THE concept of outdoor clothing for fishos has taken off in Australia in recent years. For a variety of good reasons, many modern day fishos (myself included) hit the water kitted out in fishing friendly clothing – a big departure from the old T-shirt and footy shirts I often wore fishing as a youth!
On the whole, contemporary outdoor wear offers good sun protection, is comfortable to wear, keeps you cool, is easy wash, and often provides handy storage for small bits of tackle.
The ExOfficio Bugs Away long-sleeve shirt has all of these attributes. I’ve been wearing one in a subtle Light Pebble (grey) colour for fishing since late last year. For outdoor type wear I reckon the Halo shirt looks quite stylish, is comfortable to wear and has some nice features.
As the Bugs Away name suggests, the shirt is designed to keep biting insects like mosquitos, ants, and sand flies at bay. This feature comes via the maker’s “Insect Shield” technology, which basically means these shirts and other clothing in ExOfficio’s Bugs Away line have been treated with Permethrin, a synthetic insect repellent. This treatment is designed to last for 70 washes before you find yourself reaching for the bug spray.
To be honest, living in Sydney I have found it difficult to put this aspect of the shirt to the test, apart from when in my boat shed where some particularly bothersome mossies lurk! I can report that when wearing the Bugs Away Halo in the shed I have so far escaped the wrath of these pesky bities. Definitely a bonus. With a trip to the NT just around the corner though, the Halo will be one of the first bits of clothing I pack. Apart from a faint odour it’s hard to tell the shirt has been treated with this repellent.
The Halo also features metal press-studs, which for someone like me who regularly loses buttons on fishing shirts, is a plus. The shirt is also made from wrinkle resistant UPF 30+ sun protective lightweight nylon which I’ve found provides a more comfortable feel than some of the other crisp polyester shirts I regularly fish in. The Halo also features the maker’s “Vertebrae Ventilation System” – which definitely helps keep your back cool on hot sticky days – and a mesh-lined back and is moisture wicking and quick drying .
Other features include four front pockets, two with velcro tabs and two zippered side pockets, and a hidden button-down collar and roll-up sleeve tabs. I’ve found the pockets more than ample for carrying a mix of items such as mobile phone, small fly box, braid scissors, sunblock and glasses.
After a few months of fishing use and wash and wear this shirt shows no signs of fading and looks pretty much as new. Overall, I reckon the ExOfficio Bugs Away Halo shirt would make a welcome addition to any fisho’s wardrobe.
RRP is $139.95, available from Paddy Pallin and leading outdoor retailers.
More info: www.outdooragencies.com.au
