Jack Pyke of England Hunter Clothing

Jack Pyke of England are very well known and respected in the shooting and hunting markets, and are making a push into the angling scene in the coming months. A lot of their existing product range is perfect for the specimen angler and are items that anglers have been purchasing without realising that the company were not actually targetting the angling market.

UKMA were recently invited down to the Jack Pyke headquarters in rural Bedfordshire to take a look at some of their products, as well as take some away for review.

Angling clothing is always a personal choice, and with the shops full of different clothing from many different manufacturers, most anlgers will go by their favourite brands over functionality. When we were asked by Jack Pyke to take a look at some of their clothing range to see how it would fair within angling situations and whether it was what anglers require from their bankside apparel, we jumped at the chance.

When we visited the Jack Pyke buildings, we were faced with a large inventory of clothing that the company have designed and developed for the countryside pursuits and after looking at the complete range, we decided that the "Hunter" range of clothing was the best suited to the anglers needs.

The "Hunter" 3-in-1 jacket is exactly as the name suggests - 3 jackets in one package. The package comes as a 2 piece kit which is made up of a fleece jacket and the outer jacket.

I will start with the fleece as this is what most anglers will be wearing on its own most of the time - other than in the dpeths of winter or when it is hammering down with rain. The fleece is showerproof to a very high degree, and could be classed as waterproof, so those unexpected sudden downpours will not drench you to the skin. Jack Pyke have chosen to manufacture the fleece from a double laminated and breathable material, which is also windproof. The soft pile material is very comfortable next to the skin which actually feels warm to the touch. This makes it perfect for putting on first thing on those chilly mornings as you get out of the sleeping bag.
The full length zip on the front of the fleece is of a very high quality and also doubles up as the attachment to the outer jacket, and the teeth of the zip close up very well and during my own testing I have not felt any hint of wind come through the teeth.

Inside the fleece thereis a mesh panel each side which double up as pockets for light items such as gloves or a woolen hat.

On the outside of the fleece, there are two pockets which are deep enough to put items into without having to worry about them falling out. The pockets are lined with a soft material which warms up your hands quickly even when damp as the material draws the mosture off of your skin.

The base of the fleece has an elasticated cord which is adjusted by a spring toggle each side to keep cold air from going up inside the garment.

The cuffs of the fleece are elasticated to create a comfortable but tight fitting to the wrist to again stop cold air from entering the garment. The cuffs can also double up as emergency fingerless gloves as Jack Pyke have fitted a thumb hole into the cuff which keeps the cuff from rising up the forearm as well as some protection from the elements.

The fleece zips into the main jacket by a secondary heavy duty zip fitted to the outer jacket, and is fully secured by loops on the cuffs and collar of the fleece and press stud fasteners attached to the main jacket.

Moving on to the outer jacket, Jack Pyke have thought about the material that they have used to make these items of clothing. As the clothing has been predominantly designed for the shooting fraternity, the last thing that a hunter wants is unwanted noise. We all know that sound coming off clothing when you walk is annoying, especially if you are walking around a lake to get to your swim during the dawn period and waking everybody up who happens to be fishing because your jacket arms are rubbing together and making a noise. The soft material that Jack Pyke have used is as close to silent as you can get when it rubs on itself. The problem with most soft touch materials is that they do not tend to be very waterproof, but this has all changed with this material. The material can best be described as fully waterproof moleskin as the pile is quite tight in construction. At first look at the material you could be forgiven in thinking that it is not waterproof, but I have to be honest and say that it is just as waterproof, if not more water proof than any of the Gore-Tex clothing I have owned over the years. I have worn the Hunter clothing in some horrendous downpours that we have had this year, and not once felt a single drop of moisture come through. Even when exposed to torrential rain, the jacket does not retain too much water and is still light enough to walk around in without feeling as if you have horse over your shoulders.

The outer jacket is comfortable to wear on its own without the fleece which is something of a rarity in this style of clothing. The mesh lining that covers approximately 60% of the interior of the jacket allows the body's heat to push moisture back through the material and stop the external fabric sticking to your skin. The lower part if the interior is nylon lined to allow this section of the jacket to be wiped clean as the lower section is always the first bit that gets dirty or damp - which is the last thing you want affecting the lower part of your back.

The outer jacket has a multiude of pockets as you would expect from clothing of this type. On the front of the jacket on each side, there is a flapped pocket which has elasticated loops fitted into them. These elastic loops are designed to hold shotgun cartridges, but they can be used by the angler to hold items such as lighters, bottles of flavourings, unhooking equipment, etc so they are not rattling around lose in the pocket itself. These pockets are also nylon lined so damp items can be placed in them without worrying about the moisture seaping through to the inside. Directly above these pockets there is an angled pocket that is also nylon lined which you can put your hands into to get out of the wind, but they are not designed to warm the hands up. These pockets have a single press stud fastening so larger items can be put in them without worry of them falling out. On the left side of the jacket inside the main zip baffle, there is a zipped pocket that is handy to place your mobile phone in and keep it secure.

A packaway hood is fitted within the collar of the main jacket. Unlike some other clothing, the hood is not over the top and has been designed to fit perfectly over a baseball cap. The hood is constructed out of a rubber backed PVC which guarantees to be waterproof and shake dry. This allows the hood to be packed away quickly after a passing storm. The hood attaches to the jacket collar by 3 10mm buttons.

On the reverse of the jacket Jack Pyke have come up with a clever and unique system for those that like to keep mobile and carry the minimum of gear. There is a zipped flap on the back of the material (pictured right) which is zipped along 3 sides. When unzipped, the panel can be lowered and offers a waterproof flap that you can sit on to keep the backside of your trousers clean and stop the damp getting through when sat on a log, wall, bucket, etc.

The cuffs on the outer jacket are not elasticated, but have been fitted with a velcro strap that allows the wearer to adjust them for the best comfort in the given conditions.

The Hunter trousers are made from the same material as the jacket. The waist band is 2" in wdth and is pre-elasticated, and Jack Pyke have also included an additional elasticated cord drawstring to fully tighten up to lower the trousers from slipping down when walking, especially in a rain storm. The two hip pockets are deep enough to hold a wallet or other essential items and are lined with a soft cotton-like material which will warm hands up quickly and draw any dampness away from the skin. Each thigh has a flapped pocket which is deep enough not to be simply cosmetic, but functional.

Unlike a lot of over trousers, the Hunter trousers are lined fully from the bottom of the leg through to the waistband. This enables the trousers to be used both as over trousers and as standalone trousers (perfect in the summer if a sudden downpour occurs).

At the base of each leg, Jack Pyke have included a zipped section that allows even the most bulkiest of boots to be worn and still allow the trousers togo over them withouth having to struggle pulling them down. The zipped section also has a press stud fastening halfway along it to minimse material flap in the wind. At the base of the leg, a velcro fastener is present to allow a snug fit around footwear.

On all of the clothing, the seams have all had particular attention paid to them. The stitching is perfect and panels are reinforced on areas where pressure is usually placed upon them, such as the seat of the trousers, and the underarm of the jacket.

Final Thoughts

I will be completely honest. I have had a lot of clothing over the years and I have found that the Jack Pyke Hunter clothing is as good as, if not better, than any of the previous clothing sets I have used. The soft material offers good thermal properties and breathes well in warm weather. I was surprised to find that the material did not hold water like some other similar fabrics, and dried out quickly considering the tight pile. The seat flap on the jacket is what really sold the clothing to me above anything else. I am surprised that it has not been implemented into angling clothing before now as it is such as simple idea. As the seat flap has a rubberised finish to it, it can be wiped clean straight away or even zipped back up slightly damp without having to worry about the rest of the clothing getting wet. As the part which you sit on is the soft material, even the coldest surfaces feel warm to sit on, and we have all sat on a concrete wall when it is cold only to have a flare up of the "Farmer Giles" or "Numb Bum" syndrome - neither of which are very pleasant.

Overall, I cannot find fault in the Hunter clothing. The cut of the material was perfect for me with the legs of the trousers not being too long or too short - something which plagues a lot of other mass manufactured clothing - and I could sit down without fear of having the crotch of the trousers feel like they are trying to castrate me.

The clothing is not the cheapest on the market, but it is by far not the most expensive. The 3-in-1 jacket has a RRP of £125 , which is an absolute bargain for something of this quality and functionality. The trousers have a RRP of £45. One other area that Jack Pyke have paid attention to is the range of sizes the clothing is available in. The Jacket is available in sizes from Small through to XXXL, and the trousers in sizes XX-Small through to XXXL again. Unless you are the size of "Mini Me" or "Giant Haystacks", I am sure that you will find a size to fit you comfortably.

We have also been putting some other items of the Jack Pyke range of clithing through the test, and they will be reviewed in the very near future. Keep an eye open for them.