Why they hate sheep.

Thanks to all those that commented on the last blog post, keep it coming and suggestions please for future posts. Here is your punishment for encouraging me.

It’s fall, and there are many many awesome things about fall. Whether you think its berry picking, mushroom picking, hunting season, fishing season, hiking in the cool fall morning air, the tourists going home, the sun not rising so damn early, the wood stove crackling, or countless other things, it doesn’t matter, you should just appreciate this. Take some time, let it soak in.

One of my favorite things about fall, for the last few years anyway, is my wool shirt.
It hangs on the coat rack all summer, ignored, but now, it’s irresistible. So comfortable. Light enough to work outside or hunt or hike in, warm enough to insulate against the chill that comes at either end of the day.
It’s a tight enough weave to fend off a light rain, it will dry on the coat hook by morning.

It’s perfect.

This shirt is made of just plain old wool. Not merino wool.
Merino wool is a whole different animal.
literally. Many will be surprised to learn that wool, comes from sheep. Not wolves. I know I was. “Wool”, “Wolves”, the two sound so similar that you automatically assume they are related.

Turns out no. Wool comes from sheep. It’s sheep hair, or, fur, or whatever. I don’t know what comes from wolves, maybe no one does.

So there is “wool” like my shirt, which has a certain heaviness, and is vaguely scratchy. And there is “merino wool” which comes from a whole different kind of sheep. Merino sheep.

Here is why you really should get some, or a lot, of merino wool clothes.

It’s great. Its soft, it’s warm, its light, it preforms well wet or dry, its anti-microbial. This is interesting, “anti-microbial” is a polite way of saying “stink resistant” and merino wool really is highly stink resistant. I am guessing if you shit in your merino wool underwear everyone around you would know, but short of that, it doesn’t stink. And it last for ever. Merino wool is awesome, regular wool is great, but merino wool is awesome.

If I was writing a “What to get an outdoors person in your life gift ideas list” I would be like , “merino wool base layer, and two mid layers”. The mid layer I am wearing right now for sure has 300+ long days in the field on it, and yes, it looks the part, but so comfortable, warm, dry wicking and almost never too warm. AMAZING!

There are people at Patagonia, REI, Arcterx, First Lite, kuiu and countless other manufacturers that went to school and studied their whole lives to figure out how to make the very best outdoor clothing.

And they got completely outsmarted by a sheep. Dull eyed, shit hanging off its ass and burping up grass. Blew the best outdoor clothing designers right out of the water.

How’s that got to feel? What was that degree for? All the money? All the time? Polypropylene? Really?

Sheep man, give them a second look.

Hey, Monday November 7th is open and I really think you should come fishing. Email jimkerrguides @me.com to book

Jim Kerr

Raincoast guides

Forks Wa

Posted in Winter Steelhead Fly Fishing Report | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

2 Responses to Why they hate sheep.

  1. joe says:

    thanks Jim, as always, you have great perspective.

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