Smart anglers layer their clothes to meet the challenges of ever-changing conditions, whether they’re on a trout stream on a moody May evening or standing knee-deep in a steelhead river on a chilled October morning that turns into a blue-bird afternoon. Finding the right clothing “cocktail” can be a challenge, given just how frequently Mother Nature changes her mind.

When I planned the trip earlier in the year, I was told the late May week I’d booked was typically in the heart of the annual striped-bass run. I heard stories of anglers hooking a hen and when they stuck the net into the water, two bucks jumped in after her. As the old adage goes, I was to expect so many fish feeding topwater that I’d be able to walk across the river and not get my boots wet. It wasn’t unusual to put more than 100 stripers in your boat, they said.