By Frank Sargeant
Frankmako1@gmail.com

Even in Florida, waders can be a big plus on chilly redfish flats during winter months.

Economy and waders don’t seem to go together much anymore. In fact, some waders now cost quite a bit more than my first boat. (No, that wasn’t a dugout canoe, but admittedly not far from it.)

LOC 3d Mesh Waders seem to be the crème de la crème at present—price is $1,650! 

Of course, this is for waders with Kevlar knees—in case you ever get shot in the knee cap, I guess--and they’ll probably last you a couple of lifetimes unless you’re a fishing guide in Patagonia, but man, that sticker is a bit of a shock to those of us who learned to wadefish in cutoffs and flip-flops.

The Sitka Delta Pro, at $1,100, runs second, and then we get down into the Simms and Orvis range, just under four figures.

I admit, I am guilty-- as my wife reminds me almost weekly—of being a born cheapskate. (She, on the other hand, is apparently a born duchess, and only the best will do, whether it’s French yogurt or Italian sandals—but I digress.)

Anyway, as you grow older, the temperature at which you can stand to wade varies inversely, to say the least. So I have become very friendly with waders over the last few decades.

And I like ‘em affordable.

But it turns out there are plenty of options for under $150 that can deliver all most of us need for casual wading on the coastal flats or in the trout streams of the Smokies and during the warmer months in the Rockies and the Pacific northwest. 

Note with all stocking foot waders, which are the less expensive option compared to those with the built-in boots, you also need some sort of wading shoe, which can add anything from $50 to $150 extra to the price. So they’re not quite so affordable as they seem—but you can keep one pair of wading shoes for 20 years, so it’s not a frequent expense. Breathable waders, on the other hand, have to be replaced every four or five years if you use them frequently.

These are typically 3- or 4-ply combo nylon/polyester material—four ply’s makes them tougher and longer lasting, three makes them more comfortable, lighter and easier to pack. The breathable tops are a big plus when you’re fishing moderately cold weather—maybe wading for spring bluegills and bass or on Florida’s flats in winter for redfish.

Sea trout also bite well in potholes in the shallows and creeks during winter, and waders get you to them without spooking them. (Yo-Zuri Lures)

If you want to use them for duck hunting or fishing the winter steelhead run in New York, the breathable waders are not a good option—they provide no insulation, though you can make them warmer with some long underwear and wool socks.

For serious cold, you’ll want to opt for neoprene waders, which have built-in insulation and nearly always come in “boot foot” designs, with the boot molded in. These are a lot heavier, harder to pack and you will sweat in them if you exert yourself at all—but they do keep you a lot warmer than the breathable models..

Among my favorites in the breathable class is the Magellan Outdoors Mag-2, sold by Academy Sports & Outdoors for $129. 

It’s not only extremely lightweight and flexible—weight is just over 2.5 pounds, great for packing into your luggage for a flight—but also has some surprisingly useful features for the price range, including zip-open side vents for those days when you have to wear a heavy coat inside the top. 

Magellan Outdoors Mag 2 waders are among the more affordable breathable waders on the market, but they have some of the features of higher priced models. (Academy Sports + Outdoors)

They also include several zipping gear pockets and a cell-phone pocket. (I put my phone, keys and wallet in a zip lock bag and then in the pocket—sooner or later when you wade, you fall, and I don’t want to test those “water-resistant” zippers.)

Learn more about the Mag-2’s at https://www.academy.com  or see them at Academy Sports + Outdoors.

FroggToggs is also a noted company in the wadefishing field, and they offer both affordable low-end and nicely featured mid-priced breathable waders; www.froggtoggs.com. 

Bass Pro Shops waders come in a variety of iterations to suit anybody from me to, apparently, my wife: “Do these come in gold lamme’?” 

 They start at under $100 but go to considerably more; www.basspro.com.  

— Frank Sargeant
Frankmako1@gmail.com