Columbia Tamiami II Long Sleeve Shirt

Summertime is in full swing, and it’s been hot and humid throughout most of the country, especially here in Oklahoma. The fishing has been exceptional, but it can get pretty uncomfortable if you are not wearing the right clothing while out at the local fishing hole. Columbia recently sent me their Tamiami II Long Sleeve Shirt to review, and after a series of field tests I have been truly surprised at how it stands up to the heat and rigors of summertime fishing.

The shirt’s innovative Omni-Wick system keeps you cool and allows for maximum breathability—heat escapes your body and isn’t held in, making it perfect for hot-weather fishing or spending days outside in the summertime. In the course of testing, I got the shirt soaked several times, one time well past the lower pockets on the shirt. I was really impressed with how quickly it dried. Columbia’s Tamiami II is an excellent choice if you are climbing in and out of your wet waders as it dries very quickly and, just as importantly, retains its shape.

The shirt is comfortable to wear, lightweight, and has a mesh back to help with air circulation on those extra-hot days, but it is surprisingly tough for being such a thin-feeling material. During one of my field tests, I had a hook catch in the shirt on a short cast out of the kayak. After removing the hook and washing it, you couldn’t even tell where it had passed through the shirt.

Another thing I really like about this shirt is its abundance of pockets, it always seems like there are not enough pockets in a fishing shirt for all of the “stuff” you need to take with you, I find this especially true when wade-fishing a stream or river where you have to carry most of you equipment with you. This shirt has three large, spacious pockets and two smaller easily-accessed pockets, which easily held all of the gear I wanted or needed to carry.

Columbia makes the shirt in a variety of colors and in either a short-sleeved or long-sleeved version. Both shirts have Columbia’s innovative Omni-Shade UPF 40 sun protection system built-in. I prefer the long-sleeved version, and the added UVA and UVB sun protection it provides, especially when I am going to be on the water and in the sun for extended periods of time.

I really put this shirt through a series of rough field tests, fishing from a boat, kayak, and tube, as well as wade fishing, and it held up well while still looking slick. The Tamiami II is available in Dick’s Sporting Goods stores and online here.

Andy and Tami McDaniels

Andy McDaniels is the Sportsmen’s Outreach Coordinator for the National Wildlife Federation’s Vanishing Paradise Campaign. Andy works with hunters, anglers, outdoor media and the hunting and fishing industry throughout the United States. Andy also serves as the Conservation Director of Pro-Staff for Hardcore Decoys and Huntducks.com. He believes that conservation is the cornerstone of hunting and fishing, and he has committed himself to educating hunters and fishermen about the conservation issues that will affect our children and grandchildren. His effort on behalf of conservation and his outreach to hunters, anglers, congressional members, political groups, and citizen action organizations has been monumental. In 2003 and 2004 Andy was recognized for his work on State Wildlife Grants by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. His efforts on the Farm Bill garnered him the esteemed Charlie Shaw Conservation Partnership Award from the National Wildlife Federation in May 2008.

Tami is a graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma. She is a certified English teacher and freelance writer. She has published numerous articles on a variety of outdoor topics. Her most recent articles on outdoor subjects include 10 Indicators of a Quality Guide, The Anatomy of a Hunting Guide Website, Hunting Guides along the Corridor, and First Steps to Get Kids Hunting and Back into the Outdoors. In addition, she is the web content administrator for three websites. Her volunteer work includes managing web and social media sites, writing grants, organizing fundraising activities, and planning community events.