If the glove fits... you must fish!
 

Total Score: 8.08

Introduction: "Life is too short to stay inside on cold, wet or snowy days." states Glacier Gloves, the manufacturer of a extensive line of Neoprene gloves. The self proclaimed leader of Neoprene gloves designs and produces gloves that are made to keep hands warm and maintain dexterity in a wide range of conditions. I recently put a pair of Glacier's Polartec 200 Fingerless gloves through the paces on a bass fishing trip.
 

Impressions: The first question is why use a glove when fishing? The answer...to simply fish longer! We have all been in situations where the desire to fish is great but the elements truly test our willpower with cold, wet, or windy conditions that wreak havoc on our hands and ultimately our ability to handle a fishing rod. I remember when I was young and used to fish from a local pier. On very cold days I would wear my ski gloves and fish, but this just isn't possible these days when finesse fishing is hindered with cumbersome padded gloves.

When picking a pair of gloves out it is important to take the application into consideration. Glacier Gloves makes a glove for almost every sporting occasion from ice climbing, paddling, to hunting and fishing. Fishing gloves come in many shapes and sizes but the three most popular configurations are: 
 

1. Flip Mitt Glove: The entire top of the glove can fold back exposing all 5 fingers
 

2. Fingerless: The glove only covers the palm to knuckle
 

3. Slit Finger: The glove covers all fingers but both thumb and index finger can be peeled back

All three of these gloves are much better on a cold day than suffering and keeping your hands tucked away in jacket pockets. The Flip Mitt and Slit styles are definitely warmer and boast the ability to be near 100% waterproof thanks to Neoprene technology. The Fingerless glove while not as warm is the lightest and for mild to medium conditions offers the most finger freedom.
 

Tests: The day that JIP and I went fishing started nice but quickly turned sour as low hanging clouds and a strong wind rolled in. With the Kenai gloves I was able to keep fishing with a much greater level of comfort. The fleece and neoprene combination provide excellent palm warmth and good waterproofing. I found the fingerless design to be very favorable since I could just as easily grab the line to cast with my spinning gear as I could feather the line on my casting spool.
 

The velcro strap holds the Kenai Polartec firmly on my hand and the Neoprene palm enabled me to handle fish and simply wash the slime right off. Because I didn't have to peel back any flaps or fingers I was able to instantly cast, tie on lures, and grab fish without a second thought.
 

While the Kenai Polartec did do a very good job of keeping my palms warm and still enabling me to fish with freedom it did expose my fingers to the cold...and after a few hours I still had to succumb to the weather and put my hands in my pockets every fifteen minutes to warm up.

Ratings:

Pluses and Minuses:

Conclusion: Glacier Glove makes a good product and I make sure to bring the Polartec on all fishing trips just to make sure that my hands are warm and I can get more fishing time. The Polartec 200 fingerless glove is well designed, and the biggest benefit is the fact it doesn't hinder your fishing at all. The only downside is that in extreme conditions you will need more protection. In anticipation of these situations I advise you check out Glacier's other offerings, as they do a good job of covering all the bases with their large product line.

Until next time....Tight Lines!