# Best winter fishing gloves! (LLbean converta-mitts)



## Chinookhead (Mar 4, 2005)

I just wanted to share with people what I have now found to be the ultimate winter steelhead fishing gloves. I have tried so many options and finally found something with which I am happy. I've been using them for 2 years. They are the llbean "windblock converta- mitts". There are plenty of great and warm gloves like ski type gore-tex breathable gloves with prima-loft insulation, but I often find them annoying and impractical in many situations (like knots, baiting, removing weeds, or de-icing guides etc.) and you ended up taking them off or not wearing them so often that you end up getting uncomfortably cold and blistered hands. 

These gloves convert from half fingers to full fingered gloves. There are many converta mitt gloves out there, but I found them to be not practical for a fisherman tying knots because they usually don't have a flip finger for the thumbs (except glacier gloves). These ones also flip at the thumb. They have 2 layers of fleece that is very snow and water repellant for fleece and a waterproof breathable layer sandwiched between the fleece.

My next favorite option has been half fingered rag wool gloves, but some days I find that they just don't cut it for warmth. I still carry a heavy XL plastic rubber glove on my wading belt that I clip off my wading belt when grabbing fish that I put over my main gloves to jeep them from getting "slimed" and totally soaked. However, even after I've accidentally dropped my gloves or dunked them in the river they are still pretty warm and quickly dry off.

--I hope this helps some people stay happier and more comfortable on the river! I am in no way affiliated with llbean, but I do like their warranty (no questions asked lifetime warranty)

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/20516?feat=500171-GN3


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## tannhd (Dec 3, 2010)

Thanks for the recommendation. I typically use the wool gloves too, but I get the hook stuck in them a lot.


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## Chinookhead (Mar 4, 2005)

tannhd said:


> Thanks for the recommendation. I typically use the wool gloves too, but I get the hook stuck in them a lot.


I sometimes have the same problem with the rag wool gloves, but I like them better than the standard fleece gloves because the wool seems to repel the water a bit better than standard fleece.


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## REG (Oct 25, 2002)

I hate wearing gloves when I fish. Most of the time I wear them from spot to spot and just take them off when I fish. But, there are times when you have to have them. How much are they???


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## Chinookhead (Mar 4, 2005)

REG said:


> I hate wearing gloves when I fish. Most of the time I wear them from spot to spot and just take them off when I fish. But, there are times when you have to have them. How much are they???



They are 36 dollars. I also don't like wearing gloves while fishing, but my "baby hands" seem to be much happier when I use gloves especially in mid-winter weather. I'm from SE Michigan without much good stealhead streams, so I tend to make not so frequent trips up north and when I do, I try to take as much advantage of the time and usually fish around 4 days straight and fish 10-12 hours a day. Without gloves my hands quickly get into bad shape and I am just much more comfortable with gloves.


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## diztortion (Sep 6, 2009)

I have a hard time wearing gloves too.

I usually wear a pair of the cheap knit cotton gloves with half fingers.

When I walk to spots I put a pair of heavy mittens on. 

One thing that I noticed is when people put gloves in their pockets or drop them in the snow. I always stuff mine in the front of my bibs. 

They always stay warm and dry.


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## abbatoys (Sep 3, 2005)

I use the ragg wool gloves too, but manage to stick a few hooks in em each time. I hate wearing any gloves, I have a pair of unknown neoprene gloves that are fingerless. I have a huge pair of mittens I slip on over the top to move from spot to spot. Doesn't work out too bad when gloves are necessary...Scott


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## jatc (Oct 24, 2008)

I bought a pair of Simms polartec fingerless gloves a few years ago and I love these things. Even when wet they do a great job of keeping me warm. I don't have too much trouble with the hooks sticking in them either. Seems like I paid about $30 bucks for them at a fly shop in Welston. They also make a pair that has a flip up mitten top to cover the fingers and is held back with velcro. I had a pair of these but I kept getting the line tangled in the folded back portion so I gave them to my brother in law.

I am pretty rough on my gloves as I wear them while hunting, snow shoveling, and cold mornings on the salmon boat when rigging lines. They've held up great so far. Just another option.


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## Scorpion-LC-18 (Jan 7, 2005)

I have been trying different gloves also. I went to DG and bought a box of like cheap surgical gloves. I put them on first then a pair of the brown jersey gloves it works for me.


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## Trout King (May 1, 2002)

gloves drive me nuts! I can't stand to where any gloves while fishing the winter. Tried it, couldn't do it. I am looking for a pair of hunting gloves I actually like though...


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## Riversnorth Fly Fishing (Jan 5, 2011)

gloves are horrible to fish with on. i have tired the kind that have the half finger with the flap that comes over, fly line tends to get caught up on that & be a pain. i usually carry a warm pair & then periodically put them on when my hands get cold. also carrying the disposable hand warmers in exterior pockets of coat is key for a quick warm up without putting on your gloves.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I've had Ragg Wool fingerless gloves (lots of them), and neoprene gloves (they suck out loud as soon as you get them wet), and the cheap Jersey gloves for working in, and some others. I have to say that I have some nice fleece glo-mitts just like the ones in the link from the original post, and they are the bomb. I think I paid $20 for them at Gander Mtn - the only good thing I ever bought there, to be honest. Got some for my wife, too. I really should have 2 pairs, so I can keep the spare inside my jacket to dry/warm, after I land a fish.


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## Chinookhead (Mar 4, 2005)

I want to stress what I see as 2 of the major advantage of these gloves over many other similar gloves:

1) They have a waterproof breathable membrane sandwiched between 2 layers of fleece. I think that this makes them much warmer and wind resistant than many other fleece gloves.

2) The flaps to cover your entire fingers are held by magnets which hold the flap well and just very easy to flip back and forth as needed.


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