Clothes make the man. But do clothes  make the fly fisherman?

True: fishing is more about reading the water, making the right cast, and matching the hatch. But you can’t do any of this unless you’re dressed for the occasion. (And in most locales, it is probably frowned upon to fish if you’re not dressed.)

While you might not put a lot of thought into your angling attire, there is a very good chance that you could be placed into one of a number of well-defined boxes when it comes to your look. What you wear has very little bearing on what you catch. But that hasn’t stopped many, many people from confidently asserting otherwise.

For the past few generations, four main categories of fly fishing dress have emerged:

The Catalog Model

With a little bit of initiative, and a flexible budget, you can walk around completely covered in fly fishing clothing. I don’t mean that you’re wearing waders out to dinner. I mean that you can have Simms, Orvis, and Patagonia touching every part of you. Shirts and slacks, socks and undies: each piece will have some tiny trout logo embroidered somewhere. Very few people will know the effort and the resources that you’ve poured into your wardrobe. But you’ll know. And when you do eventually get out on the water, the fish will probably notice.

The Performance Athlete

If it isn’t wicking, quick dry, SPF 50, and lightweight: you don’t want it. There are zip-off pant legs, sun hoods, and thumb holes in everything. Meticulous attention has been paid to the placement of drainage holes, mesh panels, and vent flaps. Nothing is cotton. You might not exert yourself too much on the stream (park next to the water, wade in, make a couple casts, move a few dozen yards in one direction or another). But if you did? Or if you have to mow the lawn?  You’ll be swaddled in an antimicrobial cocoon.

The Throwback

Fly fishing is a dignified pursuit. Thus, the attire should reflect a similar aesthetic. Anyone who has seen vintage angling art knows that one wears a collar, a jacket, and a fancy hat while fishing. Think “country club goes country.”  If you wanted to wear a t-shirt and jeans you’d fish for bass with rubber worms. These are trout: the gentlemen of the aquatic world. Tweed would not be inappropriate.

The Trout Bum

You don’t care about clothes. You couldn’t care less about what is trendy or fashionable. You’re your own man. All that matters to you is that next cast. Your clothes reflect this singular passion and all-consuming drive to tie into more and more fish. So you wear plaid flannels, trucker caps, and puffer vests. Like everyone else.