Gloves

I also need some heavier gloves for the winter.  The thin, fingerless, neoprene paddling gloves I have been using are not cutting it for the colder weather.  Even stuffing chemical hand warmers under them is not a good solution.  Nanook's response to the Skull Cap thread with his mention of Glacier Gloves got me back on the glove track.

http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,3909.0.html

I've been looking over the Glacier Glove fishing page, and I'm pretty sure there is something there to fit my need. 

http://www.glacieroutdoor.com/products_fishing.php

What is Touchrite technology?  (Sounds like a love aid :-)  No explanation I could find on their site.  I need more finger access than just thumb and finger slits.  Many fishing knots can not be tied with just thumb and forefinger.  Consider just slitting more fingers or move to a flip mitt?  I've got flip mitts for hunting and like them, but fishing ain't hunting. 

Doesn't a fleece lining get soaked?  2mm neoprene plus a fleece lining seems pretty thick and bulky.  I don't want to have to take them on and off often to function. 

The only difference between the first two gloves on the page seems to be curved fingers.  Are curved fingers desirable?

The seems are glued, not stitched, so they're water proof unless you dump. it's actually the best dexterity I've found in a winter water glove. the fleece is like a paper thin laminate, the rubber is super flexible. fleece still insulates when wet, and the rubber traps heat.

I don't wear them until it's <30's, and they are by far the warmest water glove. When I'm pushing back up river against the wind/tide/current, my hands get hot in these things at 35F.

Demonick,

I've got a pair of the "premium" glacier gloves and I like them alright.  They're not as comfortable as maybe a simple pair of fleece or cotton gloves, but yeah, they're a lot warmer and you don't need to worry about getting them wet.  They stay fairly dry, but water is always going to seep in throught the finger and thumb slits.  That's not as bad as it sounds cause they are pretty warm even when wet inside.  Like a wetsuit I would imagine.  The special "touchrite technology" doesn't seem to be anything more than an area on the palm side of the end of the pointer finger and the thumb (you can see it in the picture on the website) that is covered with a cloth that has the approximate texture of a cotton t-shirt.  I think it's for when you want to touch your own face or something.  I can't feel anything special on the inside of the glove, adjacent to this cloth.  I especially like these gloves when I'm pulling crab pots, even if it's not cold out.

I also own a pair of the Sealskinz gloves.  I don't care for those nearly as much for two reasons.  The main thing is that they don't have any sort of finger slits.  They are just not that kind of glove and so not nearly as useful for fishing.  They'd be much better suited to a paddler who's just going to paddle today and won't be needing to do anything with bare fingers.  The other thing about them is that they are not the least BIT warm when they are wet... UNLESS you have some kind of fleece or cotton jersy underneath them.  Try immersing a hand with a surgical glove into cold water.  Or maybe your breathable waders without socks or pants.  It's just like that.  Negligible insulation.  This is important because it means that you need to buy them oversized to get the second gloves inside them.  Then they'll be great and they are about as dry as any drysuit you might wear.  Very tight around the wrist.

I doubt you'll find the perfect glove for winter fishing, but the glacier gloves are pretty good, imho.  I tend to switch out with dry fleece gloves during the day so as to let my hands dry out if they need it.  I totally understand your pursuit of the ideal answer though.  Our winters can be hell on hands out there.  But it's a really great kind of a tough guy feeling if you can find an answer that lets you continue to get out there inspite of the cold.

As for the need to tie knots, I try to do all of that that I can before I even arrive at the water.  It saves time, seasickness, and in the winter it saves hand heat.

Fishin-T

Demonick,

I've got a pair of the "premium" glacier gloves and I like them alright.  ...

I also own a pair of the Sealskinz gloves.  I don't care for those nearly as much for two reasons.  ...

I doubt you'll find the perfect glove for winter fishing, but the glacier gloves are pretty good, imho. ...

As for the need to tie knots, I try to do all of that that I can before I even arrive at the water.  It saves time, seasickness, and in the winter it saves hand heat.

Thanks for the reviews.  They were helpful.  This is the first winter I will try to fish from the kayak and I'll probably end up collecting a number of gloves and skulls and adjust to the daily conditions. 

I too try to pre-rig everything on land, and I have had a number of days where I did not need to tie a knot.  Other days, I change strategies and need to tie something, mostly lake fishing, or jigging.

Thanks again.

If anyone else is looking to get gloves, I picked up a pair of these gloves from Sportco in Fife for $24.  (the $39.99 version)

One more comment on the Sealskinz gloves:  I've owned mine for maybe 3 or 4 years with very little use.  Now that I drag them out again, I find that they leak at a couple of seams in each hand at the bottom of the finger.  Now they won't even serve as rainforest hiking gloves.

I might be mistaken, but I don't think there's any repair for these things, right?

Fishin-T

I hate wearing gloves but I keep a pair of NRS reactors in the hull -  not a bad glove for the colder days.

Bret

I sprang for the Glacier 821BK and a full dome hood. 

Using their sizing guidelines I was right on the cusp of medium and large.  I do NOT have large hands, so I ordered the medium and I might have gotten away with a small.  I like my gloves tight.  It seems their sizes run about 1/2 size big. 

The gloves are nice, but I wish more fingers had slits.  It seems no one who makes fishing gloves thinks one uses more than thumb and index finger to tie knots. 

The full dome hood seems rather light weight, but I've not had it in use yet.  It did get me hot in the house - not so much TLW.  The fleece patch on the chin is nice.  One size "fits all", so it is a bit loose on my pin head. 

Another thing to worry about with gloves, Scent.. Being a X commercial fisherman and Salmon troller i have been down this road.. When gloves are worn your scent/sweat is going to build up and effect the bite if taken off to tie gear.
   Gloves must be worn when ever the gear is touched or keep hands clean with out gloves.
   Good suggestion on tying gear before fishing.  I have, and seen others have attention  gaps when tying gear.. Drift into surge or over boils while not paying attention.
   Your scent  on the gear  is way more important than most folks think.Royg

Another thing to worry about with gloves, Scent.. Being a X commercial fisherman and Salmon troller i have been down this road.. When gloves are worn your scent/sweat is going to build up and effect the bite if taken off to tie gear.
   Gloves must be worn when ever the gear is touched or keep hands clean with out gloves.
   Good suggestion on tying gear before fishing.  I have, and seen others have attention  gaps when tying gear.. Drift into surge or over boils while not paying attention.
   Your scent  on the gear  is way more important than most folks think.Royg

"Skunked again!"  - An expression all too often proclaimed by an angler going by the unfortunate nickname, "Stinkin' Jim."

I have a new pair of NRS paddling gloves, neoprene, and they have curved fingers.  Endorsed by the Boston Strangler.....I don't paddle, I pedal, so I'll sell 'em cheap.  pic follows (SANS VICTIM)