Fly Fishing Waders : A Buyers Guide

The cold waters of the Yellowstone River in Montana require waders for anglers who fish without a boat.

Fly fishing waders are a crucial piece of equipment for anglers who spend lots of time either fly fishing cold rivers, fish in colder weather or end up wading into shallow lakes or ponds that have colder water. Fishing waders do two things that are important to someone fly fishing - they keep the angler dry and also keep the angler warm.

With the increasing popularity of fly fishing, numerous waders are now available on the market today - all designed from different things and all with remarkably different prices. So, to help our visitors select the right fishing waders for their needs, we've prepared this article.

Contents of this article include:

• Types of Fly Fishing Waders
• Fly Fishing Wader Materials & Summary

Before beginning our in-depth coverage of fishing waders, let's take a minute to make sure that you even need waders. By and large, if you only fish in warm weather AND warm water, you can probably get by without any fishing waders provided you do not mind being wet. I've fished extensively in warmer weather and warmer waters without waders and have never regretted it. While you end up wet, provided the weather and water is warm, you can still stay warm and comfortable.

However, all that changes if you plan on fly fishing in colder weather or colder waters. In cold weather, fly fishing waders keep the angler both warm (by retaining body heat) as well as dry (by keeping the water off the angler). If you plan on doing any fly fishing in either cold water or cold weather, a good pair of fly fishing waders is crucial for angling enjoyment - and successful fly fishing.

Types of Fly Fishing Waders

There are three different types of fly fishing waders that anglers use. Additionally, these types of fishing waders have three different materials in their design. This article will examine both the different types of fly fishing waders and materials fishing waders are made out of.

The primary types of fishing waders are:

• Bootfoot Waders
• Stockingfoot Waders
• Hip-Waders

Bootfoot waders are fishing waders that extend from the foot of the angler up to the anglers chest. On these fishing waders, the boot is permanently attached to the fishing wader. Having the boot attached to the fly fishing wader allows the angler to avoid having to buy separate wading boots. The drawback is that bootfoot waders are heavier in overall weight (since the boot is attached), more bulky, and also somewhat more difficult to get into than other waders according to most anglers.

Stockingfoot waders, by comparison, lack the attached boot found on bootfoot waders. Instead, these waders have a neoprene sock on the foot of the wader. Dedicated wading boots - bought separately - are then put on over this neoprene sock. Like a bootfoot wader, stockingfoot waders extend from the foot of the angler up to the chest - although some varieties now extend only to waist level. Since a boot is not attached to the wader, stockingfoot waders have the advantage of packing up smaller and are lighter - although once you add the weight/bulk of separate wading boots into the equation, the weight and bulk factors are usually more than with bootfoot waders. Stockingfoot waders are also generally easier to get into and out of than bootfoot waders - one reason these types of fishing waders are so popular.

Hip-Waders are designed for wading shallow, slower moving waters. These fishing waders - some of which have boots attached and others that do not - extend from the foot of the angler up to the upper leg of the angler. Hip waders are popular for more sedate rivers and fly fishing shallow waters because they are more comfortable than other fishing waders and because they are quite simple to get in and out of.

Next : Fly Fishing Waders Construction & Summary

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