Berghaus Men’s Deluge Pro 3.0 Jacket Black

How well is it built?

Hydroshell is Berghaus's own waterproof, breathable fabric, and in the Deluge Pro 3.0 it's a lightweight two-layer construction of 100% polyester with a polyurethane membrane.

The membrane is what keeps rain out while letting sweat vapour through, and the two-layer build is a big part of why the jacket stays so light.

The fittings are simple and practical. A storm flap runs over the front zip, the hood is fixed with single-point adjustment, the cuffs are half-elasticated and there's a drawcord at the hem.

Two zipped hand pockets take care of keys, a phone or a few small bits of tackle, and they keep them secure when you're scrambling down a steep bank.

It's a clean, well-made outdoor jacket with nothing fussy about it, and the only thing holding the score back is that it isn't as heavy-duty as the Berghaus Kielder Gore-Tex InterActive Jacket with its two-layer Gore-Tex fabric.

For a featherweight shell, I think 8.4 is about right.

Weather Protection

Its 12,000mm hydrostatic head is comfortably above the 10,000mm level that handles showers, so the Deluge Pro 3.0 should cope well with a wet afternoon.

For prolonged, heavy rain, the Kielder's 28,000mm Gore-Tex has far more in reserve, and that's the main reason this one scores a little lower.

Breathability is where it shines. At 21,000 grams per square metre over 24 hours, it should let sweat escape well when you're walking a river bank or climbing to a swim, which is when a less breathable jacket starts to feel clammy inside.

The storm flap protects the zip from driving rain, and the drawcord hem helps stop wind blowing up underneath.

Is the hood up to a wet day by the water? The single-point adjustment lets you snug it down, and the half-elasticated cuffs keep rain from running up your sleeves. An 8.4 reflects good everyday protection in a very light package.

Comfort & Fit Rating

Low weight is the big selling point, and you'll hardly know it's on. It's light enough to carry in a rucksack until the rain arrives, the back length is 79cm in size L, and sizes run from XS to 3XL, so most builds are covered.

As a shell, it's built to go over your warm layers rather than replace them, which makes it adaptable through the year. In summer you can wear it over a T-shirt, and in winter it goes over a fleece or an insulated layer such as the Fortis Thermal Trail Jacket.

The half-elasticated cuffs and drawcord hem let you tweak the fit around your wrists and waist.

For me, a light shell like this is the most comfortable kind of waterproof for anglers on the move, and the 8.5 reflects that. Static anglers in midwinter will want something warmer, though, such as the insulated Trakker Techpro Thermal Jacket, or plenty of layers underneath.

Is it good value for money?

As a mid-priced shell, it's dearer than the Navitas Aquaguard 20K and well below the Kielder Gore-Tex, and the Berghaus name brings a well-made outdoor jacket that works just as well on a dog walk or the commute as it does on the bank.

What you're paying for is the light weight and very high breathability, which are the two things that matter most when you're walking.

If you mostly sit in one swim through winter rain, a heavier 20,000mm-plus fishing jacket makes more sense, but if you walk a lot, the Deluge Pro 3.0 pretty much covers you all year, from summer showers to wet autumn days.

Overall, I'd recommend it to anglers who fish on the move, such as river anglers who rove between swims and anyone with a long walk to the water, and to those who want one light waterproof for fishing and everyday wear, so it earns its keep off the bank too.