Everyday please post a photo of a Fishing Hat you own.

[-Jim-]

Hi Gents,

As the title says please post a photo of a Fishing Hat (used preferably) that you own. I'm betting there are going to be a few interesting examples out there, with some interesting stories as well.

I'm posting this in the General section as I was torn between the Salt & Fresh Water Forums, as some of us use the same Hat(s) for both.

I'll start it of with my oldest (yes I have a few...) Fishing Hat. My wife gave this Tilley to me for my Birthday about 35 years ago. It's an original, 100% cotton, Made in Canada. It started it's life with me using it while Fly Fishing in the Kamloops region, but it graduated to chasing Salmon in the Northern Pacific, and I even wore it water skiing one time. (Just for grins. And yes, it does Float!)



Just a minute ago I looked inside the small pouch in the crown of the hat (see below) and noticed it still had the zip-lock bag with the little "Brag Tags" inside it.

The Hat Eating Elephant story is a classic!



With this Tilley on, I caught many a Fish and enjoyed my days in the sun.


Do you have a Hat (and maybe a story) to share with the Gang? Please post it here. Thanks

 

[-Jim-]

Hi Gents,

Well from my oldest Fishing Hat (above) to the one I currently wear. Not that it's new, just somewhere in the 5 year old range. It's old enough, that even though I know I got it as a gift, I forget who gave it to me.

This one gets all kinds of reactions on, and near the water. So...just Shut Up and Fish!


I've used it for both Salt and Fresh water trips. It's getting a bit soiled on the brim, but that's just "experience" being displayed.

 

[-Jim-]

Hi Gang,

Today I'm once again stepping back in time to my first adventure where I went to a Fishing Resort (of sorts) and was Guided. Up until that time in my life, I fished with relatives, friends, etc., and learned from them. To commemorate the trip I bought this hat in 1998




I had heard there was terrific Salmon Fishing on the west Coast of the Charlottes (Sorry I still call them that from time to time. I don't like Governments who keep renaming things. They've got more important things to do instead.). Anyway, I went looking for a destination, and stumbled across The MV Salmon Seeker then run by The Oak Bay Marine Group (Check out the link for some great background!). Rumor had it that there were some BIG Salmon being caught by folks who made the trip.

So I booked it. We happened to have the worst luck with the weather. It blew so hard they wouldn't let us venture outside of Kano Inlet for days - except for one 6 hour or so window - even with our Survival Suits on. (Memory is foggy as it was over 25 years ago...) Of course fishing in the inlet in the rain and wind wasn't fun or productive - but it was an experience. It was so bad we spent a couple days on board. During the short window we were allowed to sneak beyond the inlet, we were trolling for Springs when I hooked up. At first I thought it was a big Spring, then a Shark, and then finally a Halibut. After quite a tussle, where a lot of time it was like trying top pull up a whole sheet of plywood straight up from the bottom, we landed a 74 pound Halibut which even shocked the guide! It was the only keeper on the trip.

To this day it's the largest fish I ever caught, never mind Halibut. So every time I look at this hat, I think of that fish, and the crazy time on the Salmon Seeker.

Do you have a photo of a Fishing Hat and a story to share?

Thanks for the assist.

 

[-Jim-]

Hi Gents,

Today I'm once again looking back many years to my first Fishing Adventure at the Langara Fishing Lodge . I was able to mix business with pleasure and was able to fish here, at an enviable time.


I know this could be just a Fish Tale but I do have photographic proof, but I'll be dammed if I can find it. (And I've looked on over half a dozen old Hard Drives for the photos.) So for now, you'll just have to believe me.

My first time there, me and a close business associate paid for a non-guided aluminum tillered about 40 HP Outboard boat. (They don't have these anymore.) We couldn't have swung guided anyway, and besides we thought of ourselves as competent fishermen. (Probably wrong, but hey everyone makes mistakes.) Being a good fisherman probably wasn't a prerequisite to catching very decent Springs and Coho. I remember us releasing numerous 25 pound Springs as we searched for Tyees! I put my Rod down when I knew it had a 20+ pounder on when a giant whale surfaced less that 10 feet away (so close we could feel the spray - and smell it too - from the blowhole) and I scrambled to get my camera. (Yes in those days we just didn't use our phones.)

One morning my Buddy Bruce (who was from Seattle) went out solo early before breakfast (I had a couple too many glasses of Red the night before and wanted to sleep in) but I was on the Dock when he came in. He brough in 3 fish including a 52 pound Tyee which he had to exhaust to net it solo. The buzz on the Dock by all there including the Staff was amazing. He said it was by far the biggest "King" he had ever caught. Hell it was, and still is the biggest King (Spring, Tyee, Chinook) I've ever seen!

I took a picture of him and his 3 fish and I called it "Kings and Little Ones". I emailed it to him after the trip. If I find it I'll post it. This was the first of about 5 annual trips I made to Langara, but certainly the best fishing for Salmon I've ever had was this one.


Do you have a photo of a Fishing Hat and a story to share that goes with it?

Thanks for the assist.

 

[Doug]

I purchase 50 of these hats at a time and have purchased other but they sweat stain. I give a few away, I wear them every time out fishing, until they are worn out. Also, two hat a year go overboard and are floating around out in the JDF.

The logo is stitched in Vancouver because there are 21,000 stiches in each logo. The design was created by my wife.

These are 3m Scotchlite hats, made of 65% Cotton and 35% polyester, which do not sweat stain and the brim of the hat is reflective material.
Best hats going.

 

[-Jim-]

Glad to see @Doug post about his Hat for D&D Fishing.

Hint => More folks should do the same.

 

[-Jim-]

Today's Hat once again goes back in Time, this time is to when I used to call on all the Pulp & Paper Mills (remember them?) in BC as part of my job in those days.
This Hat was purchased during a Spring Golf Tournament put on by the Mill Electricians as I remember. (I'm not much of a golfer by the way.)

Anyway, I made friends with one of the Electrical Supervisors (who eventually became the Manager) who took me Fishing in his boat off Powell River, around Texada, etc., many times. We usually caught fish and had a great time when I wore this Hat.

 

[-Jim-]

Gents, I got to thinking about Fishing with Bill off Powell River and I remembered I took a photo of as a great day on the water was starting when I was wearing that Hat. Like the photo I mentioned above on the 52 pound "King" I'm still looking for the original picture. (Grrr...) But I remembered I had printed and hung this photo in my office for years.

So I dug it out and took a photo of the photo and here it is.



I called it "A Powell River Paradise"

Enjoy your time on the Water. There's never enough of it.

 

[Doug]

Gents, I got to thinking about Fishing with Bill off Powell River and I remembered I took a photo of as a great day on the water was starting when I was wearing that Hat. Like the photo I mentioned above on the 52 pound "King" I'm still looking for the original picture. (Grrr...) But I remembered I had printed and hung this photo in my office for years.

Nice photo.
I know what you are saying when you dig out an old hat and they trigger bringing back memories. Specially at all those prime fishing locations.

This is not my fishing hat but my going to hockey games hat. Brings back memories of when the Van Giants won the Memorial Cup. Milan Lucic played for them and he was out standing in the tournament. The hat is almost new because I only wear it to 4 or 5 games a year.

 

[-Jim-]

Hi Gents.

Just as a change up I thought I'd post this Hat that I got as a Gift. I was given this one because I was a Canucks Season Ticket holder at the time (for 32 years until I retired). I was able to use the tickets for business, as not many folks can absorb over $14,000 per year (plus play-offs if they make it in) especially when you are retired. My wife was very understanding (and became quite a fan) but I promised her this was one expense that had to go away.




I wore this Hat Fishing only one time. There are two reasons why; the first is we got skunked, and the second is the hat has elastic all the way around so it squeezed my fat head, and isn't comfortable at all.

I often wonder how many guys there are who have a Hat they only worn one time. I really shouldn't keep it as I'll probably never wear it again.

You probably have at least one interesting Fishing Hat to post about here.

If so, please do so.

 

[IronNoggin]

 

[noluck]

looks like a ruger 44mag Blackhawk

 

[IronNoggin]

looks like a ruger 44mag Blackhawk

45 Long Colt.

 

[noluck]

45 Long Colt.

very nice

 

[-Jim-]

Are you shooting Fish in a Barrel?

 

[Derby]

A retired hat from days gone bye with many stories and fish caught.

 

[-Jim-]

A retired hat from days gone bye with many stories and fish caught. View attachment 105102

That Hat does look like it's got a wealth of experience, but I'd like to know a story or two...

 

[-Jim-]

Hi Gents,

Today I'll break my own rules and post this "new" Hat:



This was a gift I got a long time ago. I never stayed in the Langara Fishing Lodge (far too expensive for mere mortals) but I used to look at it from the ocean when staying down on the water.

I've never worn this Hat and it still has the cardboard "shaper" inside it to help keep it's shape. It hasn't made it to the pile of (used) Fishing Hats I keep by the basement door (I couldn't figure out a better place for them), but on a shelf in the main floor closet.

Believe it or not, but I'm really not a big Hat person, except when I go Fishing. I've been lucky enough that I'm not thin on top, and therefore don't like getting a "Hat Head" when I take one off. I'm old enough to remember to never wear a Hat indoors, although I see that all the time, and somehow never got into wearing them "backwards" either. Once in a while, usually when it's cool outside and I have some yard work to do, I'll grab one. But that's about it.

I'm already planning a couple trips to the Kamloops area for some spring fishing now that the DFO killed chasing Salmon April 1 (another April Fools Day prank from them...). I guess I need to figure out which Hat to bring with me.

 

[wildmanyeah]

 

[-Jim-]

View attachment 105456

Now there's got to be a story about this Hat!