If you’re an avid angler, chances are good your dad took you fishing for the first time. And if you’re a dad, it’s likely your child’s first fish will be pulled from the water thanks to your guiding skills.
As a fishing father myself, I’m never at a loss for ideas when one of my two sons asks, “Dad, what you do want for Father’s Day?”
I certainly don’t need a new tie. The one I own (college graduation gift in 1987) looks fine after I brush off closet dust. But fishing gear? Oh yeah, I can always use more.
As this article title teases, I’m suggesting a Fish Monkey for Father’s Day (June 16). What’s a Fish Monkey?
The company with the strange name has been around since 2016, and specializes in fishing gloves to protect your hands on the water. I recently reviewed a pair of Fish Monkey Pro 365 Guide Gloves; click here to check it out.
While the company’s gloves would be a welcome Father’s Day gift, I have a simpler suggestion because you don’t have to worry about guessing the right size.
If you watch any professional bass angling online or on TV, you've certainly seen the craze during the past several years of fishermen wearing face-neck gaiters. While this provides pros one more spot on their bodies to showcase a sponsor’s logo (think NASCAR), a gaiter does make sense.
I won’t stand on a soap box and preach about skin cancer. You know the dangers, or at least you should. Personally, I’m a big fan of face-neck gaiters during spring, fall and winter, but I’ve never found one I liked for summer. The reason? They were too warm, and breathing into them fogged my polarized fishing glasses.
As I was shopping online recently for fishing gloves — buying myself an early Father’s Day gift — I discovered Fish Monkey Face Guards. This sentence caught my attention, “The new Fish Monkey Face Guard features the latest in sun protection technology, in a featherweight, breathable fabric with a sunglasses-fog-resistant mouth pattern.”
I’d already decided to purchase fishing gloves to protect my hands, so I went ahead and ordered a gaiter, too.
On-the-Water Impressions
The air temp when my son and I began fishing in South Dakota during late May 2019 was only 49 degrees, and the 25 mph wind made it feel quite a bit colder (water temps were in the low 50s). I pulled the Fish Monkey Face Guard up over the back of my baseball cap to cover my ears and protect them from the cold, wind and sun. Even with the gaiter pulled up this far, there was plenty of material at the bottom to fully cover my neck.
Truth be told, I didn’t pull up the gaiter to cover my mouth for much of the day, but when I did — mostly while running the outboard from spot to spot — the vented mouth eliminated sunglasses fogging. I must admit I was pleasantly surprised.
Another feature I appreciated about the Face Guard is I didn’t have to mess with sunscreen. The gaiter provides UPF 50-plus sun protection.
The price of $22.95 seems a bit high, but if the gaiter lasts several years, then it will be money well spent. Time will tell.
My only regret is I played it too conservative when choosing the Face Guard color of light blue. The company offers 14 color schemes. Today, I wish I’d picked an option a bit more interesting and unique, such as Redfish (below), Tarpon or Americana.
Note to self: Send text to both of my sons that another Face Guard would make a thoughtful Father’s Day gift.
