wading boots?

Jcurtis4 said:

anyone have a better luck with a specific type of wading boots for trout fishing

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I'll preface with a little backstory into my wading boot history before I give my suggestions. I'm 6'5 250lbs. I say that because on the average, I'm a little rougher on boots than most. Factor in that I am by far a much more backcountry fisherman than off the roadside, and for me personally I am satisfied if I can get more than 1 full year out of a pair of boots.

By far and I mean BY FAR the best pair of boots I've owned are Simms. I got 3 years out of a pair of Simms Freestone Felt boots before the sides finally blew out. After that I decided to go budget (why? I have no idea) and went with a pair of Orvis Clearwater boots. Terrible decision. Orvis is a great company, these boots are not. Luckily they stand by their product but I went though 3 pairs in about a 6 month period for multiple reasons. I finally had enough of fooling with them and bought a pair of Korker BuckSkins. The boot itself was a great but the interchangeable soles I was not impressed with. I think they would be fine for a casual wader (one who gets out of the truck, jumps in the river, fishes a half mile stretch and calls it a day) however that is not me at this point in my life. The plastic and the connector/latches did not hold up to the beating I gave them. Chota I have no qualms about, I owned a pair of those prior to my first Simms they just didn't last as long. Needless to say, the Simms just blew me away. I have now gone back to Simms. My next purchase is going to be their Intruder boot for wet wading in the summer months.

As for the soles, felt with studs for winter wading and Vibram with studs for summer wading, has suited me very well.

Patagonia Ultralight Felt. Keep an eye on www.shoes.com for regular 20-25% discounts.

Ive had about every basic brand over the years and they all are lacking in some way or the other. I am currently using a set of frog tog brand and they are a decent boot. After one season they are starting to come apart here and there. And they are rough on the toes when walking any distance. I had the cabelas brand for a few trips. They were the lug sole and I tried them with and without the metal studs. I couldn't get rid of them fast enough! Uncomfortable as any I have had and the only plus was walking in the woods. Years ago I had a set of the bantams and they were a decent boot for the money. I posted a thread about getting the korkers today and I hope they are all I have read them to be.