PISCIFUN REVIEW – Three-layer Waterproof Fishing Jacket

To be honest, I was 2,600 miles away from home when the package arrived. “It’s from a company called Piscifun,” my wife, Julie, explained. “Should I open it?” Absolutely, I told her. Silence punctuated by the tearing of taping and the rustling of paper. Then more rustling. Then more silence. And finally. “Wow,” she said. “This really looks nice.”

This, I eventually learned after my wife finished ‘ooohhhing’ and ‘aaahhing,’ was Piscifun’s new Three-Layer Waterproof Fishing Jacket. So upon my return to southwest Washington and following a brief scuffle to determine rightful ownership of the jacket – NOTE: A nice home-cooked meal and my doing the dishes afterwards helped right any supposed wrongs in the situation, and I was able to ‘borrow’ the jacket for a period of time in order to complete my review – I took the new jacket to the Washington Coast for a morning razor clam dig followed by a stint of beach-based surf perch fishing. 

I must say I agree with my wife in that the three-layer jacket, henceforth known simply as ‘the jacket,’ does indeed look nice. Now, I’m never been accused of being any type of connoisseur of fashion, particularly when fishing; however, the jacket does look quite sporty. I was reviewing the dark blue model, which truth be told appears more black than dark blue. There is pretty green version of the jacket, technically known as ‘lake green,’ giving users a second equally attractive color option.

Sticking with appearance only, the jacket sports red-tipped zipper pulls that contrast nicely with the blue/black background. The PISCIFUN logo has been printed on a narrow hook-and-loop rod holder tab positioned on the upper left cheft, as well as on the inside right forearm and right rear shoulder. Nothing loud and obnoxious, but rather a gentle reminder, per se, of the manufacturer. The word PISCIFUN also appears on the rain flap underneath the full-length main zipper.

Though I’ll get into more detail shortly, the jacket does feature two zippered upper chest pockets, left and right; two traditional hip pockets, also zippered and also left and right; and yet another zippered pocket on the inside left chest, the latter being quite narrow and, with a slight tussle, just barely able to hold my iPhone 14. The jacket also sports a single plastic D-ring on the lower right hip designed, I’m assuming, to secure gear and/or tools, e.g. pliers or a small landing net. The fully adjustable hood uses cinch cording and push-button locks on either side to tighten / loosen the head covering, while a backpack-style suspender system on the inside back allows the jacket to be slipped off entirely, yet still remain quickly accessible should the weather change unexpectedly.

A final note about the jacket’s outward appearance, and that in regards to the reflective ‘piping,’ I’ll call it, running in two lines from the back of the neck up and over the hood, with another single run of similar piping going from the shoulder to the wrist on each arm. At first I thought this merely decorative; however, and as we often collect razor clams after dark by lantern light or fish for steelhead before daybreak, also using lantern or other artificial light sources, the visual safety aspect behind this reflective ornamentation became apparent. Good thinking, Piscifun!

Yes, to me it’s possible to have too many pockets. Pockets that are ill-designed, e.g. too deep or not deep enough. Pockets that are poorly positioned on the garment. Fortunately, the Piscifun jacket suffers from none of these afflictions. The right and left upper chest pockets measure a full 8” wide by 11” deep, with contents secured behind strong waterproof YKK zippers that are heat-welded into place rather than stitched to prevent leaking. The inside pocket (upper left) is a little less robust, measuring just 4.75” wide by 7” long; not as protective, I don’t believe, but plenty strong enough for fishing licenses, permits, or sunglasses.

The right and left hip / hem pockets also use the same waterproof / heat-welded YKK zipper, and sport conservative interior dimensions of 8” wide by 9” deep. The aforementioned plastic D-ring is positioned about the right hip / hem pocket, where anything tethered to it can be safely stored inside the pocket, yet would remain instantly accessible.

I’m 6’3” and #200, so I thought an Extra Large (XL) jacket would suit me fine, and it does. Zippered top to bottom, I have full range of motion with no binding; however, if I wanted to layer underneath, say if the temperatures drop into the 40s, the XL would be reasonably tight and I’d be wishing I’d gotten a 2X. My conclusion there, then, is that (1) the jacket is a mild weather stand-alone garment, or (2) simply go up a size and have room for a bulkier sweatshirt or warmer mid- to outer layers underneath.

The jacket does have two points of adjustment on the right and left hip at the hem, which is a simple yet effective elastic cord loosened or tightened with the aid of two push-lock clips. At first I thought this adjustment a moot point for my use; however, I found it quite convenient when surf fishing, as the jacket could be cinched overtop my chest waders, preventing waves and water from splashing vertically into my underlayers.

An interesting detail brought into play here by Piscifun is the jacket’s interior suspender system, which they call ‘backpack-style shoulder straps.’ I’ll admit; at first I was stymied as to the straps’ implementation and reason for being. Once I saw how they were meant to be used, the lightbulb clicked ON. The weather here in Washington changes every five minutes or so, and I find myself constantly putting a jacket on and taking a jacket off. These straps, then, make it easy to doff the jacket without it ever being out of arm’s reach. Literally. It’s always right there on my back, even if it’s not technically ‘on.’

Neoprene cuffs. I personally am a huge fan of neoprene cuffs, as they can, if done well, keep water out while trapping body heat inside, an undeniable benefit on cold mornings or chilly evenings. The problem with 99 percent of neoprene cuffs, as I see them, is they’re unbearably tight. Uncomfortable. Constrictive, almost to the point of cutting off the blood supply to the hands. Not good. That said, the Piscifun jacket’s neoprene cuffs, being 3” long, are about perfect in terms of length and tightness. Thin wrists? The designers have thought of this possibility, too, and have incorporated hook-and-loop straps overtop the neoprene cuffs to allow the wearer a custom fit, regardless of any long-sleeved underlayers that might be worn.

A jacket – any piece of apparel for that matter – designed and intended for use in the outdoors can look for all intents and purposes the part. It can have plenty of pockets. It can fit well. It can be comfortable. But, and this is a big BUT, if it doesn’t do the job, here to keep me warm and dry while allowing me all the freedom of movement necessary to successfully accomplish the task at hand, then it’s of no real use. Simple enough, I reckon.

The Washington Coast in early May is a good test for any garment said to be warm, dry, windproof, and waterproof, while remaining breathable. After a day of clamming and fishing under a variety of weather conditions, i.e. rain, wind, intermittent sunshine, high winds, and slowing rising temperatures that approached 70 degrees Fahrenheit by the afternoon, I could honestly say the Piscifun Three-Layer Waterproof Fishing Jacket more than held its own. It was, thanks to the combination of a rugged nylon outer shell, ECO polyurethane (PU) membrane that allows water VAPOR out while keeping larger liquid water droplets at bay, and a soft polyester inner lining, as wind- and waterproof as was advertised, without doubling as a sauna on the inside.

Is the Piscifun Three-Layer Fishing Jacket the perfect mild weather outerwear? Given the fact we, as outdoor enthusiasts, are dealing with the unpredictability of Mother Nature, perfection seems almost unattainable; however, this particular jacket comes as close to being a 10 out of 10 as I’ve personally seen.