When it comes to trout fishing most people think about fly rod's, flies, leaders etc. Although all of these items are an important part of fly fishing, there are some things that make a huge difference when out hiking around. One such thing for me is footwear. I have tried quite a few types of footwear out and they all seem to have their pro's and con's. The classic chest waders were great for getting deep into the water and never having to worry about being soaking wet at the end of the journey. The chest waders seemed to be a little overkill for me and the places I choose to fish. I found the only time I actually got into the water was to sit down in a shallow run to watch the water flow by. Plus they were sometimes way to warm for the summer months.
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| Picture courtesy of Cabella's |
I have also had the hip waders and although they were easy to get on and covered most of my wading needs, they seemed to always spring a leak and sometimes made my feet ache by the end of the day.
Then there are the water shoes that some companies are coming out with. These seem like a great idea, right until the point where a piece of grass shoots through one of the holes on the side and punctures your foot. I also found that the holes on the side of the shoes allowed sand to
come into the shoe underneath my foot. Talk about horrible to walk in with the sand wearing on your feet.
So then I saw a pair of "wet socks" at Wal-Mart one day and decided to spend the $7.oo on them. They were super comfortable and easy to put on. They kept the sand out
for the most part and even kept your feet warm while walking in the
stream. The only problem I had with them is that they basically fell
apart by the end of my fishing trip.
There I was, at point A once again. Hot days and the only thing left to try were the good ole fashion sneakers or sport hikers.
I found that the lighter the shoe the quicker they dry. Now I am stuck with a bunch of dried out shoes as my main source of footwear for the streams. Plus now I have no decent shoes left to wear to the grocery store :)
When Christmas came this year and I was asked what sort of things I would want for gifts, there was only one thing that came to mind. The SPERRY TOP-SIDER. I saw these one day while surfing the web and knew that I had to have them. They are made of neoprene and reinforced with some sort of durable rubber. They are by far the lightest shoe I have tried yet. One of my favorite things about them is that they are high tops with a strap to keep out sand and debris. Another great feature is the flexibility of this shoe. It feels like your feet are extra padded and that you are wearing nothing at all. I usually go bare foot with sneakers on and end up with grass catching me between my shoe and pant leg. These have a thick rubber guard that should keep my legs from getting scratched up and itchy. I am super excited to take these out to the stream and really put them to the test. I am hoping that it was the best $50.oo ever spent :) What do you prefer to wear while out fishing small streams ? Has anyone else ever owned a pair of these, and if so what do you think of them ?
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| SPERRY TOP-SIDER $50.00 |
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