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Thigh deep in the lazy march of an army-green pool, the cool water silently flows around my legs. We’d parked the truck and waded the shallows while prospecting for the Owyhee River’s elusive German brown trout.
Streams that produce a healthy trout population are bone-chilling cold, requiring a wader of some sort for all but the warmest of days if you want to enter the stream for more than a couple minutes.
But fishing low flows under the hot desert sun, or when long hikes are needed, often makes a full bib too hot. To fill the gap, Patagonia offered the Gunnison Gorge Wading Pant as go-between wader protection that doesn’t cover your upper body.
With the early fall flow trickling at 125 cfs and the cool morning air priming into afternoon 80’s, fall fishing on the Owyhee provided ideal test conditions.
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The Gear: 2014 Patagonia Gunnison Gorge Wading Pant; Short, Regular ($299, tested)
Available: Now
Where To Test It: Smaller trout streams that require wading into cold waters
Who’s It For: Slim fishermen who want to keep warm while wading without the bulk and heat of full length waders.
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