SST

The rain jacket for the serious fly fisherman was and still is the Patagonia SST Jacket (SST stands for salmon, steelhead and trout). The original jacket was released by Patagonia in 1989 and has been for sale ever since. It has undergone several minor changes (mainly color and the jacket got a bit longer) but the main characteristics never changed: wearing comfort, functionality and sheer versatility.

I have had my jacket for many years and now. Last winter I went to fish the Goiserer and Ischler Traun in Austria and the first day was just downright wet and chilly. Never a moment did I feel cold or damp.

This jacket doesn't come cheap, but if you need a jacket for the three cooler seasons you might as well get the best. For summer use it's just too bulky & hot, unless your name is Rolf. He managed to zip up the jacket all the way to his chin during a scorching hot week in Austria. He wanted to prevent ticks crawling into his undies...