I found a nice deal on some new boots and went ahead and got them. I asked around, and it seems the new Simms boots aren’t coming out until February, and I would like to get my wife into some better boots (my old L2s) since I hope she will get out on the water a few times over the upcoming break.
Since I was in the mood to spend some money, I went ahead and did my usual Google pounding to see if I could find a deal on some waders. I have seen lots of great deals on waders for the last month, and stock is dwindling so it was time to buy. Once again I came down to deciding if I wanted to go down the Cloudveil route or not. Due to the upcoming model changes, you can get some killer Cloudveils for as little as two hundred bucks. I have heard mixed things about them, but some guides swear by them and will go on and on about how durable they are. However, I like to roll down the tops on my waders for a lot of the water I fish, and I think the bulk of the pocket and accoutrements would just get in the way.
My decision came down to the L2 or the 2007 Guide model. I think the light weight of the L2s would be nice, but during the summer I tend to wet wade, so having really light waders isn’t all that big of a concern. I ended up getting the Guides as I think the extra durability will pay off with the beating I plan to put on these waders over the next few years. I am thankful to finally be getting waders with built in gravel guards. The options at the big box store before my last trip were the Simms velcro ones I keep losing, the over priced guide models, or some cheap Hodgmans that velcro (and I would lose). I learned on my last trip that guards are helpful and all for keeping crap out of your boots, but more importantly they act as a guard against your fly line. Never again will I fish without gravel guards.
Once again I escaped from paying retail. I suppose the hunt for bargains is half of the fun, but with as much gear as I have been buying every little bit I save will mean I can spend more. I will be saving close to $120.00 on the waders, but they go for more than what I am paying on eBay. Perhaps I will come out with a little feed of deals I come across when looking for my own gear. Forums and Google trump eBay any day when I am searching for a deal.
December 15th, 2007
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