Best Merino Wool Jacket for Fly Fishing? FORLOH's reversible Hi-Loft Excels

The Jacket

When I travel for fly fishing trips, it’s an effort not to overpack. Between the gear, tech clothing, and regular clothing, I end up being weighed down with too much. On some of my fishing trips, I’ll be on the water during the day and in a nice restaurant at night. Clothing that can do double duty—functional for fly fishing and good-looking enough to fool people into thinking I have good taste— makes the traveling easier. 

For the River and Around Town

The FORLOH Reversible Hi-Loft Merino Wool Jacket is made to be versatile. It has a reversible design that allows you to switch between a durable, weather-resistant nylon face or a stylish woven wool face, making it suitable for both on-the-water functionality and casual wear around town.

Merino Wool: The Best Material for the Outdoors

The jacket’s insulation is Hi-Loft Merino Wool, offering a combination of benefits: exceptional warmth-to-weight ratio, temperature regulation, moisture management, odor resistance, durability, and it will keep you warm even when wet. I learned a long time ago while guiding in Alaska that wool is the way to go in outdoor clothing. 

Recently, I wore the jacket in Montana while fly fishing the Missouri River. The day's weather progressed from cold to windy, then rain, back to windy, sunny, and finally warm. I never took the jacket off. The wool insulation kept my body temperature consistent. That evening, going to dinner, I turned the jacket inside out to show its more dressy side so it didn't look like I had just walked off the river.

The Tale of Two Shells

The outer shell for the tech side of the jacket is made from 40D Ripstop nylon with a Durable Water Repellent coating, to resist wind and rain. Turn the jacket inside out, and you will be styling a 100% fine worsted wool woven fabric. This is the side that's a little more dressy.  

Pockets for Days

It's got pockets—lots of pockets. For fly fishing, that's a good thing. On the work side of the jacket you have two chest pockets for your fly boxes and whatever else you need to stuff in them, along with two zippered hand warmer pockets. The dressy side has one chest pocket and two hand warmer pockets. The designers put real thought into the practical use of this jacket.

American Made Quality From Beginning to End

The quality is clearly evident the first time you hold the jacket. Everything I've talked about is great, but what really sets this jacket apart from anything else out there is its commitment to quality and American craftsmanship. This can't be stressed enough. This jacket is American-made from the beginning to the end. No sweatshops, no corners cut in quality. The dedication to excellence is evident in every detail, from the durable stitching to the custom-branded snaps. It’s craftsmanship like it used to be. KB

“The gods do not deduct from man’s allotted span the hours spent in fishing.” - Herbert Hoover

_{Some of the gear reviewed in this article was provided to me at no cost for evaluation. The views and assessments presented are entirely my own}