Fly Fishers — How to Wet Wade

Did you know that breathable waders only breath when they’re underwater? Fun fact, right? The permeable membranes can only pass water vapor while submersed. Not such a big deal when you aren’t producing much water vapor (evaporating sweat), but it’s a messy, clammy situation when the mercury climbs and the water drops. Amiright?

As modern life becomes more automated, more air conditioned and less labor intensive, it seems that our general tolerance for being uncomfortable has suffered. So baking yourself crispy in a plastic suit with suspenders is pretty much out. Fair enough, but there’s no need to hang up the fly rod for the summer either.

What to do, then? Wet wade

The Trouble With Tenkara — And Why You Don’t Need It

The advantages of a Tenkara presentation are not exclusive or unique to Tenkara itself, and in fact, the same benefits are achieved just as well — and often better — with a long fly rod and (gasp) a reel.

I bought a Tenkara rod for my young boys a few years ago, because the longer a rod is, the more control the boys have over a drift. And the lighter a rod is, the easier it is for their small arms to cast. Long and light Tenkara rods flex easily, allowing them to load with minimal effort. That's great for both kids and adults.

I’ve used the boys’ Tenkara rod extensively — long enough to understand exactly what I don’t like about Tenkara and to understand that a fisherman can achieve the same things with a standard, long leader (long Mono Rig) setup.

DIY — Put Your Wet Boots Here

When my wading boots dry out I know it's been too long since I've fished. Thankfully, they're usually wet, so I like to have a good place to store them. Here's an effective way to transport wet wading boots without draining creek water where you don't want it.

I use a drawer from a plastic storage bin that I bought for $12 at Wal Mart a decade ago. That's a small price to pay to keep my wife happy (enough) when I turn family visits into fishing trips by bringing fishing gear along.  She doesn't want creek juice leaking onto the carpets of the van.  Yes, we have a mini van. No, I won't try to defend it.  Let's move on . . .

It’s a Suspender — Not Just an Indicator

This August, 2016 Troutbitten article is retooled and revisited here.
Bobber, cork, foam, yarn, dry fly. Those are my categories, but who cares? If you’ve been fly fishing and nymphing…

Gear Tip — Keep the rust away, and keep beads shiny with silica gel

Editor’s Note: This is one of the first tips I wrote for Troutbitten, back…