Adjectives that descibe my favorite fishing hat: smelly, faded, salt-encrusted, lucky. The one adjective that is seldom listed, yet is one of the most important is: safe. I almost always wear a hat when I'm fishing. Not only does it look totally awesome, but it provides protection from the sun, the rain, and the occasional flying hazard, say a swimming plug with two treble hooks that somehow finds its way whizzing past my head.
The brim of a hat can help protect your face from being impaled by a hook, whether that hook is being cast by a partner next to you, or it is being spit from a fishes mouth as you reach to grab it. Having a hat on can be the difference between a hook in the face, and a close call. I encourage you to wear a hat, even when fishing at night, to help prevent any accidents.
While on the topic of safety, I'd like to address a little landing technique that will help keep everyone safer. Too often do I see someone reaching straight for the fishes mouth, which is always just out of reach, and in doing so they put tremendous stress on the line. If the fish happens to free itself from the hook, it is likely that the lure will come catapulting back toward you. To prevent this, I recommend angling your rod to either side when a fish is nearing you. Even a slight angle off center will prevent the plug from flying straight at you should it come loose. I also recommend using a leader and swivel, as this presents a spot where you can grab the line, especially when using braided lines. Grabbing the line a few feet above where the fish is hooked will take all that pressure of the line, and will not allow the catapulting effect mentioned earlier. Then place the rod under your armpit, slide your hand down to the lure, and grab the fish. Hopefully I'll have a video up soon of this landing method to help illustrate the point.
Back to hats. Here is a good selection from my favorite tackle shop: Hats
Tight lines - S.B.
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