When it comes to fly fishing, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the details of rods, reels, lines, and flies. But as two anglers recently shared with us, it’s often the overlooked pieces of kit that end up transforming your days on the water.
Chris Sayer – Finding New Marks Closer to Home
Chris Sayer is one half of the duo behind the amazing social media content and photography you’ll have seen from the Orvis Saltwater Fly Fishing Festival each year. But away from the camera, he’s also a passionate angler. For him, the Ultralight Wading Boots have changed the way he approaches his fishing:
“I’ve owned the Ultralight Wading Boots for a few months now, and while it sounds hyperbolic to say they’ve opened up a whole bunch of new fishing opportunities for me, it’s true. I used to avoid walking to challenging marks in my old boots as the pain through my soles was a day ruiner. Now I’m hiking in for kilometres across roads, footpaths, fields, rocks, and shale to hit the bass and mullet in salt, and further around my local reservoir for new experiences on the trout. Love them, and totally recommend.”
For Chris, the boots have opened up new water – whether that’s venturing further around his reservoir for trout, or covering more ground on the coast in search of bass and mullet.
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Charles Jardine – Putting Them to the Test in Iceland
Charles Jardine needs little introduction. As one of the UK’s most respected fly fishing figures, guide, and passionate advocate for the sport, he’s fished just about everywhere. Which is why his chosen testing ground for the Ultralight Wading Boots was one of the toughest: Iceland.
“We devote sooooo much time choosing the right rod, the right reel, that vital fly line decision, tippet, and let’s not even get into fly selection… even clothing and rain gear has our ardent attention… perhaps that even stretches to waders. But boots? Wading boots… they fit… they grip… they hit the right price point. Good enough. And off you go: happy. Ish.
Wait.
Can you walk miles in them? Do they allow for your feet to expand during a long day’s fishing? Are they going to support your ankle in fast flows or over rocks? If you travel, will they tip you into a baggage weight penalty?
A wading boot can make or break a trip. Simple.
Which brings me nicely to the new Ultralight Wading Boot… and one of the harshest and most demanding areas a boot can go: Iceland. Miles of walking, lava-bottomed rivers, slippery beds, and a requirement for stealth.
Now, the weight was perfect, the stability superb – the ease of walking was the thing: you simply didn’t really know that you were wearing wading boots – a pair of walking boots, perhaps: wading boots? Not. The grip was excellent in almost all areas; a couple of strategic studs would have helped in the very worst sections, but of course that would have added subsurface noise.
The only downside for me was sizing. They’re generous, and I’d have been better off sticking to my regular shoe size. Otherwise? These boots stood up to the hardest angling test I can think of. And you honestly can’t say fairer than that.”
Why Boots Matter
Chris and Charles might fish in different places – one searching out saltwater marks close to home, the other trekking miles across volcanic landscapes – but their experiences underline the same point: your boots matter. They’re the foundation of your day, the gear that lets you go further, fish longer, and focus on the water in front of you.
The Orvis Ultralight Wading Boots aren’t just another piece of kit, they’re what help anglers unlock more from every adventure.