Waders - Page 1 - AR15.COM

Site Notices

Posted: 2/9/2019 6:05:37 PM EDT

This is a follow on to the thread about the essentials for a beginner fly fisher. I am looking at an good entry level wader. The Orvis Encounter is appealing for the price, but I am seeing some bad reviews. I won't be fishing a lot, so I don't need to invest in some like a guide would buy. I am not going to fish for a living. But on the other hand I'm not made of money, so I don't want to need to buy a new set of waders every year.

I have looked at the SIMMS waders made with Goretex. Would the G3 Guide waders be a good investment? Are there other brands I should consider? Any information is appreciated.

Posted: 2/9/2019 7:03:01 PM EDT

[#1]

Simms have done me well for almost ten years. Still don't need to be replaced. WHATEVER you buy USE the waist belt every time you get in the river!!!!

Posted: 2/9/2019 7:17:23 PM EDT

[#2]

I posted a link in the other thread on fly fishing you started. Anyhoo, if your just beginning not sure I would drop the coin on the Simms waders seem to get.

You might not need chest waders, depending on the rivers you are fishing in Texas. Even though I live in the PNW, Summer time I am usually wading or drifting rivers on a pontoon boat or drift boat and I am in shorts and tennis shoes or wader boots with neoprene socks.. Winter steelhead is a different story.

That said if you plan on using a float tube, which is a great way to fly fish lakes. Then yes get chest waders. Rarely should you go above waist deep in a river though depending on how swift it is!

Again Cabela's/bass pro waders are inexpensive with great return policy's. But if you like Simms, it's your money.. They are nice!

Posted: 2/9/2019 7:46:57 PM EDT

[#3]

Love my old simms. I think I bought them in '06. I do try to get the most out of them I can. If its warm out and the water isn't terribly cold I wet wade in a pair of simms fishing pants. They dry quickly. obviously a no bueno in cold conditions.

My son-in-law seems to have decent luck with his Reddington waders. I believe he has done some leak fixes on them but hes much harder on gear than I am .

Posted: 2/9/2019 8:14:04 PM EDT

[#4]

I’ve had a set of Cabelas for years but they’re finally giving out. Magellan (Academy) and Cabelas are both very good. FWIW, I fish a lot in mountain states and Oklahoma. I do prefer stocking foot waders as well as they tend to be lighter.

Posted: 2/10/2019 4:17:22 PM EDT

[#5]

I have used and abused waders from almost every manufacturer. I was a guide so my waders were seeing 60-100 days of hard use per year. Here is my $.02:

How many days you fish per year are of little consequence. If your waders leak on a trip they can ruin a trip especially in the winter.

I have found that every wader eventually leaks. It is just a matter of time. My unscientific observation of time to leak shortest to longest:
Dan Bailey
Orvis
Patagonia
Reddington
Simms

That is the order I would purchase in starting with Simms and ending with Dan Bailey’s. FWIW, a warranty is great but it won’t save a trip. Leaking waders are not worth the $ savings.

When I was guiding I used Simms G4 guides they were very durable. Now that I am not guiding I use the G3 guide waders.

Posted: 2/10/2019 9:53:41 PM EDT

[#6]

Thanks for all the comments. It looks like my best option is to buy Simms waders. It will be less expensive to buy quality the first time, rather than buy cheap and have to replace it often.

Posted: 2/11/2019 1:00:27 PM EDT

[#7]

I used the basspro white river ones for years. They will leak though and I'd just get a replacement pair... Basspro will now only replace them 1 time versus the old one year no questions asked policy so I bought Simms last year and they are just overall a better set.

They will eventually leak, but the warranty will take care of that. I tried Simms boots, but I went back to my old cabelas washing boots. Just a better fit for me.

Posted: 2/11/2019 7:54:36 PM EDT

[#8]

I went to the local fly shop today and tried on some of the SIMMS waders. I bought a pair of the G3 Guide waders. They worked out to be about twice the price of the Orvis Encounter waders I was considering. Looking at things logically, buying the best pair I can afford that will last longer than the less expensive pair of waders just makes sense. I wont need to replace them as quick and with the warranty I just easily get my money's worth of use.

I also went ahead and bought the new SIMMS Lightweight wading boots. There fit well (with the waders on) and seem to be really well made. I will probably wear the wading boots out since we only have a couple of months that our waters are too cold to wade in shorts. The boots will serve me well.

Now, I need to practice casting.

Posted: 2/11/2019 10:20:34 PM EDT

[#9]

IMHO, good call. As a guide I could have saved a bunch of money by buying other people’s waders. I still ponied up for Simms. When I retired I decided to buy a new pair so I bought the G3 guides at retail. That’s how much I believe in them.

Enjoy!

Posted: 2/12/2019 3:11:23 PM EDT

[#10]

Excellent choice. They won't let you down. And if you end up in a thorn patch they will take care of ya too.

Don't overthink the fly rod. It's not some magical special tool or ability that only 5% of the population can figure out...

Just get out there and practice and figure out what works for you. My 13yr old picked up my fly rod 2 years ago and after 10 minutes of giving her the basics and showing her how to roll cast she landed her first rainbow. Now she's casting better than me.

Posted: 2/18/2019 1:45:11 AM EDT

[#11]

I like Simms boot foot waders.
I've had both and I find the boot foots easier to deal with, quicker and simpler.
I add Koldcutters to the bottoms and I'm good to go.

Posted: 2/20/2019 10:35:13 AM EDT

[#12]

Former Orvis Guide here. All waders are gonna leak eventually and most much sooner than you would think. I am still wearing a pair of Orvis Guide series convertible waders over a decade old and they leak slightly below the knees. Not a big deal unless I am fishing a tailrace. I just purchased my wife some silver sonics for christmas because she wants to be "cute" iin women's cut waders for her fishing instagram. We will see how those hold up. Simms are good stuff. I really liked their L2 wading boots back in the day.

Posted: 3/6/2019 12:43:26 AM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:
I went to the local fly shop today and tried on some of the SIMMS waders. I bought a pair of the G3 Guide waders. They worked out to be about twice the price of the Orvis Encounter waders I was considering. Looking at things logically, buying the best pair I can afford that will last longer than the less expensive pair of waders just makes sense. I wont need to replace them as quick and with the warranty I just easily get my money's worth of use.

I also went ahead and bought the new SIMMS Lightweight wading boots. There fit well (with the waders on) and seem to be really well made. I will probably wear the wading boots out since we only have a couple of months that our waters are too cold to wade in shorts. The boots will serve me well.

Now, I need to practice casting.

View Quote

Buy once, cry once. Good purchase.

Posted: 6/21/2019 11:51:09 PM EDT

[#14]

Good choice. I bought Simms headwaters for my first set and they are nice but the fabric on my g3 waders that replaced them is so much nicer.

Posted: 6/23/2019 6:57:41 PM EDT

[#15]

Know a fellow fly fisher who has about 1/2 dozen pairs of cheap waders in his trunk.
All with various levels of patches and anti leak devices.
He uses the black gorilla tape for "temporary" fixes.
Wears which ever pair he claims aren't leaking but at the end of the day which ever ones he has on are leaking.
At some point he patches all of them with what he calls "permanent patches" for the umpteenth time and starts over again.

Congrats on the new Simms waders, any update on how they are working out for you?

I had a pair of Simms boot foot waders that developed a leak on one of the boots,
Sent them back to Simms, was expecting a patch on the boot.
Simms sent me a new pair back.

I use mine alot in the early spring and fall right up till ice up.
Nothing worse than a leaking wader in 35 degree water.

Posted: 7/19/2020 10:14:17 PM EDT

[#16]

Another vote for Simms G3. They are a great performing wader.

Posted: 7/29/2020 5:48:55 PM EDT

[#17]

I've got prob close to 400 days on my G3's. No need to look any further. I work in a fly shop and we have very little issues with anything Simms and their CS is second to none.

J-

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Waders

Outdoors » Fly Fishing

Warning

Confirm Action

About AR15.COM

Stay Connected

Newsletter

Contact Us