Hike-In Fishing Question
- This topic has 10 replies, 11 voices, and was last updated May 17, 2010 at 9:56 pm by
.
-
Posts
-
Last summer I got a brief taste of some small stream hike-in fishing while in Colorado. I really enjoyed getting away from the crowds and I plan on doing more of it this year. Right now I only plan to do day hikes (in & out) and won’t be camping overnight. For those of you that do this type of fishing are you hiking in boots and bringing along an extra pair of shoes like sandals to fish in? Are you hiking in your wading boots? Hiking and fishing in the same pair of shoes? I am considering a pair of something like the Keen H2 sandals for hiking in and fishing in. I would appreciate others sharing what system they use.
I hike and fish in my waders all the time, but it’s usually in winter time when temperatures don’t make me hot.
Shane,
The majority of my fishing involves at least some hiking in order to get to where I fish. I have played around with a number of footwear options over the years, and have ultimately settled on hiking in my wading boots. The relatively new rubber-soled boots offer good support and traction on the trail, and it prevents you from having to carry an additional pair of boots with you all day long. If you are going to be wet-wading or not hiking in your waders, it’s worth investing in a pair of neoprene socks to get the same fit as you have in your waders. The last thing you want is a pair of wet boots that don’t fit quite right rubbing blisters into you during the entirety of the 5 mile hike back to that car.
The footwear I choose is also highly dependent on my destination. If I’m going to be fishing a lake or very small stream where the majority of my time is going to be spent with my feet dry, then I just wear hiking boots and either go barefoot or throw my chacos in my pack for when it’s necessary to get in the water.
Tim
Hike and fish is my favorite type of fishing, and I do a lot of it in the Ozarks. For what it’s worth, I hike and fish in the same pair or two of shoes/sandels. I use the same shoes and sandels I do for running and pretty much everything else: Vibram Five Fingers and home made hurache sandels. This is not the kind of thing you want to just jump right into if you haven’t been running/walking/hiking in minimal footwear for a while. It takes a bit of getting used to, but it’s great and reduces the gear you have to carry. Of course, this is relativly warm water and seasons in Arkansas; not the potential cold of Colorado, so this may not be practicable there.
Similiar to Dan I might suggest looking into “wet” shoes. They are designed with the canoeist/tripper in mind. A nice blend of traction, comfort, water control, breathability, support…the type of thing people who portage over varying terrain will appreciate. Alot depends on climate/terrain but you might want to think about them. Since moving to them for my canoe trips I wonder why I didnt years ago.
I have an older version of these Merrils. There are all kinds of makers
http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442629158&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302700471&bmUID=1272472685377Due to some health issues, I can’t go on long hike ins, so I’m limited to about 2 miles in and 2 miles out (if it is not rough terrain).
Shane,
Most of my fishing is Hike-In and i use my patagonia wading shoes for both hiking and fishing. For me that works perfect, except in the early season because the shoes gets wet on the hike in and that gets very cold. you dont want to roam about in the Norwegian woods with wet sock in May. The wadins shoes worked great on long hikes in NZ, also on multi day hikes with backpacks. So unless its cold were you fish using the rubber soled shoes works great.Knut
i usually fish just day trips on streams in national parks or forests here in california’s sierra nevada and i usually wear full chest waders rolled down as waist highs and my felt soled boots. not so great when going through fallen needles so i choose my path carefully. when it gets warm i wear shorts and wet wade with boots and neoprene socks (simms). my next wading gear purchase will be the new rubber soled boots since most rocks i encounter are broken granite, not mossy smooth bowling ball rocks.
like zach, i like to use a small camelbak day pack with bladder for water and a chest pack in front, similar setup to a fishpond shooting star without the high price.
i think those sandals like the keens are great and comfortable. i have a cheaper pair from sports authority which probably don’t have the same tread material. still, any sandal won’t offer ankle support which i find i would prefer to have when in the backcountry, even if it’s a day trip in a national park with nice dirt trails.
eric
fresno, ca.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.