Is it possible to convert a normal walking stick to become a wading staff ? .
I would like a wading stick from The stick man , but if i can save a bit of cash then great ( no offence to The Stick man ).
i know some people use hiking poles / Nordic walking poles but i am a fairly hefty person lol. and would need a stick that can collapse / un screw to pack away in a rucksack.
A normal walking stick is generally too short to be effective as a wading staff.
(walking stick, measure from floor to the crease of your wrist. Staff, measure from the floor to the bottom of your breastbone.)
Any stick made in sections will be weaker than one made from a single piece.
Whilst a walking stick or hiking pole are generally for balance a wading staff can be required to hold much of your weight
i might not bother with a wading staff / stick then , as i have to have it able to fold away to allow for travelling by bike.
when I'm, not in the mood for breaking bones I use this one.
http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/230801231098?var=lv<yp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&adtype=pla (http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/230801231098?var=lv<yp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&adtype=pla)
It folds away into the big pocket on my fishing vest.
thats why i was after a wading stick / staff. as i am still getting used to wading but i know for a fact once i manage to get full chest waders i will happily use them to full depth lol.
but i would like a little bit of back up .
just was not keen on trying to ride a bike with a 5ft wading staff sticking up in the air or out to the side and a car clips it lol.
I don't do masses of wading but when I do a bit I use a hazel staff around four and a half foot long. I select and cut a fairly straight stick around the right length then drill a hole at the handle (thicker) end, around 8" or 9" from the end of the length, which serves to attach a lanyard. If I lose it I cut a new one.
The main thing about a wading stick other than the length. that has not been mentioned is it "must" be weighted at the bottom. Lead or heavy copper wire is you best bet. Those replacement knobbly rubber caps you see on the bottom of walking sticks, crutches desks chairs & the like are ideal to fit over & offer cheap alternatives.
Bit of advice; I never or at least rarely "step out" when wading. It is more of a shuffle. Move one foot & "bed it in" gravel & stony bottoms. On flat rock I stay clear, then the other using the staff to make like a triangle with the weighed staff downstream at all times giving you three points of contact & if anything slightlly more weight on the staff.
Something I would be reluctant to do with the telescopic type but stiil better than not having one at all.
Tight Lines
I do as Buanan does, go for a walk in the woods and find some Hazel. I have a wee folding saw that cost me a fiver from B&Q that I bought just for that reason. I have tried using a collapsible one but guess what? It collapsed and I went over, but in saying that it was a pretty cheap one and I can't even remember the make of it but it went in the bin.
Hazel is surprisingly strong, biodegradable and absolutely free :lol:
daz
Get a good broomstick. Drill a hole in it for a lanyard, and weight the bottom with lead. It will not cost very much and works very well. You can also drill a hole in the bottom and then screw and epoxy a large stainless steel bolt into it. To reinforce that, wrap tightly over the length of the hole you drilled, ( with the bolt glued in), with either wire or strong cord and epoxy over the bindings.
A wading staff you can't lean on is useless in a lot of situations.
TL
MC
Mike that sounds like a neat idea, but i am not keen on the idea of having something sticking out while trying to ride the bike at same time. all it takes is one of the local boy racers to clip the stick and i could be in trouble.
I once tried taking a folding tree pruning saw with me to cut some branches in the local woods , someone must have seen me and reported me to the auld bill as i was given a stern warning about carrying a saw in public and vandalising trees :roll:.
but again the length is an issue when on a bike , that is a concern.
strap it to the crossbar.
I used to ride all over the place, on pushbikes, and on various motorcycles with my rod(s), wading staff and landing net slung on my back. Never had a problem with it. You can also bolt or strap a length of PVC drainpipe, capped at the bottom, diagonally or vertically to the frame and stick your stuff in that.
TL
MC
trust me the boy racers around here are more likely to use you as moving target practice.
been out walking many a time along the road and they have swerved onto other side of the road to aim right at you and turn at last second.
they use the quiet country roads around here as race tracks , drag strips. and as an easy means to braking into cars in a car park next to Loch Leven and then racing off.
the bike i had been looking at getting you could not bolt or attach anything to its frame ( no room ) , so will have a look at what else was available in my size on the site i will be using.
i almost had a heart attack when i seen some of the prices for bike chains , and yep i would be locking my bike up to fence post or tree.
I bought a Leki telescopic wading staff from a local shop in Falkirk, strangely itself called Leckies. It is a bit of an emporium where you can pick up odds and ends. The wading staff itself cost me £8 and which was an amazing price. I have had it for about four seasons now and have never had any trouble. It is not weighted but has a rubber stopper on the end. To be honest in some of the flows I waded into you would need a fair weight to keep it down anyway.
If you are going to put your full body weight on most staffs they will either break, bend or collapse. It is for balance only while either stepping or shuffling your way out from the bank. I have also used branches when I have forgotton to take it with me but anything is better than nothing. I did think of making one out of an old brush handle but the telescopic one is really handy retracted and hanging under my arm on a bungee.
I find wading without one a real nuisance and as Fred found out a bit dangerous.
Billy
For the past couple of years I've done most of my fishing out in chest waders up to my arm pits,two things I've found.Firstly a weighted stick is a pain in the arse,gets stuck between your legs and can be down right dangerours,much better if it floats in my opinion.I use a break down type that fits in a sheath on your belt if you want,no more than 10 inches long,held together with a strong elastic.You don't want any sort of rubber on the end as it will slip,it needs a good solid point to wedge into the gaps in the stones,then you can put most of your weight on it.A tripod is the most stable thing and thats what a wading sticks job is.You might use it to find holes,but that's not it's purpose,as has been said you should slide your foot forward(or which ever way you're going in),place it,put your weight on it,then move the other when you're happy.I've had quite a few anglers float past me recently and most admit,they just got careless after fish,concentrate if you are wearing chesties and if you're not a strong swimmer , get a life jacket too.
Another vote for the floating staff, I just hang it over my shoulder on it's lanyard so that it stays behind my back when I want to get it out of my way.
i think i am leaning more towards carrying a small folding saw in my rucksack , and just cutting a branch thats suitable lol. or picking up a branch thats laying down already.
but as someone said previously , i dont walk normal i shuffle forward , plant foot down and make sure it is safe then bring the other foot forward a little .
even though i am a strong swimmer the thought did come to me that i am using thigh waders at the moment , if i step to deep or fall in they will weigh a fair auld bit once full of water.
i have been looking for cheap chest waders and it seems Neoprene are cheaper for some reason , but everyone tells me Neoprene in summer is NOT a good idea , you end up being soaked with sweat and cooked to the bone on a hot day lol.
the company that made the thigh waders have chesties in my shoe size and are reasonably priced.
It doesn't make any difference what waders you are using or if they fill up with water. Water weighs nothing in water, it is only heavy if you try to stand in them on land. You can swim in waders without any problems, although it is usually better to float.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=salmo+the+leaper&oq=salmo+the+leaper&aq=f&aqi=g2&aql=&gs_l=youtube.3..0l2.794174.807050.0.807233.62.27.7.7.8.3.221.2526.9j17j1.27.0...0.0.7v_GNpVT3rA (http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=salmo+the+leaper&oq=salmo+the+leaper&aq=f&aqi=g2&aql=&gs_l=youtube.3..0l2.794174.807050.0.807233.62.27.7.7.8.3.221.2526.9j17j1.27.0...0.0.7v_GNpVT3rA)
he jumps in to a deep strong stream wearing waders to prove it;
Salmo the Leaper Hugh Falkus Part 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNuGnotR3IE#)
TL
MC
Mike i am only going on what i was taught many years ago when i did a lifeguard course , when we had to show up wearing clothes and boots then jump in the pool.
that once clothing is wet you do become heavier and it holds you down.
Personally the thought only entered my head for a split second and i was not bothered after that .
Quote from: James on June 26, 2012, 01:45:36 PM
Mike i am only going on what i was taught many years ago when i did a lifeguard course , when we had to show up wearing clothes and boots then jump in the pool.
that once clothing is wet you do become heavier and it holds you down.
Personally the thought only entered my head for a split second and i was not bothered after that .
Clothing, and indeed everything else, is lighter in water. That is a physical property. I know a lot of people believe otherwise. They are simply wrong.
TL
MC
Quote from: burnie on June 25, 2012, 08:03:40 PM
I use a break down type that fits in a sheath on your belt if you want,no more than 10 inches long,held together with a strong elastic.
I got mine rigged up today Burnie. Folded down and in the holster which fits on the belt of the waders, you'd hardly know it's there. This is a far more sensible way to carry it than having it in the back of the fly vest as I was doing before. It takes seconds to take out or put away. It's also dead light. :8)
I was told while learning to canoe in white water to "Womble". Lie back and let your feet take the knocks until you find safe water.
I tend to be a very cautious wader, especially when alone. I doubt my backside has been under water while wading more than a dozen times. Knee to thigh deep reaches most water I fish.
A.
yep lay flat on back with feet pointing down current.
white water rafting your told the same thing , seen a special on country file as well when they joined RNLI for a days training