OHUB Review: Free Fly Topogrid Shorts

Product Overview

The Free Fly Topogrid Shorts are premium fishing shorts made out of stretch nylon ripstop with UPF 50+ solar safety. They retail for $89 and can be found in sizes 30-40 waist. Obtainable colours embody Stone, Navy, Charcoal, and Olive. Designed for saltwater fishing and out of doors actions the place quick-dry efficiency and sturdiness matter most.

What It’s Made For

The Topogrid Shorts are constructed for hardcore anglers who want robust fishing shorts that may deal with critical saltwater abuse. Constructed from stretch ripstop with UPF 50+ safety, these shorts are designed for lengthy days battling fish in brutal saltwater circumstances. I wore them for the last word check throughout my latest marlin fishing journey in Cabo San Lucas, the place the brilliant daylight, bloody fish, and saltwater offered the proper testing floor for fishing gear.

First Impressions

Pulling these shorts out of the field, I may inform immediately they have been totally different from common fishing shorts. The material felt robust however surprisingly gentle, with a gentle really feel that meant consolation with out giving up energy. The 7.5-inch inseam and slim minimize regarded trendy and clear, means higher than the dishevelled look of most fishing shorts. These regarded adequate to put on off the water too.

Materials

Material: Stretch ripstop made out of 51% Nylon, 45% Recycled Nylon, and 4% Spandex with water-repelling coating and UPF 50+ solar safety. The material weight hits the candy spot between robust and breathable.

Development: Information-quality construct with bolstered stress factors, stable belt loops, and what Free Fly calls a “dialed” pocket setup. The hidden knife pocket provides perform whereas preserving the surface clear. Sturdy seams and high quality {hardware} present these shorts have been constructed for critical fishing.

Score: 9/10

Match & Sizing

Different captains talked about that these run a bit tight, and I discovered that to be true. The fastened waist with belt loops stays put throughout hardcore fishing motion, whereas the slim leg offers you nice motion with out free cloth flapping round. The minimize works each on and off the water. In the event you’re between sizes, go up one.

Score: 8/10

Consolation & Wearability

Throughout my 12-hour Cabo fishing journey, these shorts proved they may go the space. The stretch cloth moved naturally throughout overhead casts and the brutal work of combating marlin within the chair. Even when moist, the shorts by no means felt tight or uncomfortable. The light-weight construct meant I forgot I used to be carrying longer shorts as an alternative of my normal fishing shorts.

Score: 10/10

Performance & Efficiency

The true check got here when marlin blood splattered everywhere in the shorts throughout our epic fish fights. Later, leaping into Cabo’s clear saltwater for underwater photographs fully soaked the material. The short-dry characteristic blew me away. Inside minutes of getting again on the boat, the shorts felt dry and cozy once more, means totally different from cotton shorts that will have stayed moist for hours. The water-repelling coating labored nice, whereas the UPF 50+ safety saved my legs throughout our lengthy day getting baked below the Mexican solar.

Score: 10/10

Type & Look

Free Fly nailed it by making fishing shorts that don’t seem like fishing match gear. The Stone shade works with any fishing shirt, whereas the fashionable minimize and high quality construct look adequate for resort put on. I wore these shorts from the 5 a.m. dock stroll by means of night dinner at our Cabo resort with out trying misplaced anyplace. The low-key Free Fly branding retains issues clear.

Score: 10/10

Sturdiness & Longevity

The ripstop cloth dealt with all the things Cabo fishing may dish out it. Hook snags, boat {hardware}, and normal fishing abuse left no marks. After saltwater publicity, brutal solar, and the wash wanted to get the marlin blood out, the shorts stored their form, shade, and efficiency. The bolstered pockets and high quality stitching present these shorts will deal with years of hardcore fishing.

Score: 9/10

Worth & Worth Level

Free Fly costs these within the premium fishing gear market, and the efficiency backs up the price for critical anglers. The combination of technical cloth, good design, and flexibility for off-water put on creates stable worth. They value greater than primary fishing shorts, however the toughness and multi-use skill make them a wise purchase for devoted fishermen.

Score: 8/10

Put on Take a look at Notes

Cabo’s brutal circumstances create the last word check for fishing gear. Intense UV, saltwater spray, bodily calls for from combating massive fish, and needing to look good off the water push gear to its limits. All through my marlin journey with Tag Cabo Sportfishing, Free Fly’s Topogrid Shorts crushed it in each means. Once I jumped overboard for underwater marlin photographs, the quick-dry tech grew to become apparent immediately. The material shed water quick and dried fast sufficient that I stayed snug for the remainder of our lengthy day. Most spectacular was how straightforward the marlin blood washed out with only one regular wash cycle.

The pocket setup labored nice throughout fishing, with the hidden knife pocket preserving my fillet knife safe whereas the surface pockets dealt with deal with and telephone storage with out including bulk.

The Verdict

Finest For: Severe saltwater anglers wanting guide-quality shorts with model flexibility; anybody wanting technical efficiency that doesn’t look too technical; anglers who fish journeys the place gear must work each on and off the water.

Keep away from If: You want loose-fitting conventional fishing shorts or want tons of pocket storage for deal with.

Total Score: 9/10

After testing tons of fishing shorts through the years, the Free Fly Topogrid Shorts have earned a everlasting spot in my gear bag. They signify the proper evolution of fishing gear: technical efficiency that doesn’t sacrifice model, toughness that handles critical use, and flexibility that works from the dock to dinner. Whether or not you’re combating marlin in Cabo or chasing redfish in Louisiana, these shorts ship the safety and efficiency that hardcore anglers demand whereas trying adequate to put on anyplace your fishing day takes you.

Keith Lusher

Keith Lusher is an award-winning out of doors journalist who resides in Covington, Louisiana. He owns and operates NorthshoreFishingReport.com and writes a weekly out of doors column for the Slidell Unbiased Newspaper. He additionally writes for the St.Tammany Parish Tourism Fee’s VisitTheNorthshore.com. He’s the previous host of The Northshore Fishing Report Radio Present and is on the board of the Louisiana Out of doors Writers Affiliation. Keith contributes to quite a few publications each on-line and in print and prides himself on selling South Louisiana’s distinctive fishery. To contact Keith e-mail: keithlusherjr@gmail.com