Wading 101: Waders, Boots, and More for the Fly Fisher

You might be wondering if you have to wade when you are fly fishing. In a nutshell, yes. Some of us don't wade in very deep water and stay on shore a lot, but to look cool at least, you should have some waders on. There is also some functionality to wading. Most streams and lakes have a lot of bushes along the shoreline and a person can't cast a fly very well unless he/she is out in the water around 10 to 30 feet from shore and you can often cross a creek or river to get to the other side. I know some expert fishers and they say the secret is to always fish the other side. I heard a stupid joke I'll change slightly. Did you hear about the fly fisher who was walking along a river and saw another fly fisher on the other side? He yelled across the river, "How do I get to the other side?" The other fly fisher yelled back, "You are on the other side."

Waders
Hip waders are not good enough. You have to at least look like an aggressive wader and wear chest waders. I am on my 7th pair of waders and I recommend getting some breathable waders. They are comfortable even in warm weather and you'll enjoy your fishing 3 times as much as being in non-breathables and 50 times as much as wearing neoprene waders. The last time I wore neoprene waders I got 10 feet from my truck and had to return to the truck and take them off since I was already sweating like I had been 20 minutes in a sauna. I wore them earlier that day when I was in my float tube and that was OK, but breatheable waders are also comfortable in a float tube.

Waders help keep you warm in cold water. If it is cold water, I do not wear cotton socks or pants inside because it rapidy absorbs perspiration and feels like wet toilet paper inside the waders. I get any wool or man-made socks and man-made athletic pants to wear inside and they stay comfortable all day, even if they get wet. I found mine on sale at TJ Max.