Simms ® L2 Gore-Tex ® Stockingfoot Waders Review

I had the opportunity to go with the guys from fishingeuphoria.com this past week to do some stream and lake fishing for native trout in the middle of Utah, east of Cedar City.  The old latex boot-wader combo looked a bit tired and dated resting in the back of the garage. Maybe a younger me would still have the energy and strength to haul those things through the thick mud and underwater grass, but the wiser and more “refined” me (insert cough) had enough of that old technology.  I went to the internet and started doing some in-depth research to see what was available in the post 18th century fishing world. I was looking for a 3 season, light-weight material that could withstand some rough overland treking as well as help me deal with the issues of overheating during the summer months.  I narrowed it down to “breathable materials” such as Gore-tex.  I didn’t want to spend an arm and leg since I have 2 little boys at home who do that for me.  I started with the obvious names but something caught my eye immediately when I went to the Simms site.  One of the stocking-foot waders, I noticed, had Gore-tex material with a price point near $200 dollars. Not too shabby for something made with the latest technology.

What I found was the Simms L2 stocking-foot waders. List price, I think, was in the low $200 range but I saw several locations that had it down to just under $200.  It was made with Gore-tex and all the usual, higher-end features such as reinforced pressure points, waist belt for turning them down below the shoulder, ankle cuffs to keep out the rough stuff, and inside chest pocket.  It comes in a huge array of sizes. I found them online at Bass Pro Shop for around $194 on sale.  I went to the local store here in Las Vegas but they didn’t carry much stock and didn’t have the model there. I was going to get them on-line and shipped to my house without trying them on, which I was pretty hesitant to do, but my sister-in-law found them in California and brought them on a visit. I’m 5’9″ about 175 lbs with a 9-9 1/2 shoe, on average.. I chose the straight mediums and was immediately surprised at just how good they fit. Foot size was dead-on.  There’s no bagginess to them but I still had excellent room when fully crouched down.  I tried them on with layers of long pant underwear and still never felt bunched up or constrained.

After 3 days of wearing them for about 10 hours a day both in the water and hiking to locations, I was still amazed at the fit and feel. Wore them with shorts underneath for 2 days and with long john’s on the 3rd day.  I can tell that if you plan on wading with snow on the ground that you may be on the chilly side with these.  They run on the thinner side so I think they will work great in the summer and when the temp runs down into probably the higher 40′s. I couldn’t be happier with the choice and feel like I got more than my money’s worth.  The extra $50 that I spent above my initial $150 budget was more than made-up given that I was so comfortable with these waders. Ensuring a fishing vacation wasn’t a bust because my new waders didn’t fit right, or were poor quality, was an easy justification.

Do yourself a favor.  If you’re looking for a 3 season Gore-Tex based product, check out the Simms L2 stocking foot waders. PS: The new Dat-Way caddis really does work.  More fish were caught on that new fly than anything else we used. I just wished we hadn’t run out of them!

Aug

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