Simms Solar Flex Guide Cooling Hoody

The summer of 2022 is another hot one, whether you are hitting an icy cold tailwater on a 90-degree day, stalking bonefish on a tropical flat, or hunting smallmouths on a humid afternoon. Catching fish might be the easy part, but staying cool and safe from the sun will require some strategy. The new Simms Solarflex Guide Cooling Hoody ($120, simmsfishing.com) has two things going for it—thoughtful design from product designers who are also hardcore fly fishers, and a new technical fabric that hasn’t been seen in the fly-fishing world. The Brrr Triple Chill Effect nylon has three ways to cool you off: cooling minerals adhered to the fibers, rapid wicking to draw moisture away from your skin, and rapid drying. Evaporation has a well-known cooling effect, and the faster it happens, the cooler you feel. The fabric has just the right amount of stretch to keep you comfortable and mobile for casting, and gives UPF50 protection.

Simms has done a hoody with an integrated gaiter previously, but here’s how this one is different (and better): The Solarflex Guide Cooling Hoody has snaps on the gaiter so you can securely fasten the hood to the gaiter. The result? The hood doesn’t blow off when you are running 30 MPH in a flats skiff. The neck gaiter also has a strap over the back that you can use like a stirrup over the top of your noggin to keep your hat secure to your head, and to keep the gaiter pulled up over your nose, mouth, neck, and ears where it belongs.

The sleeves are also cut much longer so they reach to your knuckles, with functional thumbholes that give you the maximum com- bination of protection and dexterity. If you like to travel light, there is a large zippered pocket in the back of the hoody where you can store a fly box and a few spools of tippet material.

$120 | simmsfishing.com