Waders
For the part of your body that will be immersed
in water, chest waders that come up to arm pits
are essential. At the beginning or end of the
season and in winter, neoprene waters ($85 - 200)
with thermal long johns under them will keep you
quite comfortable. In mid-summer you might want
to change to light weight denier nylon waders
($45-60) or Seal-Dry rubber waders ($40-50).
What you wear under these lighter weight waders
depends a great deal on the temperature of the
water and on your own internal tolerance for cold.
In summer, some folks wear shorts under their waders
while others keep their thermals on all season.
If you use stocking foot waders you will also need
some type of covering for your wader feet to protect
from chafing the wader with the swim fin and for
walking on the shore when you enter and leave the
water. The simplest and probably least expensive
wader foot covering is a pair of heavy wool socks
large enough to fit over the wader foot. There are
also various sizes and styles of neoprene booties
($20-50) which are more expensive and durable, but
must be slim enough to fit into the size and shape
of the fins. Some people also wear foot boot waders
($150-200) for float tubing which given an even more
solid footing, particularly on that rare occasion
when you might find it necessary to walk back to
your car after being blown across the lake. However,
the heavier boot foot waders require more effort in
using the fins for propulsion thus are more tiring.
Again, these shoes must accommodate the essential fins.
Jackets, Shirts, Hats
It is very important for your comfort and safety
to carefully consider what you will wear for a
day on the lake in your tube. Since the lake
water is usually colder than the outside air and
you will be sitting directly in this water for
long periods of time, you need to wear warmth in
layers. On rare hot sunny days, you might consider
just a long sleeve cotton shirt, but even then you
should carry a rain jacket and/or other protection
from a sudden change in the weather. It is best
to start with too many layers than too few. A
water proof rain jacket ($30-200) which can do
double duty as a wind break can be easily available
to you in the back pocket that makes up park of
your tube's backrest. This jacket should have a
hood and be long enough to cover the top of your
waders without interfering with the line that you
strip onto the apron of your tube. Sweaters and
jackets for warmth are worn under the waders, but
the weather proof jacket is worn as an outer layer
allowing the water to shed off you rather than into
the top of your waders. Aside from the clothing
that protects your upper body, you need to have
some type of head covering for protection from heat,
cold, wind and errant fly hooks.
Screen and Glasses
Sunscreen is a must at all times to protect your face
or any other exposed skin surface from harmful cancer
causing rays. Sunglasses are needed for similar reasons.
First, they protect your eyes from harmful sun rays and
from your hooked fly that might come sailing back at you
with a sudden gust of wind. Second, polarized sunglasses
assist you in seeing aquatic activity such as nymphs
swimming in sub-surface water and fish movement. To
make sure your glasses don't somehow end up at the
bottom of the lake, do consider a tether strap that
attaches to each ear piece and hangs down the back
below your hat.
Gloves
Gloves can be useful in protecting your hands from
the sun or cold. For those with sun sensitive skin,
a light weight cotton glove with the fingers cut out
will protect the back of your hands. For cold weather
fishing there are both wool ($12-15) and neoprene
gloves ($17-20) with just the thumb and forefinger
cut out to facilitate tying on flies.
For Men Only
Spending several hours in a tube, floating in the
middle of a lake can be a problem for men who have
reduced bladder capacity, particularly from the
normal enlargement of the prostate which often
comes with aging. The necessity of returning
frequently to shore to relieve themselves is not
only and bother and tiring, but can interfere
with production periods of fishing. In additions,
there may be some people who have medical conditions
that are not enhanced by the suggested limitation
of fluids before tubing. One simple solution to
this problem is for the man to wear and external
catheter which is attached to a long rubber tube
which drains urine to a holding bag. The bag is
strapped to the outside of the leg just below the
knee. This apparatus is worn under clothes and
waders and can be put in place prior to leaving
for a float tube trip. This equipment is readily
available at medical supply houses and the cost
is minimal for the comfort that this system provides.
(My husband, Bill, says, "Try it you might like it."
He does.) ~ PCP
Continued next time.
Credits: Excerpt from Float Tube
Magic By Patricia C. Potheir, published
by Frank Amato Publications. We appreciate use
permission.
|
