These days I carry a Folstaf, (Simms or Orvis as back-ups) staff almost everywhere I go because it FOLDS which makes it convenient. I want my staff at my side if I need it, but not necessarily deployed which is why ski poles and sticks never appealed to me.
Besides, looking for a decent stick everywhere I go is a hassle and something I would not bother doing if I was already midstream, not to mention it can be a chore at some places, short of cutting down a sapling. I also don't want to trust putting all of my weight on a stick that may break because I'm a lousy stick picker-outer.
I used to only a staff when fishing swift or hazardous water but the risk of a routine bonehead move, even in skinny water resulting in a cracked kneecap or worse when I am fishing alone made me see the light.
Case in point - I once almost broke my elbow slipping on a rock in a foot of water when I bashed my elbow on a huge rock behind me because I decided I would rather save my rod & reel than my arm. I had a staff that day which is why it wasn't my head that hit the rock.
Machismo and age aside, it just makes send to me to not risk a catastrophe when I don’t have to.
