I'm with Buddy Sanders. I spent the better part of the last decade doing this kind of fishing and the small backpack is the way to go. Hiking boots for comfort on the hike in. Then switch to wading boots when you're ready to fish. And there are few greater pleasures than slipping cold, wet cauliflower feet into a fresh pair of warm dry socks and lacing them up tight in a sturdy pair of hiking boots at the end of the day.