Wading staff.... is it a must have piece of kit?

[JackM]

The graphite golf shafts may not be sound enough. You need it to take a sharp blow in the direction of shaft length and to bend very little in the lateral direction. I made tips with a can of rubberizer. They sell it to coat tool handles and like applications. Maybe use some duct tape or masking taper to build a small "foot" at the business tip and then rubberize over top of it.

 

[hockeyref]

Well, I said that I have a couple of them.... I could probably figure out a way to combine 3 of them... would be more than stiff enough.... I have some graphite hockey stick shafts that are significantly stiffer but probably rank up there with stream side logs and broomsticks for weight and ergonomics....

 

[hockeyref]

Wingshot,
Some have been pulled and are full length, others are snapped at the club head and still have the ferrule on them. I have shafts with a flex rating of stiff and extra stiff\tour stiff so they might be capable...

I would think maybe putting a screw in a 30-06 case with the neck and shoulder cut off could work... Put it on with Golf shaft epoxy 'cuz it's strong, flexible, and relatively temperature insensitive. Maybe coat it with "tool dip" rubber handle coating goop....

 

[wingshot]

HockeyRef,

I like your idea and I may rubberize mine as well. As far as strength issues are concerned, I have not seen any evidence of lateral stress cracks or anything to give me reason to believe the staff while crack under pressure. I weigh 200 pds. and have leaned into it many times to get my balance and never felt any give or flex in the shaft. Like I stated in the original post, I built this thing to do what it does on the cheap and so far, I'm OK with that, and it will be seeing alot of action in the coming weeks and months because I do alot of S/M bass fishing in moving water as well as trout fishing. I will stow it on my yak to use for jump-out wade fishing in prime areas. With all things "home made", common sense and caution should always be practiced and as Red Green says, " It's only temprorary unless it works" : )

JA

 

[k-bob]

Since this is the beginner forum, my opinion is that a beginner near any fast or deep water, or in any stream with roundish moving rocks underfoot, or doing winter wading in very cold water, should not only carry a good wading staff, they should also take it easy and think safety first.

There are just huge differences in the need for and value of a wading staff across streams, and you learn this over time .... some places, such as the letort, you probably won't even get in the water. Other places, such as the savage river tailwater, can confront you with tough moving rocks and more of a current. And crossing even small looking streams at high flows can show you what water pressure is all about. As with other safety things, a wading staff should not make you overconfident, but you are often better off with one at hand.

I carry a pair of serious trekking poles that not only have helped me avoid plunges into cold winter water, they also speed up my walking when I'm going to hike 5 miles to fish. Sure they take some time to carry as I fish, but I save much more time in faster and safer hiking. For wild fish, the good streams sections are often not near a road.

 

[wingshot]

K-Bob makes and excellent point and to add to that, remember to always wade AGAINST any moderate or strong current. As the Surf fisherman will tell you,"never turn your back to the waves!" also applies to current. When you try to wade across and down you open yourself up for problems because the current will force you off balance when you raise one foot or the other. My original post highlighted the Yough River and the Little Mahoning creek because being a SW PA resident, these are popular destinations for many anglers, both seasoned and newbies and IMHO these are some of the most tricky waters I have waded in around these parts. Spring Creeks seem to add a new dimension as those bodies of water are VERY deceptive. You now have the combination of current AND pressure, a spring creek can appear as if it is just meandering along but in reality, there are dynamics at work that will become evident as soon as you set foot in the water. Just watch the surface for a while and you will observe swirling currents and even when casting from the bank, it is obvious that it is hard to achieve a drag free drift because of the wildness of the stream. There are many others on this board that have TONS of experience on Spring Creeks and surely have good advice for those seeking to venture out to those blue ribbon waters. THINK first, and BE SAFE!

JA

 

[wetnet]

k-bob wrote:
Since this is the beginner forum, my opinion is that a beginner near any fast or deep water, or in any stream with roundish moving rocks underfoot, or doing winter wading in very cold water, should not only carry a good wading staff, they should also take it easy and think safety first.

I agree, to disagree. I agree a wading staff can be a tremendous help. I with all my broken bone history still don't carry one and I probably should. My only disagreement is for a beginner and heck even me a wading staff can get us both into trouble, by making us a little bit more confident than maybe is suited to our skills. I've found myself more than once being able to wade out to a spot I probably shouldn't have been in only to find that I wish I had one wading back. But the truth be told I had no business being there in the first place. Over my head...not literally.. but still, I hate to say us women have a disadvantage but I float if the water gets high. It's like doing the moon walk, even if only thigh deep at times. I'm glad to say, a strong arm grabbed mine until I felt solid footing.

For skilled people needing one, I say have at it. For newbies, I'd say not yet, stay where you can handle the water you're in and keep it safe.