For many of us in the Northern Hemisphere, we’re entering a punishing stretch of cold and darkness. For the diehard fly anglers, you’re dying to go fishing regardless of the temperature. This is where the Simms ExStream Hooded Jacket comes in handy. Either as an out layer or a mid, insulating layer, the Simms ExStream Hooded Jacket offers warmth, comfort, and mobility while fishing in colder temperatures.
We tested this jacket while fishing in Western Alaska in October. Was it cold? Yes. Was it windy? Yes. Was it rainy? Yes. In other words, Mother Nature offered up the best weather to test the jacket.
The ExSteam Jacket uses a stitchless-quilt construction. This means they don’t use needles that puncture fabric, making the jacket more windproof, cold air proof, and water repellent, all while still allowing for breathability. The PrimaLoft® Thermoplume is the best, offering maximum warmth and compression. One of the best things about PrimaLoft® is its ability to retain heat and provide warmth even when wet. Of course, this is ideal for fly anglers for obvious reasons.
Simple, Lightweight, and compressible, our tester wore the jacket as an outer layer underneath his waders with no other outer jacket and found the jacket cozy and comfortable. It is not bulky, and there is no restriction of movement. Also, because it’s longer than a traditional wading jacket when you lift your arms, it will not ride up your waders. When you’re wearing it, not fishing, the length of the jacket comes down, covering your bum. The downside to that is if you are one to wear the jacket outside of your waders, and you’re one of those who feel “you’re not fishing unless your ass ain’t in the water” (literally), it will get wet.
Mother Nature threw her best. Cold, wind, and rain, all at the same time. Regardless, our tester was still comfortable. One feature the jacket doesn’t have is a draw on the hood. With a beanie on top of a brimmed hat, there is no way to tighten and secure the hood, especially for those who rock small heads. So during gusts of wind and long cold boat rides back to camp, the hood would fall back, and you had to hold it.
Cons:
- No draw to tighten the hood.
- Could be “long” for some.
- Runs large.
Pros:
- Lightweight and super packable.
- Highly compressible to wear under waders..
- Warm, and cozy, even when wet.
- No restriction of movement.
While fishing in bad weather, backcountry hikes, or just going to the fly shop, the Simms ExStream Hooded Jacket is a high quality, and easy to wear in various cold and wet weather situations. They say, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.” For those people, they will have the Simms ExStream hooded Jacket in their bag.
Other Gear Reviews:
I received this jacket for Christmas, my wife took her clues well prior Christmas. Anyway this jacket is somewhat of a let down for me, yes it’s nice looking and seems to be well made but it’s far from warm as a stand alone jacket for winter conditions. This jacket would do well as part of your layering regime or for fall/spring weather conditions. I live in an area that -6 C is the norm during January and February and this jacket will definitely not cut the mustard for a 4 hour fishing session on the river. For the price, there are plenty of jackets that will way out preform this Simms Exstream which isn’t Exstream as a stand alone jacket for winter weather. Just telling it as it is friends.