Necessity of a Wading Staff?

[Avalon]

Dear Wild One,

A rubber crutch end cap works well too. Just make sure you poke enough of the steel point through so that you can dig the steel in when you need to do it. With the crutch cap in place unless you are putting pressure on the staff the tip won't really clank on anything.

Duct tape it on and you are good to go. I have a buddy who rigged a water proof mini Mag-lite to his wading staff with a couple of cable ties. It's great for seeing "gooney" rocks or a submerged limb after dark before they trip you up.

Best Wishes,
Avalon

[TyroneFly]

Another reason to consider one is it can be used as a life line when a fellow ff falls in and is looking for an extended hand. Last year when I was fishing in the Sierras I saw two guys wading along side one another. One of the guys fell in and in a panic screamed and splashed about. His buddy reached out to him with his wading staff and in short order the two were safely on the shoreline.

[Bill Blake]

I've been thinking about getting one. . . I'm a lot rounder than when I started fly fishing.

[Salmon Man]

Hey all,
I was fishing the torrent in newfoundland this past summer with my dad and we left with out checking the water conditions, stund I know. Anyway after we got up there a fellow fisher man told us we were crazy to be out in the water with out a stick as he called it. So me and dad walked to the shore and cut down a couple of birch trees and tied them to our vests. we used them for the rest of the summer and this spring im going into the woods to fid some new straight limbs to use this summer and beyond. I think that this option will work almost as well as the ski poles and cheaper aswell.

Hope this was interseting,
salmon man

[TonyC.]

I saw this and tried it, it worked for me. Gramps cut a handle of a old broom,cut it to size drilled a hole in the top and put a loop of tie wire through it. attached the loop to a retractable cord and attached the cord to his belt.As he walked in the water the handle floated by his side.

TonyC.

[Terry Lightle]

I used to wade without 1,now 2 bad knees and 1 bad ankle later I think about taking mine in the shower with me.I use it to check depth more than anything else.My agile 17 year old uses a staff any time he is in water over knee deep,by his own choice.

[darrell]

walking stick / wading staff / cane / crutch ... whatever you want to call it. I just don't like doing a hat floater ...

[RG/AR]

There is a nice telescopic hiking staff in the camping section at Wal-Mart that works very well as a wading staff. It even has a compass in the handle to keep you from getting lost onstream. Last one I bought cost me about $10.

[OLDREF]

Make one out of 4 ft long 1-1.25 inch dowel. Sand it, add some line 1 to 30 inches and give it a couple coats of spard varnish. Put rubber foot on one and a hole in the top and sting a 3 foot long elastic cord through the hole and something to attach to your wadding belt.

$5-6 total and half hour of light work may save your life someday.

When you are fishing let it float in the water. When you want to move reach for the cord and its right there. It is also great when when on a trail to knock down webs and weeds.

I have used this type of wadding staff for about 5 years and have not taken a spill when I have it with me.

Good Luck

OLDREF

[Jed]

OldRef,
I made one out of a maple sapling. I cut it and let it dry for a few days. Carved a groove for the handle area and then whipped it with tarred chord. Whipped a small loop as well. Now its fancy looking, has a carrying loop and the total cost is about 35 cents. Took about an hour to make.

I've had it for several years and it has dried into a great staff.

jed