They say that a bad day of fishing beats a great day at work and nothing could be truer. Fishing is a wonderful way to relax and is a sport that anyone can get into regardless of age or experience. The wonderful thing about fishing is that there are no rules and you can pretty much use what you want for bait and you can throw your line in wherever there is water. This no rules approach also applies to how you dress to go fishing because there are no hard and fast rules as to the way you are supposed to dress. But if you want to get the most out of your fishing expeditions, there are some things you should know before you go on your next fishing adventure.

While any apparel will do when it comes to fishing, you can enhance your fishing experience by dressing the following way:

•    Shirt: One words here; lightweight. You should always wear light colored shirts that are made of a breathable fabric because when the sun beats down you will know it. There are actually ‘fishing shirts’ that are short sleeve button downs and on the back they have a mess lining and a flap that opens, allowing air to rush in and cool you off. If you don’t want to go that route, then a comfy white cotton undershirt does the trick every time. If it is cold in the morning when you set out, grab a good old flannel shirt to wear over your t-shirt as this will keep you nice and warm but will also allow you to quickly shed it once the sun starts heating things up.

•    Pants: Again, you want to go lightweight. Wear cargo shorts if you can pull it off but if not get yourself a good pair of cargo pants. Cargo pants will not only be lightweight but the extra pockets make for great storage space for things like pliers and extra tackle. Wearing jeans will do the trick too, but remember that denim will not wick away sweat as a lighter fabric will, instead it will absorb it and can make you rather uncomfortable.

•    Shoes: Don’t wear flip-flops or sandals, wear shoes. You never know what kind of fish you are going to catch and you don’t want to have a spiny fin fish stick you in the foot. Not to mention the fact that there is almost always stray hooks lying around when you fish. Have you ever seen a hook in a foot….not a pretty site. You don’t have to go nuts here, just get any old pair of sneakers will do but make sure the entire foot is covered. Here’s a little tip, bring an extra pair of socks just in case your foot gets wet as the day goes on.

•    Hats and sunglasses: Wearing a hat is a great way to keep some of the sun off of you and you can wear anything here from a ball cap to a fishing hat. Get a good pair of sunglasses too as these will help you to fight the glare of the sun as it reflects off the water. If you can, pick a pair of polarized sunglasses as these will improve your vision as you look into the water and help you locate fish.

All you need now is some sun block and some bug repellant and you are ready to go. Just don’t forget to bring your pole and tackle box too.