breathable, convertible? Hi All,
Thank you in advance for your advice and reading through this long-winded question
I'm a beginner fly fisherman and am looking to buy waders and have never worn a pair before (primarily because by father who was a spinrod fisherman always wet-waded when crossing streams; he always had 2 pairs of cheap tennis shoes, one he was wearing and the others hanging around his neck drying! He of course wouldn't spend as much in the water as fly fisherman typically do) Anyway, I digress, back to the question.
My requirements for waders are:
1) Breathable because I'm planning to do hike-in fishing.
2) Enough room for insulating layers in case I'm in cold water. Also, I'm skinny so I feel cold very fast.
3) Separate wading boots need to be dual-purpose; ability to hike and of course comfortable and with traction in water. (I know that's a separate item, but thought I'd ask here as well)
4) Decent warranty because waders eventually fail, just don't want them failing in a month.
5) Rugged, because I anticipate some brush that I'll have to walk through.
6) Convertible from chest to waist waders, as I'm only planning on buying 1 pair.
7) If I get felt soles shoes, are they good for hiking in as well? If I'm walking 2-3 miles, I don't want to be lugging around 2 pairs of shoes - one for hiking and the other fishing.
8) I'm comfortable spending anywhere from $100 - $300.
9) Can one mix and match stocking waders with shoes from other vendors - e.g Orvis waders with Simms shoes?
I've been doing research and here is some stuff I have come across,
1)Simms generaly have a good reputation.
2)Orvis warranty seems great, but have read multiple accounts of them failing and being sent back repeatedly.
3)Some breathable waders brands are around $80-90 and some $400-500. Why the huge difference for similar technology (I'm guessing they are all goretex)?
Do you have any recommendations or good/bad experiences with waders/shoes that suit my needs?
Thank you in advance for your advice and reading through this long-winded question
I'm a beginner fly fisherman and am looking to buy waders and have never worn a pair before (primarily because by father who was a spinrod fisherman always wet-waded when crossing streams; he always had 2 pairs of cheap tennis shoes, one he was wearing and the others hanging around his neck drying! He of course wouldn't spend as much in the water as fly fisherman typically do) Anyway, I digress, back to the question.
My requirements for waders are:
1) Breathable because I'm planning to do hike-in fishing.
2) Enough room for insulating layers in case I'm in cold water. Also, I'm skinny so I feel cold very fast.
3) Separate wading boots need to be dual-purpose; ability to hike and of course comfortable and with traction in water. (I know that's a separate item, but thought I'd ask here as well)
4) Decent warranty because waders eventually fail, just don't want them failing in a month.
5) Rugged, because I anticipate some brush that I'll have to walk through.
6) Convertible from chest to waist waders, as I'm only planning on buying 1 pair.
7) If I get felt soles shoes, are they good for hiking in as well? If I'm walking 2-3 miles, I don't want to be lugging around 2 pairs of shoes - one for hiking and the other fishing.
8) I'm comfortable spending anywhere from $100 - $300.
9) Can one mix and match stocking waders with shoes from other vendors - e.g Orvis waders with Simms shoes?
I've been doing research and here is some stuff I have come across,
1)Simms generaly have a good reputation.
2)Orvis warranty seems great, but have read multiple accounts of them failing and being sent back repeatedly.
3)Some breathable waders brands are around $80-90 and some $400-500. Why the huge difference for similar technology (I'm guessing they are all goretex)?
Do you have any recommendations or good/bad experiences with waders/shoes that suit my needs?