Fly Fishing Gear Reviews

One very important safety note on waders, ALWAYS wear a wading belt.  It could save your life.  It prevents water from filling up your waders if you fall in.  Waders – wading belt + deep water = cement shoes.

Now, there have been a couple of occasions where the only fly fishing gear I had with me was my rod and reel and one box of flies.  As great as it was to experience new water, as soon as my hiking boots connected with wet rocks in the stream, my butt did the same.  I was so bruised from falling the next day that I swore I would never let my fly rod and wading boots travel separately.  Well, it happened again and history repeated, including the bruising and the swearing, and I’m sure the future will see me soaked and bruised again.  This just goes to show you how vital proper wading boots are for fly fishing.  Most have felt soles and really help your footing on wet rocks, although on wet grassy inclines or declines they bite.  Some, like mine, also have metal studs, which greatly improve your footing in the water.  Korkers wading boots have a swappable sole system to switch out between hiking and wading.  Hiking through streams and rivers can take their toll on footwear, so I urge you to consider the quality of the wading boots when you make this purchase.  And don't forget wet wading.   I switched to The Simms Sandals by Keen a few seasons ago because of a trip ending accident.  Trust me, having a closed toe box on your wading sandals will save you a world of hurt.  Do keep in mind that felt has been proven to contribute to the spread of invasive species and diseases.  Proper cleaning of your wading gear, your boots in particular, are vital for stream conservation.  There are new "sticky" rubber soled wading boots (Simms, again, is at the forefront here) that claim to be as effective as felt boots for keeping your footing.  These are cleaner and most likely will replace felt in the next few years anyway.  See the article in the conservation section for more details.

Wearing wading gear may not get you on the cover of GQ, but it will definitely make for a more enjoyable flyfishing experience.  Stay Dry.  Catch fish.  Have fun.

Here are some retailers for waders and wading boots.

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