Fishing For Dummies. Greg Schwipps
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with algae, wet leaves, dead seaweed, or unidentifiable slime, they are very slippery. Felt soles cling and help to counteract the slipperiness. Lugged soles are okay, too, but you won’t get the traction on slippery rocks that you’ll find with felt soles. If you fish mostly in sand or mud, lugged soles will work fine. Note: On some streams, felt is illegal because of its tendency to transfer invasive species. To counter that, some manufacturers now offer soles made of things like crushed walnut shells. Look for these eco-friendly soles, or use cleats or lugs.
Stocking-foot waders: Stocking-foot waders (which are also chest high) do not come with boots attached, so they require wading shoes. Many anglers prefer this style because they say sturdy wading shoes give them extra support while wading.
Hip waders: Great for fishing streams in the summer. Hip boots reach your upper thigh, and can often be attached to your belt with garter-type straps (insert your own joke here). You can’t go nearly as deep in hip waders as you can with chest-high waders, but if the river never gets that deep, why roast inside of chest waders? You’ll also find it easier to go to the restroom while wearing hip boots.
Some wading shoes, like those made by Korker, feature interchangeable soles. You can also buy strap-on cleats that fit over your existing soles. These let you switch quickly from felt to cleats to match the conditions. Metal cleats are helpful when climbing on slippery jetty rocks.
Waders are often made of the following three materials, and vary in durability and comfort:
Neoprene: The material used in wet suits, neoprene works well if you are fishing in cold waters. Walking around in neoprene waders on a hot day, you’ll feel like a baked potato in a microwave oven. Neoprene punctures, like rubber ones, can be resealed. Neoprene waders keep you warm in water below 60 degrees F.
Rubber and nylon: The least expensive of the bunch, rubber waders are basically rubber boots that “go all the way up.” Most feature reinforced knee patches and factory-sealed seams. They can last a long time if cared for.
Breathables: Made of Gore-Tex and other fancy materials, breathable waders are the most expensive, but they’re ultra-comfortable. The breathable membranes of these waders allow you to stay cooler in warmer months.
DUCT TAPE, THE WADER WONDER
From coauthor Peter:
I have one mounted fish on my wall. He’s a 6¾-pound brook trout. I caught him on a stream in Labrador in early August. When I hooked him, I worked my way over to the side of the stream to continue the fight where I had a chance of winning. This required me to fanny walk across a number of midstream boulders. As luck would have it, one of those boulders had a sharp edge that tore a five-inch gash in my flyweight waders.
When I had calmed down from the excitement of my gorgeous brookie, reality set in. When you’re in the middle of Labrador and the nearest store is more than 100 miles away, you can’t just hop in the truck and get a wader repair kit at the nearest tackle shop. I did have a roll of duct tape in my duffel bag. I ripped off a piece and ran it alongside the gash in my waders. I got another two full seasons out of them, and in the end, it was the seams and not my patch that gave out. Always carry a roll of duct tape.
Vests: Great for wading
Vests are such a common sight on streams that it’s hard to imagine wading and fishing without them. Yet until Lee Wulff had the bright idea of sewing some blue jeans pockets onto a denim vest more than 80 years ago, there were no fishing vests. You can buy vests with a gazillion pockets and you can stuff every one of those pockets. And you can also make sure that you have every possible gizmo hanging off the little snaps and rings that many vests have. I know that some of you will because fishing, like every other pastime, has its share of gear freaks (like me). However, I recommend that you take as little as possible in your vest. When wading, it’s advisable to travel light.
Here are the five features to look for in a vest:
Two large outer pockets suitable for holding a box of lures or flies: The pockets should open and fasten from the top. If your vest has pockets that open on the side, you’ll forget to zip up one day and eventually you will lose a box of expensive flies or lures.
Four inner pockets: These are smaller, and it’s okay if they only have Velcro and no zippers. You may put a box of split shot in one pocket, tippet or leader material in another, and bug repellent in another.
Four small outer pockets: One should have a zipper for an extra car key. The rest are for a small box to carry flies, floatant, and this and that.
A metal ring: You can tie your clippers onto this. They do make retractable pin-on gadgets that are designed as clipper holders, but I’ve had bad luck with those gadgets breaking. Save old fly line for these kinds of jobs instead. Tie your clippers on with them. Fly line is also a free alternative to Croakers for holding your sunglasses when you want to keep them handy.
Outside back pouch: Put your rain jacket in here, or maybe your lunch, water bottle, extra reel, and so on.
Now that you have a vest, here are ten things you should always carry in it:
Sunscreen: Use it for all daytime fishing.
Insect repellent: For obvious reasons.
Clippers: For cutting leader and trimming knots, clippers are preferable to teeth because clippers don’t need to go to the dentist.
Thermometer: Many tackle shops sell inexpensive thermometers designed to withstand being tossed about in vests and tackle boxes. With a thermometer, you can tell what species of fish may be most actively feeding.
A plastic garbage bag: You may not keep fish as a rule, but every so often you will want to, and who needs a vest full of fish slime? You don’t need a lawn-size Hefty bag; a wastebasket liner is more like it.
Forceps: They help remove hooks more easily. This is good for the catch-and-release angler who wants to get the fish back in the water in a hurry. And it’s always good for dealing with fish with sharp teeth.
Rain jacket: It doesn’t take up much room and it makes a big difference, especially when it rains!
Spare car key: Everybody loses the car key sometimes. It’s a bummer if this happens when it’s dark and cold by the side of a trout stream 20 miles from home. If you have a key with electronics, keep it in an airtight plastic bag.
Flashlight/headlamp: LED flashlights can be both small and amazingly bright. Headlamps can also be small and bright, and they allow you to keep two hands free for knot tying, removing hooks, and so forth. And at the end of the day, on the way to the car, you can see where you are going.
First aid kit: It’s easy to find a compact first aid kit. Buy one and keep it in your vest at all times. If you’re allergic to bee stings or other insects’ bites, make sure you have something to treat severe allergic reactions.
Carrying Just What You Need to Fish
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