[Jim Eddie]

OK guys, all of us who braved the elements today must have gone home at least slightlt damp 

My Scierra Aquatex jacket was not to bad but is abour 4 years old and has not nee reproofed so is letting in water at the pressure points.

Ben and Hamish looked fetching in the Orivis numbers  nice looking jacket but a bit out of my price range. Anyone have any reccomendations ?

 

Jim

[Jay Scott]

Good choice Jim! Was going to ask the same question.

My north face jacket actually kept a lot of the water out however i think i might invest in a new jacket with a hood  .

Do they still produce the Aquatex Jim?


Cheers,

Jay

[Jim Eddie]

Don't think so Jay , I think they have moved on to a newer model.

 

Jim

[Rob Brownfield]

If you don't mind not being part of the "fashion set" then I would recommend an army issue gortex jacket. You can get them in cammo, plain olive green or now blue (RAF) and desert sand  .

They have two layers of gortex (proper stuff, not clones that never seem to live upto the original) to protect your shoulders and nape of your neck when used with heavy rucsacs. That means for a fisherman, they are doubley waterproof in the areas you need it. The hood is big too, and wired/peaked to keep rain out your face.

The best thing about them is that they are unlined and the pockets are all chest height. These means you can wade deep or use them in a tube without having to tuck them into waders, and thus having rain run down inside. They also role up very small.

You can get them for £40 brand new from here http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/Strikeforce-Supplies_Goretex-Waterproof-Jackets_W0QQ_fsubZ2QQ_sidZ103305175QQ_trksidZp4634Q2ec0Q2em322 or about £80 from places like Silvermans or Soldier of Fortune.
Hope that gives you something to think about

[Rob Brownfield]

Oh, and if you dont mind spending the money, then look towards mountaineering companies for waterproofs (as apposed to fishing jackets that are meant to be waterproof ). The best by far is Paramo, available from Craigdon and Hilltrek. They used to do horrible, bright colours, but for this year they have brought out a "subdued" rabge for birdwatchers, anglers and the military.

[Bronzebommer]

I splashed out a few years ago on a full set of Musto FPX wet gear, it has never let me down, even in some torrential downpours it has kept the wet out.  When it comes to wet gear I would never compromise. It’s all money well spent. The only problem is that I don’t think they make them anymore.

[Irvine Ross]

I can echo what Rob says about Paramo waterproofs. My Paramo hillwalking jacket kept me perfectly dry yesterday. It must be at least 6 years old and only needs a wash in the Nickwax stiff to keep it waterproof. Its not so expensive if you work out the cost per year. Being a soft material, the hood turns round with your head, unlike heavy gortex, so you don't walk around in blinkers all day

The down side is it's not much good for deep wading or float tubing.

Irvine

[Rob Brownfield]

The down side is it's not much good for deep wading or float tubing.

Unless you tuck them into your waders like most folk do with their jackets anyway

I paid £160 for my Velez Adventure smock 3 years ago..and its replaced 3 very expensive Berghaus/Montane jackets...so much better. It works really well for a fishing jacket as the bottom can be rolled up and held in place with the elastic pullers.

http://www.paramo.co.uk/en-gb/garments/detail/index.php?pgc=NIKWAXANALOGYSMOCKVELEZADVENTUREMENS in Cypress Gren....

[Mike Barrio]

Interesting points there ......

I quite fancy trying one of the smock type jackets. I wear mine everyday and usually end up wrecking two things, firstly the zips ( even on the more expensive jackets ) and secondly if they are lined, the lining at the top of the sleeves

Camo is not my thing I'm afraid

Best wishes
Mike

[Barry Robertson]

Seams alot of people are using Cabelas guidewear now and say its best thing since sliced bread 

[Rob Brownfield]

I quite fancy trying one of the smock type jackets.

Then the Velez by Paramo is the one for you

Used by a lot of mountain rescue teams now as they are rugged and "simple". No fancy bits to wear/tear or fall off

And you can get them in a nice bright orange if you dont want to blend in

[Mike Barrio]

Been thinking about this .... Why do we fishers stick to drab colours? The world is full of bright colours, does it really matter if we wear a red jacket, or a yellow one? Will the fish really care? This is a bit like the discussions regarding fly lines, we like to think that we will catch more fish if our fly line blends in with nature, but I see folk catch plenty of fish on the loch and on the river with bright orange and fluro lime coloured lines

Best wishes
Mike

[Irvine Ross]

Why?
In my case because I read or was told (can't remember which) that it was necessary to blend into the background so you would not spook an alert wild fish. The same reason why we try to get downstream of a rising fish before we cast. Logically you could reason that a bright colour is less important if you are sitting still in a boat. After a short time it just becomes a fixed part of the scenery. But a bright colour suddenly appearing on the river bank and moving closer could be more alarming.

I don't know if it is true or not but it should be easy enough to test.

Irvine

[Mike Barrio]

Hi Irvine

I have always thought that too, but I think it might be the movement that catches their eye more than the colour?

Best wishes
Mike

[Rob Brownfield]

Jan Porter, one of the best match anglers in the world was famous for wearing bright red clothing when fishing.

Bob Nudd wears a bright white hat.

John Wilson can often be seen in a bright red jumper.

One of the carp mags did an article on this very subject, using a diver, camera, fish eye lens and people dressed in various clothing. If the anglers where infront of a tree/bush then virtually any dark colour was hard to see. Dark red, brown, blue, grey, green etc.

When the angler stood with the sky behind them any light colour seemed to work, but blues, greys and yellows were the hardest to see.

They also did an angler in a boat, and basically, if the angler sat down, then the fish if they where within about 15 metres of the boat could not see the angler due to the refraction caused by the water.

I tend to wear drab clothing more to hide froim other anglers then from the fish, as I find that there are many "social" anglers that will often decide that the bit of water next to you is the best bit to fish ..lol