lightweight wading boots - Orvis or Chota?

[kbobb]

Hi All,

looking for a lightweight pair of hiking-style wading boots. the Orvis ultralight and Chota hybrid 800 caught my eye. Wondering of any of you are using these and what is your experience / thoughts.?

thanks

 

[dryflyguy]

Saw that you've had no responses to this in a week now.

No experience with the brands you're looking at.
But I did buy patagonia ultralight wading boots 3 years ago.
And have been quite happy with them.
Very lightweight and comfy. And have held up well so far

 

[Canoetripper]

I just bought a new pair of wading boots. They are Korker Hatchbacks. I like the interchangable soles. I only ever go to the same place anymore and really don't need the studded felt soles, but I like having that option.

The place that I fish is difficult to wade. So much so that I think that I need and use two wading staffs and have a rod holder on my wading belt.

These boots listed at $240.00 but I got them on sale at $167.00, which is a pretty good deal. I am not worried about spreading "rock snot" anywhere. I never fish anywhere else but the same stream.

I have seen these Korkers on sale at other fly shops. That may be something of interest to you given the interchangable soles and wading options.

 

[bigjohn58]

Canoetripper wrote:
I just bought a new pair of wading boots. They are Korker Hatchbacks. I like the interchangable soles. I only ever go to the same place anymore and really don't need the studded felt soles, but I like having that option.

The place that I fish is difficult to wade. So much so that I think that I need and use two wading staffs and have a rod holder on my wading belt.

These boots listed at $240.00 but I got them on sale at $167.00, which is a pretty good deal. I am not worried about spreading "rock snot" anywhere. I never fish anywhere else but the same stream.

I have seen these Korkers on sale at other fly shops. That may be something of interest to you given the interchangable soles and wading options.

I like my Korkers too...I have the discontinued Wraptrs but absolutely love them! If I need another pair of boots I'm probably going with the Terror Ridge. Korkers really stand behind their products. I've had much better experiences with Korkers than Simms.

 

[Clams]

My son and I have both had the Orvis ultra light boots for about 18 months now and they are great. Really comfortable and I don't think the ultra light factor gives them any less stability in the stream. And they seem very well made and are holding up great. Big thumbs up.

 

[guzfish]

I second the vote for orvis. After years of using conventional, heavy boots, I opted for the orvis ultralights last year and am very happy. Like the reviewer above, I find them to be well-made, supportive, extremely comfortable and without the fatigue of heavy boots.

 

[ryansheehan]

Canoetripper wrote:
I just bought a new pair of wading boots. They are Korker Hatchbacks. I like the interchangable soles. I only ever go to the same place anymore and really don't need the studded felt soles, but I like having that option.

The place that I fish is difficult to wade. So much so that I think that I need and use two wading staffs and have a rod holder on my wading belt.

These boots listed at $240.00 but I got them on sale at $167.00, which is a pretty good deal. I am not worried about spreading "rock snot" anywhere. I never fish anywhere else but the same stream.

I have seen these Korkers on sale at other fly shops. That may be something of interest to you given the interchangable soles and wading options.

If you're fishing something that slick you should buy the carbide spike sole, the grip is incredible. They are expensive but so worth it on the nastiest of rivers.

 

[fishhead]

I love my Patagonia Ultralight boots. IMHO they are more comfortable and durable than the Orvis ultralights, which i have also owned. Bought myself a backup pair a couple months ago on STP for 80 bucks.

 

[Canoetripper]

I did slip and fall twice this past fishing trip. On my way home I stopped at the Evening Hatch fly shop and bought the felted stud replaceable soles.

I was also pleased with my first experience with tippett rings.

I really liked how easy it was to get in and out of the Korker Hatchback boots and adjusting the fit.

 

[dennisl]

Contradictory to what others have said, I don't think the Orvis Ultralights have very good ankle support. I wish I had gone with Korkers instead.

 

[riz]

I bought a pair of the orvis ultra lights about 6 years ago and really liked them, better than the orvis pro guides I had. the sole fell off this past winter. I bought the encounters 2 months ago and really like them, better than the ultralights or the pros. I bought a pair of chotas 20+ years ago and I still use them as a backup, which I needed this winter. get what fits best.

 

[PennKev]

The Chota STL's are a solid choice and a time proven design. If you want comfortable boots with felt soles and excellent stud retention, they are an excellent choice. I'm using a pair of Patagonia Foot Tractors right now, but if not for the excellent sale prices, I would have gone back to the Chota's after a couple pairs of Simms. I can't stress how much better the Chota's stud/sole attachment is compared to anything else I've worn.

The current Orvis selection seems nice, but I have no experience with them.

 

[lestrout]

I'm with PennKev on the STLs. The other great thing about them is their stacked heel. Even other premium, expensive boots these days have one-piece soles, which have a smooth gradation under the heel. The stacked heel gives me more secure traction when I'm standing on the edge of rocks.