Instead, I’ll say it worked well enough, as did the 8.5′ 4wt Diamondglass rod I fished on this tiny stream, though at times I think an 8′ rod might have been handier – and perhaps spooked fewer trout in the casting.

Sticky rubber soles: I may never wear anything else on a small stream

I also say this with some certainty: The Patagonia Riverwalker “sticky” rubber boots absolutely excel on small streams. It’s true the new sticky rubber soles are not quite ready to take on the toughest wading tasks (slimy rocks), but then, I’ve always thought felt soles weren’t quite ready for my small stream adventures.

Comfortable, light and absolutely rubber-cement sticky on dry rocks, the Riverwalkers never slipped once, even on those wet, flat, angled rocks that normally threaten to skate your studded soles into a nasty fall.

Some have questioned the need to replace felt soles based on the spread of invasives, and I’d agree the invasives angle smells like a marketing construct – there are too many other hiding places on a boot and waders.

That said, these particular sticky rubber boots are simply way better than your father’s lugged rubber boots – good enough that I’m keeping my sticky rubber soles in a pristine state, and looking for a studded rubber replacement to felt (note: our studded rubber sole testing project has been delayed due to life, but is due to start again soon).

That’s not to stem the tide of invasives; it’s because my own testing suggests studded rubber boots work better in a variety of conditions, and yes, they last much, much longer. With baby probably already needing a new pair of shoes (and maybe braces, and college), longer and cheaper is better.

The question now is will the Patagonia Sticky rubber/Simms & Vibram harder rubber/Korkers “Kling-on” rubber soles – in conjunction with studs – perform better than straight (or even studded) felt?

Testing will resume this fall.

See you on the soapbox, Tom Chandler

The Simms boots were nice, all-around boots (stonefly not included)

The Underground’s Director of Wading Safety (me) and a handful of local guides who foolishly picked up the phone when we called, we’ve tested the Patagonia Riverwalkers and Simms Headwater boots a fair amount, and now we’re spliciing a new pair of Korker Guide wading boots (and several pairs of interchangable soles) to the program.

Of course, my original goal wasn’t to test the boots themselves as much as the sticky rubber soles – would the latest generation be ready for anything fly fishermen have to throw at them?

The answer – at least as it pertains to the bare rubber soles – is “not quite.”

Close, but not quite.

Local guides Wayne Eng and Steve Bertrand liked the new rubber soles in the calmer parts of the Upper Sacramento River, but after a little testing, neither wanted anything to do with the sticky rubber in the McCloud.

I recently fished the McCloud in Patagonia’s Riverwalkers, and those sticky rubber soles did well enough that I survived the experience, but I’d probably screw in some studs if I fished the McCloud all the time.

The thinking on the Simms and Riverwalkers were confirmed by comments from readers, some of whom fish a lot.

Simply put, if you’re fishing tough waters (the McCloud is a notoriously difficult river to wade, as is the Pit), adding a few screw-in studs to the new sticky rubber soles is probably necessary, and frankly, that’s hardly the end of the world.

After all, what you’d end up with is a boot that grips about as well as felt in the tough stuff, grips better in tricky out-of-the-water situations, yet lasts a zillion times longer. (They also don’t transmit invasives quite so readily, though I believe the role of felt soles in that transmission is a little overplayed.)

Our Conclusions About Boots (So Far)

The Simms Headwaters, Korker Guides & Patagonia Riverwalkers, ready for Montana.

I’m going to write a big wrap-up article after Montana, but here are my impressions so far.

Simms Headwater Wading Boot

The headwater is a nice, protective boot (hard rubber toe cap is handy), and obviously, lots of folks love the Simms fit.

Still, I’ll be honest; I’m a tiny bit less sanguine about the Simm’s hard Vibram sole than I am the softer sole of the Patagonia boots, though I reserve the right to change that thinking if the Riverwalkers wear too quickly.

The Simms vibram sole feels hard and stiff, yet gripped beautifully on the Rogue River’s rock-snot, cobble-sized testing grounds (the aggressive tread pattern might have something to do wtih that).

On the bigger, angular rocks of the McCloud, the Simms rubber soles were less thrilling, though there’s ample testimony from readers that a few metal studs (screw ‘em in yourself) would largely fix that issue.

I do believe the Simms Vibram soles would last a long, long time.

Patagonia Riverwalkers

I’ve already extensively reported on the Riverwalkers, and since that report, I’m happy to say I’ve reinforced my original thinking.

The Riverwalkers are the best choice for the blueliner; they’re extremely comfortable on the trail and the very soft, very sticky rubber works beautifully in the small stream environment.

On a small, bouldered local freestone stream, I could practically walk up the side of dry boulders – a handy feature as fly fishing small freestoners is half rock climbing anyway.

The Riverwalkers are flexible, light, go on easy, and just generally make my feet happy. They hike beautifully.

My brain was less thrilled when I wore them on a recent outing to the McCloud, where I was trying awfully hard to catch a fish for a TV crew (and failing).

The sticky rubber sole worked fairly well, but the failure mode was bad – they gripped the McCloud’s very hard-to-wade rocks until they didn’t – and the sudden loss of grip was… ahh… unpleasant.

I’ll be blunt: the Riverwalker’s bare rubber sole worked surprisingly well on the McCloud, but long-dormant survivial instincts would demand I screw in a few studs if I fished the McCloud all the time.

So far, they’ve been fine for me on the Upper Sacramento.

The New Kid: Korkers

I only fished in the Korker’s boots on a small stream, so I can’t really evaluate the effectiveness of their new “Kling-on” rubber sole (which also comes in a studded version).

I owned an early pair of Korkers that offered zero ankle support, but the new boots are supportive and seemingly well-built – and offer you the ability to quickly change soles to fit your fishing environment.

Changing the soles is not a five-second job, so hiking in/changing soles/fishing/changing soles/hiking out is mostly fantasy. In my mind, the real benefit of these boots is their ability to become the shoe you need them to become that day.

This makes them (on the surface anyway) ideal for the traveling angler, who might want a studded felt/rubber sole for most of his trip, but needs a plain felt/rubber sole to wear in a drift boat.

Or maybe you’re spending half your trip hiking & bluelining, and the other half wading the really slippery crap.

One pair of Korkers could seemingly handle all those jobs. We’ll see how they work in Montana.

Two notes.

First, the Korker’s BOA metal lacing system seems more convenient than laces. For example, I could quickly tighten or loosen the boots over the course of the day with a quick turn of the knob.

Durability is a question: break a lace, and you’ve got all sorts of options, but break the BOA’s metal wire or the locking buckle, and you might be screwed.

Second, the Korkers run a teensy bit smaller than the Patagonia and Simms wading boots. I normally wear a size 10 shoe, so a size 11 wading boot is the norm.

I made the size 11 Korkers fit, but had to wear a thin liner sock to do so. If you’re a borderline size, order up one size in the Korkers, or simply buy them where you can try them on.

More To Come

See you in Montana, Tom Chandler

The McCloud River – which may be earning its “McCrowd” nickname – is also seeing a lot of fly fisherman.

Apparently, it’s getaway time in the mountains of Northern California, and I might suggest we’re seeing a lot of fly fishermen who are ending up here instead of more exotic locales.

I’m always happy to see the local economy acquire a little spring in its step, but for some among the guiding community, the strain of guide trip after guide trip takes a terrible (terrible!) toll, leading to heart-wrenching scenes like this:

Wayne Eng at the Underground's Corporate Ideation Center

Yes, that’s Frequent Underground Character & Local Guide Wayne Eng crashing at the Trout Underground’s/Man Cave Official Corporate Ideation Center, where he napped (untroubled by killer Chipmunks) until it was time to eat.

The Underground Escapes

With so many fly fishermen apparently enjoying the Upper Sacramento, I’m heading off Sunday to a small stream in the area, hoping to escape some of the crowds.

It’s a gamble; it only takes one or two good (or clumsy) anglers to pretty much chew up a small stream for those who follow, and I tend to stay away from that kind of water on the weekends.

But damnit, there’s fish to be caught. And this time, I’m taking the camera.

The Wading Boot Testing Continues

And don’t think we’ve forgotten our wading boot tests – especially now that Korker has thrown its boots into the fray. They sent along a pair of wading boots and many, many pairs of their interchangeable soles, and we’ll see what happens in light of the Underground’s somewhat unhappy experience with a pair of much older Korkers (I wasn’t thrilled with the ankle support, but these look sturdier).

See you (anywhere but) a small stream, Tom Chandler.