Fly fishing gear is a big part of Casting Across. I’ve always enjoyed the aesthetics, the marketing, and, most importantly, the function of fly fishing gear. Consequently, I’ll review new products on the site from time to time. But appreciating fly fishing gear shouldn’t only be about the latest model or newest technology. The things that you’ve fished with for years – for decades ought to be celebrated as well.
It is in that spirit that I put together this gear review. Although some products are old or even out of production, their value compounds with use, experience, and familiarity. We should enjoy what we use when we fly fish, especially if we’ve enjoyed it for a long time.
If you’ve ever read online reviews for waders, you’ve probably had a minor existential crisis. (Or at least a minor shopping crisis.) Every pair of waders has its share of detractors. Every pair of waders has a series of reviews chronicling the leaks, tears, and ruined fishing trips foisted upon its unsuspecting waders. “$500 and I had to throw them IN THE TRASH!” Or some other, similar online assessment.
Yes: there are less reputable manufacturers. Yes: even the best brands will miss something. But usually the mainstream outdoor companies produce functional, durable waders that will take care of you for seasons if you take care of them.
My Simms Freestone waders aren’t part of my first or second-string gear lineups. But they do still work. And they’re twenty years old.
This pair of Simms was my first breathable wader purchase. I reluctantly shelled out the $200 or so dollars, as I wet waded as much as possible before employing neoprene out of necessity. Because I was skeptical of how much I’d end up using them (and because I was a college student) I bought the entry-level model. It is easy to take for granted how great breathable waders are. They’re comfortable. They’re lightweight. They’re versatile. Back then, it was quite the pleasant surprise.
I wore them more than I thought I would. Wet wading still dominated May-September, but I learned that long days were much more comfortable in waders and wading boots. So they have gotten use. Hard use on spring creeks and on Great Lakes tributaries and, more recently, on muddy New England wetlands.
There have been leaks. Every one has been the result of a puncture. Consequently, I have been able to add small patched and been able to carry on without further incident. The real problematic leaks come from seam and seal damage. The wader equivalent of a loose thread in a sweater, these tears start and don’t stop. Some kind of traumatic incident can cause a seam to rip. Often, their failure occurs after repeated use. Compromised stress points get pulled and pulled until the small leak and the unravelling starts. Ways manufacturers avoid this happening are quality construction and ergonomics. Quality construction comes across with well-laid, stitched, and taped fabrics. Ergonomics is simply accounting for the most recurrent movements on the most common body shapes.
My veteran Simms waders’ seams are still in great shape. Every time I have to pull them out of storage I give them a once-over. Inside and out, from the inseam to where the neoprene bootie is attached, everything is as it ought to be. On a 20 year-old pair of waders.
Along with the quality construction and components (all the buckles, straps, and pockets are still holding up too), I do take some of the credit for their longevity. I store my waders the right way. They’re never put away wet. They’re never wadded up. They’re never left in hot or moist settings for too long.
There are three pairs of waders that are in my fishing and hunting rotation. The Simms have been relegated to wet work projects and summer duck scouting. But they have outlasted at least four pairs of wading boots. They have persisted for twenty years. They have seen a lot of fish come to net, and they have kept me dry virtually the entire time. In my humble opinion, that is all anyone can and should ask for from a pair of waders.
Simms still makes a pair of Freestone waders. They’re much, much fancier than what I have. In fact, the only similarity is the brand name. But I am confident that what they have in common is the quality of a product that is put together and hand tested in Bozeman, Montana.