Northwest Fishing Reports

I have a pair of LLBean breathable waders, they are about 9 yr old, and for $130 have been good I think. I'm having problems patching the inside knee seam anymore, and the edge of the patches are now wearing/splitting. The knees front have held up well. I do a lot of brush beating with pokies, and crawling on my knees. Other than to keep patching, which I'll do for backup or loaners, what have you folks found best for winter when moving spot to spot may be brushy? I don't know, replace, Simms or hunting neoprene? I'd rather not spend a fortune, buts it's actually cheap dollar per day because I use them a lot.

You'll find a lot of opinions on this and many will recommend Simms due to their quality and durability. The warranty is nice too, so if you do have a leak you can't easily fix you can send them in. I think my next pair of waders will be Simms. However, there are many that will serve you well. Sounds like your LLBeans have done just that. I'm still using my first pair of breathable Cabela's that I got for $100 in 2010. I've had to patch the seams and the stocking feet, but they're still working.

We have a lot of blackberries over here on the west side of the state that really like to scratch and claw at waders. Pinhole leaks happen. I've not had any problems with pinhole leaks when using neoprene waders, but those are really only good in the winter due to insulation. Summer time (especially in your area) makes them just way to hot.

If you go the breathable route, look for something with the reinforced knees or heavier material for the knees/thigh area.