Murray Brothers Guide to Fishing UV Shirts

When you talk to legends like Ed and Frank Murray, who have spent decades battling monster fish in the toughest saltwater tournaments on the planet, you quickly learn a crucial lesson. Winning isn't just about having the best rod and reel. It’s about endurance, performance, and having the gear that lets you outlast the competition—and the sun. This is where the high-performance fishing UV shirt comes in, not just as apparel, but as essential armor for any serious angler.

The Modern Angler’s Most Essential Gear

In the world of saltwater sportfishing, endurance is everything. Guys like the Murray Brothers didn’t build their legendary careers on one lucky catch. Their success, and their place in sportfishing history, was forged over thousands of hours under a relentless, baking sun in the most competitive tournaments in the world. They learned the hard way that their biggest opponent wasn't always a grander marlin, but the brutal, unforgiving environment of the open ocean.

That's why this guide dives into a piece of gear they consider as vital as any custom rod or tournament-grade reel: the modern fishing UV shirt. It’s your first line of defense out there, a tool engineered for more than just comfort—it’s built for survival and peak performance when you need it most.

A Lesson Forged in Saltwater Tournaments

Picture the heat of a multi-day saltwater tournament in the Bahamas or the coast of Mexico. The sun is scorching, its rays bouncing off the water and hitting you from every angle. It feels like an oven. In these conditions, dehydration, heat exhaustion, and a wicked sunburn aren't just minor annoyances. They're tactical liabilities that can drain your focus and cost you a tournament win. The Murrays, as sportfishing legends, knew this better than anyone.

Their time on the water taught them that a real competitive edge comes from managing your energy and staying sharp. A high-performance UV shirt helps you do exactly that.

• It blocks punishing radiation. Think of it as a shield, deflecting the harmful UV rays that cause skin damage and slowly sap your energy over a long day.
• It helps control your core temperature. Modern fabrics are designed to pull sweat away from your skin, creating a cooling effect that keeps you dry and focused during a long, tough fight.
• It boosts your endurance. By fighting off the physical stress of the sun and heat, a good shirt lets you stay on the water longer, fish harder, and make the right call when a fish is on the line.

This is about so much more than just preventing a sunburn. For a professional angler, smart sun protection is about career longevity. It’s what allows you to be on the water, at the absolute top of your game, for years and years.

More Than a Shirt—It's Armor

Back in the day, a simple cotton t-shirt was the go-to. But as sportfishing got more competitive, the gear had to evolve with it. Ed and Frank Murray were on the front lines of that evolution, seeing firsthand how specialized apparel could make or break a day on the water. They understood that the right shirt wasn't just clothing; it was a piece of performance technology.

This guide is built on those same hard-won lessons from sportfishing history. We're going to get into the nuts and bolts of what makes fishing UV shirts so indispensable, from the science behind UPF ratings to the specific features that the pros demand. Consider this your inside look into the mindset of a legend, where every single piece of gear is chosen to give you an edge over the elements.

From Cotton Tees to High-Tech Shields: How Fishing Gear Grew Up

Picture the early days of big-game sportfishing. For pioneers like Ed and Frank Murray, heading offshore for a marathon battle with a marlin didn't involve the high-tech gear we have now. Their go-to was often just a simple cotton t-shirt—something that felt fine on the dock but was completely outmatched by the brutal sun and salt of the open ocean.

Back then, the history of saltwater sportfishing was all about grit. Anglers relied on pure endurance to get through the day, but their gear just couldn't keep up. The price of a long day on the water was often a nasty sunburn and the draining effects of heat exhaustion. That humble cotton tee, comfortable as it was, turns into an angler’s worst enemy at sea.

The Trouble with Old-School Cotton

Cotton’s biggest flaw on a boat is how it handles moisture. Think of it like a sponge. The moment it gets wet from sweat, spray, or a passing shower, it clings to that water for dear life. A wet cotton shirt gets heavy, sticks to your skin, and loses any warmth it might have offered.

Instead of keeping you cool, a soaked t-shirt can actually make you colder if the wind picks up, leaving you with a clammy, uncomfortable chill. Worse yet, it offers next to no real protection from the sun. Your standard white cotton tee has an Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) of maybe 5, and that number plummets when it gets wet, leaving you dangerously exposed.

For professional fishermen like the Murray Brothers, who logged thousands of hours in grueling saltwater tournaments, these weren't just small annoyances. They were serious disadvantages that could sap your energy and break your focus right when you needed it most.

The Move to Performance Fabrics

The need for better gear kickstarted a huge leap forward in apparel technology. Anglers needed clothing that would actively work for them, not against them. This demand paved the way for synthetic performance fabrics, designed from the ground up to handle the unique challenges of outdoor sports.

This wasn't just a small step; it was a complete evolution in fishing apparel, driven by new tech and a much deeper understanding of sun safety. Modern fishing UV shirts are now made almost exclusively from synthetics like polyester and nylon. These materials are engineered with a special weave that blocks 98% or more of harmful UV rays—a world away from the flimsy protection of a cotton shirt. If you're curious about the industry trends, marketintelo.com offers more detailed insights on the UV fishing shirt market.

The shift from cotton to synthetics wasn’t just about looking different; it was a strategic upgrade. It was about turning clothing from a simple covering into a vital piece of performance equipment.

Materials like polyester and microfiber completely changed the game. Unlike cotton, these fabrics are hydrophobic, which is a fancy way of saying they hate water.

• They Wick Moisture: Instead of soaking up sweat, they pull it off your skin and push it to the outer surface of the shirt to evaporate. This is what keeps you feeling dry and helps your body cool itself efficiently.
• They Stay Light and Airy: Even when they get damp, these shirts don't get heavy or bog you down like a wet cotton towel.
• They Have Built-in Sunblock: The very tight weave of the synthetic fibers creates a physical barrier that stops UV radiation from ever reaching your skin. It’s reliable protection that doesn’t wash out.

This huge jump in technology was born out of pure necessity. In the high-stakes world of professional saltwater sportfishing tournaments, where a moment's lapse in concentration can be the difference between a trophy and a lost fish, every piece of gear has to help you endure. The modern fishing UV shirt is the direct result of that evolution, built on the lessons learned by legends like the Murrays out on the water.

How UPF Ratings Protect You on the Water

Think of a fishing UV shirt as a full-body sunscreen you never have to reapply. The real magic behind this protection is its Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF), a rating that tells you exactly how effective your gear is at blocking the sun’s harsh rays.

For seasoned pros like Ed and Frank Murray, whose sportfishing experience includes countless hours battling fish in offshore tournaments, a high UPF rating wasn't just a nice-to-have feature—it was essential. Out on the open water, the sun beats down relentlessly, and its reflection off the surface doubles the exposure. In that environment, a great UPF rating is a critical piece of equipment that protects your skin and saves your energy for the long haul.

Decoding UVA and UVB Rays

The sun throws two main types of ultraviolet rays at us: UVA and UVB. I like to think of them as two different kinds of attackers. UVA rays are the "aging" rays—they dig deep into your skin, causing wrinkles and long-term damage over time. UVB rays are the "burning" rays; they're the culprits behind that painful, trip-ruining sunburn.

A top-notch fishing UV shirt is specifically engineered to block both. It acts as a physical shield, stopping these harmful rays before they even touch your skin. It's a comprehensive defense that sunscreen alone can sometimes miss, especially in those hard-to-reach spots. If you want to get into the weeds on this, you can learn more about the key differences between a fishing shirt's SPF and other sun protection methods.

This chart paints a clear picture of just how massive the protection gap is between a regular cotton t-shirt and a purpose-built performance fishing shirt.

As you can see, the performance shirt is in a completely different league. It's no wonder it has become the gold standard for any serious angler who values their skin and their time on the water.

What UPF 50+ Really Means

When a shirt boasts a UPF 50+ rating, it's telling you it offers the best sun protection you can get in a garment. This isn't just marketing fluff; it's a scientifically verified measurement of its blocking power.

A UPF 50+ rating means the fabric lets only 1/50th—or less than 2%—of the sun's UV radiation through. To put it simply, it blocks over 98% of both UVA and UVB rays. That's a reliable, all-day defense you can count on.

To give you a better sense of these ratings, here's a quick breakdown of how they translate to real-world protection.

UPF Rating and UV Protection Levels

UPF Rating	UV Protection Category	UV Radiation Blocked
15, 20	Good	93.3% - 95.9%
25, 30, 35	Very Good	96.0% - 97.4%
40, 45, 50, 50+	Excellent	97.5% - 98%+

This table makes it clear that aiming for a UPF 50+ rating provides a significant and meaningful upgrade in your defense against sun damage.

This level of protection is a total game-changer. It takes the constant worry of reapplying sunscreen off your mind, letting you focus on what really matters: fighting the fish, not the burn.

The Science Behind the Shield

A shirt doesn't just accidentally end up with a high UPF rating. It's the result of smart fabric engineering, where several key factors work together to create a powerful barrier against the sun.

• Fabric Weave: The tighter a fabric is woven or knit, the smaller the gaps between the threads. This physically blocks more UV rays from ever reaching your skin, which is a huge factor in the final UPF rating.
• Fiber Type: Synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon are naturally better at deflecting UV radiation than cotton. Their very structure helps absorb and scatter the harmful rays.
• Color: As a general rule, darker and more vibrant colors absorb more UV radiation than lighter shades, giving them a slight protective edge. That said, with today's advanced UPF 50+ fabrics, the weave and material are doing the heavy lifting, so color is less of a factor than it used to be.

For guys who live and breathe sportfishing, understanding this stuff is part of the strategy. Choosing a shirt with a guaranteed UPF 50+ rating—like the ones inspired by what the Murray Brothers needed on the water—means you're picking gear that's been tested and proven in the most intense conditions imaginable. It’s an investment in your safety, your comfort, and your ability to fish harder and stay out there longer.

What Professionals Demand from Their Gear

For sportfishing legends like Ed and Frank Murray, who spent their lives competing on the water, a fishing shirt that only blocked the sun would be like a boat that only floated. It’s a nice start, but it’s not going to win you any tournaments. The brutal conditions of saltwater sportfishing require gear that pulls its weight in more ways than one.

A top-tier fishing UV shirt is a piece of finely tuned equipment. Every single feature has a job to do, helping an angler stay focused, comfortable, and ready for that moment the bite comes.

Decades of competing in the world’s biggest saltwater tournaments taught the Murray Brothers that the little things become huge over a 12-hour day on the water. It’s not just about the UPF rating. It's about a whole suite of performance technologies working together, turning a simple shirt into a genuine competitive edge.

Keeping Cool When the Pressure Is On

The fight against a trophy fish is intense, but the battle against the sun and humidity never ends. In the tropical climates where big-money tournaments go down, sweat is just a fact of life. This is where moisture-wicking fabric isn't a luxury—it's essential.

Think of it as your body’s own smart cooling system. Instead of getting soaked like a cotton tee, the synthetic fibers in a performance shirt actively pull sweat away from your skin. That moisture gets spread out across the surface of the fabric, where it can evaporate in a flash.

This process is a one-two punch for comfort:

1. It keeps you dry. A dry angler is a comfortable angler, not a sticky, clammy mess.
2. It cools you down. Evaporation is nature's air conditioner. By speeding it up, the fabric helps regulate your core temperature, keeping you from overheating and burning precious energy.

For a pro, staying cool isn’t just about comfort; it's about staying sharp. Overheating kills your focus and leads to bad decisions. Moisture-wicking tech is a non-negotiable feature for maintaining peak performance when everything is on the line.

Quick-Drying and Vented for All-Day Comfort

Out on the ocean, getting wet is part of the gig. Whether it's spray coming over the bow, a rogue wave, or the splash from a big fish hitting the deck, a wet shirt can be a real problem. That’s why modern fishing UV shirts are engineered to be quick-drying.

This feature is critical. It keeps you from getting a sudden chill when the wind picks up or the sun ducks behind a cloud. A rapid-dry shirt won't stay weighed down with water, returning to its light, comfortable state in minutes, not hours.

To take it a step further, the best shirts are designed with strategic ventilation, a lesson learned from thousands of hours spent in hot, humid air. You’ll want to look for features like:

• Mesh Panels: Often tucked under the arms or along the back, these act like exhaust vents, letting hot air out and fresh air in.
• Vented Backs: Some button-down styles have a hidden mesh-lined opening across the shoulder blades, which is a game-changer for airflow.

These features work hand-in-hand with the moisture-wicking fabric to create a microclimate around your body, keeping you as cool and dry as humanly possible.

Built for the Grind: Stain and Odor Resistance

Let's be honest—sportfishing is messy. You’re dealing with bait, chum, fish slime, and blood. Stain resistance is a surprisingly important feature that keeps you from looking like a mess, too. Pro-grade fabrics are often treated to repel liquids and grime, making it much easier to wash out the signs of a good day's work.

Just as critical is antimicrobial treatment. When you’re sweating for hours in the heat, bacteria starts to grow in the fabric, and that’s what causes odor. An antimicrobial treatment stops that bacteria in its tracks, keeping your shirt from getting funky.

This isn’t just about being a good boat mate on the ride home. For multi-day tournaments, it means your gear stays fresh and wearable day after day. You can see how all these details come together in our guide to performance fishing gear and clothing.

Every one of these features was born from necessity in the demanding world of professional sportfishing. They are the hard-won lessons from legends like the Murrays, who understood that to be the best, your gear has to be every bit as tough and resilient as you are.

How to Choose the Right Fit and Style

Picking the right fit for your fishing UV shirt isn't just about how it looks—it's a strategic move. For legends like Ed and Frank Murray, whose experience comes from grueling, multi-day saltwater tournaments, every piece of gear was chosen for a reason. The cut, the style, even the color of a shirt can make or break your comfort, mobility, and stamina out on the water.

When it comes to fit, you’re generally looking at two camps: a roomy, relaxed fit or a more athletic, form-fitting cut. Neither is "better" than the other. The right choice really comes down to where you're fishing, how you're fishing, and what feels best to you.

Finding Your Perfect Fit

The relaxed fit is the old-school favorite for a lot of offshore guys, and for good reason. A looser cut lets the air flow, creating a nice breeze between the fabric and your skin. On those long, scorching days spent trolling under an open sky, that circulation is a game-changer for staying cool and keeping heat exhaustion at bay.

On the flip side, an athletic or tailored fit sits closer to the body. This streamlined cut is fantastic when you’re constantly moving—casting a line or scrambling around the cockpit during a wild fight. A snugger fit means no loose fabric to snag on a reel handle, rod butt, or cleat right when it matters most. It keeps your gear out of your way.

The Murray Brothers knew this balance by heart. Their experience taught them that the best shirt gives you total freedom to move without becoming a snag hazard. You want just enough room to cast all day long, but not so much that your sleeve gets tangled in the reel when a fish is on the line.

It's no surprise that the demand for high-performance fishing gear is climbing. More and more anglers get it—sun safety and comfort are key to spending long days doing what we love. This corner of the apparel market is actually projected to grow at a rate of about 2.6% annually from 2024 to 2030, all because people are starting to appreciate these technical details. For a deeper dive, you can check out this report on the fishing apparel market's growth.

The Undeniable Case for Long Sleeves

Sure, short-sleeve shirts are out there, but ask any seasoned pro and they'll tell you: long sleeves are non-negotiable for serious sun protection. Think about it. The Murrays built their sportfishing legacy under the harsh offshore sun, so covering their arms wasn't a fashion choice—it was a survival tactic. A long-sleeve shirt gives you a solid, reliable barrier from your wrists all the way up to your neck.

Modern fishing UV shirts are so incredibly light and breathable that you won't overheat. In fact, by blocking the sun's rays from hitting your skin directly, they often make you feel cooler. It's the simplest and most effective way to keep sun exposure to a minimum.

Color and Sizing Considerations

Ever wonder why so many professional anglers wear light colors like white, baby blue, or seafoam green? There's a practical reason behind it.

• Heat Reflection: Lighter colors are great at reflecting the sun's energy, whereas dark colors just soak it up. A light-colored shirt will physically absorb less heat, which helps keep your body temperature down.
• Visibility: From a safety standpoint, bright and light colors also make you easier to spot on the water.

When it comes to sizing, your top priority should be total freedom of movement. You need to be able to make a full cast without feeling the fabric pull tight across your back and shoulders. If you find yourself stuck between two sizes, it's almost always better to go up a size to guarantee you have that range of motion. This is the philosophy behind the Murray Brothers' gear; their UPF 50+ moisture-wicking fishing shirt is built by anglers, for anglers, with every movement in mind—a design born from decades of real-world experience.

Caring for Your High-Performance Fishing Gear

Think of your UV fishing shirt as a crucial piece of gear, right up there with your favorite rod and reel. It’s not just a shirt; it’s a high-performance tool. And just like any good tool, it needs a little care to keep it working at its best. The technical fabrics that keep you cool, dry, and protected from the sun are tough, but the wrong kind of washing can wreck them.

Taking a few minutes to care for your shirt properly is an investment. It ensures that it will be there to shield you from the elements on countless fishing trips, keeping its protective qualities and comfortable feel for years to come.

The Enemies of Performance Fabric

You'd be surprised what can damage technical apparel. Many standard laundry products are actually the worst enemies of the advanced polyester fibers in your shirt. These chemicals can clog the very pores of the fabric that make it work, or even cause the fibers to break down.

To keep your gear in fighting shape, you need to avoid a few key things:

• Harsh Detergents and Bleach: These are way too aggressive. Over time, they can weaken the synthetic fibers and degrade the tight weave that gives the shirt its incredible UPF rating.
• Fabric Softeners: This is the big one. Fabric softeners leave a waxy film that completely clogs the microscopic channels in the fabric. This instantly kills its moisture-wicking ability, turning your breathable, cooling shirt into a sticky, swampy mess.
• High Heat: Your dryer can be a killer. Extreme heat can literally melt or warp the synthetic fibers, causing them to shrink, lose their shape, and forfeit their stretch.

Think of your performance shirt's fabric like a high-tech sponge with tiny pores designed to pull moisture. Fabric softener is like filling those pores with wax—it stops the system from working as intended, and the damage is often irreversible.

Best Practices for Longevity

The good news is that caring for your shirt is incredibly simple. You don't need any fancy products or equipment. Just follow a few basic rules, and it’ll perform like new, season after season.

Washing Instructions

1. Turn It Inside Out: This simple step protects the outside of the shirt from getting snagged or roughed up in the wash.
2. Wash with Cold Water: Always use a gentle cycle with cold water. This prevents heat from damaging the sensitive fibers.
3. Use a Mild Detergent: Look for a simple detergent without any added dyes, perfumes, or, most importantly, softeners.
4. Wash with Like Items: Don't throw your performance gear in with heavy stuff like jeans or towels. The friction can cause pilling and unnecessary wear and tear.

Drying Instructions

For the best possible results, always hang your shirt to dry. Seriously, this is the single best thing you can do for it. The fabric is designed to be quick-drying, so it’ll be ready for your next trip in no time. If you absolutely must use a machine, make sure it’s on the lowest heat setting available—or better yet, a no-heat, tumble-only cycle.

Frequently Asked Questions

When you’ve spent as much time on the water as sportfishing legends Ed and Frank Murray, you learn a thing or two about what works. Here are the real answers to some of the most common questions we hear from anglers, based on decades of tournament experience.

Does UPF Protection Wash Out Over Time?

For a well-made shirt, absolutely not. The sun protection in high-quality gear comes from the fabric's incredibly tight weave and the engineered fibers themselves. That means the protection is permanent and will not wash out, no matter how many times you run it through the laundry.

Some cheaper shirts, on the other hand, get their UPF rating from a chemical coating that can definitely wear off over time. That's why seasoned pros always stick with gear that has inherent protection woven right into the material. Just follow the care instructions on the tag, and a quality shirt will keep you covered for years.

Is a Dark or Light-Colored UV Shirt Better?

Nine times out of ten, a light-colored shirt is your best bet for a long, hot day on the water. Lighter colors are simply better at reflecting the sun's heat, which makes a huge difference in keeping you cool and comfortable when you're out there for hours.

While a dark shirt might technically absorb a fraction more UV radiation, the difference in protection is basically nothing when you're talking about modern UPF 50+ fabrics. The real-world advantage comes from staying cool, which is why you see so many pros in light-colored gear.

The name of the game is heat reflection, not a tiny difference in UV absorption. Staying cool means staying sharp, and that’s a lesson you learn quickly in the world of professional sportfishing.

Is a UV Shirt Better Than Just Using Sunscreen?

Yes, for the parts of your body it covers, a fishing UV shirt offers far more reliable protection. Think of it this way: a UPF 50+ shirt is a constant, physical barrier. You don't have to reapply it, and you can't sweat it off during a tough fight with a big fish.

Of course, sunscreen is still critical for any exposed skin—your face, neck, ears, and hands need it. But a high-performance shirt is your baseline defense. It's the fail-safe that lets you focus on fishing instead of worrying if you missed a spot or when you need to reapply lotion.

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At Murray Brothers, we build the kind of legendary gear that only comes from decades of tournament experience. Our high-performance fishing apparel is angler-approved and battle-tested to keep you protected on the water.

Shop the official Murray Brothers collection now