Fold-back and convertible gloves

Cold-weather fishing has a specific problem: you need insulated hands most of the time and bare fingers for about thirty seconds every time you retie, unhook a fish or open a tray. Taking a glove off means putting a wet glove back on.

A flip-top mitt solves it. The mitten hood peels back over the knuckles and holds there with a magnet or a hook-and-loop tab, exposing half-fingers underneath. Fold it forward again and your hands are covered.

The magnet versions are quicker and the hook-and-loop versions hold better in wind. Both beat the alternative.

Half-finger gloves are the simpler version of the same idea: no hood at all, just fingers that end at the first knuckle. They are lighter and never in the way, and they leave your fingertips cold, which is the whole thing you were trying to fix.

Whichever you choose, keep the fingertips of the outer layer dry. A wet flip-top hood folded back against your knuckles gets cold fast.