I’m a big guy and to be honest something of a clutz. I also work at a stressful job, I’m not complaining mind you, I’m grateful to have one but it is nonetheless stressful. It is about 5 to 10 minutes from a quiet little stream though. I’ve spent many a lunch hour sitting there in my truck. Anyway my wife suggested I fish the stream during lunch. Its not a good stream to fish from bank, which got me to wondering about hip waders. With my chest waders it’d just take to long on a short lunch hour(which is the fastest hour of the day). I was wondering if any of you had experience with hip waders? Something I can just step into and start fishing? Its not very deep, I might even get by with something that would come up to my knee.
Dan Bailey makes a light weight boot foot hipper that would work. But here is a different idea. How about a pair of 30" NEOS overshoes. They slip right over your shoes, are about as tall as regular hippers, and would protect you pants just fine as well as keeping your feet dry. I keep a pair in my car trunk for times I stumble across a stream that just has to be tried. Dump your suitcoat and pull on your NEOS and you are on the water fishing in 2 minutes flat. What more could you want.
David
Absolutely. “Hip Boots” were all we ever wore for the longest time. I don’t think my Dad ever owned a set of chest waders. For fishing most streams, and especially for short outings like you describe, hippers should do the job. For most stream trout fishing they’re all I ever still wear. Yes I own nice chest waders and good wading boots. They are overkill for the majority of situations. If I’m fishing bigger water that is too cold for wet wading (obviously not an option on lunch break…) or if I’m on my kayak and don’t want to get wet, I wear chest waders.
Chest waders certainly have their place and time, but they are also undoubtably a “status symbol” for fly fishermen— I always see folks fishing streams in their $400 waders when they don’t get their shins wet all day long. Apparently it has something to do with the same logic that a person needs a reel with locomotive-brakes for a drag, and that you must throw your rod and reel in the creek to take a picture.
only benefit to chest waders for what you describe is if you meet Private Murphy on the stream- if you slip and take a seat in the water. If you’re going to fish at lunch, then you; will be prepared with an emergency change of clothes in the car anyways. No problem.
You can get a decent pair of hip boots for around $70, keep them in your truck, they are on-and-off in a couple seconds, and you are good to go.
Also, be warned, fishing with a predetermined “gotta be someplace” time is a guaranteed way to hook your biggest ever trophy, and it will take you longer to land it than you think, and you will be late getting back.
I’m confused. i have both bootfoot waist high and boot foot chest high and the only time difference in putting them on is getting the shoulder straps from behind my back to over my shoulder.
If youre talking about hip boots, I won’t wear them again because i got into hip deep water and loaded mine with water more than once. I now consider them an invitation to die. i really don’t have a problem getting in and out of boot foot waders.
I have a pair of Hodgeman I picked up at a sporting goods store for less than $30. They easily come off/on with built in keeper so your foot stays snug in the boot. It also easily converts to a deck boot as an option. I have had these boots without fail going on 5 years. When waders are overkill hip boots are a great alternative.
Bob,
My waders are stocking foot. By the time I get them on and put on my wading boots, and then also take them all off so I can get back to work, I figure I’ll lose at least 10 minutes or so. Like I said I’m not real coordinated and I really prefer to take a chair with me to sit in while getting my waders on and off. (even more time lost) I’ve got a bad knee and it just takes me a little while to get them on and off. I failed to mention that in my original post, sorry for the confusion.
I have used hippers for what you are talking about. The hard part is finding a pair of felt soled ones. The rubber soled boots are like wearing roller skates, on my streams.
I’ve got an old pair of Hodgeman neoprene stockingfoot that I used to wear on some spring creeks that weren’t really wadeable. I also used them on a little freestoner where most of the water never got much above knee high, although there were one or two deeper pools that went over the tops a few times. I don’t wear neoprenes any more since I rarely fish ice flows; any other weather and they’re just some sick joke the designer was playing on fishermen.
If you are looking for a quick on/off pair of waders stay away from ankle fitting waders. the ankle fitting waders are great on the stream and for longer walks but take a little work to get on and off.
sounds as if you were walking where you should be fishing?
Just playing devil’s advocate.
BPS and Cabelas both sell Felt-Soled boot-foot hip waders, so other places must sell them too, if that is a concern. I’ve always hated the felt-soles on any boots I’ve owned that had them. I just prefer to wade very carefully.
boot foot hip boots are (compared to chest waders) light, compact, quick, and easy.
Because the creek runs through some farmland that was pretty marshy in spots and I was often up to my knees in it; also made it easier when releasing fish
When the creek is surrounded by sheer rock walls and the only other way is to backtrack out to a trail and re-enter the water a couple hundred yards upstream, missing some prime water, I’d deal with wet feet.
Jason,
Check these out. I love LL Bean & their “anytime, no questions asked” warranty. Also read the reviews…the only negative says that they are better for a bigger guy, something to which you have admitted.
BTW, they are Aquastealth soles. I have Korkers with felt, lug, & Aquastealth soles…the Aquastealths are far & away my favorites.
Here’s the link: http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/64014?feat=1109-GN2&attrValue_0=Olive
Mike
Mike,
There is also a comment from a user wishing that the boot was wider. Those of us with EEEEE or EEEEEE wide feet REALLY need to pay attention to comments like that.
Jason;
I’ve let this go to 2 pages ol’ buddy just to see where it was going. That first time we fished togather and you blew out the seat of your new chest waders did not mean the end of the day, remember? I have fished from the Bridge at Tim’s Ford Dam to the bend in hip waders!
jszymczyk I loved your answer(s)
EdD brought up a very good point about fit. My cabela’s hip waders are very tight in the ankles and you being a fair sized guy would not be able to get them on!
Because of your knee you should find someone to loan you a pair of boot foot hippers to try first. Boot foot waders but a different strain on you when lifting your feet. Not just the weight of the boot but it’s also trying to pull the waders off, suspenders can help with this.
Tight line buddy and hope to see ya soon:D
Jason
On a trip to the fabled Au Sable, Iwas 2 hours down the road when I remembered I had forgotten my chest waders. Not wishing to turn around I stopped in a Meijer store in Big Rapids and picked up a pair of Hodgman hippers for 29$. I fished the North Branch of the Au Sable for four days and loved every minute. I wouldn’t want to walk far in them as they have little support for the ankle but for what they are, they are great. I’m of an age now where I have set my limit with chest waders to be my waist; in a few years it will be my crotch…and then…My hippers actually keep me out of dangerous (for me) waters. Yes the rubber soles would be treacherous in other streams but the sandy Au Sable is just perfect for these hippers. I pack an extra belt in the box to hold them up and I’m good to go.
Mcsteff
And yes, they are quite easy on, easy off. My chesters used to be that way too but the years and the pounds have a way of making an easy thing difficult.
Go to your office men’s room and put on a pair of nylon pants. Next go to the stream, don your wading boots and wet-wade fish. Reverse the process and return to work.
I do use hip boots in the Spring and Fall when the water is too cold for me to wet wade and I don’t need to wade deep. There is not much time difference between putting on my stocking foot hippers versus my stocking foot waders, but a huge time savings if I wade wet.
I also have my car rigged up with an interior rod rack I made with bungee cords and hooks, so I can rig up my rod the night before and have it ready to roll the next day.
All time is precious when you get to my age. Time with your fly in/on the water is especially precious!
There is a small stream near work where I can fish during lunch and it is not fishable from shore. I use an old pair of Hodgeman rubber/canvas hip boots that I wear to fish this stream. It takes way less time to get the hip boots on and off than it would to get my stocking foot waders on and off.
The biggest down side to the hip boots is that I have to be careful to wade too deep. I have fished this stream after work wearing regular waders so I am familiar where the deep spots are on this stream. The hip waders can get pretty hot in warmer weather, so I often wear nylon pants that will dry quickly if they get soaked with sweat.
