A couple of day ago I piled into a fishing rig with friends Bill and Aj . We were heading out to do some winter fishing on the upper Madison. Winter fishing can bring on its own set of problems and as we neared our destination the snow started to fall with more frequency and the thermometer read 19 degrees. The conversation quickly turned from fishing strategies to how crazy winter anglers must be. As the conversation continued someone mentioned ” well its not that bad if you dress for it.” Now we have all been fishing in the winter for many year so we know “how to dress for it” but where we differ is on our wading shoe. Felt or rubber was the question that brought the most debate in the truck that morning. No, the debate was not over invasive species which holds sway over this topic most of the year but rather which one is better for winter fishing. On one side of the argument rubber has the upper hand. Rubber does not build up ice like the felt sole making walking to the river a much easier process. Walking with a snowball under your foot can be cumbersome and down right sketchy sometimes, especially if the walk to the river is of any distance. However once in the water felt really begins to shine. Felt allows the angler to maneuver in and around the slippery rocks with the agility of a mountain goat that’s just not achievable with rubber soles. As we started out on our fishing adventure this debate stuck in my head. Which is right? Is rubber better or is felt. I guess the answer truly lies with the angler. Fortunatley for me I have Korker boots with interchangeable soles so I guess I’ll carry both. Conversation winner!!
What do you think felt or rubber? Leave your comments below.
