Aquastealth soles

[AlSara]

Aquastealth soles:

Anyone have anything positive to say about them? In the recent light of didymo, and the fact that feltsoles can carry the algae way too far and long, my boots for next season need to take that in consideration.

Tungsten studs are terrible in the Adks, the only times I have taken a swim or crashed and burned has been since I bought my studded felts. So in the name of personal safety I worry about both the aquastealth and the studded aquastealth.

I may just resign to carrying bleach in my vehicle...

[wildbrookies]

Alsara,

Hopefully , my brother Marzrw will chime in with alittle more info. for ya ,cause he has a pair that he retired a few years ago... but, all I can say is ,I remember he had to be very careful while climbing around certain shorelines and submerged rocks...he said, they were like walking on greased bowling balls at times, while ,I had very little trouble with my studded felt bottoms...but, I think you`re right, the felt bottoms will act kinda like a sponge and soak up and could transfer foriegn particles easier than solid rubber bottoms ...I have a pretty good habit of always rinsing the bottoms of my boots when I get home, but, now I think I`ll soak them in an old cooler filled with some kind of disinfectant like bleach or something...what is recommended to kill this stinkin``Rock Snot`?

Wb

[AlSara]

"DEC is urging anglers and other water recreationists to Check, Clean and Dry all gear and equipment to prevent the introduction and spread of didymo.

Check - Before leaving a river or stream, remove all obvious clumps of algae and look for hidden clumps. Leave them at the affected site. If you find any later, do not wash them down drains; dispose all material in the trash.

Clean - Soak and scrub all items for at least one minute in either hot (140 degrees F) water, a two percent solution of household bleach or a five percent solution of salt, antiseptic hand cleaner or dishwashing detergent. Be sure that the solution completely penetrates thick absorbent items such as felt soled waders and wading boots.

Dry - If cleaning is not practical, after the item is completely dry to touch, wait an additional 48 hours before contact or use in any other waterway. Check thick absorbent items closely to assure that they are dry throughout. Equipment and gear can also be placed in a freezer until all moisture is frozen solid.

See the DEC press release on Didymo for more information."

Source:

http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/9219.html

[warden's worry]

No Dancing......

There is no definitive all around sole for ADK wading...........Each river has it's own individual personality, which changes thru the season. I have a pair of each and find them both excellent/scary depending on conditions. I suggest the Aquastealth with studs(try the Simms screw in studs) for early season-pre algae(non- rock snot) as summer progresses I switch to felts with studs, then i remove the studs as things get bony....nothin' worse than rock hoppin' with worn felt and long studs. Again, the removable Simms studs are excellent, they are not just sheet metal screws, they have mini pin-head nubs on them.
The Aqua stealths sre excellent for rock hopping and excel on our small ADK streams....
That's my two cents.

[AlSara]

Disco-riverdance

I just trashed my second pair of Simms boots. I had the original L2 and added the Simms studs. I replaced the boots with the newer version tungsten studded boot. The studs have not worn down yet, but the boots are falling apart.

I am tempted to get the G3 boots this year with hopes they last longer than one season. But then again I can almost get two pairs of Guides (one felt, one studded stealth) for the same price. With a boot rotation they may last longer

I fish around 70 days a year.

[warden's worry]

patience, grasshopper

I would wait on your shoe purchase, Simms is slated to introduce 4 new wading boots in Sept. at the Denver Retailer show.......ooo-aaaaah. I have had no problems with the L2 uppers, it's the felt that wears out for me. I like them for their narrow last. Good luck.

[AlSara]

I would wait on your shoe purchase, Simms is slated to introduce 4 new wading boots in Sept. at the Denver Retailer show.......ooo-aaaaah. I have had no problems with the L2 uppers, it's the felt that wears out for me. I like them for their narrow last. Good luck.

Uppers on the first L2 took on sand and gravel through the mesh and then became trapped inbetween the different fabrics. The soles have also come unglued (fixed that problem with Marine Goop)

Current boots are coming unstiched along the knuckle of my big toe.

I'll check the Simms pro site and see if there are any specs on new products, I did not see them on their public site. Thanks!

[marzrw]

I bought the LL Bean Aquastealths a few years ago because Wb and I don't fish, it's actually more of a death march so to speak. All kidding aside, we walk a lot, far from the roads and pulloffs. So I thought the aquastealths would do the trick and be an all around good choice. After my first step, I almost went face down. Stubborness, stupidity and economics forced me to continue wearing them for 3 more years before trashing them. It's a good concept, but it didn't work for me. Al, you aren't getting good grip with felts or felt studs. Well, fishing one of your home waters, the Ausable, I was so tired from slipping and trying to keep my feet i was exhausted and totally frustrated. I guess there is no perfect boot for every situation. WB and I are fairly happy with the Orvis felt sole boots and they have worn pretty well, although I don't fish anywhere near as much as you.

Of course, maybe they are improved, so not trying to discourage you, just telling you my experience with them.

[marzrw]

PS - I do believe waders and boots present a major problem with the new concerns, but has anyone thought of transfer from water fowl and other wildlife as well as humans.

[wildbrookies]

Hey Guys,

Like my brother has said, we`ve tried some differant types of wading shoes...L.l.Bean, Orvis...and when we picked up our Orvis Battenkill Brogue Felt bottoms w/ tiny studs on a 50% off end of the season sale!!! .....I`ll never get another type(well ,maybe Simms ,when I can afford them)...and I usually get out 30 plus days a year including steelheading and thus far,I simply have no problem with them and amazingly they are holding up well ,so far...we`ve done alot of long hikes back to our vehicles ,down railroad tracks,shale,brush,etc and they are holding up very well ...and ask my brother I`m very rough on my equipment ,having to replace many items well before he does... But, the bottom line is ,I guess we all have to be alot more thorough cleaning gear when we leave the stream and store our stuff for the next outing...

Tightlines,

Wb

[Kilgore Trout]

Here's my $0.02 on wading boots:

I own a pair of Korker's. If you've never heard of them, they are a wading boot with a twist - the soles are interchangeable. I have a felt insert set, and a general hiking/lug tread insert set. Over the past 4 years, and countless (I mean countless - I fish a lot) fishing trips, my boots are just now starting to become genuinely "worn out". The fabric is getting abraded and the rubber components are beginning to break, but man, what a great 4 years its been in them. I can recommend them 100%. Since I bought this pair, the manufacturers have made some changes to make the soles more durable and less likely to slip out. I'll be buying a new pair as soon as I get the OK from the Mrs.

I like to walk long distances in the woods, and some of my brook trout odysseys have been truly epic (not always in a good way ). Hiking in felt soles in not my cup of tea, and it really is an asset to be able to swap out the lug soles for the felts and not fall on my tail once I start fishing.

Don't know about the Aquastealth, never tried them. I have not, however, heard good things about the stability of them compared to felts.

Lastly, my opinion regarding Didymo is that the battle is lost, and it's just a matter of time before its in every river in the Northeast. I still clean my gear, but there is just no way to prevent the spread. It can only be delayed. If its not our felt soles, it'll be on someone's kayak, or canoe, or inner tube (oh how I hate them). Or else it will hitch a ride on a deer, duck, or moose. It's coming, and I truly believe it's inevitable. Will it be the end of trout? I don't think so. Nature tends to be pretty resilient, and we don't know if Didymo will be able to thrive here like it does in New Zealand.

[AlSara]

Good insight on boots and didymo. Thanks!

Anywhere I can try a pair of Korkers on in the Plattsburgh, Adirondacks, Glens Falls area?

[warden's worry]

I have seen Korkers at the Hungry Trout Fly Shop. The idea is good, but I'm skeptical about the coverage on the felt soles....The felt does not cover the entire sole, leaving a perimeter of rubber exposed. I have had Orvis shoes with this same design, and found them quite slick- but to each his own. They do have a cool idea of incorporating snowboard boot lacing technology into wading boots. good luck

[windsong781]

on the subject of "rock snot"

I fished the "trophy stretch" of the Connecticut River in NH this past week and there were the "stop rock snot" bulletons posted everywhere warning of didymo being in the CT. I also heard the radio announcements for the first time warning anglers and boaters of the problem.

When I got home I looked up "didymo" because this was the first time that I had heard of this alga affecting the NE area. After reading the various links, it does not sound good in regards to preventing it's inevitable spread. At least one link mentioned that animals can spread didymo when they carry it on their fur and feet.

So, what about the hiker that has to forge a stream or the camper who is just out having a good time playing in the riverbed? How does one practically disinfect their boots and gear when in the backcountry hiking. And obviously this single celled alga is in the stream long before it is visibly evident, so you could be in what appears to be a pure unaffected stream and still pick up the alga and transport it unknowingly to another body of water.

I am disinfecting my fishing gear tonight but am concerned about what effect it will have on my gears stability. For example, soaking your feltsoled boots in a water and bleach solution, which seems to be the best method where bleach kills just about anything, makes me think that the boots life will be substantially shortened. Or trying to keep the water and soap mixture hot enough for the recommended 30 minutes sounds like a full time job (at least for the 30 or so minutes. Wouldn't you have to be standing there with thermometer in hand ready to pour in more hot water as the temp dips below the recommended level?

I do enjoy fly-fishing, boating and being in the great outdoors, so I will do whatever it takes to help delay the spread of "rock snot". As with most everything in life, there is a price to be paid!

Windsong

[AlSara]

The DEC website says that a Salt solution may also be effective. Consider that on your boots...I have premium Simms waders rated for saltwater, so soaking them in a salt solution feels a lot better than machine or hand washing in a mild soap and bleach solution...

It's true, we can throw up our hands and say "What about?" then "So, why even try?" but then of course our (my) social conscience speaks...and I listen.