Poncho San Juan Long Sleeve Shirt

Historically, button down fly-fishing shirts have fallen into two separate design camps: technical fishing shirts that prioritize features, but not necessarily style or appearance; and the opposite–less technical shirts that function adequately on the river, but also look great and can be worn out to dinner, if required.

The recent trend has been a thoughtful hybridization of these two approaches, providing consumers with products that both look great and function in a technical capacity, often repelling bugs, wicking moisture and recently, adding more specific angling/sporting features to the overall design aesthetic.

Many traditional fishing, outdoor brands have been exploring this product space for some time, so the design trend isn’t completely new: Orvis Flat Creek Tech Flannel, Howler Bros Harker’s Flannel, Simms Santee Flannel, Patagonia Fjord Flannel, Stio Hutkeeper Flannel–but the advancements in materials, functionality and sustainability certainly are.

Poncho Outdoors, from Austin, TX, has been singularly focused on creating the benchmark for this hybridized approach to fishing shirts the last few years, and have established themselves as a welcomed entrant to the space. The key elements of their design approach are simplicity (functionality over excessive features), fit (true-to-size), fabrics (high-quality, breathable, quick-drying materials) and sustainability (a commitment to recycled materials).

I’ve been wearing the Poncho San Juan long sleeve shirt for nearly 10 months in many applications, both on and off the river, and it provides the angling consumer a lot to like. The first thing you notice is the fit, which is styled appropriately, but also comfortable with what the company calls “built in stretch.” The 93% nylon, 7% spandex fabric is definitely soft, lightweight and breathable, as they market, but also UPF 50+, which you notice on scorching river days. They also promote the fabric as “drying in minutes”–I’m not sure it’s that fast, but the drying is vastly superior to most of your off-the-rack flannels.

Where the shirt really shines is with a shortlist of understated, but technically superior design features for the everyday angler or outdoorsman: easy-to-open magnetic pockets (don’t wear with pacemakers), zippered chest pocket (for flies, or a phone), pocket slit (to park your sunglasses), arm tabs (to secure rolled-up sleeves for casting), collar snaps (for the skiff ride) and my favorite feature: the built-in lens cloth.

Poncho nailed the clean, functional design, while also providing consumers tons of choice, with at least 100+ designs, ranging from denim, flannel, corduroy to ultra-lite and flats fishing applications. The simple, practical design is a great new entrant to technical fishing space, and we’re excited to see how they evolve the brand.