Any foul weather fisherman knows that a good rain jacket is worth every penny spent. When you are spending 8 to 10 hours in the rain in the hopes of one hook-up you don’t want to worry about getting wet. The Patagonia Guidewater jacket is for the serious angler who wants a high performance lightweight rain jacket that stands up to the elements. Everyone on our guide staff owns a Patagonia Guidewater Jacket and we all agree that it is the best wading jacket available.

The material is lightweight with built-in two way stretch which allows for greater mobility while fishing. The added stretch also makes Spey casting in this wading jacket much easier than your standard Gore-Tex wading jacket. The flush pockets with waterproof zippers add to the streamline fit and don’t get in the way like the traditional billowed pockets. Like most wading jackets, the Guidewater jacket has fleece-lined hand warmer pockets and adjustable waterproof cuffs. The fit of the jacket also allows for plenty of layers for those cold windy winter days but yet still wears well on its own.

The true test came with several rainy days of winter steelhead fishing and two of our guides, Travis Johnson and Evan Unti, wore this Guidewater jacket with great results. After three days of flogging the Sandy River in a torrential down pour, the jackets managed to not seep and stay dry. This bodes well for the Guidewater Jacket considering that heavy rain days typically require two rain jackets. All in all, the Patagonia’s Guidewater jacket is the best wading jacket for the serious angler who wants to fish comfortably in all conditions.

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