Felt Sole Boots

[yonks311]

Hello all. Looking for a little advice from the collective wisdom of this board. I am heading out to colorado in a week to fish the Arkansas, South Platte, and possibly the frying pan or roaring fork rivers. My question for any of you that have fished these rivers is: are felt sole wading boots a necessity or are rubber cleated ones ok? Here in michigan my rubber ones are great, but I have heard out west a lot of rivers can be pretty nasty to walk in if you dont have felt. I can get a pair of felt soled boots for around $50 at a local store, but would rather spend that money on fly tying supplies or something else if they arent necessary.

Any help is much appreciated.

Thanks
Yonks

[Grn Mt Man]

Yonks,

Here's my equation on the subject from about two years ago:

Rubber cleated hip boots + slippery mountain stream in Virginia = finishing off old football injured right knee + three months off work (luckily on short term disability) + some rehab + missing about a whole best part of the season (March to June)

Felt soled chest waders = hardly any slipping

And, I always carry and use a wading staff now

[Kai]

My good friend who fishes 50+ days a year here in Colorado prefers rubber soled wading boots over felt soled boots.

[Avalon]

Dear yonks,

Anywhere you don't have a stream bottom of clean gravel or mud the felt soles are an advantage. Studded felt soles are even better.

Rubber soled boots and the Roaring Fork is a recipe for disaster, I know because I actually tried it for a half a day before I broke down and rented waders with felt soles for the rest of my trip.

Best Wishes,
Avalon

[fishnski]

Went to the Roaring Fork and Frying Pan end of May and would recommend felt soles and a wading stick. They were moving pretty good. In fact Roaring Fork was mostly unfishable then bt fast and slippery.

Have a great trip and tight lines.

------------------
The best time to go fishing is when it's raining and when it's not

[Scruffy Fly]

I fish the South Platte and a lot of other creeks and rivers in Colorado a fair amount. Felt soles are fine but I do slip around some in them. I also have rubber soles with large screw in carbide and steel cleats. They are by far a lot more secure both in the water and out of the water.
However if you have the rubber sole with the tiny style of a button stud then I would say get the felt.
Rubber and studs will be better for cleaning.

[Scruffy Fly]

You are going to be fishing rivers that either have Whirling Disease (Arkansas) and/ or New Zealand Mudsnails (South Platte) or Rock Snot algae (Arkansas) [url=http://www.westdenvertu.org/Conservation.htm#invasion:689f5]www.westdenvertu.org/Conservation.htm#invasion[/url:689f5]

You need to be sanitizing your all your wading equipment before you move from river to river. Don't be contaminating anyone's waters.
Don't be contaminating your home waters either. Sanitize again when you get home.

Here is what you can do: [url=http://www.westdenvertu.org/snails.htm:689f5]www.westdenvertu.org/snails.htm[/url:689f5]

Enjoy the fishing and the views while you are here.

[This message has been edited by Scruffy Fly (edited 18 July 2006).]

[Fly Goddess]

I have the rubber sole with studds in the Rocky Mountain area. Work great for me on all the waters I have fished.
If you want studds, easy to do. Simms uses 1/4" sheet metal screws. Taht is what is on my stealth, but I have customers and clients that have tried it on their felt and it works great.
Plus easy to remove if you get in a boat.

In my many, many years of overly aggressive wading which include a few unintended swims in waders, felt soles have been better than rubber soled boots. However, rubber soles with steel studs are better for footing than felt alone. The best insurance for staying upright for your whole fishing day is a wading staff. I resisted carrying one for years but now I wouldn't wade deeper, fast rivers without one.

[wireguy]

Not sure what they are called but saw some strap on felt soles to go over rubber soles. Not sure of the price either maybe that will save you a few bucks and give you the best of both worlds.

wireguy