Does anyone remember Seal Dri's? Those were the days. They were one of the first pair of stockingfoot waders on the market in the 1970's. I bought my first pair while I was in school at the UW, from Tom Darling at the Avid Angler fly shop.
They were made of latex rubber and the performance was awesome - awesomely horrible that is. They were very easy to puncture and leaked frequently. On an even modestly warm day, you would be profusely soaked with sweat, and in the winter you may as well have been wading wet. If you didn't store them carefully the rubber would dry out and crumble. They were also the cutting edge wader of the day, and were my most prized possesion as a college student, along with my Hardy reel. We sure have it good today! -----Original Message----- From: Andy Towell [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2001 6:13 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Waders I will throw my hat in the ring for the Dan Baileys (I have the base models, not the guide series.) Not the cheapest, but not $350 either. Extremely comfortable (especially compared to the 3 and 4 layer stand up by themselves simms product.) My original pair is about 3 years old and see's 50+ days a year. The complaint so far is that the knee's are starting to wear on the insides (from rubbing while float tubing and hiking knock kneed I would guess) and the tape on the feet seams is starting to let go. I have used the thinned aquaseal to reinforce the knee rub spots, but I think that the tape giving out in the feet will put me in the market for a replacement pair in the next several months. For all of you wet waders out there - breathables can be a great thing when the ticks, mosquitoes, and no-see em's are out, when the poison oak and nettles are thriving, and for when you are just crashing through the brambles (I do not know yet how they will fair against rattle snake fangs...) I have worn mine in MT and ID when the temp has been pushing 95. While you still sweat, it has certainly cut's down on the scars on the legs. I tend to still where the neoprenes in the dead of winter, mostly because of the extra floatation they provide (its a lot easier to fall off a raft than out of a drift boat...) Tight Lines, Andy ----- Original Message ----- From: "PATRICK PETERSEN" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "waflyfishers" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2001 11:18 AM Subject: RE: Waders > Breathables are the way to go. When layered proprerly I never get cold not > even in January. My first breathables were a brand named Tail Water that > went out of business as soon as I bought them. I could understand why, they > leaked with in a month of use(about ten times of use). Now I have a pair of > Dan Bailys guide waders and they have been leak proof thus far and I have > fished at least 75 full days in them this year. In both hot desert weather > and cold winter river water they are comfortable and dry. I just learned > about a cleaning solution that should be applied periodically to kep the > pores from clogging with grime. It helps maintain the breathability after > several uses. Because of my bad memory I cant remember the name of the > product but it is available at fly shops like Teds in Lynnwood. The best > advantage to breathables verses neoprene is the fact they dry much faster > and are easier to get off and on when wet. > > > > > > [Original Message] > > From: Kent Lufkin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Date: 11/15/2001 10:22:45 AM > > Subject: Waders > > > > There've been several posts the past week or so regarding equipment. > > Since we've already beat the subject of inexpensive reels nearly to > > death, I thought a conversation on a less popular subject might be > > interesting, namely waders. To start the ball rolling, here's my 3 or > > 4� worth: > > > > I've had three pairs of breathable waders. My first pair (two pair, > > actually) were Orvis Clearweaters that leaked like a sieve from day > > one from dozens of tiny pinholes in the fabric. I'd bought 'em on > > sale at an Orvis store in Boise and ended up returning 'em a couple > > outings later for another set at the Bellevue store. (BTW, they're > > not the cheapest line you can find, but Orvis' service is first > > rate.) Unfortunately, the second set also leaked, so I tested their > > service once again, this time requesting, and getting a full refund. > > > > Deciding to try something different (and not wanting to take out a > > home equity loan to buy a pair of Simms ;-), I tried a pair of > > Canadian-made Ronnys from Swede's in Woodinville. I'm finishing my > > third season with them and they've been excellent. I virtually lived > > in 'em for a week in Alaska. > > > > I've got smallish feet and the Ronny's neoprene feet fit mine much > > better than the swim-fin sized feet in the Orvis and Hodgman models. > > However, that means that they're a little bit tougher to get off > > without putting too much stress on the seams. Once or twice a season, > > the Ronnys develop pinhole leaks along the seams in the feet. A drop > > or two of Aqua Seal easily takes care of the problem. > > > > In the summer, I get clammy and damp above the waterline, even in the > > breathable Ronnys. So I found a pair of Hodgman waist-high 'guide > > pants' waders at Gart in Bellevue on sale for $69, (or with a 'free' > > pair of $39 Hodgman 300-wt Polartec fleece pants for $89. I got the > > fleece pants for the extra $20.) I use them with my pontoon boat > > since I'm only in the water from the knees down. > > > > It's easy to forget that I'm not wearing my chest-high Ronnys though. > > This fall on a float trip down the N Fork of the Stilly with Sean > > Ranson, I waded in right up past my waist before remembering I was > > wearing the guide pants. I've only had the Hodgmans this year and > > have worn 'em less than a dozen times. Aside from the monster feet, > > they've performed just as well as the Ronny's. > > > > Finally, I've got an older pair of Hodgman 3.5mm neoprenes for cold > > water wear. Like the guide pants, they've got monster feet but > > they've been tough and durable. But after a day in them, I climb out > > feeling like I've been in a sauna with my clothes on. > > > > My personal thermostat seems to be set lower than most, so sweat > > condensation is an issue for me, even wearing breathables. After > > trying several combinations of layers, I've settled on a pair of > > polypropylene socks to wick away moisture, followed by a pair of > > Smartwool socks, and maybe another pair of fleece socks or neoprene > > booties if it's really cold. (With the big feet in the Hodgmans, > > there's plenty of room for several pairs of socks ;-) I've even tried > > those crack-n-stick foot warmers from REI. They didn't seem to work > > very well. > > > > I've ended up wearing light polypropylene long johns under the waders > > in the summer, and a second layer of 100-wt or 300-wt fleece pants > > when it gets colder. > > > > When it's really cold, I wear all the above but switch from the > > breathables to the neoprene waders. > > > > Wonder what's worked for other subscribers? > > > > Kent Lufkin > > > > --- PATRICK PETERSEN > --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >
