Fishe in the press
From Under Waders to Après: The Leggings The Flyfish Journal Put to the Test
Good fishing leggings should almost disappear once the day begins. They should stay in place under waders, move without restriction, dry quickly, and still feel like something you want to wear after the boots come off.
The review tested one pair across an unusually full life. That was the heart of Amanda Monthei’s review of FisheWear leggings for The Flyfish Journal.
Published with photography by Jann Eberharter, the story looked beyond the bright print and asked a practical question: could one pair really move from fishing and skiing to travel, workouts, and an evening out?
Amanda’s answer was enthusiastic. Years after the review first appeared, her experience still captures the idea that shaped Fishe from the beginning: technical clothing can be capable, expressive, and genuinely fun to wear.
In This Story
The original Fishe press image for the review. Words by Amanda Monthei; source photography credited to Jann Eberharter.
The Review That Understood the Assignment
Amanda began with an honest observation: leggings may not be the most technical item in a fly-fishing kit, but a truly dependable pair can be surprisingly difficult to find.
The testing was broad and practical. She had already worn pairs that became clammy under waders, slipped during movement, or wore through too quickly. After testing FisheWear through fishing, skiing, gym sessions, yoga, rainy runs, travel, and ordinary days, she placed them in a much smaller category.
“One of those pairs is FisheWear.”
That sentence matters because it was earned through use. The review was not built around a studio impression. It followed the leggings through the kinds of changing activities and conditions Fishe customers actually encounter.
What Amanda Noticed After Three Months
The details that impressed Amanda were simple but important. The waistband stayed in place instead of requiring constant adjustment. The polyester-spandex fabric dried quickly and remained breathable through active days.
She also valued how little ceremony the leggings required. They became a regular part of her laundry cycle because she reached for them so often, not because they needed precious treatment.
A Waistband That Stayed Put
Comfort under waders depends on a layer that does not roll, slip, or demand constant readjustment.
Fabric That Dried Quickly
Quick-drying performance made the leggings useful for wet wading, rain, workouts, and long travel days.
Color With a Real Point of View
Fish-inspired artwork gave the technical layer an identity that did not need to remain hidden beneath gear.
Amanda also named a real limitation. The review included a fair caution from her experience with that 2018 pair: rough surfaces and hook-and-loop fasteners could snag the fabric. That is useful context, especially around wader closures, packs, and abrasive surfaces.
The review reflects one product and one testing period in 2018. Fabrics, fits, styles, and care directions can evolve, so today’s product pages remain the source of truth for current specifications.
Why Leggings Make Sense Under Waders
Comfort under waders begins with the layer against the body. Waders protect an angler from the water, but the layer underneath determines much of the day’s comfort. Bulky seams, loose fabric, and damp cotton can become hard to ignore after hours of standing, walking, casting, and climbing in and out of a boat.
A close-fitting performance legging creates a cleaner base layer. It can move with the body, reduce bunching, and make it easier to pull waders on and off without fighting extra fabric.
Choose weight for the conditions. A lightweight signature legging can suit warmer days and active fishing, while a brushed thermal style adds warmth when cold air and cold water make a heavier base layer more appropriate.
Fit matters just as much as fabric. A waistband should feel secure without digging in, and the legs should remain smooth enough to avoid pressure points inside waders or boots.
The Part of the Review That Felt Most Fishe
Amanda appreciated that the leggings were not confined to one activity. She could layer them beneath waders or snow pants, then change the rest of her outfit and “transition straight to après.”
That movement between worlds is central to Fishe. Women do not stop being themselves when they step into technical gear, and outdoor clothing does not have to become anonymous to be useful.
The reviewed Groovy Grayling print was created by Alaska artist Chaney Fray. Its color came from the fish and waters around Fishe’s Anchorage home, turning a functional layer into something recognizable and personal.
The reviewed Groovy Grayling leggings are now archival. Their influence remains visible in the way Fishe continues to combine fish-inspired artwork with clothing made for movement.
The Fishe Leggings Collection Today
The current Fishe leggings collection carries the original river-to-everyday idea into several distinct formats. There are signature leggings for versatile performance, pocket styles for useful storage, capri lengths for warmer days, and thermal leggings for cold-weather layering.
Across the collection, the common thread is movement. These are leggings designed for fishing, travel, hiking, workouts, errands, and the unplanned hours that happen between one part of an adventure and the next.
Signature leggings
Enchanted Grayling: A New Chapter in a Familiar Fish Story
The current Enchanted Grayling Signature Leggings are not the same print Amanda reviewed, but they continue Fishe’s affection for one of Alaska’s most beautiful fish.
This is the all-around style for cast-to-café days. The current product features four-way stretch performance fabric, UPF 50+ sun protection, quick-dry technology, breathable comfort, and a vivid Grayling print.
Wear them as an active layer, beneath waders when conditions suit, or on their own for travel and everyday movement.
Explore Enchanted Grayling
Pocket leggings
HaliBorealis: When the Legging Needs to Carry More
The HaliBorealis Pocket Leggings add spacious side pockets and a hidden waistband pocket to a high-waisted, four-way-stretch design.
The pockets make the everyday transition even easier. They create room for a phone and small essentials while the storm-blue base and halibut-meets-aurora artwork keep the style unmistakably Fishe.
They are built for sunrise hikes, riverside hangs, travel, and town—the same broad territory that made Amanda’s original review feel so true to the brand.
Explore HaliBorealis Pocket Leggings
Thermal leggings
Steel My Heart: Warmth for Colder Water and Winter Days
The Steel My Heart Thermal Active Leggings are made from soft brushed jersey that traps warmth without turning the layer bulky.
A secure high-rise waistband, flat seams, and a hidden waistband pocket make them a practical option beneath waders or snow pants when temperatures drop.
This is the cold-weather branch of the collection. It serves a different need from a lightweight signature legging while preserving the same balance of function, movement, and bold print.
Explore Steel My Heart Thermal LeggingsWhich Fishe Leggings Fit Your Day?
Choose Signature Leggings
For versatile four-way stretch, quick-dry performance, bold full-print style, and easy movement from fishing to everyday life.
Choose Pocket Leggings
When secure storage and a high-rise fit matter for hikes, travel, errands, and days when you want essentials within reach.
Choose Capri Leggings
For a shorter warm-weather cut that works well for active days, sunny walks, workouts, and casual summer wear.
Choose Thermal Leggings
For brushed warmth beneath waders, snow pants, or winter layers during cold mornings and low-temperature adventures.
Start with the activity and temperature, then choose the print that feels most like you. The collection is intentionally broad because one outdoor woman can move through many different kinds of days.
Care for the Layer You Keep Reaching For
Amanda’s abrasion note is a useful reminder that technical stretch fabric deserves some awareness. Keep leggings away from exposed hook-and-loop fasteners, sharp edges, and rough surfaces whenever possible.
Before washing, close nearby fasteners and check the exact instructions on the current product page or garment label. Different Fishe styles can use different fabrics and constructions.
Good care protects both fit and artwork. It also helps preserve the reason a favorite pair becomes the one you reach for every time laundry day arrives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can FisheWear leggings be worn under fishing waders?
Yes. Several current Fishe leggings are designed to work as close-fitting layers beneath waders. Choose the fabric weight for the weather and confirm the current product specifications before your trip.
Which FisheWear leggings were reviewed by The Flyfish Journal?
Amanda Monthei reviewed the Groovy Grayling leggings in 2018. That exact legging is now an archival style, although the Groovy Grayling pattern remains an important part of Fishe history.
What types of leggings are in the current Fishe collection?
The collection includes signature leggings, pocket leggings, capri leggings, high-waisted options, and thermal styles for different activities and conditions.
Are FisheWear leggings only for fishing?
No. Current styles are also designed for activities such as hiking, travel, workouts, running errands, lounging, and everyday outdoor life.
How should I care for FisheWear leggings?
Follow the care instructions on the current product page and garment label. Protect stretch fabric from rough surfaces and exposed hook-and-loop fasteners that can snag it.
Related Reading
Why Outside Magazine Featured FisheWear
Revisit another major press moment and the larger story of women-first fishing apparel.
Groovy Grayling: The Story Behind a Fishe Original
Meet the fish, artist, and Alaska beginnings behind the leggings Amanda reviewed.
Build a Women’s Fishing Outfit That Actually Works
Pair wader-ready base layers with practical tops, outerwear, and gear for changing conditions.
Still Made for the Whole Day
The Flyfish Journal review gave FisheWear leggings a memorable test because it treated versatility as something that had to be proven, not merely claimed.
Amanda wore the leggings hard, noticed what worked, named what did not, and finished with the kind of conclusion every product maker hopes to earn: “I think I’m going to need another pair.”
That is still the goal. Make the layer comfortable enough to forget beneath waders, expressive enough to wear into town, and useful enough to become part of the rhythm of a real life outdoors.
Find Your Fishe Leggings