Best Rain Gear for Fishing – Ultimate Guide From A Fishing Expert

Every angler knows that the weather dictates a lot of what we can and cannot do throughout the day. While we are struggling to try and understand weather patterns, we have learned that there is little we can do to control it. Therefore, we must adapt and find the best rain gear for fishing to keep us cozy and dry while we are out there battling mother nature to harvest some nice fish.

Some say there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad equipment, and we all know what it feels like to be badly prepared for the conditions we face. A storm might suddenly blow in and what was once a nice day suddenly has you chilled to your core. Being wet makes life harder, and being cold and wet can make life damn near unbearable.

9 Best Rain Gear for Fishing - Comparisons

And while we cannot control the weather, we can take steps so it does not dictate weather or not we will have a productive day fishing. So I have complied a list of what I believe to be the best options for the wet weather angler. There are a lot of choices out there that all claim to be the best, but that is usually not the case. So let me guide you to dryer conditions, and show you what you need to put on to keep you prepared for whatever the weather throws at you.

I am going to show you options for different budgets, and also for different times of the year. If you want to be an all-season and year-round angler, you will need options for all types of rain, warm or cool. 

9 Best Rain Gear for Fishing - Reviews

An aptly named company for its ability to keep you comfortable in the weather like an amphibian, this all-sport rain suit from Frog Toggs is perfect. They are lightweight, comfortable, pack-able and breathable, and will keep you dry even in the hardest downpours. When the sky turns gray on you unexpectedly, reach in your bag and pull out instant dry weather for yourself. Stay out longer and dryer—it will keep you healthy and happy. When you are out fishing, you are there to have a good time, so add to your day and give yourself the benefit of being dry.

This rain suit is a cost-effective means to staying dry, but it does come with a drawback—it is not as durable as some other more costly options. The takeaway is that this rain suit is light and easy to bring with you no matter the time of year. Designed to fit over whatever you are wearing, this rain suit can be suitable for all seasons.

If you are a fly angler, then you know the benefits of fishing in bad weather—trout love it and you should, too. So get your hands on the Tek Toad Wading jacket by Frogg Toggs. Its large pockets are perfect for fitting in fly boxes and other essentials you need on the water and accessible at all times. The hood keeps your ears covered from the wind and rain, also keeping you warmer and better protected from the elements. The Neoprene cuffs will keep you sealed and dry even when you reach in the water for that big buttery brown trout for that fin and grin moment. Fishing those mountain streams in the spring and fall means some unpredictable weather, so being dry is essential. You already have waders, so keep your top half and head covered and protected as well.

Easy to maintain and more durable than the rain suit, and like all Frogg Toggs material, it will keep you dry and it is breathable. However, the material is still thin and will not be enough to keep you warm.

Keeping with the tradition of lighter rain gear, there is an old name that you can be sure to trust, and that is Helly Hansen. The Impertech Deluxe rain and fishing jacket has been designed with the angler in mind. Plenty of room to keep your arms free for casting, and still giving you plenty of comfort while, of course, also keeping you dry. They come in many assorted colors so you will be sure to find a design you enjoy. There are other competitors that charge a lot more and give you a lot less, but this jacket will last you well into the next decade and will serve you many years beyond that.

Not only will this jacket keep you dry, it is a bit thicker than the Frogg Toggs to provide more protection in cooler temperatures, yet it is still lightweight enough to use during warmer weather when those rains seem to last for days.

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Well, you cannot have a jacket and not include the pants. These shells will fit over what you are currently wearing and will keep you nice and dry. Helly Hansen has designed another excellent product and these work well in tandem with the jacket, creating a great boundary between you and the rain. Of course these pants are thin (just like the jacket), but wearing them over layers is the name of the game so you can use these all season long.

Durable and comfortable, these rain pants will keep you on your feet when the weather is telling you to go home and watch TV. Combine this with the complementary jacket and never let the rain ruin a good day of fishing. 

If bibs are more to your liking, Helly Hansen has you covered with the same quality you can trust from the Impertech line from them. It will fit over whatever you had on during the day and is great for the foulest of weather. From serving as a deck hand on a crab fishing boat to fishing a rainy fall day on a pier on the lake, you can be sure that you’ll stay dry with these bibs.

It is not hard to see why this brand does so well—people have been buying them for years, swearing by them, and keep returning after decades of use. 

You simply cannot talk about bibs and not mention Dutch Harbor, a trusted name for many years by deck hands from around the world. These bib overalls are guaranteed keep you dry when everything in the world is trying to make you wet. Good enough to keep seasoned crew on swordboats dry during the worst storm fronts. These overalls will fit loosely and leave plenty of room for you to layer underneath, and as they are just shells you are going to need that. They are durable and breathe pretty well, but most of all these are made to keep you pretty water tight. The weather is not your enemy when you are prepared, and Dutch Harbor has proven to be ready for it all.

Step up into the big leagues and go with the most trusted name in fisherman rain gear. Grudens produces the finest quality in rain gear for fishermen with foul weather in mind. These pants have been designed for conditions in Alaska, Maine, and anywhere in between, and they should be the last pair of bibs you’ll ever need to buy. Of course that comes at a cost, but you do get what you pay for. If you layer these properly, you will stay warm and dry no matter what the wind and rain is trying to tell you. If people are wearing this when ice-filled waves are crashing over the bow on a boat bobbing in the Baltic Sea, then you know you are going to stay warm and dry going out to check your crab pots on a wet October day.

If you can afford them, do yourself a favor and get these pants. There is really nothing bad to say about them, and if you plan on fishing in bad weather, you might want to consider also getting a jacket to match. 

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I have already shown you 8 items that will keep you dry, and with proper layering they will also keep you warm. However, I want to show you an option that will offer both, while still giving you plenty of comfort and freedom of movement. This Stormr Strykr bib will keep you dry when the weather turns south AND it will also keep you warm. With the angler in mind that may be out there facing cold and wet conditions, these overalls will not only take care of both, they also offer lots of room to carry what you need on the water.

The style may not be to everyone's liking, looking a tad more modern than my tastes. 

Seriously, don't even consider getting the bib without this jacket or vice versa. If you get one, get the other. Both come from Stormr and are superior in their design and quality. They will keep you out there fishing when everyone turns trail and heads home. Stand and fight out the weather and slay those fish that only come out and play when the most timid have gone home. This jacket has plenty of freedom of movement that makes casting a breeze, and will keep air moving so you don't get too hot.

With these bib overalls, you will stay nice and warm thanks to the solid layer that really does strike the storm away from you. Do yourself a favor and spend the money on these as a set if you are going to spend a lot of time out in bad weather. 

Final thoughts

Going out and finding the best rain gear for fishing, Right clothing for the right weather is paramount to a good day out on the water fishing. Stay dry with these options and layer properly to stay warm. You need to take care of yourself and your body, so do so by keeping yourself protected from the elements. You know you want to fish no matter what, and with more people going home when the weather is bad, you will have more freedom. 

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