chest. Then I’d make a run and stand up and the shirt would be dry. Impressive stuff for sure.
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HAND PROTECTION AND SLEEVE OPTIONS
The Elevate Hoodie sleeves have this elongated flap that can cover your hand and you can loop it over a finger or thumb to keep the back of your hand out of the sun while you fish. Or if you prefer, you can tuck it under and have a normal cuff on your hoodie. I really like the hand cover. A lot of guys like to loop it over their middle finger, but I got in the habit of putting it over my. thumb. Kept my fingers free while still covering half of the back of my hand. With it on your middle finger it will cover the whole back of your hand. But I will admit I got a hook in the loop while tying a knot on a lure. That’s why I switched to my thumb. So just be mindful of that loop and it will be fine on your finger.
ELEVATE HOODIE CROSS FIT
The hood itself has an overlapped, crossover design that seems to hold the hood on your head well for not having any drawstrings. I found I could pull the hood up and then pull it back just a bit and cover my chin and sides of my face too. In conjuction with your hat you can keep your face shaded and covered while you fish. I am not a sunscreen guy. So I try to cover naturally with shade and shirts. The hood is nice on this shirt.
MOISTURE WICKING AND SCENT BLOCKING
I really was impressed with how well this shirt would dry itself. And how well it held up against long, hot, smelly days on the water. My wife wasn’t nearly as offended when I came in from fishing so that must say something. Ha!
The hoodie is so nice you can wear it out with a pair of sun pants or dress shorts, and still look very presentable. The cuts on these shirts offer a lot of angler options, but they are modern cut with nice hems so they sit well on you and look great regardless of what you wear with them. It’s as well made of a fishing shirt I’ve ever worn. So I was very impressed by my first experience with Free Fly. This is sophisticated clothing for serious anglers who live the lifestyle. It’s quickly become one of my main fishing shirts along with their Bamboo Hoodie and I also wear them with the Free Fly Tradewind Pants.
Their line-up of high-end angling clothing is definitely worth the money with improved quality materials and construction and the functional nature of their clothing. You can find these and several other options at FreeFlyApparel.com as well as Amazon.com.
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