April 2024 e-edition - 4

A COUPLE PENNIES
WYOMING
WILDLIFE
Another year,
another pair of waders
By Robert Gagliardi, associate editor
Part of the joy of doing outdoor activities
is the gear.
Whether it's that favorite pair of hiking
boots, reliable hunting rifle or lucky fishing
rod, acquiring, taking care of and using
that gear is part of the process - and part
of the fun.
But do you have a love-hate relationship
with some of your gear? A piece of
equipment you must have, yet it is met
with good and bad results? For me, it is
fishing waders.
My history with waders goes back to
when I was a preteen fishing creeks with
my dad in southwest Wyoming. I first
wore old tennis shoes, but after a while
the ankle-aching and joint-jolting cold
water of those creeks became too much.
I moved on to hip waders. They worked
well for most of my fishing, although
sometimes I went over my waders trying
to cross deeper creeks, retrieving snagged
hooks and occasionally landing big trout.
There were some places where beavers
dammed up the creeks and created quite
a maze of swampy areas to get to open
water. Hip waders often didn't provide the
protection from the cold water that was
desired. I needed a little more coverage,
so to speak.
I changed to chest waders and have used
them for the better part of 20 years. The
drawbacks are they are heavy, hard on your
feet and ankles and potentially dangerous if
you get too much water in them while in a
body of water. There's nothing worse than
slogging around in chest waders half-full
of water. It's like walking in cement shoes.
The benefits are some extra pockets to
hold stuff, they provide some warmth
in the spring and fall when the weather
is cooler and I can get to more difficult-to-reach
areas where the water is
deeper.
4 | April 2024
Chest waders allow the author to get to tough-to-reach
fishing spots while his dogs follow and join the fun.
(Photo courtesy of Robert Gagliardi/WGFD)
My biggest issue with chest waders is
that I go through them like old socks. It
seems every year I find a way to get holes in
them, whether from the willows and brush
I fish around and trudge through, or going
under and through barbed-wire fences. I
can't remember a year when I didn't put
numerous holes in my waders. And, those
holes are usually in places that are hard to
patch - along a seam that sees constant
movement when you walk.
I've tried the cheapest chest waders I
can find, and as you can imagine, they
don't last long. I had one pair of high-end
chest waders I bought for a fishing trip to
Labrador about 15 years ago. Those were
fine, but I had to buy wading boots to go
with them. I didn't like putting on waders,
then the boots. I still managed to put holes
in those expensive waders. I know, some
real first-world problems here.
As I get ready for another fishing year,
I have another new pair of chest waders. I
went middle-of-the-road on the price. You
often get what you pay for, and those who
are avid anglers and hunters know how
that game can go.
I hope this is the year I get through
without a wader blowout. I'm not betting
on it. I'd like to think I take care of my
outdoor equipment. But when it comes
to waders, it's a losing effort.
However, it won't stop me from getting
out there and putting those waders
to the test.
VOLUME 88, NUMBER 4 * APRIL 2024
State of Wyoming
Wyoming Game and Fish Commission
Governor
President
Vice President
Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner
Richard Ladwig, Manville
Mark Jolovich, Torrington
John Masterson, Casper
Rusty Bell, Gillette
Kenneth Roberts, Kemmerer
Ashlee Lundvall, Powell
Ralph Brokaw, Arlington
Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Director
Deputy Director
Deputy Director
Chief of Fiscal
Chief of Wildlife
Chief of Fisheries
Chief of Services
Chief of Communications
and Education
Brian Nesvik
Eric Wiltanger
Angela Bruce
Dirk Miller
Richard King
Alan Osterland
Greg Phipps
Nish Goicolea
Magazine Staff
Editor
Associate Editor
Creative Director
Contributing Designer
Mark Gordon
Tracie Binkerd
Robert Gagliardi
Patrick Owen
Emalee Smith
Wyoming Wildlife (ISSN 0043-9819) is published monthly (including the November
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April 2024 e-edition

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2024 e-edition
