When I heard it would rain nearly every day of my recent fishing trip in the Tongass National Forest, I couldn’t help but smile. After all, what better place to test out Sitka’s new raingear than Southeast Alaska? The 49th State’s environment can be absolutely brutal, so your gear has to not only withstand the rain and cold, but it also has to be tough enough to endure abuse on both land and water.
Worn Through Sun And Rain
Unfortunately for me, the weather was absolutely perfect nearly the entire Alaska trip. (I still wore the jacket every day on the water.) But cut to a few days after my return, when the National Weather Service put out a severe thunderstorm warning for my Indianapolis hometown. While my neighbors sheltered in their basements, I donned Sitka’s Cat 5 jacket and bibs to hike in the driving rain. I also wore the jacket during a recent trip to Yellowstone National Park, where I spent a few days fly fishing with guide Jared Cady of Big Sky Anglers throughout the park.
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GORE-TEX Protection Where It Matters
Let’s get the most important thing out of the way first: the Cat 5 jacket and bibs kept me perfectly warm and dry after hours in chilly hard rain. The two are made from a three-layer GORE-TEX laminate, that’s both water- and wind-proof, while maintaining freedom of movement. I wish I could blame the jacket for my poor casting, but it moved surprisingly well. The bibs were incredibly comfortable walking, getting in and out of boats, and so on.
The jacket’s sealed wrist cuffs keep rain out during a downpour, although my inside sleeve did get a little wet when I retrieved my fly rod from the submerged riverbed. (The brown trout I caught was worth a damp shirt sleeve.) The water-resistant chest and side pockets kept my phone and keys dry, while the jacket flaps offer a magnet closure to give the main zipper more protection, as well as an easy-access interior packet. The extended hood helped keep the rain out of my face and rolls up neatly when it’s not needed.
A Comfy Combination
Paired with a wool hat and Showers Pass Cross Point Gear waterproof gloves, the Cat 5 gear kept me nice and warm in near freezing temps photographing Norris Glacier in Alaska. I’m used to hiking jackets with pit zips to help regulate temperature, which the Cat 5 jacket lacks. When fishing the Gibbon and Yellowstone Rivers, we had a temperature swing between 15 and 20 degrees; I never felt cold when the temps hovered under 40 degrees and the warmth was manageable when the mercury climbed into the mid-50’s.
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Built For Rain, Not For Wading
The highly adjustable bibs have a stretchy nylon suspender to keep them up without creeping into the crotch area. A two-way zipper allows you to get in and out of the bibs easily or reach into the pockets of your dry clothes underneath. They also feature a large cargo pocket on the left thigh area to stash a small lure or fly box. A mesh sleeve is sown into the inside knee area to insert pads if you’re kneeling a lot in your boat. There’s a sewn-in D-ring in both the jacket and bibs for you to attach your boat’s killswitch.
(I should note these are not wading bibs; you’re going to want the CrossCurrent GTX Bibs for that. I’ve also been testing Sitka’s impressive new CrossCurrent wading boots.)
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Sizing And Fit
If you’re on the heavier side, as I currently am, the Cat 5 jacket and bibs may not fit perfectly. I’m 5’ 10”, but the XL jacket arms seemed to go on forever. (This is also the biggest complaint about the jacket online.) The L bibs were not only long, but also a bit tight when wearing multiple layers. That’s not Sitka’s fault – I blame too many burritos and beers for that – but it’s something that you should keep in mind if your first stop off the river is your local dive bar for an old Style and cheese curds. For the next generation of the Cat 5 gear, I hope the designers add additional snaps or Velcro to the jacket and pant cuffs to allow for better fit.
Several friends and guides I know have raved about Sitka gear for years, and for good reason. The Cat 5 jacket and bibs may be the best rain gear I’ve tested, especially for tough conditions and environments. For milder weather, they may be overkill, but if the forecast calls for more challenging conditions, they will be the first things I pack. If you’re an angler who won’t let storm clouds keep you off the water, this is the rain gear for you.
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