Half the fun of flyfishing is playing with the gear.
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Rods Sage and St.Croix rods Redington Loop Reels Bfr 375/395 Fenwick Nighthawk LA Teton Tioga LA Hart Line / leader / Tippet Vanish Fluorocarbon Frogs Hair Fluorocarbon Maxima Ultra Green Floattubes & Pontoon boats Waders Neoprene 5mm uppers with 7mm booties if possible. 3mm is to thin for my liking. A good choice for floatubing and kick boating on stillwater. Sea Tux or Bare models are of good quality. They will keep you dry and should last several years before minor repairs are required. The upside is that neoprene is bouyant, a plus on the lake. The waders can handle a fair bit of abuse and abrassion. It can be difficult to fix older neoprene waders as the neoprene over time will break down and crack which makes it hard to find the leak. Trust me I have spent many tubes of Aquaseal. Usually the booties wore out on mine, wearing a thin neoprene sock extends the booty life. The down side of neoprene is it holds in body heat that builds up condensation on the inside of the waders which leads to dampness and chill. It's can be quite easy to overheat when bushwacking to get to a favorite spot on the river. Breathables Breathables are way easier to put on and take off. A good choice for pontoon boating since most of your body is above water anyways. I found that wading is better in the river with breathables, being not as bouyant as neo's. Being on the move is where they shine. Tears are easy to fix with aquaseal and a supplied patch. The material, usually gortex, dries quick and takes up less cargo space. They are pricier but a good pair should last several years with reasonably hard use, most come with decent warranties. The Simms line carries a good wader. On the down side breathables are not bouyant and a floatation device should be worn on the lake or river. The neoprene booties tend to wear out first, wearing a thin neoprene sock extends the booty life. When fitting breathables, pick them a little baggy so as not to stretch seams within the full range of body motion. Boots A good pair of wading boots with felt soles is a must in the rivers, and even that isn't enough some times. Good ankle and foot support without being to tight. Toe caps handle a little more wear. Ankle guards are good. Simms and Hodgman make a full range of boots. To protect waders booties around the lakeshore a large pair of runners, water shoes or wading boots. If wearing scuba flippers over neo booties the boot isn't as important. Jackets A rain jacket is pretty much a necessity, Columbia makes a good light weight waterproof wading jacket. For breathable the Hodgman jacket is ok, it stays reasonably dry in a lengthly down pour. Outer shell is Horco-Tex waterproof/breathable laminate. It breaths well. The hood has a brim to keep your cap dry. Roomy pocketd for fly boxes, convert length for deep wading, neo cuffs. The jacket color fades. Under wear Fleece, fleece and more layers of fleece :) Polypropylene socks as a base layer Flyfishing Vests / Lanyards Flippers Anchors Portable flytying kits Nets Depth Sounders Weather Stations Camping gear Gizmos and Gadgets
Photo: Sean Simmons AnglersAtlas.com |
