Jack Pyke of England "Hunter" Clothing

English Oak Camouflage

Put To The Test

As an angler, I like to be warm, dry and comfortable when I’m on the bank; I’m not a fair-weather angler and will be out in all sorts of foul, freezing conditions, so when the opportunity comes along to try out some Jack Pyke gear, then I’m not one to turn it down!

In truth, until recently, I didn’t know a great deal about the company, (except for the fact that the highly entertaining Johnny Kingdom is an ambassador for them!) but as with most other companies, the angling ‘grapevine’ is generally a good source of information, so I did know that Jack Pyke has a healthy reputation in both angling and shooting communities for providing quality products which last and do exactly what they are supposed to; hopefully, the English Oak range would fit the bill...

I was lucky enough to be supplied with all components of a modular system; fleece, Hunter jacket and trousers, all made of the same ‘silent’ material and patterned with the disruptive English Oak camouflage, designed to hide the wearer amongst the usual woodland backdrop. (A nice touch; the Jack Pyke logo forms part of the pattern) For stalking, the pattern is ideal for crouching alongside bankside reeds and under cover of surrounding trees, and also provides a muted ‘look’ for the fashion conscious angler whilst on the bank. I would think that the style/pattern of camouflage may be of more importance to the shooter, but it looks great and will be an asset to the thinking angler.

The fleece jacket is designed to worn as a standalone garment or as an inner layer in colder weather. I thought it would perhaps prove a little insubstantial as the material isn’t as thick or bulky as many other comparable items, but this was to proved an incorrect assumption as I stood on both the beach and cliffs in the face of a sharp Easterly wind and found that I was well protected, warm and dry despite the driving rain. The fleece is waterproof (unusual for a fleece) breathable and windproof; a nice touch includes a large flap behind the full length double opening zip which prevents draughts entering through an unprotected zipper. The fleece has plenty of pockets including a Velcro fastening inner pocket for mobile phones, another large inner pocket and very spacious zipped outer pockets. It also has a elasticated drawstring cord which some wearers may find allows them to adjust the jacket to a snug fit which they may prefer. The cuffs are both padded and elasticated to remove the chance of wind or rain into the sleeve area, and the sleeves have enough length to prevent them pulling down towards the wrist when the wearer stretches arms upwards.

The Hunter jacket is a masterpiece of textile engineering with lots of useful features; the outer shell comprises 100% polyester brushed tricot with a laminated membrane to provide waterproofing, and the lining is of polyester mesh and taffeta to render the coat breathable and prevent sweat becoming an issue. Again, the two combine to provide a windproof ‘noiseless’ fabric, essential to stalking quarry when shooting. Like the fleece, the Hunter jacket has a full length double action zipper (top quality zip with a Jack Pyke toggle to assist cold fingers)  which allows the wearer some flexibility when it comes to performing ‘essential functions’ without the need to remove the garment.

Storage space is ample with a huge amount of pockets; an internal (zipped) chest pocket adjacent to the main zip gives a handy space for keys, club cards or other bits, two ideally placed ‘hand warmer’ pockets can be used with an external warmer to provide instant warmth, or just to plunge cold fingers into for some respite from the cold, the two front bellows pockets contain cartridge holders and a load of space for woolly hats, gloves, fly boxes, sunglasses or whatever else you choose to carry with you!

One of my favourite features of this particular jacket is the fold down waterproof seat flap secured by 3 sturdy zips in the rear of the seat which conceals a large flap to allow the wearer to sit on the wettest seat/log/grassy bank without fear of a wet rear end! It’s big enough for the largest posterior, it even fits mine! Additional cleverness is supplied in the form of weather shrouds on the wrist seals to prevent water running into sleeves, Velcro adjusters to ensure a secure fit, press stud fastenings to secure the front zip and ample room in all sizes. There is just one thing I thought could be improved; the concealed hood is secured with three buttons within a Velcro compartment and did feel a little flimsy. I rarely wear a hood as I much prefer a hat, but if you get caught out, then it may not provide as much protection as hoped for. I do appreciate that it is there ‘just in case’ but I consider it a point worth mentioning; not a problem, just an observation, and it certainly doesn’t detract from the quality garment that is the Hunter Jacket.

The Hunter trousers are constructed in much the same way as the Hunter jacket and do provide the same level of outstanding weather and wind protection. Adjustable fastenings at the bottom of the leg mean that the trousers can be worn without the hem dragging through mud or water and can be made to sit to sit snugly against any footwear. The lower zips also allow the garment to be removed easily over boots or shoes.

An elasticated waist guarantees a good fit over any other clothing and removes the need for messing about with buttons and buckles in freezing weather.....The Hunter trousers also have a reinforced seat and knees, so failure in the usual places is extremely unlikely, and it offers additional protection for potentially tender areas when crawling or stalking.  Weather flaps and press stud fastenings ensure nothing is lost from the upper pockets and the two ‘normal’ trouser pockets are deep enough to hold keys, change and other small items.

So; I’ve described the products, but do they really hold up in extreme conditions?? Well, I’ve used them during a few chilly November fishing sessions and despite me being largely immobile, they have kept me warm and dry; I’ve exposed them to a chill Easterly wind and slashing rain on the Whitby coast and again, they did the job......but to really test them, I took them to the fire station and managed to persuade some colleagues to spend their lunch break ‘testing the pump’!!! I asked them to use both spray and jet settings on the high pressure hose reels which produce up to 20 bars (300psi) of pressure to ensure the kit got a good soaking and to try and expose any flaws in the design. I spent around 10 minutes in ‘test conditions’ and no matter how hard they tried to soak me, the Jack Pyke English Oak clothing withstood everything they could throw (or squirt!) at it. I did get a little bit damp around the neck, but this wasn’t the fault of the garments, more the fact that the lads were determined to get at me so resorted to aiming at my head, and to be fair, it would have needed a rubber neck seal to keep it out! When I stripped the kit off, even I was surprised at just how well they had performed.....I was still dry despite the lashing I had just received....

Finally, a little bit about garment care; although the labelling states ‘hand wash only’, I’ve found that a gentle 30 degree machine wash does no damage to the linings or the waterproofing, although higher temperatures may indeed cause some degradation, but as long as care is taken, the items should last for an awfully long time and remain perfectly weatherproof.

So would I recommend the English Oak range? I certainly would if you are looking for a clothing system which will keep you warm, is windproof, waterproof and you need to achieve some semblance of the surrounding countryside! Available from all good outdoor retailers or online at www.jackpyke..co.uk