Wading Staff

After reading the recent post regarding the validity of having a wading staff, I decided I should go buy one. My local shop carries the Simms brand. I was hoping they had the Folstaff as well, but they don't carry that line. The staff seemed to have a lot of flex in it. I thought they would be more rigid than that. I am concern that it could snap if I placed all my weight (210lbs) on it in a fall. Am I correct in my assumption or are all collapsible wading staff similar to the Simms in that they have flex to them vs being rigid?

It all depends on what it is made of. Composite or fibreglass will flex more than aluminum. Target sells LLBean or Eddie Bauer or something like that for about $20. They withstood me playing with them one day while I was being brought shopping. I got all my weight (170lb) on one (feet in the air) and it didn't break or collapse. They aren't wading staffs, but hiking or walking sticks, but that shouldn't make too much of a difference. Check them out and see what you think.

My Simm's doesn't flex??

Seems like you should be able to buy what you really want. If your fly shop decides to make a mistake and align with a fabric company for his wading staffs, as far as you are concerned, why do you feel you should support his choice? The ones we use do not flex.

I use a telescoping staff I bought at Wal-Mart for $10, have never had a problem with it, and I weigh 250.

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Originally Posted by J Castwell

Seems like you should be able to buy what you really want. If your fly shop decides to make a mistake and align with a fabric company for his wading staffs, as far as you are concerned, why do you feel you should support his choice? The ones we use do not flex.

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JC, you are right and that is why I did not buy the Simms, but before buying the Folstaff from an online source, I want to know if the flex I experienced with the Simms was normal and true of the Folstaff as well. Your response answered my question and now I am going to order the Folstaff online.

My wading staffs are all supplied by local beavers, and vary widely in length, diameter, flex, and desirability for retention. I keep looking for the perfect one, but I can never bring myself to carry it around all day.

Tyrone, Good! They are not a sponsor. Once they were and back then is when both of us got ours after a lot of studying. Comparing them to all, they are still our favorites. I am sure a lot of others work, even acceptably for many, but, we are very glad we have these. The features seem to be better, at least to us. I wish they were a buck and a half, then everyone would have one. Be a good thing.

I have a Folstaff and I can assure you that they do not flex...they are very rigid :!:

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I wish they were a buck and a half, then everyone would have one. Be a good thing.

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Mine did. I fact I got 2 for $1. A pair of aluminum ski poles at a yard sale. Not collapsible though.

I weigh 235 and my Simms did not break when it saved my old grey butt on the White in Arkansas year before last.Both will get the job done as I have owned both brands.

Are you sure you had the Simms properly assembled when you tested it? I have owned one for two years and find it much sturdier than the Folstaff, which it replaced. The only disadvantage to the Simms is that you have to make sure the ferrules are fully engaged and the locking mechanism is locked. The Folstaff will snap into place (as long as the internal shock cord lasts), and is handier in an emergency. Both models have their place, but I feel that Simms is a sturdier unit.

I just purchased the Simm's wading staff and I used it for the first time this past weekend. I thought it worked very well. I didn't notice much flexing with it. I may be wrong, but I don't think you're suppose to use them to support you're entire body weight.

Get one of the tellescoping trecking staffs at Wall-mart, target, OS Job lot, Dicks sportinggoods etc. etc for $10-$15. They hold up fine in fresh water, colaps small, and are only 11 oz or so. They also have a carbide tip and removable mud basket makign them perfect for near all conditions. If you don't need the colaps feature , get an old ski pole. I've been using one in the salt now for nearly 10 years.

A few years ago the kids gave me a Folstaff for Christmas. (I had told Liz I would not accept any brand other than Falstaff) It was a ? diameter staff. Folstaff also makes a larger diameter which is ?. I did not want to return it for the larger so gave it a try. I have had no problems with my ? staff and I weigh 190+.
I might recomend going with the larger if you weigh more than I do. I give mine a hard workout all season long. When I wade into the water it is in my hand, while fishing I drop it and let the tether keep track of it until I get ready to take a step and move. Yes, there is a learning curve getting used to any staff but after all we are all smart enough to figure things out.
There are other less expensive staffs on the market but what is your life worth?

I would never even think about trusting my life to another product.

If you wade and do not have and use a staff, GET ONE!

Denny

Thanks all for your recommendations and suggestions. I went with the Folstaff 3/4 diameter model.

I found it interesting that none of my local fly shops carried or would even special order the Folstaff. They carry only the Simms and Fishpond line. When I questioned them as to why, they said the have never heard of Folstaff. :? Seems from the reponses and other threads that Folstaff is the one all others are measured by.

Yup.

It sure is the standard. Seems to me that anyone working in a fly shop would know that. Haven't they ever picked up a FF mag in the last 20 years?

Both Arthur and Joan Stoliar (the founders) have passed away. They were both great folks and very supportive of conservation efforts and founded Project Access (for the general public and the handicapped). They've been very generous and humble about their support for these efforts. Sweet, decent, nice folks.

Their daughter is running the biz now... perhaps they have lost a little ground in the marketing dept.. to larger more aggressive corps. Also I suppose it's easier for a shop to deal with fewer vendors. I hope they can resestablish their presence, it's a great product and they've been great folks.

Congrats on your purchase.

peregrines

I bought a staff a few months ago from STP at a price I couldn't refuse. Non-collapsible but then always available to feign off that ornery blackie with cubs....like a revolver without a trigger lock.
I'm a firm believer in staffs especially since I'll be wading unfamiliar water soon.
Stay safe everyone.

I am a firm believer in using a staff to wade. However, I never bet my life with ANY staff. (I took two swims will using a staff last time out chasing steel.) Also, important is a buddy, to catch you as you float downstream, cleats to provide traction on slippery rocks, a flashlight/headlight to cross the stream in the dark, a life jacket/floatation device, a waterproff container for cell phone and keys, and a change of clothes. Gotta love steelheading!

Gottta love it! :lol:
Since I don't have a bud, I also carry a sub nose .38 with me just incase I happen on quicksand.

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Originally Posted by TyroneFly

Thanks all for your recommendations and suggestions. I went with the Folstaff 3/4 diameter model.

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The Folstaff should last a lifetime. They will rebuild one for a nominal fee. Sturdy, always at hand, quick and easy to deploy. Average out the somewhat high initial cost and they are actually a good buy.

Denny, Amen!

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Originally Posted by peregrines

Both Arthur and Joan Stoliar (the founders) have passed away. They were both great folks and very supportive of conservation efforts and founded Project Access (for the general public and the handicapped). They've been very generous and humble about their support for these efforts. Sweet, decent, nice folks.

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I still have the staff Joanie gave me one afternoon at their Greenwich Village brownstone after tea and a tour of the basement "factory". They were great folks and a lot of fun. A few years ago I found out from Lee, (their daughter); that the Folstaf has a LIFETIME guarantee so I sent it in. I got a refurbed Folstaf with the improved double-shock cords and a new cork grip to boot!

TyroneFly; you have made a lifetime investment!

God made my wading staff and left it for me in a tangle of driftwood debris at the mouth of the Carmel River in Carmel CA. He did, however, leave it with a slight design flaw. It's a bit thick and therefor does feel the current a bit. But if it were not for this Divine Intervention, I would have bought(en) a Folstaff fer sure.


Mark

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Originally Posted by flyfisher7

Are you sure you had the Simms properly assembled when you tested it? I have owned one for two years and find it much sturdier than the Falstaff, which it replaced. The only disadvantage to the Simms is that you have to make sure the ferrules are fully engaged and the locking mechanism is locked. The Falstaff will snap into place (as long as the internal shock cord lasts), and is handier in an emergency. Both models have their place, but I feel that Simms is a sturdier unit.

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As an innocent bystander...[I have used a high end ski pole...since I quit skiing years ago...in fact, I have a spare...but there's no way this one will ever collapse]

Just to play devil's advocate... flyfisher7's quote ...he has had both ...would make me question whether Falstaff is still the standard...I know ...heresey... and if I were going to get a staff I would wonder which to choose.

Oh, and I love my ski pole especially the platform on the grip that supports my hand :D

I had the Folstaff for many years, even had it rebuilt once. It served me well, but when it got to the point where it was about to need another rebuild or a replacement, I started looking around, and chose the Simms. The design is quite different, and much sturdier, but it does not deploy quickly as does the Folstaff. Think of the Simms as a one piece staff that you can collapse for easy storage or carrying on your belt to the stream. Both types have their place, I think it is wrong to say one is the "standard". It's an apples vs oranges thing.

8)
I use an old ski pole with a tether to my vest.
Works great and if I bust it, well there is the other half of the pair I got for $10.
Worked great on the NPlatte in Saratoga and other water I work.
Stay safe whatever you pick.
~ZM