Patagonia’s “Gunnison Gorge” Wading Pants Hot

My kayak fishing in New York was limited to Spring through Fall in deepwater lakes and rivers, where I was never out of the boat from launch to landing. However, here in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, the kayak is frequently the transportation to get to where I get out to wade fish the flats...

For most of the year, the water temperatures are well into the “comfortable” zone. However, during the winter months the water frequently drops down into the 50s. In other areas of the country, 50 degree water would be a warm day, even in late spring.

Fishing in the cold-water trout streams of the Northeast, waders are a way of life on all but the hottest summer days. Chest waders, though, are made for standing up and wading. I sometimes found myself less than comfortable during December and January in my very nice Patagonia “Guidewater” waders when sitting in the kayak for an extended period of time. On a warm-air day they were quite warm when I wasn’t in the water, and they’re not the best for transitioning in and out of the kayak. While I could wear them with the top “rolled down”, that’s not always comfortable when sitting, either. Even if I wasn’t getting out to wade in cooler water, it’s still easy to get my legs wet enough to cool down very quickly. Paddle drips, wet fish, splashes and spray – it doesn’t take much, and a breeze can turn a little chill into a case of hypothermia.

Enter the “Gunnison Gorge” wading pants. Patagonia bills these as the perfect wading garment for fishing icy trout streams on hot summer days. They are also perfect for fishing from a kayak when water temperatures aren’t the best for extended contact. The Gunnison Gorge pants are made from the same high-tech waterproof/breathable H2No®“Hydrostorm” fabric as Patagonia’s other lines of waders, and fit almost like a pair of khakis.

When it comes to comfort, it’s the little things that make a difference. The Gunnison Gorge series have anatomically curved knees and a modified Y-Joint™ crotch. Add a large elastic fit band across the back of the waist, and you have a design that make sitting in these pants every bit as comfortable as standing and wading for hours. Inseams are ideally placed away from both wear zones and internal pressure points, and are externally tape-reinforced for more durability.

Patagonia includes a nice elastic wading belt that fits through the self-fabric belt loops. I snugged this down to where I was still just comfortable – then sat down in water that came well over the waist. Everything inside the pants stayed dry. This isn’t a guarantee, and this is a good opportunity to reinforce the importance of wearing a good quality and properly fitted & adjusted PFD, especially while wearing waders or wading pants in your kayak. A mishap that fills your waders with even a little water can make staying afloat much more challenging. In case some water does get in, there is a small waterproof pocket inside the pants, perfect for a set of keys with a remote, or a cell phone.

The specifically fitted left and right neoprene booties fit perfectly into wading boots. The gravel cuffs hook down to the wading boot laces - I like to imagine that they provide a little added protection in case I forget to “shuffle” the wrong step in the stingray-infested waters of Tampa Bay’s South Shore.

It’s important for me to mention the company itself. Patagonia is a model of corporate consciousness and participation in conservation efforts worldwide. They’ve gone so far as to create The Footprint Chronicles®, which tracks their supply chain and corporate footprint to allow interested folks to see that they walk the walk, not just talk the talk, of environmental responsibility and awareness. As a lifelong outdoorsman who looks forward to passing on my interest to my grandchildren (my son is already in the game), it’s good to know that companies I do business with share my interests and goals for preservation of the planet.

The Patagonia “Ironclad Guarantee” says that if you don’t like a Patagonia product when you receive it, or if it doesn’t perform the way you think it should, you can return it for repair, replacement or refund. If there is normal “wear and tear” damage, they’ll make the repairs at what I’ve found to be a very reasonable rate. The Gunnison Gorge wading pants come in sizes from XS-XXL, with “King” sizes to fill out the list. Retail price is $279, which reflects the extremely high product quality I’ve always experienced with Patagonia. For more information, check out the Patagonia website.