New Orvis Silver Sonic Convertible Top Waders - First Impressions

Happy client holding fish of the day.

I recently received my new pair of Orvis Silver Sonic waders in the mail, and had my chance to put them to the test guiding 2 anglers for a full day on the Dream Stream. The water was low and clear, which is typical for Colorado in November. These less than ideal water conditions meant we were gonna have to do some walking for our best chance to consistently catch fish.  A great test for the new gear!

Right after putting on the Silver Sonic waders I noticed how light they were without feeling cheap. The legs have four layers of nylon in the spots where necessary such as the knees, and the upper half of the waders are very light.  This is an ingenious design because how much time do you really spend standing in water past your waist? Rarely is there any real stress put on the waders from the wading belt up, and if you're into swimming marathons in your waders the upper half of the Silver Sonic seems more than durable enough to handle the job.

The biggest reason I wanted to try the new Orvis waders was that I desperately wanted a pair that I could fit my size 13 feet into without having to squeeze through tight ankle cuffs. I am very happy to say that I could get out of them without a crowbar! Not only did I not need a stick of dynamite, but I will go so far as to say they were the easiest waders to get in and out of that I have ever owned. Crises averted...

Another quality that I really appreciate about these new waders is the fit. There is enough room to wear several layers of clothing underneath without being to baggy. The best word I can use to describe the fit is comfortable.  As for aesthetic appeal, they look every bit as good as every other high end pair of waders on the market.

The convertible top is another great example of both form and function inherent in this product. I have been wearing pant waders for the last 3 years because they are cooler and more comfortable than chest waders, but if I wanted to kick around in a float tube I either had to bring a extra pair of waders or get used to the idea of getting wet. Now I have the best of both worlds! To convert them into a pant wader simply unbuckle the front and back buckles and the top slides down to your waist while your straps stay put on your shoulders.

Other notable things that I would like to mention before I let you go are: the leg seems, pockets, and gravel guards. The leg seems run along the back, and having the seems in the back rather than the sides is a great way of avoiding abrasion caused by walking. There are 3 chest pockets. One of which is water proof and great for cameras or cell phones. I tried to operate my iPhone while in the pocket and was able to slide between screens and navigate perfectly.

Last but not least Orvis included vents in the back of the gravel guards for water to escape. This is great for reducing weight making them easier and more comfortable to walk around in. The gravel guards are also made with nylon which seems to be very durable. It's clear that Orvis put a lot of thought and effort into the design of the Silver Sonic waders.  They even include both U.V. and traditional Aqua Sealant, an alcohol prep pad for detecting pin hole leaks complete with instructions on proper care, and a replacement shoulder strap. This attention to detail, and the Orvis warranty are why I'm confident in saying that you can not find a better wader for $260.      

 

Snow Dance

Anyone who has been paying attention knows that we have been experiencing serious drought here in Colorado. If this drought continues we face a drastic blow to our economy. Colorado relies heavily on the money that comes from it’s outdoor industries; skiing, climbing, hiking, and fishing are all affected by dry weather.

Ask the fish what they think about our gorgeous 70 degree days in November and they will tell you, “I don’t have room to swim because the rivers are so low!”. Colorado’s snow pack reports are bleak, and many of our reservoirs are only 50 percent full. I recently got a fishing report from a fly shop in Almont, and they said that you’re literally walking a mile in spots that should be covered in water to gain fishing access at Blue Mesa Reservoir because it’s so low.

Blue Mesa is a sobering example of why we desperately need a snowy winter! Not just to make the skiers happy, but also to maintain a healthy fish population. I propose we all gather at Memorial Park and do a snow dance for the well being of our great state. It might mean a few less sunny and 70 days, but I think we all kinda miss the snow anyway. That is a sacrifice we are willing to make.   

Learn To Tie Flies For Free In My "Explore Fly Tying 101" Class!

Free is good! If you've ever wondered what it would be like to catch a fish on a fly that you made, then take advantage of a free tying lesson taught by Jon Kleis. The class is held every Saturday at 12 p.m. and lasts an hour.  The venue is Anglers Covey fly shop on the corner of Highway 24 and 21st street.

We will go over the tools you need to get started and how to use them. We will also go over basic terminology, and by the end of the class you will have an understanding of the skill sets needed to tie the Wooly Bugger pictured above; this includes how to tie the whip finish knot. Whatever flies we tie during the class are yours to keep for free! And as an extra bonus, all materials and tools are provided.

Take my word for it, there is no greater reward in fishing than the feeling of knowing you fooled a fish on a fly that you created! Even if you have some experience tying you're more than welcome to attend this class.  There is always a new trick to pick up that will help you become a more efficient tyer.  For more information and to sign up for this fun and free class click here.  Hope to see you there!   

Website makeover...

Hey guys and gals we just wanted to apologize for parts of the site not working over the last week or so.  We were super stoked to add new tools to the site to help you navigate and have quicker access to older posts and other helpful information and then Google deleted the place where the code we used was stored, so we had to wait until everything was updated to fix the problems.  We should hopefully be good to go now.  Thanks and we hope you're having a killer fall/winter season of fishing!

Fishing Report November 17th

Super Storm Sandy Relief!

A few weeks before Hurricane Sandy hit I had a guide trip with a couple of retired police officers from New York and had an absolute great time!  I briefly talked to Jim who still lives in that neck of the woods and he basically said that he was one of the lucky ones and finally got power back, but there are still tons of people without power or a home.  I turned the t.v. to the weather channel and it's heartbreaking to see so many people still suffering up there.

Obviously this is completely unrelated to Colorado, but Colorado residents can relate to dealing with recent natural disaster so I decided to post the link to donate to American Red Cross one more time to help these people get back on their feet.  I know we're all broke cuz the economy blows but 10 dollars toward people suffering in our own country is better than no dollars so if you read this post please follow the link and help out.

Jim with an 11Mile Canyon Cutty from our trip.

Jack and Jim brothers from another mother.

Permanent Blockade At Roaring Judy Fish Hatchery

Many of you may have tried to catch the salmon run above Roaring Judy Fish Hatchery, and were left wondering where are all the salmon?  Kristen and I have gone up there twice, once around the end of September and the second time was around the middle of October, and both times there wasn't a single Koke in the East River above the hatchery.  We were relegated to fishing the Gunnison from the confluence down if we wanted to catch salmon.

The second attempt to find fish on the East we stopped and asked the guys at the shop in Almont where all the fish were, and they told us that there was a blockade put up at Roaring Judy preventing the salmon from migrating any further than the hatchery.  As far as anyone can tell the blockade is suppose to be up indefinitely, which means until further word there won't be any more opportunities to catch salmon on the East because all of the property along the river below the hatchery is private.  Good thing there was a decent run of Kokes on the Dream Stream which hopefully will see a resurgence.

From what I've been told a large majority of the stocked Kokanee in Colorado come from the milking program at Roaring Judy so anglers shouldn't be too upset as long as we see numbers rise in other areas.  Of course the blockade could have been put up in preparation for drought and potentially smaller runs do to climate change, and the fish might be allowed to run past the hatchery in the future during wetter seasons.  Also the Gunnison river fished fantastic for big Kokes and big Browns so it's not a total loss.

Kristen with a Gunnison River  Salmon

Again news of the blockade was just word of mouth and I haven't talked to CDOW or anyone that works for the hatchery.  When I find out something concrete and get all the details I'll give you an update.

November Fishing Report Vid