Learn about Fishing Waders

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Jim and Dan talk about chest waders, hip waders, and wading shoes. Jim demonstrates how to put on and take off chest waders.
He gives advice on what clothing and socks to wear under your waders.

This is a small stream, but it has some deep holes in it. I think it’s probably better to use chest waders instead of hip waders. Why? Because if you wear hip waders and get to a spot that you have to go through and it is deeper than hip waders, you can’t go through there.

In a rushing stream like this we like to stay in the stream, so in cold weather its better to have the chest waders. If we were in a little headwater stream that didn’t have deep holes in it, then of course you could use the hip waders.

It’s good to have felt soles on hip waders or chest waders. With the chest waders, we also use a boot.

This may seem like overkill, but if you get in a hole that is just about too deep for your hip waders and you go in (which I have done) then you have a leg full of water and it ruins your day. In the summer time, wade wet, we don’t care.

I’ve been a guide for a few years and a lot of people come and we want to put waders on them, we get the waders out and they put them on, but then they try to put their street shoes on [over the wader sock]. Obviously people don’t know what waders are for.

Let me show you how an old man that has done this a few times does it.

I’m here with my Subaru, so I sit on the tailgate. I have a mat here… I got a yard sale.
That’s a handy thing to do.

That way I don’t get my feet in the mud or something if I’m outdoors or I don’t get gravel on the socks.

One thing that is good to do is put your socks up around your pants like that [tucks pants into top of socks]. If you don’t when you put the waders on you get that [shows bare leg as waders pull pants up]… Excuse my ugly leg.

And that’s cold and uncomfortable so that’s a handy way to do it.

I’ve seen Velcro straps that will help hold them down, but this works good.

I’m sitting here; it’s really hard to put them on standing up, trying to keep my boots out of the mud in case it is muddy.

It [chest wader] is a giant water proof sock.

Next thing you do is to stand up and get more comfortable. Then put your boots on. Make sure they are unlaced a bit so you can get them on.

There are different kinds of boots with different kinds of attachment, but this is pretty basic.
A lot of people at this point go ahead and lace them up. They don’t know what this black thing is.

This is a gravel guard. If you were a skier, this would be like a snow gaiter.

So just lace it up - I like to tie a square knot so it doesn’t come lose.

Pull the gravel guard down. There is a little hook here, so hook it on there [to boot laces], then of course you do the other one.

OK, so I’ve got the waders on.

Over the years, I have watched a lot of people put waders on that have never worn waders before.

I showed you the thing about taking care of the bottom of your pants cuff, but sometimes people come and they want to wear shorts in hot weather. And they have these funky little ankle socks.

They wade in the water and its ice cold (almost) and they are freezing in a half hour or more.

If you are going to wade in cold water with waders, you need to have layers underneath, fleece pants or something. Jeans are not good because they are made of cotton.

You need something that has a little insulation. At least wear pants and at least have long socks. Doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but just remember that.

You will be much more comfortable when wading in the west in a deep cold trout stream.

That was a short fishing trip. Let me show you how to take the boots off.

Now that seems like a simple thing and it’s a lot better if you sit down. It’s a little hard to get that off…

After you’ve waded, things are wet and it’s easy. Matter of fact, your boots will get loser when they are wet so you need to make sure they are nice and tight when you put them on.

Unlace [the boots] down to about that point and get it off like that and then I like to put the gravel guard back down.

And then you pull to get it off. If you can’t get it off, have someone help you pull it off, but try not to be pulled off of the seat [as Dan nearly pulls Jim off the tailgate]. Thank you, Dan.

That’s it. If we had actually gone wading, they would have been easier to take off.