By Zach Swineart (our web guru)

Whilst wearing the Redington Sonic-Pro Stocking Foot Waders, one naturally finds oneself in a deeply internal state of being, wherein one likens oneself to a duck or other water-dwelling animal—perhaps a platypus. To nip any rumors at the bud: these waders won’t make you lay eggs. They do, however, make you über water resistant; which is a hell of a lot more useful than laying eggs could ever be, unless there’s some Spring run ‘bows in the area.

First things first—I look 1,000 times sexier in these than I did in my old camo neoprene waders, and the crossover straps keep you from getting de-wadered mid cast, which is particularly comforting when you’re completely naked under your waders, like me. These fit just loose enough to keep you moving freely but don’t go so far as to make you look all baggy like a 90’s era skate rat.

The downside’s there isn’t a good spot to clip on a net retractor without it sliding around and/or falling off. I ended up having to clip mine to the belt, and it still fell off. Good thing I didn’t land a 3-foot trout that day, like I usually do when I fish. My net would have been long gone.

Key Features: Pockets cut with futuristic-sounding lasers; ultra sonic welded seams mean no stitching; flip-out storage pouch; crossover straps; and at $249.95, an excellent value for the price.

I’m clumsy and the nicks in my Delta reel reflect that. I’ve dropped it, dunked it—I’ve even fallen on it, but it works as good as the day I received it.

Redington had a lot of practice before getting the Delta reel right—it’s basically the evolution of their previous CDL series. It’s now lighter though larger, and still under 200 bucks. I’m sure every Delta owner raves about its stopping power. Personally, I dig that its guts are housed in a tough plastic casing. It never froze up in January and despite my carelessness, remains gravel free with smooth take-up.

Key features: generously ported, fully machined 6061-T6 aluminum, large-arbor design, and cork and Teflon disc drag system with a one-way clutch bearing. Nails the $199 price point.

By Cameron Mortenson of the Fiberglass Manifesto

Twenty years ago I walked out of a discount sporting goods store in Northern Michigan with a painted yellow fiberglass fly rod, a simple clicker reel, and a cheap blue plastic fly line. After a couple years of teaching myself how to fly cast and catching hundreds of bluegill on foam spiders, I put away the gaudy fly rod and purchased several graphite fly rods which I fished exclusively for years. Little did I know that my preferences for fly rods would go full circle and my first fly rod would open the door fifteen years later to an ever interesting realm of fly fishing with its own history, rod builders, anglers, and collectors.

There are lots of good reasons why I prefer to fish fiberglass and it’s not because I want or need to double haul 90 feet of line. Fiberglass rods shine in trout line weights, cast superbly at distances where fish are, and are best in lengths to about 8 feet (give or take a few inches) long. Glass blank makers haven’t forgotten how useful some of the atypical rod lengths can be and it’s not hard to come across a 7’ 5-weight, which is one of my favorite fly rod configurations since it does great work on canopy covered rivers and creeks.

There’s a thought process among the masses that glass rods are nothing more than floppy whips incapable of controlling big fish. This simply isn’t true. I’ve found that a full flexing rod can provide unreal leverage since you’re
fighting the fish over the entire rod length. There’s strength in those glass fibers that can deftly turn a fish with relative ease and all the while you feel the cork bending under the pressure in your hand. It’s a neat experience for sure.

I have a thing for fishing small flies on 6X or 7X to large trout and have found that glass fly rods protect tippets to the point that I hardly worry about breaking fish off. If the knot’s good then the tippet separating is typically not an issue. The medium action of the glass rod absorbs the shock of violent head shakes, jumps, and fish running upstream and down.

There’s a geek-factor to all of this as well. I enjoy fishing glass rods (reels too) that are nearly twice as old as I am and have found that vintage doesn’t mean fragile. These rods can do work just like they could decades ago. I get very excited collecting fly rods from talented blank makers and builders who are pushing the envelope of what contemporary glass can do. New advancements in taper design, build techniques, and raw materials are creating generations of glass rods that are certainly changing the minds of those that thought glass was so 1960’s.

The typical fiberglass fly rod in its most elementary terms is just a thrill to fight fish on, big or small. Fishing glass is a different experience over much of the new age graphite out there and it’s sure to leave you with a smile on your face when the rod is bent double, and you feel every part of the fight like you never have before.

Cameron Mortenson  is a husband, father, fly angler, and glass geek. He juggles a full time career and home life all while keeping The Fiberglass Manifesto up to date and getting out on the water whenever possible.

Tenkara angler
Wade shallow moving water
Rod and fly, no reel

When pulling the Japanese river wand from its suede holster, one is compelled to recite in the ancient haiku manner of rainy mountains and trundling streams––the gentle rhythms of that far eastern land. An outing with a Tenkara fly rod is transcendence into simpler times of angling’s foggy past. From 12-feet it collapses upon itself, nine segments returning once again into one––20 inches stored and packed.

Western angling has taught its patient followers the virtuous merits of double hauling a 6-weight line, spooled deep upon large arbor casings and anodized aluminum drag mechanisms. The opposite holds true for historic Japanese angling and the art of Tenkara––no more is needed then rod, leader and fly.

It’s said that a man fishing Tenkara can pull trout from river five-to-one then that his western counterpart. This bold claim left nothing less then an acidic aftertaste upon the tongue of a man who proudly fishes the colored line. And as objectively as an angler so proud of his own art could, I stumbled to streams not far to test the foreign utensil for my own edification.

But before I bare my soul to you, the open-minded sportsman, let us unravel the mystery behind the form. Tenkara is translated, and most commonly accepted as meaning “from the heavens.” Ancient history places this rod in the crafty hands of peasants and inn-owners, who utilized the tool to secure quick meals along the mountain streams of Japan’s vast interior.

Before long, professional Japanese fishermen began understanding the efficiency of the rod, harvesting fish in quick succession. Today, Tenkara makes its arrival into the states, delivering an efficient, zero maintenance angling option to those who find western trout stalking a bit complex.



Tenkara produces five various rod types, each in 12 and 13-foot lengths. Multiple flex ratios are available including, 5:5 for slower casting and 7:3 for larger fish. At around three ounces in weight, and under two feet in length when packed, the versatility of a Tenkara rod makes it an exceptional backpacking or store-it-in-your-car-for-unplanned-fishing-opportunities rod.

And so, with this knowledge I delved into an unknown realm of new technique. I initially struggled to find rhythm with the gentle juggernaut, the 12-foot featherweight out of sync in my inexperienced hands. In pulling trout from the surface, Tenkara fishing requires the user to delicately lift the rod high and back, skittering the brown and ‘bow toward you. The method felt awkward and unfamiliar to this novice, but ungainliness gives way unembellished pleasure when you finally trust and embrace the simple mechanics of this system.

Tenkara isn’t a rod – it’s a way. Come to it with an open mind. Don’t expect rock hard hook-sets or letting a fish run while you stand in one place. This system that comes “from the heavens” not surprisingly subdues the pride of man, leveling the playing field between the creatures at either end. Conform yourself to it instead of trying to conform it to your western sensibilities, and you’ll find an entirely new way to experience and enjoy fly fishing.

Learn more at www.tenkarausa.com.

How well you stay organized on a fishing excursion can be the difference between catching fish and wanting to punch yourself in the face out of frustration. That’s where LL Bean’s Kennebec River Boat Bag (Small) steps in.

Typical of LL Bean, the Kennebec Boat Bag is a feature-rich product at a reasonable price, but I initially feared a $99 boat bag would leave me wanting my more expensive bag. I fear no more. The mix of khaki and olive panels with orange highlights gives it a sharp appearance. The plethora of interior and exterior pockets is a nice balance of general-purpose and single-purpose functionality. This latter category includes pockets designed to hold pliers, dispense tippet, protect maps, and folds out into a workbench with a large fly patch. Three movable foam dividers divvy the main compartment space

nicely for your bulky items, and the hard, waterproof base and integrated rain fly keeps everything dry.  Don’t let the “Small” description fool you—it can easily handle a day’s worth of gear. Loaded with other noteworthy features, the Kennebec Boat Bag leaves little to be desired.

As individual preferences vary, I did find a few drawbacks to the bag. Primarily, I prefer using long-style fly boxes, which were difficult to fit inside because the internal dividers run perpendicular to the length. I also like to attach different things to the outside for quick access but the bag’s exterior lacks D-rings to hook up gizmos and gadgets.

These few drawbacks don’t come close to outweighing the benefits of the Kennebec Boat Bag. It’s a well-constructed, well-thought-out bag for a fraction of the price of its competitors.

Check it out at www.llbean.com. 

News flash: women want it all! We want the same level of performance as men’s gear and we want it to fit our entirely different physiology….okay, and we want it to look cute, too. Is that too much to ask? Not for Redington’s women-specific Chena River waders.

For a mid-priced wader ($179), the Chenas deliver the same types of features and materials of comparable men’s waders, but they do it with careful regard to women’s proportions. Redington even found a way to throw in a splash of understated “cute.” The Chena River waders are constructed of 4-layer Taslan with a polyurethane coating. Technically, PU Taslan isn’t a waterproof/breathable fabric (just waterproof), but wearing synthetic base layer bottoms kept clamminess at bay.

The design and fit of the Chenas were spot on for minimalist women’s waders because Redington reached out to Northwest Women’s Fly Fishers for input in the design. The result: nicely fitting waders with enough width at the hips, but tailored enough to not feel like a giant trash bag. The solitary zippered accessory pocket, fleece-lined chest pocket, and hidden D-ring keep things sleek and simple. Remembering that cuteness counts, Redington includes a cute fish design sewn into the belt and just below the zippered pocket on the chest. Understated and just enough.

Whether you’re a hardcore lady angler on a budget or just taking up the sport to share the pastime with a loved one, Redington’s Chena River waders provide simple but well-considered features in a women-specific design with just the right hint of femininity. See, we really can have it all!  

Check them out at www.redington.com.

Not all “polas” are created equal. Smith Optics, based in Sun Valley, Idaho, has pushed lens technology forward since its homegrown inception in 1965. Their fishing-specific Chamber sunglasses come loaded with a full helping of Smith’s advanced technologies. Tapered Lens Technology (TLT), Techlite polarized lens construction, and Grilamid TR90 frame material all add up to make a comfortable, durable, non-distortive, highly effective set of polas. But the pièce de résistance for the Chamber is Smith’s Polarchromic technology. Long story short, Polarchromic lenses are an amazing marriage of polarized and photochromic lenses, the latter meaning the lens’s tint changes like magic according to lighting conditions.

Design-wise, the Chamber sunglasses have no shortage of frame and lens options. For the lens, thanks to the miracle of Polarchromic lens technology, I felt comfortable opting for the mirrored copper finish for maximum eye protection knowing that I wouldn’t be stuck with a set of blinders should the sunlight vanish behind a wall of afternoon storm clouds.

The temple tips were initially a little tight, but a quick adjustment fixed that. Intended for a large face, the nearly full wrap Chamber fit my 7½  hat-size head perfectly. If you’re not sporting quite so large a melon, fear not. Smith offers numerous models with the same high-tech features but with smaller fits. 

They’re not cheap at $179, but the Smith Optics Chamber sunglasses make you instantly grateful you didn’t settle for a discounted alternative.

Check them out at www.smithoptics.com

I’m not afraid to say it: the Orvis River Guard Side-Zip Brogue Boots are one of the most comfortable pairs of wading boots I’ve ever worn. But in a size 13, they’re also one of the heaviest.

The Side-Zip feature has you in and out of them in seconds—old, overweight men will stare in envy. I’ll last several days on the water without untying the laces because the zipper alone locks me in place and then releases me with ease.  I can’t imagine twisting an ankle in them. Their synthetic construction provides super-hero support, which means they’ll probably outlast the rest of your gear. And the synthetics do not stretch or shrink and even add to the unwavering level of support.

The boots are equipped with Orvis’s new EcoTrax rubber soles, and together with the PosiGrip studs included and already screwed in, I waded with confidence. However, I wouldn’t dream of removing the studs, and I’d be quick to replace any of them if they break.  This is a tag-team system that works together to keep you upright in the river and in place.

The thick soles provide that cushion Orvis set out to achieve, but these are big boots with a lot of rubber. You might even feel their extra weight in your wader bag or on those longer walks back to the car. Step back into the water though, and the difference in weight is forgettable.

At $179 there are a lot of other boot options, but few will be as comfortable as the River Guard Side-Zip.

Visit www.Orvis.com

Redington’s CPX Waders reflect the trend toward packing ever more features into chesties. This growing number of features usually means an inflated price tag, but the CPX include a surprising number of top-notch features at a blue collar price of $199 (or 80 bucks more for the zip front). I opted for the traditional style, hoping to avoid a super-sized There’s-Something-About-Mary incident.

The RedStorm™ fabric Redington utilizes for the CPX (3mm upper, 5mm lower) proved exceptionally breathable and durable. The construction of the waders also impressed me, noting excellent stitch work, seam taping, and pocket integration.

Speaking of pockets, the CPX waders have them in spades. The cavernous, externally accessed pockets coupled with the multi-pocketed flip-out accessory holder make the CPX’s onboard storage more than adequate for a half-day of trout stalking sans vest or pack. The trade-off? Filling the pockets doesn’t lend to the most svelte or nimble feeling. Still, I appreciated the option to occasionally go packless thanks to all that built-in storage. 

The fit seemed true to size (including the booties). The suspenders tend to slide down unless cinched fairly tight, which won’t affect function, but lends to a slight saggy feeling at times. Otherwise, the Redington CPX waders are a handsome set, thoughtfully designed, durable and comfortable. They might not have all the bells and whistles of the most expensive waders, but they have all the ones that matter—and at less than half the cost.

Check them out at www.redington.com