In southeast Wyoming, early April is not spring yet, but full-on winter is mostly behind us. It’s a month of gray days, gale-force winds and intermittent snow. The good news is that it’s the first month of open water fishing and there are big fish to be had if you’re willing to endure the elements to catch them.
Enter the Trinity jacket from Aquaz.
The temperature was hovering around 20 degrees and the wind speed around 30 mph. The first thing I noticed about the Trinity was that it’s cut with room enough for some layering. I wore a heavy wool sweater and a vest under it, and still had room to move freely. The second thing I noticed was the wind and water proofing. The manufacturer says this jacket is made to last in extreme environments. It stood up to wind-driven sleet and snow without a hitch. I found that I could zip everything shut when it was snowy and windy and stay warm and dry. I also found that I could open the air vents, flip back the hood and unzip the collar when the wind backed off and the sun came out. The temperature regulation and breathability were excellent. The pockets are huge, big enough to take the place of a sling pack.
And that brings up the best part about this jacket: the left chest pocket. The Aquaz folks say it took a high-end designer a long time to get it right. Mission accomplished. As I said, it’s huge. But more important, it’s smart. You can use the top zipper to load your tools, then pretty much forget it. Hang your forceps and nippers with zingers on the D-rings, then access them through the side zipper. It’s awesome, and if you were a spey caster it would be essential.
This is not the sort of jacket you crumple up and stick in the pocket of your daypack. It’s hardcore gear for hardcore anglers who fish in miserable conditions. It’s a ton of protection for a reasonable price. It has replaced my old wading jacket that cost a lot more.
$279.99 , aquazfishing.com