A felt-less sole on a wading boot? Are you kidding? Not if you’re Simms, which just released its new line of StreamTread wading boots that feature custom-designed rubber soles from industry leader Vibram.

The point of this is that felt soles can be cesspools of aquatic hitchhikers — didymo (also known as rock snot), New Zeland mud snails, Zebra mussels, whirling disease and others. You can fish in a waterway that’s carrying some of these invasive species and potentially transfer them — via your felt soles — to another, previously unaffected body of water.

You’ve got to hand it to Simms — as one of the trusted names in wading gear, they could sit back and not do anything to help the situation, but instead they’ve made the commitment to be completely felt-free by 2010. A big risk to be sure, but if it works, the rest of the industry will probably follow suit. Now, even if everyone’s wearing rubber soled wading boots, we’re probably not going to totally stop the spread of these destructive organisms, but it’s sure a step in the right direction.

Features & Specs

Last year, I reviewed the felt version of the Rivershed boot (see the review here) and the Cliff’s Notes version of the story is: they’re the most bad-ass, durable and comfortable wading boot I’ve ever worn. So, I’m not going to go too much into the boot itself, but rather take a look at the new StreamTread soles.

When I first took a look and feel of the Vibram soles, I figured they were too hard, but then again, I haven’t been making soles for 70 years, so I should probably leave that up to the experts. It just seemed that if you were going to go without felt, you’d want some super-soft, sticky rubber, but the StreamTreads are pretty hard.

Apparently, there was a method to the madness, however…

The key to the whole design is the Vibram 360 lugs, which provide traction in all directions (in addition to being easy to clean), which I have to admit is a pretty cool little piece of sole technology.

If you really want to get some extra grip, you can also add the Simms (removable) HardBite studs…

On the Water Test

Well, I opted to go without the studs for a couple reasons. First, I just wanted to see how the soles gripped without the extra help, figuring if they worked well by themselves, I could assume they’d even be better with studs. Secondly, I fish quite frequently out of boats — and studs and floors don’t mix.

So, to test the StreamTreads out, I picked the most heinous piece of wading water that I could think of — the upper American River, which is in a deep gorge with plenty of slick granite boulders and deadly slime rocks.

Just to get to the water, it’s a rigorous hike and then 100-foot vertical scramble over very unfriendly terrain. On the way in, I immediately appreciated the fact that these boots felt a lot lighter than their felt-soled cousins. On dry land, the soles provided outstanding traction, even on smooth rocks.

So, when we got down to the water, one of my felt-wearing compadres very nearly crashed and burned after stepping on these slick-as-snot rocks. While I wouldn’t want to walk too many miles on this kind of stuff, the StreamTreads gripped pretty well.

Once in the water, I walked on a combination of big boulders, ledges and gravel and felt very comfortable. The boot shined on small gravel and preformed better that I expected on the big slick stuff. In fact, I forgot I was not wearing felt several times throughout the day.

And I even caught the biggest trout of the day while wearing them, so the Rivershed StreamTreads have some good fish mojo, too, which is always important!

Then, it was time for a final test…rock-hopping on glass-smooth boulders with wet feet. I’ve nearly killed myself a thousand times scrambling up and down this type of rock with wet felt soles, which have all the traction of a block of ice in that situation. I’m pleased to report that these babies were far superior to felt in that area!

Sliding down a smooth boulder...never fun in wet felt!

Conclusion

The Upper American is a hostile wading environment and the fact that I made it the entire day without incident has me feeling pretty good about the new StreamTread concept. In the water, I’d have to say that these soles were probably 90 percent as grippy as felt, and on small gravel even better.

Since then, I’ve also worm them in the boat, where I appreciated the traction on wet floors — the same floors that often feel like ice rinks when wearing damp felt. Additionally, these boots are going to be really handy come steelhead season when we’re walking around in the snow. If you’ve never tromped through the white stuff with felt soles on, here’s what happens…

Overall, I’m quite impressed. So maybe you loose a little traction — not a lot — with the rubber in the river, but you also gain in other areas. I think the future of wading boots just arrived…

So, has Bogs come up with the perfect fishing and wet weather shoe with their Tillamook Slip-on? Well, I bought a pair and put them through the ringer for a year. Here’s what I found…

Features & Specs

• 100% waterproof
• Breathable neoprene
• 5mm neoprene liner
• Comfort rating to -40 degrees F
• Anti-fungal, odor-resistant sockliner
• MSRP: About $55

On…er…In-the-water test

Okay, so my first impression after slipping on these babies was that they had potential to quickly be my favorite fishing, boating and wet weather shoe. They’re extremely comfortable…and much to the chagrin of my wife’s fashion sense, I began wearing them anytime we went somewhere. More on the everyday wearing scenario later…

But first, how do the Bogs Tillamook Slip-Ons do in and around water? I found them to be excellent winter boating shoes when you don’t need full-length boots. I could wash the deck down and the water, fish blood, slime and other assorted goo would roll right on by, leaving my feet high and dry. When launching and recovering the boat, the slip-ons were also handy — I could go out into a few inches of water to crank the boat up the last foot or two on the trailer.

Dry feet..though not a lot of freeboard left!

The Bogs also shined when I was tromping around in the mud, on rainy day runs to the tackle shop, mowing the lawn, etc. And you can see why they’re such good foot wear for wet environments: Take a neoprene bootie and cover it in a rubber shell, add a sole and you’re in business.

Basically, these shoes are neoprene booties dipped in rubber

I’ve worn these things a lot for a solid year+ and they’ve held up well. About the only thing that has happened to them is, after 6 months, the neoprene split (inside the lining) near the ankle on both shoes. Maybe it’s just the way I walk or put them on or whatever, but it happened to both lefty and righty. I think I may get a little seepage if I get too deep because of the splits, but it’s really not been much of a problem because I rarely need to go into deep enough water to make them come into play.

The slits are really more cosmetic than anything.

As far as traction goes, I’ve been extremely happy with Bogs’ soles. On wet decks, I’ve never had any slippage issues…even as they’ve worn down over a year’s worth of testing:

Okay, so how about the warmth factor? The manufacturer says they’re good to -40 degrees, which I definitely will just take their word for! I have a little mantra that says if I have to chop a hole in the water to go fishing, it’s too cold to go fishing. Plus, here in California we are cold at 40 above…But I can say this: I’ve never had cold feet when wearing these guys, even in the drippy wet low 40′s and fog we encounter striper fishing in the winter.

Bogs also claims them to be breathable, which they are — anywhere the rubber’s not totally coating the neoprene, which is around the ankles:

The only area air can escape!

So, what I’ve found is your feet will be pretty comfy until about 80 degrees…above that you’ll feel like you’ve got both of them stuffed into a sauna. As far as the anti-fungal, odor-resistant sockliner goes, I can tell you the smell that comes out of these babies after prolonged wearing (especially in warmer weather) could kill a baby buffalo. However…and this is a biggie…they don’t hold that smell. You’ll get a blast o’ stink immediately after pulling them off — and then it magically goes away. The Tillamooks aren’t like you old high school basketball shoes that stunk 24-7.

Conclusion

Overall, I really love my Bogs Tillamook Slip-Ons. In fact, if I were president, I would declare them the “Official Shoe of the Pacific Northwest” or something along those lines.

Wind sucks. It makes fishing a real pain in the ass and it will cut right through ya and chill you to the bone. Enter the Simms Windstopper Softshell Hoody — but does it really work? Is there anything that can keep you from suffering through a biting cold, windy day on the water?

Well, that’s exactly what I wanted to find out this fall and early winter on the California Delta. But first, let’s take a look at what the Hoody has to offer…

Features & Specs

• Soft yet rugged stretch nylon shell with soft and very warm microcheck backer

• YKK® center-front zipper

• Adjustable storm hood fits comfortable around a ball cap

• 1 Large zippered chest pocket

• Zippered, polyester mesh-lined hand warmer pockets

• Adjustable cuffs

• Adjustable shock cord hem

On the Water Test

When I initially tried the Simms Windstopper Hoody on, my wife’s first comment was “Wow, that looks expensive,” which, is of course a compliment coming from the queen of fashion that she is. And in fact, the thing is quite spendy — $219.95 — so I was quite anxious to put it to the test to see if I’d dropped a little too much cash on a fancy sweatshirt.

But she was right, upon close inspection, the thing oozes quality from the stitching to the materials.

The taped zippers are quality...

And the fleece chin patch is a nice, comfortable touch

The Hoody also features high-grade wrist closures and quality stitching

The first day I wore the Hoody was 40 degrees and so foggy that I could barely see beyond the bow of the boat. Now, 40 and fog is about as cold as it gets because of the dampness — then throw on some boat-induced wind chill factor and you’ve really got a good testing ground.

Not really designed to be a sweatshirt, I threw the Hoody on over a fleece and, as soon as I put the boat on plane, I instantly knew that the money I’d dropped was well spent. It completely knocked locked out the biting wind — while my buddy in a straight fleece froze his @#$% off. I also noticed that the Hoody also has a water resistant quality to it, as the heavy fog would bead up and roll off.
The Softshell feature also makes this thing very comfortable and I have full range of motion — even when I wear it over a bulky fleece sweatshirt. I’m also a bit picky about my hoods — generally, I really hate them because of the “in a cave” feeling you get, but this one’s not too tight and has plenty of room for my big ol’ melon and a baseball hat.

Conclusion

Now, after wearing this thing for a month and a half (no, not straight) on the boat, I have to say that I am truly impressed and wonder where the heck this Windstopper has been all my life! It has totally changed my winter fishing and boating experience. It’s really amazing how much more endurance and “Eye of the Tiger” you have when you’re comfortable and not dreaming of the truck with the heat blasting.

It’s super comfortable, sharp looking…and it works. It really does stop the wind. As far as downsides go, the price is a bit prohibitive and I’ve also scraped my forehead more than once with the hard edge of the cuff fastener. Maybe I’m just a total gomer, but that thing has left a couple good scratches in my when I went to adjust my hat…

Overall however, the Simms Windstopper Softshell Hoody is one slick piece of clothing that I won’t soon be without on a cold, blustery day.

I’ve always had this number in my head — 70 bucks — that was never to be exceeded when buying felt soled wading boots. My perhaps flawed logic went like this: Why spend a zillion dollars on a pair of good wading boots when the felt is going to wear out in a season or less anyway? I know, I know, you (allegedly) can re-felt wading boots, but let’s be realistic here. I just don’t have the time or ambition to embark in such a project, so I kinda consider wading boots kind like Bic razors — use ‘em up and huck them in the trash and buy some new ones.

But, when prepping for an Alaskan float trip (watch the epic video we shot on that mission HERE) earlier this summer, I decided that maybe it was time to step up to the plate and go with a high end pair of boots. No sense being miserable in a cheapie, uncomfortable pair when you’re going to wear them for a week straight.

I decided on a pair of Rivershed felt soles from Simms. At $139.95 ($189.95 for the studded Aquastealth model), the boots were double what I’d normally spend, so I was anxious to see how they preformed. Were they simply over-priced yuppie fluff chucker foot wear or serious fishing equipment?

The Good

At first glance, I thought the boots may be a little uncomfortable due to the stiffness of the ankle support area at the top. However, I was dead wrong — they were extremely comfortable, while providing plenty stability to my feet and ankles.

Probably the best praise I can give these things was that, after wearing and wading in the Riversheds for 15-18 hours a day, I didn’t have a single “I can’t wait to get these f#$%ing things off my feet” moment which I can honestly say has never happened in the past. I normally wear a size 12 and ordered these boots in a 13 just to have a little extra room, which turned out to be perfect. My feet never got cold or tired.

Adding to the high comfort level is the Rivershed’s honest-to-goodness tongue that stayed where it was supposed to the entire trip. I’ve had plenty of less expensive models that had serious cases of Wandering Tongueitus.

The laces and hardware were all extremely sturdy — as was the boot’s “bow” area. Another are of concern in lesser boots has always been the toe area. Flimsy materials often lead to jammed, sore toes after a day of fishing. Definitely not the case with the Simms bad boys! The toe on the Riversheds feels like a steel toed work boot — impervious to boulders and submerged logs.

The Bad & The Ugly

There’s really nothing negative I can say about these boots. While the price is higher that I normally would fork out, I feel that the quality is so good that they’re worth every penny. It’s the ol’ you get what you pay for situation.

With a gun to my head, I guess I could say that the Riversheds are a bit heavier than I expected and didn’t drain exceptionally well — the drain ports would routinely get clogged.

A little nit-picky, I know, but that’s really all I’ve got on the con side of things…

Conclusion

Five stars! Spend the extra cash…you’ll be happy you did!

The charcoal gray skeleton fish hooded sweatshirt by G•Loomis may just be the best piece of clothing ever made!

General Overview

With all apologies to the black cocktail dress, the leather bomber jacket and blue jeans, I have to say that this baby is numero uno when it comes to the best-ever invention in the clothing world.

With GLoomis’ famous skeleton fish logo on the front, the hoodie is a smart-looking little devil, perfect for fishing on cool days, hanging around…or even crashing your ex-girlfriend’s wedding (listen to the voice of experience, mt friends!).

The best part, however, is it’s absolutely bulletproof (not literally, but it did stop a ripbait armed with 3 dozen treble hooks from puncturing my chest when it came back at me at 107 mph after I yanked it out of a tree).

Key Features

• 80% Cotton/20% Polyester
• Charcoal gray with a skeleton fish on the front
• GLoomis down the right sleeve and a G•Loomis logo on the back of the hood

On the Water Test

This one’s been a looooong time coming. I originally obtained the G•Loomis skeleton fish hoodie in the summer of 2003 while guiding in Alaska. It survived 2 full seasons of daily use up there, where it not only kept the mosquitos off the back of my neck (already worth its weight in gold!) and also suffered daily dousings of fish blood, egg goo and slime…

Then, the hoodie went straight back to work on the Sacramento River when I got home from Alaska and got used every morning in the fall.

The sweatshirt survived a bazillion washes…and, let’s just get something straight here: it’s not like I ever looked at the washing instructions on the label, either. Hot water, cold water, mixed with different fabrics and colors — it didn’t matter. I also ran it through the dryer just as many times and it didn’t seem to hurt anything. My laundry skills could be best described as “barbaric.”
“Hoodie” made another run to Alaska in ’04 (yes, we’re on a first name basis, here!) and handled another brutal king season with no problems. As with the previous year, we came home and went to work in the fall chasing kings in California.

During Chinook season on the Sac, the shirt got worn as many as 30-40 days straight without a day off (though there would have been a washing here and there — my wife would confiscate it and toss it into the washer, using a basic rule of thumb: if she could smell me coming home before she could hear the rumble of my diesel, then it was time to get the shirt clean).

The same scenario played out in 2005, so let’s jump ahead, here.

By the California fall king season of 2006, Hoodie was still hanging tough, although its charcoal color had faded quite a bit. The integrity of the garment, however, was still very much in tact and it put in another solid season of every day fishing.

I didn’t guide in Alaska in 2006, but FISH ALASKA Magazine sent me up to Juneau on assignment in the fall, where I did my best to ruin Hoodie by completely immersing it in herring scales, coho blood, halibut slime and salt spray. It didn’t work…and the sweatshirt actually got a little face time on the cover of the magazine.

The Central Valley’s Chinook run took an absolute header in 2007, so Hoodie got a reprieve from egg goop, sardine juice, salmon blood and slime.

Instead, it got a taste of Delta water, which isn’t exactly what you’d call clean and pure (my buddy once got a staph infection from it) on striper trips and also spent a long summer in the intense Lake Tahoe sunshine as we ran mackinaw trips.

Also on the docket that season were landlocked salmon and stream trout, so needless to say, ol’ reliable got another workout.

And, as in previous seasons, it kept right on going, though getting more faded.

One day in early June, a freak storm caught me without rain gear on Lake Oroville while doing a landlocked coho trip, but Hoodie kept me from having to bag the trip early.

That fall, a September coho trip to Alaska gave it another chance to prove its worth.

Conclusion

Fast-forward to the spring of 2008, and the world’s greatest sweatshirt is still hanging tough. It’s no longer charcoal gray — more of a whiteish gray, I guess. My wife’s tried to throw it out several times because the color’s faded, but there’s going to be trouble if she ever does!

Through all the abuse from sun, various fish fluids and poor washing and drying practices, the sweatshirt still fits perfectly and is holding up extremely well. Usually, after one season a hoodie of mine is in tatters — the cuffs are typically eaten away and the stitching is coming apart at the seams. Not this thing — here’s a photo from May 2008 — aside from some roe stains, the seams, stitching and cuffs are still in excellent shape.

I’m not sure what kind of steroids they feed the cotton in these hoodies, but G•Loomis is really onto something with these. Now, if they only made pants…

Five stars!

Has Hodgman has married quality with vaule with its Lakestream Lite felt soled wading shoe?

General Overview Hodgman has been in business making boots, waders and a whole host of other products aimed at sportsmen since 1838. In the past, I've owned some of their less expensive models and have generally been happy with them. Back when I was dropping 50 bucks on a set of wading shoes, I never had great hopes of them lasting more than a full season. Some hung tough for as many as a couple years, but the way I burned through boots back then, it was a lot to ask to have my foot wear survive from one steelhead season to the next.

I hadn't owned a pair of "Hodgies" for several seasons but when I saw the Lakestream Lites, I decided to get back to my roots. At just under $75, the were a bit more spendy than previous models but far less than boots made by some of the fly fishing manufacturers.

In the store, I was attracted to them for their weight (lack thereof) and apparent durability. I went with gray for no particular reason but they also come in dark brown.

Key Features

• Durable mesh upper with PVC reinforcements
• Scuff resistant rough skin counter and toe box
• Padded collar and tongue
• Convenient speed lace system with taslan laces and locking speed clips
• Nylon heel pull
• Super lightweight PU midsole
• Removable cushioned insole and replaceable felt outsoles with rubber toe and heel grips

On the Water Test

I bought the Lakestream Lites in Size 13, which is a size to a size-and-a half larger than my regular shore size. I’ve found that the improved circulation I get (translation: warmer feet) offsets the added bulkiness.

Right out of the gate, I noticed how comfortable they are. The wide base gave me lots of support and stability on cobble and the big, soft tongues are nice as well. The only down side is the laces seem a bit short because of the thickness of the padded tongue…not a real big problem, though and it improves if I really tie the laces tight.

The speed lace system is also a nice feature…I’ve had boots that required almost a full unlacing to get them off, but the Lakestream Lites are a snap to get on and off.

The toe area on the Lakestream Lite is nice and wide, which is a huge plus for me. I’ve had some wading shoes in the past that narrowed like a ship’s bow at the toe and my dogs would be more than barking after just an hour or so after wearing ‘em. The reinforced toe box is another attractive feature. I’m the master of jamming my toes into hard, immobile objects and these boots have held up to the abuse so far. You’ll notice that the stitches are still holding strong.

The same goes for the aft end of the shoe — it’s protected with a durable outer layer that seems to be holding up nicely.

I’m not sure that the rubber heel grips give me any better traction but they’re a great feature for a heel dragger like me. Normally, I grind the felt on the back of my boots down to nothing in just a few weeks. The grips are certainly prolonging the life of my soles!

Comfort aside, the Lakestream Lites really seem to want to come apart pretty quickly. The inseam of my right boot tore only a couple weeks after I started wearing them. My pal Vin Man bough a new pair for our trip to BC last week and he had three tears after two days of fishing from a boat. Not a good sign! Our guide Darren Bisson also had a pair and they were coming apart after only a few weeks of guiding.

I’m really bummed about that as these are possibly the most comfortable wading boots I’ve ever owned!!

Conclusion

After wearing the the Hodgeman Lakestream Lites, I’m extremely satisfied with the level of comfort they provide — and their lack of weight. The durability, however, remains severely in question…

If I had paid $40-50, I could probably live with the lack of toughness.

So, there you are…on that dream fishing trip in some northern location like Alaska, Patagonia or Canada and the rain’s coming down in buckets. Pretty soon you’re soaked all the way through and you’re getting wet down to the skin…and cold.

And let’s be honest here…Nothing puts the kibosh on the fun like hypothermia!

The good news is there is a way to beat the dreaded “soak-through” scenario. It’s my 3-Step Stay Dry Program and it goes like this…

This isn’t rocket science, but the key is to layer…with the proper stuff. Here’s my normal set up for fishing in cold, wet conditions:

Base Layer

For undergarments, go with a moisture-wicking fabric. Microfleece, capilene and Merlino wool are all good choices.

Layer 2

Fleece…the coolest invention since the outboard jet…is the way to go here. A set of fleece pants and a pullover fleece sweatshirt makes up layer 2. You can even get fancy and go with wind shear or water-resistant models.

Or, if it’s really cold, ditch the fleece and go with a jacket filled with Primaloft insulation. PrimaLoft coast kinda look like down, but are instead filled with a high-tech synthetic material that is incredibly soft, lightweight, breathable and water repellent.

Simms Primaloft Jacket

What’s really slick about a jacket made out of this stuff is it’s so light and thin (but very warm) that you can still wear it under your outer layer(s) and not feel like the Michelin Man. The one I wear comes from Simms, but Mountain Hardware and First Ascent (and many others) make nice ones too.

Layer 3

Okay, next layer is a rain coat. Jackets made out of Gore-Tex and similar products that are waterproof and breathable are the way to go. Rubber rain gear is great for keeping water out, but it also keeps sweat vapors in, so you can end up clammy under your great from perspiration.

Rockin' the Frogg Toggs (blue) under the Gore-Tex

The downside to the waterproof/breathable fabrics is you can still end up damp on the inside on the really, really wet days. To keep that from happening, I’ll wear a Frogg Toggs coat as my “base” raingear layer. If you’ve never seen this stuff, it’s really cool. It’s waterproof and breathable but extremely light — the best way I can describe the material is it’s kinda like paper but it’s extremely tough. Wearing the basic jacket is like wearing a T-shirt and you hardly can tell it’s there.

Over the Toggs, throw on a Gore-Tex outer shell and you’re in business. I like a basic, non-insulated shell as opposed to a coat for weight and freedom of movement reasons.

You’ll stay warm and dry all day long with this system because you have good insulation as your base layers and double outer layers that are waterproof and breathable.

The right gear will keep you happily fishing...even on a day like this!

Just in time for back to school: Be the coolest kid in the class while sportin’ this sweet retro Pautzke’s Balls O Fire hat! It comes complete with the Old Skool logo and awesome bill cord.

To be hip, just be sure you wear it a little off-kilter!

$15 at Pautzke.com