Wet wading

[teresa]

Hello! I decided to stop ‘lurking’ and actually post. Tons of great information on this sight, not to mention wonderful photos.

I’m spending a month around Durango/Pagosa Springs this summer, and I’m looking for some wading advice. I’m thinking my full waders might be a bit warm, so I’m looking into wet wading. I have some Keens but I’m wondering if they’ll have appropriate bottoms to wade with or if they’ll be too slick? Also, how do you keep the rocks/sand out of sandals? Do the neoprene socks work pretty well?

I’m going to be doing a fair amount of hiking in to fish, so I might be better off with a pair of wading pants and some hiking~type wading boots (I currently wear Patagonia felt bottoms). Does anyone have any experience with wading boots that are also pretty good to hike in?

Thanks for your time!
Cheers!
Teresa

[Tim Angeli]

I highly recommend going with a full boot instead of the sandals / wading shoes. My Dad broke his leg while we were in the Montana backcountry a few years ago while he was wearing low-cut wading shoes. I doubt it would have happened if he was wearing a decent pair of boots, or at minimum the injury likely would have been much less severe.

As far as boots go, you could be ok with your current boots – felt bottoms are ok to hike in, but will wear rather quickly. Depending on how much hiking vs fishing you are doing, and what the rivers are like (e.g., how much time will you actually spend in the water?), a good pair of traditional hiking boots could be a good option. The best option in terms of durability and performance while both hiking and fishing will likely be a rubber-soled wading boot. Simms and Patagonia both have some great options at different price points. I can personally vouch for the Simms Rivershed boots – I have logged hundreds of miles of backcountry hiking / fishing on mine, and they are still in one piece. The G3 boots are supposedly extremely durable as well, and the Vapor is a new lightweight option where you will likely sacrifice some degree of durability and support for the lighter weight. The Patagonia Rock Grip wading boots are nice and light and are a good deal for $139. I have numerous friends who have logged quite a few miles on them; they do tend to wear at the seams, but it is relatively easy to repair / prevent with some aquaseal.

There are lots of options out there, but I do highly recommend avoiding your Keens for any semi-serious wading and rock-hopping.

[teresa]

Thanks for the info, Tim. I suspected the Keens weren’t a good idea; thanks for the confirmation.
Cheers!
Teresa

[Bob Riggins]

I fished the Tahoe area and Asheville NC area in Keen H2’s. I never slipped in them, but I had to be real careful. Plus if you are in gravel, it will get inside. I use them all the time on saltwater flats, but that is a different story. Before you use felt soles, make sure they are legal.

[Zach Matthews]

Teresa you could always wet wade with the felt soles and a pair of tight-fitting neoprene socks. Simms made some several years ago and they work well. Gravel may get between your sock and the boot but it won’t grind on your skin, which is the main thing.

Zach

[Chad Simcox]

I wet waded in a pair of Keen sandals once. Never again! Keen makes great hiking boots, the sandals are good too, but for wet wading fly fishing they were horrible for me. They may work on gravel bottom tail waters, but for freestone or large stone streams they are dangerous. Go with boots for sure. I personally use waders year round and never get too hot. Just keep the waders around your waist instead of pulling them all the way up if you are worried about getting too hot.
If its too hot to wear waders, it may be too hot to be fishing for trout.

http://society6.com/grainfarmer Fly Fishing and Landscape open edition Photography prints.

http://grainfarmer.vsco.co/ iPhone photos
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[Dan]

I typically go as minimal as possible with footwear, preferring to let my feet work as feet. The more stuff you wrap around them the weaker they become. That said, you probably don’t want them sliced to ribbons. I do most of my wading/hiking/climbing/trail running in some form of sandal or minimal trail shoe. But don’t jump right into that. There is a vital transition period.

To me, an advantage of wading in sandals is that when gravel gets in, you can wash/kick it out without a second thought. They also dry much more quickly on the hike back out and weigh nearly nothing if you prefer to change into boots for the hike in and out. It’s a technique.

[teresa]

Great ideas, guys. Looks like I might invest in a pair of neoprene socks and just wear my wading boots.

Thanks!
Teresa

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