Most worthless thing in all of fly fishing

[Rockstar Fisherman]

Felt is the best, but since I started fishing overseas it's meant I can no longer buy felt boots. But I love them and have hiked MILES in all types of terrain and weather. The only down side is you gain an inch or 2 while hiking in snow.

[charlie]

Korkers are excellent boots for mannequins and closet fly fishermen. Other than that, they pose some risk. Here in NE, we have some big tides. On one moon tide in Maine, with a drop of almost 11 feet, I went out several hundred yds. across mud and mussel bars to entice stripers in the narrow channel where a river mouth flowed into the open Atlantic. Korker owners don't have to read further. I barely made it back after leaving one sole to Davy Jones, and dragging the other behind like toilet paper stuck to your shoe. I didn't read the warning label that said "Do not use these in water over 6 inches". I've heard of Korker bonfire parties. OK, that's not very environmentally friendly, but very understandable.
Vermont was one of the first states to ban felt, so I've had the permutations of sticky rubber for awhile. Since I quickly learned how the rubber was inferior to felt, I have learned how great carbide and aluminum cleats and studs are, and what application is best for the conditions. I don't miss the beach worth of sand that came home with the felts, or the snow pack. Last year's models of Pat. and Simms for me. Good service life and safe wading.

[lucfish]

I remember purchasing a pair when they first came out. I thought, wow, two for one. To me it was a pain in the neck to go from hiking to the wading soles. I didn't use them too many times.

[DarkShadow]

....and dragging the other behind like toilet paper stuck to your shoe...

I laugh at that ish now, but it wasn't quite so funny as I'm losing a sole down the Owens, leaving me with only one dragging sole behind you, which in current, causes a bunch of drag.

Apparently, I'm half polar bear, since I start wet wading a tad earlier than anybody else, so I use my wading boots only about 3 months of the year. The other 9 months? I'm using my canyoneering boots that stick to snot covered rocks like velcro. Those pair of canyoneering boots has been THE best investment I've made in fly fishing since I started the sport, bar none.

[clee]

I'm using my canyoneering boots that stick to snot covered rocks like velcro. Those pair of canyoneering boots has been THE best investment I've made in fly fishing since I started the sport, bar none.

Do you have a pic those boots particularly of those soles? I wonder why fishing company's haven't used that canyoneering technology on their shoes. Seems stupid not to.

[DarkShadow]

I'm using my canyoneering boots that stick to snot covered rocks like velcro. Those pair of canyoneering boots has been THE best investment I've made in fly fishing since I started the sport, bar none.

Do you have a pic those boots particularly of those soles? I wonder why fishing company's haven't used that canyoneering technology on their shoes. Seems stupid not to.

These are the actual shoes.

The soles are below:



Don't know what alien technology they're use, but I've never experienced anything of the sort with any wading boot's sole, regardless of material, tread, or traction devices added to them.

They have great ankle support, dry quickly, and have executed 8 to 9 mile hikes without experiencing any discomfort. Most importantly, they don't weigh me down, as they feel like a regular cross trainer. I look like a rhesus monkey scrambling upstream, confidently stepping on wet items knowing full well that I have some amazing grip. It has a reinforced toe box so you can kick rocks confidently without stubbing your toes.

If it's a tad cold, I wear neoprene booties for a secondary layer.

Again, the best investment I've made, and after getting them on Clearance, it felt great not paying MSRP.

[clee]

Anywhere locally (SoCal) that sells these types of boots? I looked at REI website doesn't look like they have canyoneering boots. Would like to check it out as I may have found my next travel wading boot.

[DarkShadow]

Anywhere locally (SoCal) that sells these types of boots? I looked at REI website doesn't look like they have canyoneering boots. Would like to check it out as I may have found my next travel wading boot.

I have no idea if 5.10 is sourced locally.

I had to get it directly from their website, and paid 1/2 of what the regular MSRP was.

They have new models now too:

http://www.fiveten.com/us/canyoneer-3-yellow

Apparently people complained about the buckles, but I haven't had one problem with them yet, and I have *abused* these boots like nobody's business.

I bought a second pair and they're sitting at home ready to get some work in as soon as the first pair dies.

[NorcalBob]

Those looked really awesome until I saw the price!!!!
I'd probably spring for 50% of that price though!!!

Anywhere locally (SoCal) that sells these types of boots? I looked at REI website doesn't look like they have canyoneering boots. Would like to check it out as I may have found my next travel wading boot.

I have no idea if 5.10 is sourced locally.

I had to get it directly from their website, and paid 1/2 of what the regular MSRP was.

They have new models now too:

http://www.fiveten.com/us/canyoneer-3-yellow

Apparently people complained about the buckles, but I haven't had one problem with them yet, and I have *abused* these boots like nobody's business.

I bought a second pair and they're sitting at home ready to get some work in as soon as the first pair dies.

[DarkShadow]

Those looked really awesome until I saw the price!!!!
I'd probably spring for 50% of that price though!!!

Yeah, I wasn't going to pay more than what I paid for my regular wading boots. But when you get 'em for $75 or so, shipped free, I thought, "what the heck, i'll give it a shot."

As of two weeks ago, they still had 3 sizes left of the older model, but they're all gone now.

Who knows, when they come out with the new model, the yellow ones may go on sale.

[NorcalBob]

Most of the major FF boot manufacturers are working with the climbing boot makers to convert their rubber technology to FF uses, including 5.10. Most are on their third plus generation of rubber soles and I still haven't seen one that actually meets our needs without adding metal studs. Bottom line for me, rubber soles suck for FF (unless you add studs), and I'm still sticking with felt.

I'm using my canyoneering boots that stick to snot covered rocks like velcro. Those pair of canyoneering boots has been THE best investment I've made in fly fishing since I started the sport, bar none.

Do you have a pic those boots particularly of those soles? I wonder why fishing company's haven't used that canyoneering technology on their shoes. Seems stupid not to.

[fishabuoy]

OMG.... I had a pair of those - NEVER felt so unsafe in a river EVER... in 40+ years of stream wading I'd fallen maybe once or twice... and it was trying to pull off a bigger move than I should have been trying - given the conditions (youthful folly). In one day in a pair of those korkers on the Merced near El Portal, I fell 4 or 5 times while barely moving they were USELESS.

I bought another pair of studded felt soles and those were ok... but the boots wore out and ripped in one year. This past year I decided to go in a complete new direction... and bought a pair of Patagonia Foot Tractors - rubber soles with Al plates. I was very skeptical of anything rubber after my failed attempts with them, and did a lot of web research before buying.. and had a hard time finding negative reviews on the second version of these from Patagonia (there was issues with the bar shape design on the first generation). These things grip like glue... better than felt, and/or studded felt.

Economical they are not.. but if your goal is "in stream traction" with a boot that can be worn anywhere - they absolutely get a 10-10. I've worn them on all forks of the Carson and Walker rivers, in CA and NV, the Merced outside the Park, Bear Creek drainage above Kaiser Pass... and have yet to feel like they are not "holding" me to the rocks and substrate....

Now if I could only get sponsored by Patagonia so I didn't go broke buying wading gear

best-
Bobby V