Type:
When selecting waders, take into account all seasons.
Waders come in either stocking or bootfoot. The advantage of the bootfoot is it eliminates the cost of a boot. However, most do not have laces to adjust the fit and the heavy boot is the same whether you are hiking the backcountry or fishing a stocked stream along the road. With stockingfoot waders, the boot is an add-on; allowing you to select the right footwear for the terrain. Since the boot is not generic, it can fit properly, be light and double as a hiking boot for short treks into the backcountry. However, on a longer hike, use a real hiking boot and carry the waders and associated boots. Regardless of type, avoid felt soled boots to prevent the transportation of “rock snot” between streams. As always, do the research to find the best match considering both when and where you fish. Look at the written online reviews and also check out YouTube for video reviews done by normal people for impartial perspectives like this assessment of the Frogg Toggs wader on the Adventure Outdoors channel (tinyurl.com/wader-review). Check out Steve’s YouTube channel at KayakHacksFishing for more on this topic.
www.SouthernTrout.com l Southern Trout l March 2017 l 45