I too use a wooden staff with a wrapped handle. As I have grown old, my balance and strength have significantly diminished, and my staff, which I formerly viewed as an occasional wading aid, is now a full-time wading (and hiking on rough ground) necessity.
My current staff is a piece of found wood (from the banks of the Beaverhead in Montana) whose bark looks like cherry wood. I drilled a hole through it at the top so I could add a short length of para cord as a tether; when I am using both hands in the stream, I can release the staff, and it, tethered to my belt, floats beside me, ready when needed.
I attach the tether to the staff by a loop-to-loop and remove it when hiking.
For me, my staff reminds me of that old AMEX-card slogan, "Don't leave home without it."
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