Bass angler Rick Clunn has had the good sense to break with fishing-hat tradition. “I’ve been at it for 42 years and I’d say I used the wrong hat for 32 of those years,” he told Bassmaster. “We’re still pretty much living in the dark ages when it comes to hats.” He’s also wearing fishing gloves in the photo (number 53 in this slide show). There aren’t any logos on that hat, but if enough of us start wearing the right kind of hat, it won’t take long for sponsors to catch on.
We are in the dark ages, not just with hats but with gloves and overall skin protection. From a doctor’s perspective, even a long-billed fishing hat is just plain stupid. It shields your eyes, but that’s it. What you really want is something that covers the back of your neck, has a wide brim, and some kind of drop-down face mask. And, naturally, a chin strap you can snug up for high-speed runs.
In short, you want something unconventional, even…
