Neoprene Chest waders

[Guest tigger]

I already have a pair of Hunter thigh waders wich are excellent for shallowish water but found I am struggling to reach areas of the river where I want to fish without getting wet. A friend of mine has a pair of the Shakespear neoprene chest waders and he reckons their good but I've had a nosey on Ebay and there are a few such as Daiwa,Ron Tompsons etc at similar price of 30 to 50 notes so I'm not sure which to go for. Does anyone have any recommendations ?

[Emma two]

I already have a pair of Hunter thigh waders wich are excellent for shallowish water but found I am struggling to reach areas of the river where I want to fish without getting wet. A friend of mine has a pair of the Shakespear neoprene chest waders and he reckons their good but I've had a nosey on Ebay and there are a few such as Daiwa,Ron Tompsons etc at similar price of 30 to 50 notes so I'm not sure which to go for. Does anyone have any recommendations ?

 

 

I got 'into' neoprene when I was bought a pair the Xmas before last, before that I used rubber (Snowbee) chesties. The nature of most of my fishing calls for chest waders. The one which I got were labelled 'fladen' but I think that lots of them in the £50 price range are mass produced and then have different company names stuck on 'em. I went for Neoprine as it is more comfortable to wear and better fitting, I am quite slim and was lost in the rubber ones which are made to fit much larger men's bodies. My ones could have accomodated a serious beer belly! I can comfortably drive the few miles to the lake in 'em and the velcro shouder straps are much more comfortabe and esy to adjust than the 'yoke and clip' type on the rubbers. I like the chest pocket, I put my car keys in it when fishin' so that I know exactly where they are.

 

The downside of 'em, for me anyway, is that they dont take as much stick as the rubbers did, I wrote mine off a few weeks ago clambering down a very rocky bank to the lake edge, I slipped and the sharp edge of a big rock tore through both the Neoprine leg bit and the rubber 'welly' bit. Even with the included repair kit they were never going to keep water out again. I got replacements from e bay. they are exactly the same but are labelled 'Aquarious'. They are very hot to wear in this type of weatherand I can't wear much under them! or I'd melt.

And my 'top-tip' is don't wear a toe ring when your using them, the water pressure at even a few feet is string enough to cut it into your skin, as i found out, luckily its remote enough here that no one saw me in a bush in just a t shirt and knickers after taking the waders off to remove the ring. My old Snowbees (which I still keep in reserve) had felt soles which I fond gave better grip than the moulded soles on the neoprine.

 

I think that trinny and susanna and certainly Wan Gok would go for the neoprines for style if not practicability.

[ColinW]

... my 'top-tip' is don't wear a toe ring when your using them...

 

:D Dick Walker never used to give useful tips like that :D

[Sportsman]

I wear chesties quite a lot, for wading and for float tubing. I have tried a fair few makes (given that they are all made in the same factory in Korea anyway ) but they have all had their problems and start leaking after a season or two. There has been a lot of complaining from the float tube lads in our informal club about leaking neopremes, and this has included "quality" makes like Snowbee and Daiwa.

I now have what I consider the best quality and best value chest wader at the moment.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/template...r&noImage=0

26 quid a pair allows for the postage.

I have the 5ml Neoprene at it is cold up here.

You also need to choose between bootfoot, with those horrible and cold wellies on the bottom or stockingfoot with a decent pair of wading boots. Then you have to choose the sole, felt for rocks and rubber cleats in mud. The advantage of stockingfoot waders is that you can have more than one pair of boots.

Mt advice would be always go for the stockingfoot.

Edited August 10, 2008 by Sportsman

[Emma two]

I wear chesties quite a lot, for wading and for float tubing. I have tried a fair few makes (given that they are all made in the same factory in Korea anyway ) but they have all had their problems and start leaking after a season or two. There has been a lot of complaining from the float tube lads in our informal club about leaking neopremes, and this has included "quality" makes like Snowbee and Daiwa.

I now have what I consider the best quality and best value chest wader at the moment.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/template...r&noImage=0

26 quid a pair allows for the postage.

I have the 5ml Neoprene at it is cold up here.

You also need to choose between bootfoot, with those horrible and cold wellies on the bottom or stockingfoot with a decent pair of wading boots. Then you have to choose the sole, felt for rocks and rubber cleats in mud. The advantage of stockingfoot waders is that you can have more than one pair of boots.

Mt advice would be always go for the stockingfoot.

Thanks for that advice , and for the link, they look good and at an attractive price too. I had a scan around the site, I can never get over how Americans say 'hunting', when they are talking about what we call 'shooting and stalking'.

I have seved the link, and if my new waders dont last long I may buy from them. I suspect that the wader are going to last longer than my back will though. At the moment for all my bank fishing I carry everything I need either in or attached to my waistcoat. That includes even a mini thermos and an unhooking mat, mobile phone, camera, lures etc. But I may soon have to take up 'sittin' down type fishin', the downside to that is of course having to lug more gear. Anyone else been 'forced' to alter their fishin' style?

[Sportsman]

Thanks for that advice , and for the link, they look good and at an attractive price too. I had a scan around the site, I can never get over how Americans say 'hunting', when they are talking about what we call 'shooting and stalking'.

I have seved the link, and if my new waders dont last long I may buy from them. I suspect that the wader are going to last longer than my back will though. At the moment for all my bank fishing I carry everything I need either in or attached to my waistcoat. That includes even a mini thermos and an unhooking mat, mobile phone, camera, lures etc. But I may soon have to take up 'sittin' down type fishin', the downside to that is of course having to lug more gear. Anyone else been 'forced' to alter their fishin' style?

 

Emma, you'll have to get into float tubing. Then you can do it sitting down in supreme comfort

Pike on the fly from a float tube would put a smile on any anglers face

Edited August 10, 2008 by Sportsman

[Guest tigger]

Thank's for your replys people I'll take them onboard. Sportsman those with the stocking feet do look good and at more realistic price than most.