Rambling Review – The Orvis River Guard™ Ultralight Wading Boot with EcoTraX Soles

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Rambling Review – The Orvis River Guard™ Ultralight Wading Boot with EcoTraX Soles

The Orvis River Guard™ Ultralight Wading Boot with EcoTraX Soles

Why?

I recently upgraded my felt soled Henry Fork II wading boots which were completely devoid of felt from the miles of walking that I had put on them. I found my way back to Orvis and upgraded to the new River Guard Ultralight Wading Boot with EcoTraX soles. Let me first explain my typical day on the water which led to my wading boot choice. A day of fishing will find me on the small streams in Northern Arizona which have me in and out of the water and, at times, hiking over extremely rugged terrain in order to get to said water. For this reason, felt was not my first choice and I turned to the River Guards. Because most of my fishing is on rocky small streams, I opted to take the screw-in studs out prior to use, knowing that my quarries heightened senses would hear me crunching long before I would spook him with a poorly placed cast.

Typical moss covered round rock...

First impressions:

  1. My first impressions when trying on these boots were that they fit a little big. With a wading sock and the boot fit wader, most boots fit a little too snuggly. These boots in a size ten (my regular shoe size) fit me perfect with a thick wading sock and waders. The Orvis website actually states a consumer should order the next whole size down. I recommend trying them on with your typical fishing get-up.
  2. The second thing I liked about this boot was the continuous microfiber sidewalls. Previous boots employed a meshing to allow water to drain out and inevitably would allow small rocks in. Walking around the store in these boots was comfortable and stable
  3. Lastly, I am sensitive to the issue of invasive aquatic species and attempt to do my part of cleaning gear and being proactive by educating myself from corporate video company marketing videos.  Having said that, I am also sensitive to marketing strategies from wordtree and could not help but take note that these boots should help with “stemming the spread of aquatic species” Whether or not they will really help remains to be seen, but it should be noted that I will list this as a pro although I am a skeptic at heart.

Vibram

Field Use:

(Note: Used without studs)

Putting these boots through several trips has proven that I made the right choice. The typical hikes up and down Arizona’s steep hill with the EcoTraX Soles were completed with more traction and stability than felt.  Most of the streams in Arizona are fairly difficult to navigate through, but these boots performed flawlessly over the round rock on the Rim. Even without the studs, my footing was secure and I bulled on as usual without a second thought as to the change of footwear.

After spending a couple of all day fishing trips in these boots, I am happy with the comfort. Some boots really do a number on my back and/or arches, but I was pleased with the support these boots offered. I also attribute some of the comfort to the lightweight feel these boots have.

Top-side

Notable Features:

The boots come with a small key in order to take out the screw-in studs. Double check the box when you buy to make sure the key is with your purchase. (After getting to the truck, I checked and had to run back inside.) As cool as the little key looks on my truck key chain, it is extremely difficult to use. Instead I used a 1/4″ socket head on my small ratchet and saved myself the misery of taking out the studs with the hand held key. The key is always with me though and the studs remain in my pack just in case I run into a situation where studs are appropriate.

Studs (Save yourself a headache and use a 1/4" socket)

Pros:

  1. Stability in water
  2. Comfort
  3. Continuous sidewall
  4. Lightweight
  5. Superior performance on dry land.
  6. Supposed superior protection against spreading invasive aquatic species

Cons:

  1. Price (but what isn’t pricey in the fly fishing world)
  2. Almost useless key
  3. Stiff upper material makes tightening boots problematic (I imagine with use they will loosen up and become easier to tighten)

Prognosis:

I like the boots and have been extremely happy with their performance. The price is steep and tough to swallow, but a quality company like Orvis stands behind their quality products. These boots are all systems go.

* Disclaimer:

The reviews at Arizona Wanderings are my honest opinion. Arizona Wanderings is not sponsored by or associated with any of the stated companies and is accepting no compensation, monetary or otherwise, in exchange for this review.  My independent status may change in the future but, as of the date of publication, no relationship other than described above has been pursued or established.

Arizona Javelina Hunt…

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Javelina Country

It felt as if I had just fallen asleep from our New Years celebration, when my alarm told me to pull my aching body from bed. Most of my gear had been sorted and packed the day before, so once the coffee was made and the truck was loaded, I drove to meet my good friend Austin and head up to the high country in search of Arizona’s javelina.  Javelina are a strange animal by all accounts and everyone has a different description of what type of animal they actually are, but for all practical purposes, they look like a hairy pig. Most of their lives are spent in a herd and can be found rooting around the cactus filled hillsides of Arizona. The best time to glass up these animals is during the morning or evenings when the javelina are in search of the warm sun to heat their bodies. After setting up camp and gathering firewood for a cold evening, we geared up and spent the rest of our afternoon until dark hunkered down behind the lenses of our binoculars searching for their little camouflaged bodies, but to no avail. As the sun went down, the temperatures plummeted. Most years, evening temps stay in the low 30s, but an unusual cold snap kept our nighttime temp in the teens which can make for a long night in a tent.

Hunting Camp

Morning came quickly and we wasted no time in brewing coffee and putting on the extra layers to combat the freezing temperatures.  Once we were situated and glassing the surrounding hills, Austin wasted no time in spotting a herd slowly working their way across the hillside. A plan was hatched, wind calculated, obstructions noted and we made our way slowly and somewhat quietly through the prickly southwestern foliage. Over and over again, we would stop and check our progress and each time doubts would creep into my mind about our plan and its execution, but in our final approach, my ears heard the unmistakable sound of rooting javelina slowly working towards us.

Nothing beats a quality cup of coffee…

With patience and persistence, both of us were able to work into a position for shots and I was able to find a quartering away pass through shot on a mid-size boar. Mortally wounded he made his way a dozen yards away and expired. Austin also placed a quality shot on another male who put up a tough fight until another arrow put him down for good.  As we posed for a self timed picture, it really began to sink in that this truly was an amazing experience to double up on javelina out of the same herd on the second day of the season.

Arizona Javelina 2011

Camp was broken quickly and meat, hides, and skulls were carefully packed away. Rumbling our way out of the back country, it is tough not to be thankful for such a quality hunt. The last two years had seen probably 15-20 days in the field searching for these little buggers and I was unable to connect even though the opportunities were there.  So the completion of a hunt and goal is extremely rewarding. Phone calls were made and the wives are happy we will not be “wasting” any more weekends on pig hunting, at least until we get tags again and can go back and wander around Arizona.

Good times…

The times they are a changin’…

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The times they are a changin'

As you have probably figured out at this point, Arizona Wanderings has had a facelift and a rejuvenation of spirit. After much poking and prodding from friends and readers and with the help of my brother at JSumnerdesigns.com, we are soft-launching the new and improved AZWanderings. Aside from the site being cleaner and much more attractive there are some new additions that are in place with more to come. The newest addition that is currently in place is the Gear Review page. There I will be reviewing different pieces of equipment or clothing that I own and use on a regular basis.

In the coming months I also hope to be offering a small selection of flies for sale (surprisingly, some people have showed interest) as well as the usual promo gear (t-shirts, stickers, and other stuff you really probably don’t need). A couple of other projects are also in the works, but my plan is to keep my few readers in suspense until the unveiling is a little bit closer.

At the end of the day, this whole experience is a little bit surreal. This started as a simple outdoor journal to keep my family informed that I was still alive and it has morphed into a positive outlet for my outdoor passions in between my weekend wanderings. I am always open to new ideas and additions to the site and value my few followers insights. If you have anything you would like to see added to or focused on in this blog, feel free to drop me a line. Here’s to another year of wandering around Arizona.

Ben

Ben@azwanderings.com

Last Arizona Quail Hunt of 2010

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Gambel's Hen

The crack of the 20 gauge split the morning silence and as I gathered the plump Gambel’s hen, I could not help but smile. Normally when tromping through the desert I like to have the heavier 12 gauge which I know has a little more “umff” and, when the birds are spooking farther, can really prove advantageous. Since my decision was last minute, I was out of shells for the 12 and decided to take the smaller 20 gauge for which I had a few more boxes laying around. The 20 gauge is a Mossberg 500CT and will never win any beauty contests. Whenever I show up to hunt with some buddies, it always raises a few eyebrows and looks of disdain. Sure it has more than a few nicks and scratches and sure after every use I have to tighten up the stock so it stops wiggling, but this shotgun has sentimental value, as most older “well loved” guns often do. This particular scattergun used to be my grandfather’s who I am guessing put most of the signs of use into the gun. It was passed to my father who ultimately passed it on to me. Every once in a while, like yesterday, it is nice to break out a classic and go hunt some birds.

Mossberg

The weather held cool and sunny and made for perfect walking weather. Early in the morning, I hunted several large coveys and pulled a couple birds from these groups. These large coveys were scattering far ahead of me and took some stealth to get into a respectable distance. Birds were very vocal and there were several times that I had to stop and try and isolate the closest group of birds which was actually difficult with all of the birds calling at once.

Quail Country

I hunted several ridges out into the desert and then swung around to hunt several adjoining ridges back. The style of hunting changed dramatically and I think it was due to both the hunting pressure that the two different ridges receive and the hour of the day. Regardless, instead of large coveys flushing many yards out, birds were sitting in singles and doubles and would flush literally at my feet. I imagine that this style of hunting is more in tune with the rest of the country’s bird hunting or how it would be to hunt with pointing dogs. Either way, I thoroughly enjoyed jumping several different sets of birds and bagging a couple in the process.

Male and Female Gambel's Quail

This will probably be the last quail hunt for me in the 2010 calendar year. I did not do as much quail hunting as I normally would and I think it is safe to blame fly fishing for that. I have been getting geared up for another archery javelina season and I hope to avoid another pig-less debacle like last year.

Christmas was kind to me…

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While I wait for the waters up north to calm down and return to a fishable state, I thought I would brag a little on how kind Christmas was to me. So in order to hold myself over until the next time I hit the water or the cactus strewn hillsides, here is a brief look at the quality items Santa brought me.

I have had my eye on a new BBS reel from Orvis to upgrade my old reel that was broken and line that had large chunks taken out of it. The sweetest wife in the world found it easy to shop for me this Christmas.

Much needed upgrade for the 3 weight

As an avid reader, my Amazon wish list grows almost every time I am on the computer. This selection shows a heavy influence of John Gierach but also a Walt Prothero wild card showed up (arguably one of my favorite authors).

Updating the Library

My sister-in-law went above and beyond to make the perfect gift for a helpless fly fisherman and reader. This bookmark will definitely be utilized in my marathon of reading ahead.

Homemade "Adams" Bookmark

With all of the traveling that my wife and I do back to New York, fly tying get-to-gethers, or a couple day trip up north, having my fly tying gear with me can be really convenient. I had eyeballed this Fishpond bag for quite a while but had never made mention of it to anyone. My in-laws really went above and beyond with this gift.

Fishpond Fly Tying Travel Case

I have had an old foam target that when my wife said “I do” made the trip to our new backyard. It has raised some eyebrows, and the new puppy has really taken a liking to it. In the end it is still usable but life expectancy is not much longer. This new target will hopefully keep me in shape for the javelina season coming up.

My new lawn ornament

Another quality gift from the in-laws to keep my hands warm during our bone-chilling Arizona winters (but seriously it does get cold here).

Winter Gloves

I do not know what my brother was trying to say, but it might be that my hunting game could use a little work. If you have not had the opportunity to play the Wii and especially the Wii hunting game, it will change your life.

Staying in shape during the off season...

My mom handed down one of my father’s old tie clips. I wear a tie maybe a half dozen times a year, but this clip will be worn at each of those occasions. This truly is a special gift that I will cherish and hopefully someday pass on to one of my boys.

Sentimental value

After this post, I think I will go do some damage at Cabelas. My wife thinks it is a real shame that the blasted store is so close…

One can never go wrong...

Furled leaders and a few early gifts…

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Drying Station Front

My break has been filled with shotguns and fly rods and even though our usually clear skies are gone and replaced with rainclouds, I have been busy with some smaller projects. After my furled leader performed flawlessly on a blustery day at Oak Creek, I decided that I had to have some more. So I headed to my friend Bo’s house to rig up a few more and I happily walked away with several gorgeous leaders, spun by my own hand. Bo himself is an extremely talented carpenter and graciously gifted me one of his beautiful fly drying stations. This small piece is just a taste of the work that he has done as his fly tying corner is centered around a beautiful tying station.

Fly Drying Station
More Furled Leaders

Bo also is stating to make his own fly fishing lanyards and as we were talking I mentioned my minimalistic approach to fly fishing, Bo quickly whipped up a perfect “belt hook” for some summer fishing. I think this lanyard would work well for those warm days wet wading in the small streams of Arizona. A big thanks to Bo for his hospitality and gifts.

Belt Hook

Oak Creek Brown Trout

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Winter Fishing

The weather has been a little bit funky here in Arizona and my Christmas break is being threatened by rain and snow in the high country. In spite of the predicted elements, my good friend Pete and I loaded up the truck hastily made our way to Red Rock Country and the fabled Oak Creek. While driving creekside, we caught glimpses of a high, turbulent, and off color torrent that did not look very fishable. Regardless, we had made the drive and were not easily deterred. I had brought my 5 weight knowing that with high winds predicted, I would need a little backbone to cut through the wind and throw some heavier streamers.

Oak Creek Soup

With no insect activity, I opted to strip a simi-seal bugger through the first pool and on my third cast through the pool, saw a large head engulf my fly. Luck was on the fishes side and he spit my fly quickly. After several more pools, hook-ups, and fly changes, I rigged up a mini hopper and a copper john variant and drifted it several times through a likely lie. I was extatic with a firm hit on the dropper and was soon cradling a gorgeous Oak Creek Brown trout. I always feel extremely blessed when catching brown trout out of this section of Oak Creek, because I know that these fish see so many fishermen and their offerings.

Oak Creek Brown Trout

As I continued fishing I saw a few sporadic rises, but the high, milky water made it difficult to fish small dries that wold match the small winter bugs that were hatching. Occasionally a bigger specimen would fly by and tempt me to tie on something smaller but I refrained.

BWO

Making my way upstream, I found myself again stripping a leech through a larger pool and had several larger hits on the streamer. On one last try, a strong fish nailed the fly and head shook his way to my net. At this point I was feeling very lucky as I held this football of a brown for a quick photo.

Brown Trout

With half a dozen pools left before our access point to leave, the day began to get colder. Thankfully, the inclement weather had held off and no precipitation ruined our day. As I followed the course of the stream I came upon an extremely long pool with several obstructions in the center of the pool. I worked the lower section of the pool with my bugger and had several fish follow it in but ultimately refuse it. While contemplating my next move, a fish rose and sent large ripples radiating to the banks of the stream. I quickly tied on a #16 parachute Adams, said a little prayer, and dropped a perfect cast just to the side of his previous rise. Within moments, the trout nonchalantly sipped the dry and I was latched into a large fish. Luckily, I had my 5 weight and was able to muscle the fish away from several large rocks and half submerged logs and stabbed my net a fish that could barely fit inside of it. I had heard of large fish in Oak Creek and have spooked and occasionally tied into some, but have never been successful at getting one to hand. After this fish, I did not need to fish the rest of the day. This is one of those times I wished I had a measuring tape, so without going into guessing on numbers, all I will say is that it was a big fish.

The Oak Creek Brown Trout

Streamers, nymphs, and dries all seemed to be the ticket for the day. The high water conditions made it some of the toughest and most frustrating fishing but the outcome of the day was extremely rewarding. Quality day spent on the water with good company is a great way to spend time off from work.