Okay, so I am new to fly fishing, just a few months of chasing bass and bluegill in the local tanks. So I am going to take the day off in a couple of weeks and want to make my first trip to Broken Bow. I have lots of questions, but here is the first. I am looking at buying some waders and boots for later in the season, but what should I wear for wet wading. I am hoping I can just wear regular wading boots with shorts so I don't have to buy a specific pair of shoes for wet wading. If I can go in regular wading boots, what type of socks do I wear. I will buy the boots one size large to accomidate the noeprene feet in the waders, so how do I adjust for that without waders.

Any help with this question, or any other tips would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Joel

you need wader socks. Basically just the foot part of you waders. Google Wader socks

There are several makers of them. Mine are from Academy.

Check here

I just wear my miss matched dress socks and either toss them or wash them as soon. As I get home.

Just take your wading socks with you to try on with, and get a cheap pair of hiking boots.

Old sneakers work well and you probably already have them. Cheap water shoes can be picked up at most discount stores or sporting goods stores. If you want to go all out, Academy sells a fairly decent flats wading shoe. Sure, you'll need a different pair of shoes for your waders, but you won't look so funny with a pair of bulky wading shoes on with shorts. Seriously, you don't need to buy any special boots to wet wade.

A good pair of wading boots (non-slip/studded soles) also work great for wet wading, and even hiking. My newest boots are Korkers. Really comfy. I hike sometimes in them to get to the fishing. They finally got it right with this last design on the interchangeable soles. I'll wear one sole to the creek, then switch over to studded or whatever. When wading wet or hiking, I like wading (guard) socks with mine too but you can even just get a pair of extra thick socks or 2 to take up the extra room.

I own a pair of flats boots and they're just too slippery IMO. Same for old sneakers. Most flats boots have no support and a soft sole because they're made for, well, flats. Regardless of wader/wet wading, you should try to have good non-slip, supportive boots/shoes. Yeah, shorts and wading boots aren't the coolest looking thing but they still look better than those dorky flats boots!

I'm sure Korkers will be out with a Korkers Version 4.0 soon. Had 'em tossed em. They seem to come out with a new "updated version," like it's some hot software, every couple of years. They may have gotten it right this time, but lost a lot of customers, doing Korkers r-and-d for them, and paying for it along the way.

Agreed. It sucks they even marketed that last version. I had a pair of "v2" and if they hadn't started acting up after only a couple trips I'd have chunked them too. It was literally only a couple trips so I wasn't going to eat them. I sent them back and they sent me a pair of the new version with the soles I wanted. V3 works. Already tested them pretty hard. Anyway there aren't that many options in good durable (and light) wading boots. Even Simms can be on the heavy side when wet. These are super light when wet. Plus I'm liking the stud/nonstud option. Maybe I'll try the Svelte sole but I have a hard time saying the name out loud...

Oh as far as flats boots I roll with Patagonia ones.

Flats boots, like the Patagonia Marlwalkers, are fine for sandy saltwater flats, butvwould be dangerous at Broken Bow. Regular wading boots would be fine. You can get neoprene booties to west inside them. You could also use something like Simms wet wading socks, though they may not be thick enough. If you want to go with specialty shoes, try Simms Ripraps. I just got a pair and they seem well constructed. Given a choice, I'd probably wear studded felt soles on the Lower Mountain Fork.

I just reread the original post. I missed the Broken Bow part. I retract my suggestion. Most of the lake flats and creeks I've waded in Texas were either mud, clay, or sand bottom and old sneakers or flats shoes would be fine. I agree, if you're going to be around rock, you need a better boot unless you don't mind falling frequently.

Mick nailed it.
Broken Bow (LMF)is slicker than, well it's very slick.
Wading boots (preferably studded) are the way to go.
Check the water temps. Last I heard they were still around
60*. That can get cold after a while.

I use the Simms G4 Guide boot when I'm fishing cold slick areas like northern Ohio for steelhead. They served me very well on the moss covered shale and I didn't have the studs in. They are a little expensive, but they are worth it. Down here in Texas, I've been using Simms Ripraps and find them to be very "sticky" as well. Good luck and tight lines.

Not to hijack, but what rivers did you fish in Ohio? Have done a lot of steelheading up there (used to live in Holmes County) and still try to go back once every fall and in the spring.

The Conneaut, Ashtabula, and the Grand are where the groups, I would go with, would fish. I always stuck with the first two. My first trout and fish on a fly rod(same fish) was on the Conneaut and was a 9# beast.