hilltrek

John Green of Hilltrek is seen on the left is relaxing with Robbie MacIntosh of Anatom at the Scottish Game Fair at Scone in glorious sunny weather

We had a very sucessful Scottish Gamefair last weekend where we introduced our products and services to many new customers.

There was much interest in our Dee Wading Jacket and in our made to measure service.

Field Sports users are very familiar with Goretex but not with the atttributes and benefits of Páramo, Nikwax Analogy and Cotton Analogy.

Sometimes we felt like missionaries rather than an outdoor clothing business!

We also had Superfeet, Anatom Boots and Teko Socks on the stand from Anatom.

Are our products taking off at the Game Fair?

The River Dee at Potarch Bridge now has a live webcam. Right now its showing the heavy snow falling on Deeside but its not that cold as the river Dee has no ice on it. The webcam is located on the roof of the fishing hut located next to the Portarch Bridge. Excellent viewing for fishers or those that just like viewing the river. Thank you to the ButterWorth Gallery blog for bringing the webcam to our attention.

Ken Reid Fisheries Development Officer at the River Dee Trust tested our Dee Wading Jacket in Iceland in a recent trip. Here is his story:

I visited Iceland in some of the wonderful salmon fishing on offer; there are so many fabulous rivers in this country sitting at the roof of the world. It’s been a must go venue to me for some time so when the opportunity arose over a beer with a friend in Argentina in January, I knew I would have to take the opportunity. Having fished in a number of countries around the world where you can encounter cold, wet and windy conditions, I knew Iceland would be no different. Prior to flying out though I paid a visit to Hilltrek to speak to owner Dave Shand as I was intrigued to hear about their bespoke facility for fishing jackets. Dave explained the principles around the design of their jackets using top quality materials which have stood the test of time such as Ventile. I was delighted to be given a jacket to field test and promised I would report back my findings in due course after it had been given a decent workout. The jacket was technically sound and had all the features I like to have in jackets I use when fishing around the world.

I met up with friends in Reykjavik and we organised our provisions needed for our visit to the Laxa in Adaldal River in the north of the Iceland . Ahead of us was a drive from the south of Iceland to the north via the town of Akyureyri and onto our fishing lodge, where we would meet up with other anglers staying at the Veidiheimilid Arnesi Lodge. We had 3 days fishing at this venue and then we headed back to the south west of Iceland to fish on the Holsa Thvera River , where the famous East and West Ranga Rivers enter it beside the lodge we were to stay in. I somehow managed to leave the big Laxa River having picked up the wrong wading jacket, however a phone call notified me of my mistake and the jacket was promptly retrieved to much hilarity from the lodge manager, who wanted to keep the jacket for himself. The journey over the highlands of Iceland was quite dramatic as the weather was a lot colder than back in Scotland , there were fresh snowfalls on the mountains indicating we were fishing in late autumn conditions. It really is a quite beautiful country where the roads are very quiet compared to the United Kingdom and this allows you to travel at a leisurely pace admiring the breathtaking scenery.

The fishing was carried out in tough weather conditions and the fishing jacket acquitted itself fantastically. As is often the case when fishing; when the weather is bad, the fishing is good. We were delighted to catch over 40 salmon throughout the week from both the rivers, whether fishing from the bank or wading above waist depth in icy cold waters. I was very comfortable thanks to the efficient breathable membrane and construction of the jacket, and at no times were there any problems with water ingress from persistent rain or deep wading. As a result of being comfortable I was able to concentrate on the job at hand where success is never easy when visiting new rivers to fish. I was delighted with the jacket, and I would be more than happy to endorse Hilltrek as a company that can deliver a quality bespoke garment to suit your needs. I look forward to fishing in Argentina in January 2011 where we will encounter force 9 winds and driving rain, in the knowledge that I will be comfortable when pitting my wits against the giant Sea Trout of Tierra Del Fuego at the world’s basement.

For more information on the River Dee Trust see www.riverdee.org and for information on fishing on the Dee see www.fishdee.co.uk

 How long does it take to develop a specialised garment?

We started in summerof 2009 when a customer visiting our shop was interested in adapting one of our Cotton Analogy Assynt Jackets for salmon fishing.  Initially we were a little reluctant because angling garments were not part of our main business although we sell Glencoe Ventile Jackets and Páramo Pajaro Jackets to anglers, river wardens and gilles.

After discussing it with the customer we felt that Cotton Analogy was a good fit for the application. In the past several companies made wax cotton wading jackets, which were warmer and more robust than the Goretex equivalents which are now the trend, but not very breathable. Fabric technology has now moved on since the era of wax jackets. Cotton Analogy in contrast offers toughness due to the Ventile outer fabric and high breathability due to a Nikwax Analogy Pump Liner.

Why is high breathability required for angling ? When standing in the middle of the river slowly moving while covering the water – probably not! 

Imagine however the perspiration generated in a warm wet day when walking from the fishing hut to the start of the beat. Where does the perspiration go? With shell jackets and traditional Wax Jackets the answer is nowhere due to the wet saturating the outside of the jacket. Perspiration gets trapped under the jacket and when you are out standing in the river you stop perspiring, the accumulated sweat cools down and you get cold. Not too comfortable when you have to spend the next two hours concentrating on the fishing.

After deciding that Cotton Analogy was the best fabric solution we made a test jacket for the customer based on his requirements and a year later we are still getting excellent feedback from him.

We decided to make a standard Hilltrek product, reviewed other wading jacket designs and consulted with local salmon anglers in Deeside. This process took many months. 

The design was tested in the field, tweeked several times and a final prototype made. The design was tested at the Leeds University test facility and finally approved by Nikwax Fabrics, the owners of the pump liner concept.

One of the River Dee fisherman who helped us was Davie Murray of the Monaltrie/ Lower Invercauld beats near Ballater. 

Davie commented on the jacket in October at the end of the season on the Dee:

‘I’m very impressed. Very smart and nice colour.

After months hiking up the hills I decided a walk along the river Dee east towards Kincardine O’ Neil would make a fine change.  Out in the hills it is a fairly solitary experience but the walk on the banks of the Dee was truly social this weekend, every fishing beat had a line or even two being cast in it.

Fly fishing river dee

The river was in good flow, snow melt rather than rain providing its rush but the anglers were yet to report the first catch of the day. Salmon were being seen in the clear waters but none were biting. The wildlife were enjoying the warm and sunny day with lots of different birds to see and take photos of.

Dee Wading Jacket modelled by Bryan

Here is a ‘sneak’ preview of our new Dee Wading Jacket which we exhibited at the recent Scottish Game and Angling Fair in Edinburgh.  Susan, our designer, has been working hard over the winter months to perfect the jacket based on an original design spec from a customer.

We received an excellent response on the jacket at the Fair from both anglers and ghilles. The jacket is now being modified slightly based on feedback and it will receive further testing by a well known ghille who works on the River Dee.

We wanted to create a high specification wading jacket fitting for the River Dee, one of Scotlands top salmon fishing rivers, which flows past our village. The River Dee has international prominence as a spring salmon river rising in the high Cairngorm plateau to flow through majestic countryside past the Royal Estate at Balmoral. To find out more about the River Dee follow this link.

The jacket uses Cotton Analogy, which consists of a Ventile outer and Nikwax Pump liner inner. The aim was to develop a high specification wading jacket which is highly breathable, has excellent waterproof capability and is tough enough to withstand the rigours of game fishing on Scottish Rivers.

Dee Wading Jacket Side view

Features include two chest pockets, a rear outside pocket, several inner pockets, detachable hood,  front storm flap, d-rings, storm cuffs.

What is next?

After testing on the river and final tweeks, it will then be reviewed by Nikwax Fabrics and tested by Leeds University in their Rain Room -a minimum four hour resistance to 3cm of rain per hour.

If you want to be kept informed about availability please email your details to sales@hilltrek.co.uk

Watch this space.

The river Dee opened for fishing today, the BBC where on location along with Billy Connolly and a wee splash of whisky.