Korker Boots

[Wildfisher]

I see Magnus reviewed these in this months FF+FT. I have to say though (and I admit I have not seen them) that I remain sceptical about the durability of "swap-able"  soles.  It?s all about terrain. For ?normal?  angling, manicured banks, low level rivers and lochs etc  use they might be OK  but as a hill walker of 30 odd years I know the state even heavy duty boots get in climbing uphill ? to lochs or whatever ? over rough terrain. What I would be interested to read  is a review done over a few months where the wearer was walking  4 or 5 miles along rough tracks ? like going to Laidon, or heading uphill over scree,  rocks and boulders.  In fact, I wonder if the real answer is not just buying a pair of cheap  (~20 quid)  ordinary  walking boots and using them, treating them  as consumables  and replacing them when they fall apart?  You can always screw studs into them remember.

Understand I am not knocking Magnus? excellent review, just wondering how good or practical  such a system would be in the real world hill loch fishing I enjoy doing.

If anyone from Korlers or their suppliers are reading this, I volunteer to give your boots a  real work out next season! Send me a pair of size 9's please!  I?ll even do it free of charge.  

[Wildfisher]

Allan,

Fair enough, but you tend to fish these poncy, easy to get tae places  :lol:

What aboot hiking up the North Face Of  Kander, or scaling the pinicale and precipices of Phadruig?

Do you think the soles will stay on?  :lol:

Seriously, though it?s a lot of loot, for a pair of boots, will they stand up to the hills?

[Wildfisher]

They certainly seem to get praise form everyone who uses them.  I guess that in reality I wouldn?t be wearing them on long walks anyway, so perhaps it?s not a big issue. I am just having great difficulty in visualising how a swap-able sole would stay on. I?ll have to check them out.

[Wildfisher]

I'll bring them next time you fancy a winter bob on Haddo fred.  Are you not sure it's simply the money thing?? :wink:
We all know how 'grippit' you are  

Allan.

Damn it, ye?ve sussed me oot!  I have been living in Aberdeenshire too long. Mind you  Magnus is a genuine bona-fide Aberdonian  and he has a pair!   :lol:

[shadar]

Hi Chaps,
This is my first post, so be gentle with me. I've had three pairs of wading boots in the four seasons that i have been fishing. The first pair were the Snowbee spiked sole efforts which had excellent grip, but the grip parted company with the rest of the boot within the season. I then bought a pair of felt soled Scierra Ipacs, which seemed to be very well made. I only wore them twice though as on each occassion i went on my @rse more than once.
It was then that i toyed with the idea of buying the Korkers from the States and came accross the Patagonia Marlwalkers. They have an excellent sole/tread and are well made. There is newer model out now which looks smart, but the tread does not look as agricultural. The older models can be had for around ?30 on eBay. The reason i did not buy the Korkers is because although they may be fine walking the moor with the treaded sole on up to the Loch. Then the felt soles are put on and i'll need to climb a bank or visit another nearby Loch, and because i'm lazy won't bother changing the soles back and i'll end up on my @rse again.  :cry:

Cheers, Calum

[Wildfisher]

As I have said before, I am wary  of swap-able soles for my kind of fishing. This is based on 30 + years plus of hill walking and knowing the ?hammering?  even heavy duty boots take in the places I go. Now I am not suggesting they are  gimmicky, I have no data to base that on, I just wonder if a better solution for my kind of fishing might be a pair of ?normal? walking  boots for the walk in and swapping into a lightweight wading boot with a combo felt / stub sole once I am there. My fear would be that the walking sole would come adrift on the hill and until I have reliable evidence that does not happen, I can?t risk it. I stand to be proven wrong though. Another problem is for camping trips. By definition, wading boots are going to get wet, so I would have to have something dry to swap into when not fishing otherwise I am going to end up with cold feet. So it?s back to two pairs of boots or at least carrying a pair of dry trainers or the like. This is not a problem for out of the car fishing though, where these swap-able soles might well be ideal.

[shadar]

On campers myself and the mates take along rubber soled neoprene booties to change into. They weigh next to nothing and cost pretty much the same. They have become known as the "pissin boots" between us.

Cheers, Calum

[Wildfisher]

On campers myself and the mates take along rubber soled neoprene booties to change into. They weigh next to nothing and cost pretty much the same. They have become known as the "pissin boots" between us.

Cheers, Calum

that's a good idea. Where do you get them?

[shadar]

Hi Fred,
Here they are:

 http://www.jagwetsuits.co.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=cDisplayProductRange.displayProduct&productCode=jag003b

They also sell a few other types which may appeal.

Cheers. Calum

[shadar]

Hey Broontroot I did state that i am lazy, but forgot to mention that i am always losing gear on the moor.
I could just see myself wearing a felt sole on one boot with a treaded sole on the other.

Cheers, Calum