Best Waders For The Price

[SamC489]

I realize that this may not be the best subforum for this, but as I do 90% of my fly fishing on the current, there may exist a few nuances that are pertinent when measured against other waters. My crappy $40 hodgman waders finally started to leak, so I find myself in the market for a new set of high quality, durable, yet affordable waders.

Should I go for stockingfoot waders, and buy boots, or is that not worth the cost? We do backpack in sometimes, so being able to pack them easily is also a plus. Insulation is not necessary. I may be able to push this back into being a christmas present, so I would say the ceiling would be around $200-$250. I would, however, like to have some asap, so if I can just pick up some quality ones myself for ~$89-$90 that would be a good option as well. Any advise is appreciated.

[mic]

I love stocking foot waders. Plus you can wet wade in them when its hot as hell out.

[stlfisher]

I second the stocking foot...much more comfortable than the boot foot for me. If the hike is short you can walk in them pretty easily...especially in the winter months. Easy to pack in as well. You want breathable for sure.

Lot's of good options in that price range and you'll get lot's of opinions. The wader's below have lasted me 3 years so far and i have had no leaks. The reviews seem pretty good too.

http://www.cabelas.c...ch-All Products

I picked up the ultralight 2 boot from Cabela's as well....It works fine for the price.

There are tons of good options out there.

If you can wait until Christmas can you push it back another week and buy them after Christmas? Might be able to score a sweet deal on something after the holiday.

[moguy1973]

I 2nd the Cabela's waders. I don't have stocking foot ones, but the boot ones I have have never leaked on me in 4 years...

[jdixon]

albright breathable $139. I have had my pair for a few years and have done alot of walking/bushwacking in them. For the price I have got alot out of them.

[Born to Fish]

Waders differ in sizes so make sure you try them on and make sure they're comfortable on you. Nothing like wading with penguin feet!! I used the stocking foot wader for years but have gone back to the boot waders because they are easier and quicker for me to put on, I don't get little rocks in my boots, and if you have your waders, there's no forgetting your wading shoes! I've known more then one angler who took their stocking foot waders but forgot their wading shoes when they went fishing. This seems to be easier to do as you get older!

[northernranger]

Stocking foot breathable waders are my choice. You can always dress warm underneath in cold weather and they can fold down to pants when needed for warmer weather and shallow water. I recently picked up a pair of Frogg Toggs and for the money I'm very impressed! You have much range of motion with them and they are far more comfortable. Make sure you get a decent pair of boots and try them on with the waders. Usually I get a size bigger in boots. Ohhh and they have gravel gaurds built in so no need to worry about gravel.

[flyrodman]

I absolutely love my Redington Sonic Pro waders. They are pricy but the durability and comfort will pay off in the long run. Good luck!

Tight Lines!

~Luke

[BruteFish83]

Field and Stream angler breathable waders have worked awesome for me. $80 at Dicks. Super thin and roomy which is great for heavy walking.

[3wt]

Stockingfoot is a no-brainer.

Breathable too.

Hard to say the "for the money" part, but I think I'd go w/ either Cabelas or Simms. Simms tends to closeout ther lines around this time of year, so try google-ing "simms closeout" and see what you find.

Lifetime warranties are nice, since even the best ones fail eventually.

Cabelas better waters have a warranty I think.

Simms are definitely the gold standard, but you pay for it. Gore tex is a superior breathable material. Tough, and they hold their licensced manufacturers to high standards for construction and seaming methods (the real weakpoint in any wader).

The fit of simms or other quality waders will strike you also. Compared to hodgman or white river etc, they don't have quite the "I'm wearing a trash bag" effect, and there's not as much excess stocking material (which gets old if you get neoprene wrinkles in them once the boots on.)

You'll be lucky to stay under $250 w/ simms once you find some good (non felt bottom) boots. But you'll only spend it once.

Oh, and I have the convertible style that can be hip waders w/ a built in belt or full chest. I like this on the Current because ~ 90%+ of the time I'm nowhere near chest, and on a hot day it's a big difference not to have the chest section up...and ifyou hit high water the conversion is very simple to go back to chest.