I was really excited when I saw a medium sized box had been delivered to my apartment. It was just a plain, nondescript, ugly, brown cardboard box that wouldn’t look out of place in a dumpster.
But it made my heart pound. I was like a kid on Chirstmas.
The return address told me all I wanted to know. William Joseph. My wading jacket and rain jacket from one of the most innovative fly fishing companies I’ve come across were finally here.
One of the first things that attracted me to William Joseph was their brilliant magnetic closures on their fly fishing chest packs. One of my biggest frustrations on the water was fighting the zippers on my fly vest. More than once I left a pocket unzipped and dumped a bunch of stuff into the current. William Joseph eliminated that problem (See Jace’s review on the Mag Current chest pack). The other thing that attracted me to William Joseph was their awesome, no questions asked, lifetime warranty. Anyway, I decided to get a new wading jacket because my old one was not waterproof. I found this out a few months after I purchased it. I was on Boulder Mountain during a summer thunderstorm. In 15 minutes I was soaked and freezing. My mind went straight to Willy J’s Squall Jacket I had seen on their website. With such a great warranty, how could I say no?
The first thing that I noticed when I pulled out the Squall wading jacket was that it wasn’t very heavy. I feel this is a plus. I feel more agile on the water when I’m not weighed down by heavy gear. The Squall’s material was supple and quiet. The adjustable cuffs on my old wading jacket were big and annoying; my fly line got caught on them all the time. The adjustable cuffs on the Squall had a slim, narrow profile. To this day, I’ve never had a problem with the cuffs catching my line.
The Squall features fleece lined pockets, which are a lifesaver for your hands on cold days. It features a zippered chest pocket that I love. I stash a camera in it and it’s positioned perfectly. I don’t worry about water getting inside because there’s a small flap that folds over the zipper to keep it dry. It’s in the little details like these that makes the Squall a cut above the rest. The Squall also has big inside pockets that can be used to stash gear if needed.
The hood is amazing. It’s cut like a baseball cap. The brim is long enough to keep the water out of your face but tapers back so it doesn’t hinder your peripheral vision. The hood can be tightened down with the elastic cord for those nasty winter days. The zipper at the top of the jacket, right where your chin is, is fleece lined. This is another amazing, well executed little feature that might not seem like much until you’re out in the cold. When it’s cold outside, who wants a hard, freezing, metal zipper rubbing against their chin? Not me. Thanks Willy J for the warm fleece.
I started using my Squall immediately. It is insulated, but not overly so. On cool, early spring mornings it’s the perfect piece. During the fall I’d wear one long sleeved shirt underneath and I stayed warm and dry all day long. The Squall probably isn’t heavy enough for most to be used alone during the winter, so I wore a fleece jacket under it. I’ve yet to be cold.
The supple, quiet material had me nervous initially. Is it really waterproof? Well, I’ve had the jacket three years now. It has passed every test with flying colors . . . until this past year. I’m not sure if the jacket is getting too worn or what (I wear it for everyday use plus all my fishing) but the last two times I’ve worn it in rain my shoulders have gotten wet. Luckily I had my Willy J rain jacket (that is definitely waterproof) and it saved me, otherwise it would have been a long, wet day of fishing. Before this past autumn though, the Squall handled freezing temps, blizzards, thunderstorms, and blustery autumn weather. It was/is fully waterproof, windproof, and comfortable. The fit is great, and I wear it around town as an everyday jacket because it looks so good. And why not? So now I’ll contact William Joseph and see what they can do for me. I wonder if I just worn the waterproofing right off the jacket . . . I’m not sure. Any ideas? Let me know! But still, I would recommend this jacket just because it has held up extremely well and I have worn it a TON. If you just need a good wading jacket to protect you from freak snow or rainstorms, plus keep the wind out on cold days, this one will do it. If you’re steelheading is the Pacific Northwest though in constant rain, I’d probably consider something with GoreTex instead.
I’m Mr. Brook Trout, and I approved this message.
