Salomone: Form follows function.
Anglers with the right gear have no reason to fear Colorado's variable spring weather
Michael Salomone/Courtesy photo
Recent weather should remind everyone spring in the Colorado Rockies can cover a wide spectrum in just one day. From morning white outs and ice-glazed streets to afternoon blue skies, preparing for anything is the best approach.
The necessity for a quality rain jacket is reinforced by an afternoon squall that blows over the ridge, a sudden windswept rain shower or an unexpected snow storm. At altitude, challenging weather shows its face regularly. Thus, the intelligent angler who packs a rain jacket during the unpredictable spring months is the angler still smiling at the end of a drencher.
Anglers search for different things when it comes to rainwear. One angler may desire lightweight, another needs breathability and a third desires the beefiest jacket to be found. The combination of features is what elevates a piece of gear on the necessity scale. Jackets that perform a multitude of functions rank highly. Other merely functional coverings should be relegated to emergency use or as back-ups.
Sure, you can use a disposable poncho if the weather becomes challenging. In a surprise situation, an item such as this can ensure survivability, albeit with a little discomfort.
On the other hand the angler who packs a lightweight, waterproof jacket will weather the storm in comfort, and in most cases, continue fishing. The angler with the correct gear choices will admirably reach for their conveniently packed jacket and smile with pride, knowing they are prepared for mother nature’s variable spring moods.
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If you don’t quite have the correct jacket in your angling arsenal, now is the time to fill that need. Springtime weather in Colorado has an unpredictability to it. Localized storms, microburst rain showers or chilling breezes work against the ill-prepared angler and end time on the water prematurely. Worse yet, it can turn the time you are stuck on the water into an uncomfortable nightmare.
Money well-spent on angling gear requires a bit of thought. This is not the type of purchase I prefer to make online. A rain jacket has to cross off some important functions to deserve the high prices that quality gear demands. I can only truly assess those features by touching. I want to feel the fabric. I want to stretch the cuffs. I need to check the fit and my mobility while wearing the jacket.
These are things I can’t do online. A brick and mortar fly shop like Vail Valley Anglers, however, allows me to inspect the features — durability, packability and fit — while I wade through the decision process. There are no surprises.
Three stellar choices available from Vail Valley Anglers possessing strong points and performance features designed to enhance their function would be the Orvis Ultralight, the Skwala Carbon and the Simms G4 Pro jacket.
The Orvis Ultralight jacket provides proven performance. This jacket delivers as promised. The fabric is comfortable while still functional. If weight is a concern or the determining factor for leaving a jacket at home, the Orvis Ultralight eliminates it.
With the Skwala Carbon jacket, fit and function are key features. A newer name for anglers to recognize, the Skwala company has a few products that make you think, “Ooooo, I like that.”
The Carbon jacket is one product making people pay attention and notice. Features like mobility and waterproof protection as well as a decent degree of packability leave little reason for not having one with you. The impermeable fabric moves with you during activity, flexing and stretching to work as hard as you do.
On the premium level in terms of features and price would be the Simms G-4 Pro jacket, the ultimate in rain protection. Unrelenting torrents of nature test the performance of a garment. The G4 succeeds in the toughest conditions. The Simms jacket does not possess the same degree of packability as the Orvis or Skwala. It does, however, hold the best protection against the harshest wind and rain.
Colorado’s spring fly-fishing season delivers a variety of weather in a single day. The tremendous changes observed morning until evening can leave you soaked and calling it quits. Holding a quality rain jacket that both fits well and performs flawlessly gives anglers a sense of endurance when the conditions get tough.
Go ahead spring, bring it all on. Anglers with the right gear don’t fear the weather.
