snake chaps?

[BrookieBuster101]

I was wondering if anyone uses snake chaps for fishing wild trout streams. My dad REALLY hates snakes of any kind and maybe chaps would widen our horizons so to speak. Advice would be appreciated.

 

[pcray1231]

Yeah, I do, sometimes. Well, rarely, but I have em. More hassle than they're worth, but maybe I just got cheap ones. Actually mine are gaitors, not chaps, only go up to just below the knee.

I think they're wind river brand or something like that, but they are camo, I got them at Cabela's for around $50. Basically the front, then wings that swing around the ankle and calf. Seems like segmented plastic, covered in a cloth. I feel like a storm trooper, hehe. But they're not uncomfortable to wear, assuming they're on right, and I can walk, kneel, squat, etc. as I need to, like they're not even there. They go on right over the waders. They're not too hot or anything either.

Now the problems:

The straps on mine don't stay tight, and the idiots put them right at the top and bottom so the wings slip out from under the strap, come loose, and flap around. So I'm constantly fixing them. Thats my biggest complaint. I need to do some personal adjustments, some velcro and replacing the tightening mechanisms could go a long way towards making them more managable.

The turtle skins look really nice. Just looks like a sleeve of material, no hard segmented stuff, but the gaitors alone will run you north of $100.

 

[tomgamber]

NO! snake chaps are made of chicken wire. How ridiculous. Just fish and have fun.

 

[BrookieBuster101]

U just try tellin that one to my dad!!! He wont even take a step outa the car anywhere near kettle creek or big pine, and since i need him to get to the fishn spots he needs a good pare of chaps or gators. Also i thot they were also made of leather?

 

[PaulG]

tomgamber wrote:
NO! snake chaps are made of chicken wire. How ridiculous. Just fish and have fun.

Tom

Thats easy for you to say!

Me being a person that's deathly afraid of snakes, I can understand what his Father goes through. I don't wear snake chaps but I have looked into it.

Sounds like the man has a phobie about about snakes, maybe they would give him the confindence to go out and enjoy fishing. So I don't think it's ridiculous!

PaulG

 

[gfen]

pcray1231 wrote:
I feel like a storm trooper, hehe.

I often tell my wife I've surrendered my dignity for fishing...

Rubber pants, a light on my head, the "fishing purse" (as she calls my tackle bag) wearing a big basket on my gut at the shore, and a girdle like belt to hold it all in.

What's a set of leg greaves going to do to make me look MORE ridiculous?

 

[jayL]

gfen wrote:
What's a set of leg greaves going to do to make me look MORE ridiculous?

With all that other stuff, at least the other fishermen think you look normal. Once the chaps go on, even they think you've lost it.

 

[tomgamber]

I understand the fear thing. I cannot imagine wearing chaps and waders at the same time. You haven't seen rattle snakes until you've fished the south fork of the boise. They are everywhere in that canyon. If you just stomp your feet when walking along the rails they usually leave before you get to them. A simple poke with a 9 foot rod get them shuffling off. Its when you find the nest that you must fish elsewhere.

 

[tomgamber]

The chicken wire thing was a joke from a snake hunt I saw on tv once. These guys in Texas would wrap their legs in chicken wire with a healthy space between the wire and their legs. Then they would tromp thru a snake infested field and when the rattlers struck they would shoot them off their chicken wire wrapped legs with small shotguns...It was a redneck moment made in heaven.

 

[pcray1231]

While I don't think there's really a need for them in 99.9% of situations, they are easy to wear over waders, and assuming they're designed decently (unlike mine), they aren't much of a hassle at all.

If it gives you a little peace of mind, then do it!

 

[tomgamber]

don't they have one's that would be more like gaiters (sp)? Ones that fit tight from the knee to the top of the foot. These might fit well under a wader.

 

[scotto]

I use a type similar to those illustrated in Tom's post for archery & spring turkey season. They seem comfortable enough, though they have never been "put to the test". I believe they are from Cabela's.

 

[pcray1231]

yes, mine are gaitors, not chaps. I put them OVER the waders, they go from just below the knee to the foot. The ones pictured are the turtle skins I mentioned, they might go under or over the wader, depending on what size you get. Like I said, they look really nice, but upwards of $100 for a pair.

 

[tomgamber]

pcray1231 wrote:
they might go under or over the wader, depending on what size you get.

I was assuming that you would wear them under with their low profile. But let's just say that you find out they work really well. Now you have to patch those two new holes in your waders. :-o
Over it is!

 

[jayL]

tomgamber wrote:

pcray1231 wrote:
they might go under or over the wader, depending on what size you get.

I was assuming that you would wear them under with their low profile. But let's just say that you find out they work really well. Now you have to patch those two new holes in your waders. :-o
Over it is!

You'll need new underwear too.

 

[Acristickid]

I was at a club once where they must have had a terrible snake problem.

Because all the girls wore chaps but I guess it was'nt that big of a problem because after 10 minutes all the gilrs took them off- it was the only thing they were wearing.

 

[pafisherman]

Just have him wear a pair of the heavier hip boots. The kind made out of heavy canvas. There is no snake in PA that could bite through them.

 

[fly4fish]

Hey, it seems that I am a little late on this post, but if anybody comes across this wondering what to do about snake gaiters, I want to stress that you should go with the best pair that you can afford. I bought a cheap pair ($55) and wore them a couple times but then they just got thrown to the side. They were too hot and sweaty and made out of hard plastic (pvc I think) so they were stiff. After having another close call with a rattlesnake where he bit the sole of my river wading boot in mid stride and somehow decided to not strike the bare leg that was right on the ground next to him, I decided it was worth it to go with a pair of snake gaiters that are comfortable enough to wear. I spent $125 on a pair of TurtleSkin SnakeArmor Gaiters and have not regretted it since. I wear them all the time and they are lite, not stiff, and not hot or sweaty. They are almost unnoticeable as they are made out of a puncture proof fabric that feels much like high quality rain gear. Fortunately I have not tested them out yet on a pair of fangs, but I put my life on it they will stand up to the challenge.

Anyway, if you want to look in to TurtleSkin snake gaiters a little more, here is a link to the site where I learned about them and other snake bite prevention clothing: www.SnakeProofGear.com

 

[troutslammer]

snake chaps at kettle is a good idea , a friend of mine went to the annual rattlesnake hunt in potter county one year and he guestimated that about 50 guys brought in over 500 snakes and they must be returned to their dens ! they have sompetitions to see who can grab the most snakes out of the bag the quickest and all that crap , some of the people there watching are drinking and some of the sontestants too , no one was bit which was surprising