I am having a hard time making a decision on purchasing a new set of waders. I am looking for a pair of waders that keep you dry and comfortable throughout the calendar year-spring, summer, fall and winter. I really have no desire to spend $400-$800 and up on a pair of waders. I know that layering of clothing will be involved during the the coldest of days. One gentlemen who I communicate with uses the Simm’s Freestone Wader during the winter combined with layering.
I have used my regular summer breathable waders in the winter with additional layers of clothing underneath. The biggest issue for me is my feet getting cold. it would help to have a pair of boots one size larger to allow more socks to be layered under them. I don’t think it matters how heavy or thick breathable waders are to keep you warm. What really matters is what you wear underneath them and how much room they have for layering without being too tight. If you pack too much clothing in a restricted space, you cut off circulation and will be colder than if you packed in less clothing.
I would think anything breathable would work. I have a pair of Simms Headwaters ( I think that’s the name) and I wear them year round. Turn them down to the waist during summer’s hottest days and layer for warmth in the winter. Two winters ago I went fishing in January and it was in the teens and I stayed warm. Prior to the Simms I had a pair of Cabela’s Dry Plus II and did the same thing with those as I do the Simms.
There are some fly fishermen who wet wade during the season when I am cold using waders! What is considered “cold” to one person may not be cold to the next person. I have Graves Disease which makes me sensitive to cold and I will be cold while wading when others are comfortable wet wading. So, I recommend that you weigh this out carefully and base your answer on your needs and not what works for others.
For me, I use chest high breathable Orvis waders during the hot summer months and switch to waist high neoprene waders for my winter time fishing. I do not wade in real deep water during the cold months. You can pick up a pair of waist high neoprene waders for less than $70 and this will allow you more money for the breathable waders.
I know this probably does not help you, but, I just wanted to make sure that you know that what is cold for one may be warm for you and vise versa.
Question Ted. Related to the wading boot. If I’m correct the standard suggested practice is to purchase a wading boot one size larger than your normal shoe size. Did you do that? Are you stating that instead, based on your experience, that you wished you would have purchased a wading boot two sizes larger? What part of Colorado do you live in, what rivers do you fish and how much winter angling do you actually do?
If the Freestones weren’t so prone to leakage, you could probably wear them for most any conditions with proper laayering, although if you’re fishing western tailwaters in winter/early spring, you might go looking for a pair of neoprenes. I bought a pair of Freestones in 2006 and got 4 years out of them, with relatively light use (I wet-wade a lot in the summer); when they developed minor (I’m talking pin hole) leaks in one of the boot-feet, I contacted Simms and they said ship them back to see how bad the damage was. Surprisingly, I was told that they couldn’t be repaired (???) but they’d send me a new pair for the cost of shipping; okay, I thought. When I got the new pair I saw that there were a number of design changes (found out later they were being made overseas); fit seemed to be good, although I wasn’t thrilled with the suspender clips. They worked fine for a fall trip to Idaho/Wyoming in 2010, but then in spring 2011, they developed leaks in both feet, real bad news since I was fishing some of those western tailwaters I mentioned before. I called Simms again and the customer service rep said he’d be glad to replace the pair (no charge except shipping) but that quality control in the outsourced lines was problematic at best and I’d likely be calling him again within the year with the same complaint (talk about standing behind your product!), but if I were willing to pay an extra $200 I could get a pair of their Goretex waders, made in America, and I’d stay dry as a bone. Since I didn’t have an extra $200 on me, or believe anything a sales rep says, I opted for the straight replacement, and saved on shipping since this entire phone conversation had taken place with me sitting at a fishing access about 20 minutes from the factory in Bozeman (kinda surprised the receptionist when I dropped a pair of wet waders on his desk). The Simms rep was right about one thing - the new waders started leaking within the year, but this time I just Aqua-sealed the heck out of the feet.
If you’re going to buy a pair of the Freestones, I suggest you get a couple tubes of Aqua-seal, too; you’ll probably need it.
Jeff, I buy my wading boots to fit comfortably over the neoprene booty of my waders with a heavy sock inside. This works well for me down to temperatures in the 40’s or so. This works great for me when I am wading in the spring, summer and fall. I don’t want a larger boot during those seasons, since it would make the wading more difficult to have a boot was oversized. When I wade in the winter, my feet get cold. This is probably partly due to the rest of me being colder than during the warmer months, so I don’t have as much heat reserve in my body to keep my feet warmer. I might be able to keep my feet warmer by keeping the rest of my body warmer.
I live in the Denver area and mostly fish the South Platte river. I used to fish in the winter a lot more than I do now, only a couple of times a year now, but I don’t enjoy it as much as I used to.
Something several people have said in a round about way is get some heavy wool socks. If the water is cold enough for trout they will feel good year around, when you wear them be sure your feet are not crowded for the reasons stated earlier. I bought a thin pair of silk socks to wear on my feet and put the wool on over them. Heavier cotton sock are too confining with the wool socks and my boots.
Cotton’s about the worst thing you could have on your feet in cold conditions (learned from experience); sock liners (I like polypro, haven’t tried silk like Jesse suggests) wick moisture away from your skin.
I have a perfectly good pair of neoprene waders, but never use them in Colorado winter fishing. My Cabela’s breathables are far warmer in the winter. I suspect this is because of their baggier fit, which lets the air inside them act as an insulator. I usually wear silk or synthetic long johns, heavy wool socks and a pair of fleece pants, under the waders.
On top , I layer with synthetics,wool and fleece, with a windproof breathable parka over those layers. And, strange as it might sound, your feet will stay warmer if you keep your head and ears warm. For my hands, I use wool gloves --fingerless or the kind that convert to a mitten when needed. Some people wear disposable latex gloves under the wool ones, but I don’t cuz they make my hands sweat too much.
As previously mentioned, don’t wear anything cotton when winter fishing as it traps all moisture against your skin. If you don’t have synthetic wicking underpants, consider wearing your swim trunks in their place.
I fish the dirftless area of SE Minnesota throughout our Jan - Sept season. In the winter our streams run 35-40 degrees. I don’t fish in the coldest weather, but I’m frequently out when air temps are 25-30 degrees.
I go with breathable waders – same waders I use the rest of the year – but add layers underneath. A pair of thin poly socks and long-johns, then heavier socks, heavier long johns and finally fleece pants.
As others have noted, make sure your boots aren’t too tight as this will restrict circulation and make your feet cold. An additional pair of socks may make your feet colder if there isn’t room for them, so make sure your boots are sufficiently roomy. I have a pair of wading boots that are a little bigger that I use in the winter. Some of my friends swear by boot foot waders in the winter. I’ve even fished some small streams with knee high muck boots in the winter.
Common sense, but worth noting, is to wade less. I tend to fish small streams and many of them can be fished from the bank. If I do wade, I try not to get too deep or to stay in one spot too long. If you’re waist deep for 30 minutes intently nymphing a deep run or trying to match a midge hatch with numerous fly changes, you’ll get cold!
Along with the previous post. Staying warm can be a matter of nutrition and hydration. It is very easy to get dehydrated at altitude, like in Colorado, so drink enough to urinate every couple of hours. Cotton is made to cool, not warm. I understand there are dry socks, like dry suites available but haven’t used them; this was a while ago. I have a dry suit that has a top and bottom, much warmer in ice melt than a wet suit. The abovde comment about a the head is right on the money; If the feet are cold cover the head. This is a mountaining idea and doesn’t anticipate standing in water but it helps. At times I have worn wind breaker pants next to skin, poly pro treated w/ silicone spray, and a second wind breaker outside. This was for Sea Kayaking conditions where I anticipated being in cold water for a while.
Regards this helps
