Of all the different aspects of fly fishing with which anglers are involved, wading seems to get the least amount of attention. Other than the advertisements by some of the premium wader manufacturers in the fly fishing print media, there is barely a peep. I’m guessing that’s because most anglers take wading for granted, in that even folks new to fly fishing merely put on their waders and head into the river. 

While I wouldn’t consider wading dangerous, inexperienced anglers and even experienced anglers can get into dicey situations, especially during periods of high water, if they are a bit too adventurous. It has happened to me, even though I have been wading for many years and consider myself an excellent wader. 

From a historical standpoint, wading became popular in the 1930s. With the invention of and increased use of chest waders, tales of anglers falling in and being turned upside down because of trapped air began to spread throughout the fly fishing community. 

Lee Wulff, a world-famous angler in his own right, did not believe in that hearsay. Instead, one early summer day, outfitted with a pair of chest waders, he jumped off a bridge into the Battenkill River and used the trapped air as flotation to swim ashore. 

While this experiment sounds cool, it was a planned event, carried out by a professional fisherman with years of experience, not an accidental dunking by an average angler. The best advice: Wade carefully and don’t fall in. If you do and it’s a deep water situation, point your feet downstream and paddle until you reach a calm, shallow area, where you can get out. The best way to help avoid wading incidents is to make sure that wading boots have felt soles or rubber soles mounted with titanium studs. Wading with plain rubber soles will result in a loss of traction and potentially serious wading accidents. 

For anglers new to fly fishing and wading, there are several rules that should always be followed:

Wade with legs parallel to the flow, never horizontal to the flow.

Always have one foot well planted before taking the next step.

Wade by “sliding” the feet along the bottom, feeling the way.

Always wade on an upstream angle when crossing.

Cross only in shallow areas where the flow is not heavy.

Don’t wade in areas that appear unsafe. 

 Anglers who are not comfortable wading, or who are beginners, can use the buddy system to wade. In the buddy system, an angler who is not comfortable wading wades with an experienced wader. The experienced wader stands next to the inexperienced angler and places his arm and hand across the other wader’s shoulder. The other person does likewise. They wade, using this system, until they either cross or reach the desired location. This method adds support and stability for the novice wader.

Waders (the garment) are classified into two categories: stocking foot and bootfoot. 

Each system has its advantages. Stocking foot waders, when paired with wading boots, are light in weight, provide more foot stability and are easier to walk in. On the negative side, they are harder to put on and might cause cold feet under some conditions. 

Bootfoot waders are easier to put on, are warmer than stocking foot waders, but are heavier and not as easy to walk in. 

Anglers planning to fish in cold weather situations may wish to consider neoprene waders. They are very warm and are reasonably priced. They are, however, not great to walk in because of their weight and because they can cause an angler to overheat. 

The cost of waders varies greatly, depending on their quality and country of manufacture. Waders made in the U.S. by companies like Simms can cost as much as $1,000 for their top-of-the-line products. The company has several versions that cost less. And while it is not necessary to purchase $1,000 waders, it is very important to purchase good-quality waders from companies like Simms, Patagonia, Orvis, Grundens, Reddington and Skwala. Waders from those makers will last for years, given reasonable care. For example, I have two pairs of boot foot waders that I purchased from Simms around the year 2000. They served me well for over 15 years. They cost $200 at the time of purchase. Not a bad investment.

In contrast to quality waders, there are any number of cheap waders on the market. While they will save money at the time of purchase, sooner rather than later they will leak or rip. So choose wisely if you  wade and fish a lot. 

While the technology for wader manufacture has improved dramatically over the years, there are some negative factors that anglers looking to purchase waders might have to deal with; I certainly have. For example, if you have a 30-inch or shorter inseam, it’s very difficult to find either stocking foot or bootfoot waders that fit. Should you prefer bootfoot waders as I do, it is impossible to find quality waders that fit. I’ve been looking for the last several years with no success. Ironically, and although Simms has a custom bootfoot wader program, the company does not or will not make waders wth a 29/30 inch inseam.

Wading is an integral part of river fly fishing. It allows anglers to get into casting range of trout that otherwise would not be accessible. Do it with care and wading will add a significant dimension to your fly fishing experience.