I definitely go with a large pair of mits. Like most, my hands are out and exposed for most of the time while fishing. I have a pair of Swany mitts that are warm and waterprof and I can easily slide my hands in and out even if my hands get wet. The fleece and whool inside them dry my hands quick and if the insides get damp from that ( rarely) they stay warm regardless. I used to run a chairlift at horseshoe resort all winter, grabbing onto metal with them at -18 most mornings. These things are now 6 years old and warm and dry as the day I bought them.