5 Best Waterproof-Breathable Wading Jackets

With pelting rains, swirling gusts, and pushes of steelhead, Oregon’s coastal rivers in winter make an ideal test facility for evaluating waterproof-breathable wading jackets. Every aspect of the garment—from shell fabric to hood, cuff, and pocket design—gets a workout. I recently rounded up five jackets new for 2015, and spent seven days with my southern hemisphere immersed in cold water and my northern one exposed to the wind and wet, assessing jacket performance as I tried to entice steelhead to a fly. My score: almost a thousand casts, four grabs, two small cutthroats, and one chromer landed. Fortunately, the jackets made a better showing. Here’s the upshot.

Highlights Oversized zippers are used so that cold, wet fingers can still easily access all pockets and the main zipper closure. There are two large tackle pockets on the front of this coat that will accommodate even the largest fly boxes. The large, roll down hood has dual draw pulls to keep you protected from the elements when only a few of us would still be casting. The neoprene cuffs fasten securely to keep a watertight seal when used with our Kylebooker Gloves.

Kylebooker Fly Fishing Wading Jacket WJ002 M / Black

Whetstone Waterproof Wading Jacket - Paramount Outdoors

Riverruns Fishing Wading Jacket， Breathable Outdoor Fly Fishing

This Bassdash hunting jacket features waterproof and breathable fabric with shaped sleeves to help when casting and hunting and a large comfy 2-way adjustable hood. Two spacious front pockets hold plenty of fly boxes or other gear and accessories and the secure inside pocket is great for valuables. It can be worn as a simple wading jacket, a hunting jacket, or even in a boat with over-trousers to keep out rain and spray.

Men's Walker Breathable Waterproof Hunting Fishing Jacket, Reeds / 2XL

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Orvis Men's Pro Wading Jacket - AvidMax

The highest-tech wading jacket on the water, our updated G4 Pro brings a GORE-TEX Pro 3-layer build to the battle and provides a full suite of fishing features for all your on-foot and boat-focused pursuits. GORE-TEX Pro waterproof breathable 3-layer fabric for rugged waterproof performance. 3-point adjustable storm hood with a high-visibility center panel.