A familiar concept, I’ve handled a few pieces of kit like this, including an earlier version from Snowbee. The front of a fishing waistcoat, the back of a day-pack.

I associate this style of technical clothing with river fishing, or at least roving fishing, angler walking the banks of a river or loch. Right or wrong, I also associate these with modern breathable waders which have, I would say, changed the way we fish fairly profoundly.

The Snowbee Pack uses straps to attach the front and back, straps, which can be adjusted to my size, or even finely adjusted to fit me when I’m wearing waders, loosen the straps when I wear a fleece, and a little more over a jacket. From the user perspective that flexibility is frankly ideal, I can be fairly confident this will fit me and that flexibility makes it all the more attractive. Less important I imagine retailers and distributers love that flexibility, so few sizes and options to add stocking costs and consume warehouse/shop space.

On me, the front units are like pods. Numerous pockets and pouches and a couple of built-in coiled retractors. On the outside a couple of zippered pouches for fly boxes, the type of boxes I carry, and a couple of small pockets for tools, ointments and the like. Those pockets work well. Inside I have a few mesh pockets: possibly handy, but anything bulky in there changes the fit.

On the back I have a few small outside pockets, then a large pack space, with several ways of controlling the volume of the main compartment so this shouldn’t flap about. All of the back-pack sits on stiffened and padded back-support. Look harder and you can find a pocket for water bottles, ‘D’ rings for a net and I can fit a rod tube on there using a combination of volume tightening strap and a nylon mesh pocket.

Thoughtful design, tough materials, a good implementation of a useful modern fishing garment.

Price: £99.99
From: Snowbee and stockists
www.snowbee.co.uk/