Has any one heard of the ZEPHR or ZEPHYR wading staff or warelite folding wading staff. the warelite was advertised in green I saw these on the net and they seem to be as good as Folstaf. for some reason I cannot find them today The Zepher was adv. for 39.95 and the warelite for $45.95, compared with the $99. for Folstaf. I checked with LLBean and Cabela. with out help.
Thanks.
TonyC.
Tony,
I’m not going to try and talk you out of your decision to buy a wading staff. Smart decision, good job, I’m glad you’re thinking about your safety out there. Any staff is head and shoulders above no staff at all, but consider this. Is your life worth $39.95 or $99.00? Something more? Perhaps something less? The Folstaf is the Rolls Royce of wading staffs and yes, it’s pricey for what it is but there are features other staffs don’t have. The double bungees, the full cork handle, a decent lanyard to loop to your wader belt (you do use your wader belt, right?), a carrier that will last your lifetime and not need to be replaced or upgraded, good, solid tubing construction and the lifetime guarantee (okay, warranty service does cost $20.00 but what’s good service worth?).
Think of it this way. What are you willing to spend on fly line, a reel, or a rod? Will any of them potentially save your life? You’re an adult and free to make your own decisions regarding how and what you’ll purchase and use. In my opinion this is one I’d recommend getting the best. Shop around you might be surprised at what you can pick a Folstaf up for. It won’t be $39.95 but you might find you can save a few bucks and I suspect you’ll be happier in the long run.
I’ve not heard of anyone with a Folstaf complain that it wasn’t a good product and money well spent.
alra 195 has a good point: those Folstaff things are certainly strong. if at all possible, hold one before you buy it. if, like me, you are not big and strong, Folstaff can be a handful. tried three in a fly shop and couldn’t get any of them undone completely after they had been snapped together. was told that would be easier with use, but just didn’t see the point of buying something stronger than i am.
so i went another route, buying a lighter, more manageable collapsible staff that i use only as an aid to balance, not a third leg. i always use it in unknown water to tell me the depth and bottom conditions, and its light weight keeps me out of water that might be flowing too strong to cross. it has saved me a lot of trouble.
odd, with the paraffin on the staffs they always come apart for me. Not sure but I think it is in the instructions. The shop didn’t know about either? Just a tap sideways breaks them apart. Hard to think they made some defective ones. I wonder if the fly shop has ever sold any?If so, how? lol 
I’m 65 and have no problem with a 3/4’ Folstaf.
JC…My Folstaf doesn’t stick at all. Is this something that happens in time, or do you think they improved the newer ones?
No,but they request that you use paraffin in the instructions. But when did we ever read those things… Apparently even the shop owner was too busy or just new more than the rep and manufacturer. I find that the case with many pro-shop exec’s.
Guess if I was the maker I might consider taking some ‘extra’ time and putting paraffin on the new ones, at least they won’t get stuck in the shop.
They were at a low point several years back and we made an ‘arrangement’ with them to become a sponsor on here. I felt they were the best and wanted our FAOL members to know about them. Soon their orders were up and business was about all they could keep up with and they no longer needed to advertise with us.
Not to bash the other staffs noted but I found that a home made staff as described below is very helpful.
I take a suitable size branch then takea 4-5’ section of another larger branch and fit it so as to make a “T” at the top of the staff. Secure it with both epoxy and screws.
What this accomplishes is when exiting streams with steep banks and few foot holds you can get tremendous leverage by being able to push down on the cross handle rather that the small diameter grip of most grips. When your hand in in a straight line with your arm you have more strength then if you were holding a beer bottle
Just works for me particulary when I fish the Smokies
Tom
Parffin? don’t know what that is. in England when we lived there, we were told that that word was used for what an American would call Kerosene. can’t imagine you’d want to put kerosene on stubborn metal, but what do i know? not enough, that’s for sure! 
maybe the young man in the shop had no idea either. can you help?
PS one guide i know keeps a supply of broomsticks with bungee cord on them for clients who don’t have a stick and want one. cheap, durable, and they float nicely out of the way, but they don’t pack awfully well.
Wax, votive candles, birthday candles, food warmer candles, also comes in blocks in the canning section of all grocery stores.
thank you, JC, for being my dictionary! i’d only ever heard that stuff referred to as “wax”. learn something new and useful every day around here! now all those candle ends can be recycled. i’d used wax on sticky bureau drawers and other wooden things that couldn’t use oil, but never considered much beyond that. believe it or not, my supermarket in suburban VA has no canning section. i’ll sure look in PA.
I buy mine at a Wal-Mart Super Center, Giant Foods or Weis. Don’t forget to wax the male ends of the fly rod ferrules too.
As for wading staffs, mine grow naturally along the stream. You can also use cross country ski poles or a cross country walking stick.
CaseyP… Try the Giant groceries, or CVS. They’ll have it pretty soon, if they don’t have them now. The canning departments there are more of a seasonal thing, but they will stock jars, lids, wax, salt, and pickling spices. Ace Hardware, or any local family owned hardware store, should have it too. There used to be a great one in Vienna (VA) but I don’t know if it’s still there. Even if it’s gone, there’s a super BBQ place there, and an incredible Italian place (Joes), that would make the trip worthwhile!!
I’ve been using a Folstaf since they came out. Infact I have two, so that when my son travels up north from the city to fish with me a couple of times a year he can use one too. They do become stuck together pretty easily as even with very careful wading there are times when I have to put some leaning pressure on them to gain ballance, and I think anyone who hasn’t done this on occasion either doesn’t fish much or fishes in level bottom fine gravel streams… and that is exactly why I use one. I can get the top joint apart to dump out the water (they do hold water) and they still fit in the back of my SUV comfortably. If I ever get them apart again I will try the parafin. My only thought on that is that parafin will catch fine grit and sand once out of the water either from windborne particles or the floor of your trunk, etc that will stick to it and perhaps make matters worse, Cleaning after every use and reaplying a wax of some type may be the answer.
I would like to see one with a few small holes along it’s length to let water out as I walk back to my car to move on to another spot. I think this could be done with out weakening it.
While I am fishing/wading I have it tien on my right side. When I begin casting I simply bring it across my waist to the upstream side or just behind me depending whether the current is coming from my left or right…and let it float/sink behind me where it is easily grabbed when I am ready to move on… Even with this sticking problem I wouldn’t be without one… Bob
Per JC’s reply, just melt a glob of wax from a candle on the end of a zinger…wax is then real convenient for applying to ferrule or staff. Also easy to replenish.
Mike
Those little white candles for warming food, or in a glass on a table, or for Halloween punkins. Don’t get fancy, it all works. I have a box of white birthday candles, I give one to everyone I meet that needs one.
RW here,
Gettin old and starting to feel it. I hardly go fishing anywhere anymore without my Folstaff, except maybe casting from the shore of a lake. Took a bad spill a year ago and ruined a $300 camera. First fall I’d taken in 20 years wading a trout stream. But the light bulb went off and I’ve been using a staff ever since. Like the old saying goes…“I’m not the man I used to be…never was”.
Later, RW
Hi RW, hope ya didn’t bust anything 'cept the camera. Until a person actually uses a ‘real’ staff (like a Folstaff or such) they just can’t understand all the feelings that come with it. Glad yer OK. Stay dry! 8)
Yep, when I make a huge save from a big swim because I’m always using a wading staff, it sure is a warm and fuzzy feeling…opposed to a cold and wet feeling…yep…
Cheers,
MontanaMoose