Waders

      Having a pair of waders is not essential - but it really helps.
    As you will read in my trout tips - presenting your fly is critical in getting fish to bite. Part of achieving good presentation is putting yourself into the right location. That means you often need to be in the water - and that means you need some sort of waders.
        Trout love cold water - so if you do not have waders you are going to get really cold. Even with waders you can begin to feel like you are standing in an ice chest after a few hours in a icey river.
      There are several different kinds of waders. Some people like neoprene which is kind of like the material used in wet suits for divers and surfers. I have never tried that type, so I cannot give an accurate perspective on them.
     I have two pair of waders. One set are chest waders by Hodgeman. They are like having a pair of bib overalls that cover your chest. However, I can remove the suspenders and roll them down, and they become hip waders - more like a regular pair of pants.
     Having chest waders allows you to get deeper into the water. But I have a rule of thumb, especially in fast moving water: I do not go in water deeper than my shins. Rocks are very slick and the force of the raging water is very powerful. If you get off balance just a little bit, you can end up in the water. Your waders quickly fill and become like weights. You can be in serious trouble in the blink of an eye. So, I just try to avoid danger in the first place. Thus, I rarely use the full chest wader.
     My chest waders happen to be made of a thicker material, which means they are more rugged against snags and tree branches etc, and are less likely to tear. Because they are thicker, they are also better in colder water. I buy them a little big so that I can also wear thermals or light sweat pants underneath in cold weather.

    My other pair of waders are light weight and are great for summer. They are hip waders and are very comfortable and easy to move in. Both pair of waders have neoprene booties that are attached to the pant leg. I just slip them into my wading boots, and I'm ready to go.

       A new thing I am seeing more and more of are things called wader sox. They are made of the neoprene material. Imagine somebody cutting off a wet suit at about the shins. It is like having a pair of knee high, water proof socks. Again, you just slip them into your wading boot, and you can get into shallow water without the hassle of a big pair of wading pants. Take a look at the picture and you will see me in my lightweight waders, and Jason in a pair of the wader sox.