Fall fishing/Wading Pants

[mdmakaira410]

In reading some of the other threads ive noticed most of you don waders while paddling the bay this time of year. I do a ton of flyfishing on the gunpowder and have a few sets of good waders. I take it my simms headwaters PANT rather then my chest waders will be my go to this time of year? Do you use neoprene booties over the stockingfoots or what, i was just planning on throwing some crocs over them? Ok now that we have bottoms covered, should i get a kayak specific jacket or just layer up with fleece and capilene?

[kanvery]

On the kayak I'd go with the chest waders and a drytop. Thats what I use and seems to be the most popular route. That way with your wading belt tight and a drytop that seals around your waist you can minimize any water getting in whatsoever. It's also a little easier to layer wicking and warming layers.

[DOGFISH]

I agree with kanvery, waders are good. I personally use Kokatat pants, but chest waders are great. I think when my pants wear out, I am going with chest waders. I like Simms waders also. For the kayak, I lean towards the convertable type. I also like goretex, but other breathable material is fine.

The pants that I have are some sort of breathable material, and have neoprene at the waist for adjustment and the tight fit. A good wader belt can do the same thing.

Kayak fishing is a great sport. It brings out the inner child. All other things seem to be forgotten when your out kayak fishing.


Good Luck.

[ictalurus]

You might want to consider a pair of waders with a zipper in the front. I found a pair of Hodgmans with a zipper that were around $85, but I'm not sure if they still make them. The zipper makes taking a leak easier.

I started off with the waders/dry top combo, but now I have a drysuit. If you can swing it price-wise, I think the drysuit is more comfortable. I'm 6'5" and about 195lbs, and waders that are long enough for my legs have tons of material around the waist. That excess material makes it difficult to get a good seal with the dry top. I tested my combo out, and more water got in than I think would be good in the winter time. That test was with waist-high waders, though. Chest waders might be better. It wasn't long after that that I decided I fished enough in the winter to warrant buying a drysuit. I found a Stohlquist B-pod, which has a cool neoprene neck gasket, for a little over $400, which was a pretty good price. I also found it to be less sweaty than the waders/dry top combo.