Waders

I went through a period a few years ago where I accumulated gear. These days, I fish with less and less. I carry less stuff around. I use fewer flies. I bought a new pair of wading boots a couple seasons ago in Calgary because the soles finally fell off the pair I was wearing. The other day I was looking over my waders. Globs of Aquaseal trace my days on trout streams, and document the punctures, rips, wear and tear that come with years of use. I wonder if I can get another year out of them before they disintegrate? Perhaps if I see a decent replacement pair on sale, I'll splurge this year.

I use breathable chest waders. I'm just not a hipper kind of guy. If I wore hippers, I would immediately need to get that extra two inches deeper that would get me into trouble. Know thyself. The hipper guys say, hey, mister anchovy, don't you get hot wearing those chest waders all year? The truth is that these days, as soon as it gets close to being warm enough to do so, I wade wet, in track pants, wearing an extra pair of wool socks in my wading boots. I discovered that I really like how it feels...