Rating: 10/10 - Buy these now if you want a good pair of gloves!

Pros:
- Cheap, but not cheaply made
- Super warm and breathable
- Surprisingly waterproof
- Fly Fishing is not hindered

Cons:
- Had to turn the brakes back on the baitcaster, but all gloves would cause this

When I saw the Outdoor Blogger Network had a few pairs of Manzella Tracker gloves available for review, I had to jump on the offer. I have been looking for a good pair of waterproof gloves for not only fishing, but for wearing while I try and get through this tough winter (Winter is the only time I hate living in Pa, it lacks consistency!).

Specs:

·       Shell: Water-repellent micro-poly twill
·       Palm: Synthetic suede
·       Lining: Fleece
·       Insulation: 100-gram Thinsulate™ X-Static®
·       Insert: HydroBlok® WPB

Manzella rates their gloves based upon three tiers; Warm, Warmer and Warmest. The Tracker gloves fall into the warmest category.

Build:

I was fairly impressed with the build quality of these gloves. Before I even received them in the mail, I was looking on their site and thought that a $35 pair of gloves weren’t going to be built very well. My mind was quickly changed as soon as I opened the package. The straps and pulls are solid and I really felt like I could ‘use’ them without worry - I can’t say that about previous gloves I have used in this price range.

The palms have a suede overlay that makes gripping a breeze. Even when the gloves got wet, there was no slipping. I was casting my fly rod just as I would without gloves on. The leather ‘trigger’ finger is perfect for holding your slack line. The fly line slips through the leather with ease, but you can really clamp down when you need to keep the line from moving. Even though it was made for hunters, it’s also a great feature for fly anglers. 

Waterproofing:

When I first felt the outside of the gloves, I was pretty skeptical about them being ‘waterproof’. The outside just feels like a heavyweight felt. I tested this claim in a number of ways. First, I simply put them on and put my hand under running water. My hands stayed dry and the water fell right off the gloves. The next test was done in the field – I put my hand in the freezing waters of Kish creek and left it there for 5 minutes. I’m sure if people could see me they would think I was some kind of idiot, but I take my reviews seriously! My hand stayed dry AND warm and it even stayed this way for the remainder of the 6 hour day on the water. The best part was I didn’t have that soggy glove feeling after the day was over. 

Functionality:

One of the reasons I absolutely hate wearing gloves is because I can never seen to function out in the field. Fly fishing in the gloves was pretty easy. I did have to take my gloves off when I was handling fish, but that was more for the fish’s protection than it was anything else. The only thing I couldn’t do in these gloves was effectively use my baitcasting rod without the brakes on. I couldn’t get the feeling right to be able to thumb the spool, but I don’t think that’s possible in ANY pair of gloves. Overall, I like wearing these gloves and don’t really lose any functionality except the fact that I have to turn the brakes on the baitcaster. 

For a mere $35, these gloves are a steal. You’re not going to find another pair in this price range that performs as well as Manzella’s. Be sure to check out all their products at http://www.manzella.com and if you’re looking for more fine blogs to read, head on over to http://www.outdoorbloggernetwork.com!