Around where I fish (Yorkshire) the rivers are mostly bedded with stone & although my apollo waders have studded soles I still find that I have to be careful not to do a Bambi on ice.

Obviously the answer would be felt soles with studs, however I've seen advertised the "sticky sole" variety of boots.

So just how good are these sticky soles, or should I just go for the studded felt soles?

Thanks in advance

Sainty.

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I've been grabbed by the shorb & furleys.

As some countries are banning felts due to the possibilities of transfering parasites etc, I bought a pair of Simms G4's last year with tungsten studs and cleats.
Best investment I have ever made. Good ankle support and a good sole.

I would definitely recommend them.

John Hartland

When I ghillied on the Aberdeenshire Dee (rounded boulders and pebbles of granite) one of my clients was having severe problems with cleated soles and studs (80+ year old angler from France) so I took his boots home one night and used Aquasure wader repair adhesive to glue cut-to-fit metal pot scouring pads on to the soles in narrow strips between the cleats - no more bother, best grip on rock according to him he'd ever experienced. Seemed to be reasonably long lasting too, he still had them a year later on a return visit and they were still functioning well. He did say he'd been using them on N French chalkstreams, which wouldn't probably be as hard on them as granite.

A wise purchase, i have recentally bought a pair of Orvis branded rubber soled wading boots with studs fitted.
Preventing Parasite transfer will be high on the agenda of any responsible fisher these days and felt soled waders take an awful long time to dry out and ensure the dessication of any organisims that they hold.

Felt soles are the worst possible choice on ice. They are absolutely lethal and should be avoided at all costs.

What happens is that the felt gets wet, and then when you step out of the water, it freezes. The result is that you are walking on ice with boot soles made of wet ice--the slipperiest combination known to man.

Believe me, I know of which I speak. I spend the first 2 weeks of the season here in the frozen tundra standing on ice shelves while fishing. I have nearly been knocked out from falling on ice due to frozen felt soles on a number of occasions.

The best cold-weather boot sole, IMO, is Aquastealth with stainless steel studs and plenty of them. The next best is those new aluminum "grabber" studded plates.

Aquastealth, even when studded, is not as good as studded felt, but the day has come and gone for felt soles and it's time to move away from them now.

Grouse

Hi Sainty

I've been looking into this issue for an article I wrote for the Fly Tripper Site, The general consensus is that the sticky soles are only as good as felt in all wading conditions when studs have been fitted. This is something the manufactures believe themselves and is the reason why any manufacturer worth their salt are producing boots with rubber/studs combined. Simms Orvis and Patagonia all do good boots with rubber soles and studs I personally believe that the death of felt is not far away and sooner or later it wont be possible to buy new boots with felt soles!!!!

Feel free to do a search on the internet theres plenty of reviews of the new boots!!!

Best Wishes

www.flytripper.co.uk

This is why boot makers like Orvis Patagonia and

Another Saint aside from myself

Thanks for your input again guys, I've looked at the Vision Emerger Dual Track as they seem to be a combination of all three types, I guess the rubber studded is more versatile & safer on terra firma, however over mossy stones & slippy rock beds do they give the same grip?

I can only go on my experience thus far with my Apollo waders but they're rubber cleated with studs & not the "sticky rubber" studded type.

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I've been grabbed by the shorb & furleys.

I bought apair of the Vision Emerger MK 1 version a couple of years ago. The rubber moulding became detached after 3 months and they were replaced. The felt soles started coming adrift from the boot about a week after they were out of warranty.

You gets what you pay for! Beware.

John H

Sainty check out those Korkers, the ones with the interchangable soles then you can fish with rubber studded soles as well as the felt option.
Martin....

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I thought I saw the Light at the End of the Tunnel, till I realised it was some @*#@ with a Torch bringing me more work.

The truth is that felt and studs are the best, some of the soft rubber soles do give a decent level of grip but on northern freestone rivers felt will always be the best option. As for the paracite issue this is a theoretical risk but drying of soles between fishing visits will stop the problem. It's only a real issue if you are likely to move to different venues without adequate drying time between. Have you considered korkers boots with removable soles where felt and rubber options are available? They are excellent quality boots.
Good luck and tight lines