Caring For Fishing Waders and Boots

Waders and boots, to be of any use, obviously must"burned" odor when sufficiently heated) and crammed
be kept dry inside. In warm weather one often findsmy boots full of this warm material. In a remarkably
himself so damp that he may suspect his waders ofshort time they were dried perfectly.
leaking although usually it is only perspiration. WadersHeating oats, bran or sand and using in the same way
thus dampened should be opened and hung up so theis also recommended but the newspaper treatment is
air can get at them. Waders that are actually wetthe best I have ever seen so I pass the idea along.
inside demand more thorough treatment.Parenthetically, you will note that I do not recommend a
I learned how to dry out rubber boots or waders undergrain sack for holding fish, in the chapter on tackle!
somewhat distressing circumstances. I was fishing aAs soon as the angler reaches his fishing grounds he
sheltered bay on Bass Lake, Ind., during a raw,should remove his waders from the suit case or duffle
northeast wind one day in the spring. I was castingbag and hang them up. Do not pack waders that are
from shore, wading out as far as the height of mywet as they are liable to rot. As soon as the angler
boots would permit. I had a common grain sack tied toreaches home he should hang the waders in the open
my belt to hold the fish which, despite the unpropitiousair until they are thoroughly dried. Do not roll them up
circumstances, were striking well. As soon as the bagwhen storing them between seasons.
grew decently heavy I decided to go ashore andBoots or waders with a leak are worse than useless.
forgetting all about the bag tied to my waist, I turned,The best way to locate a puncture is to blow up each
stepped on it, lost my balance and took what theboot or wader leg with a tire pump and submerge in a
youngsters call "a header" into the icy water.tub of water when small bubbles will tell where the
By the time I drove four miles in an open motor car introuble is. The poorest way to find a leak is to have a
the teeth of the cold wind a hot fire and dry clothingtrickle of icy water tell you about it.
were welcome, to say the least. My host, Frank Hay,A leak can be patched by either inserting a rubber
the dean of the northern Indiana anglers, then showedplug, such as is used for patching tires, or by a round
me how to quickly dry wet boots. First he emptied outpatch put on with tire cement. The quick repair discs,
the water and rubbed the inside of the boots with athat fit both over and under the hole and tighten, are
dry cloth to remove as much of the remainingalso handy. A temporary patch can be made with
moisture as possible. Then he took sheets ofadhesive tape or canoe glue. Best of all, if the material
newspaper and placed them on the hot stove untilwill permit, is to have the puncture vulcanized by the
they scorched (they turn brown and give forth agarage man.