Without exaggeration, each year I receive well over 100 flyers, pamphlets, catalogs, brochures, circulars, and booklets offering me a Pandora’s box of outdoor gear and equipment. Some specialize in footwear, clothing, reloading supplies, or boating and marine accessories, while others offer the full gamut of fishing tackle and hunting supplies as well as all the other paraphernalia for in-the-woods or on-the-water recreation. I’m not complaining about the mountain of paper, mind you, in fact I rather enjoy reliving “the kid with a Christmas toy catalog” feelings these outdoor toys for big boys wish books give me.

I suffer from too much want and not enough need. If it’s new and improved, I want it, regardless of the fact I may already have last year’s model and don’t really need another. As my mother often lovingly pointed out, I have a champagne appetite and a beer pocketbook. Nonetheless, certain items are so outstanding that they improve the safety, comfort, success, and enjoyment of every sportsman using them, and deserve serious consideration as additions to current outdoor inventory.

Wicked waders

For almost 20 years I’ve worn neoprene waders for fishing and waterfowling. From Quebec’s Gaspe Atlantic salmon rivers to Alaska’s frigid Kenoctok River full of Pacific salmon, trout and grayling, and from sea duck gunning on the Maine coast to flooded timber duck hunts in Arkansas, neoprene chest and waist-highs have kept me dry and warm. The downside to neoprene is that often it’s too warm, and if you have ever struggled into a tight set of chest highs and wading shoes while in full layers of cold weather clothing, you understand. You’re sweaty, tired, and tightly confined before ever reaching the water.

Even the thickest neoprene tears and punctures and, therefore, requires care around ledges and sharp and pointed sticks or branches which are prevalent in rivers, along shorelines, and line every path and trail. It was definitely a love-hate relationship.

Then I discovered L.L. Bean’s Wicked Tough breathable chest waders and entered an entirely new realm of comfort and convenience. My introduction to breathable waders came last June when a fishing partner picked me up for an evening of fly fishing. When he got out of the truck to help me load my gear, I noted he was already wearing chest waders and wading shoes. I commented that it would be a hot 30 minutes’ drive in confining waders and he should have waited to suit up by the stream.

My buddy moved about, in and out of the pickup, and drove with ease, never breaking a sweat. As I struggled and wrestled on my neoprenes, swatted at insects, and was a wash of sweat by the time we hiked to the river, he was cool and dry. Throughout the evening he walked, waded, sat and knelt, cast, caught, netted, and photographed without discomfort, restricted motion or limitations. At evening’s end he was dry inside and out, and the inside of my neoprenes, my clothes, and my body were in various stages of damp to outright wet.

On the drive home my fishing partner, still in his Bean’s West Branch waders, gave me the lowdown on breathable waders. I did some research of my own, contrasted and compared various makes and models, and vowed I’d have a set before the month was out. L.L. Bean has come out with a new wader model called the Wicked Tough, and if your style of fishing or hunting requires wading, this product is head and shoulders above the rest.

Wicked Toughs are waterproof, breathable multilayered Gore-Tex offering an unbelievably comfortable fit. They slide on and off with ease, and they’re extremely tear and puncture resistant. Neoprene stocking feet offer extra comfort and warmth, and they come with built-in gravel guards to keep bothersome debris out of your wading boots. Wide, comfortable, neoprene suspenders offer simple adjustments for exact fit and a wide integrated belt is another feature with comfort and safety in mind. Wicked Toughs also have a cinch-string top to deter water spray and splash as well as rain from getting inside, and a hand warmer pocket as well as a top storage pocket round out this waders special features.

If you straddle fences, crawl under blowdowns, or wander through thick brush to reach favorite fishing holes, the tough multilayer Gore-Tex will remain intact and allow full freedom of movement. Sitting on rocks or rough ground to rest or change flies or kneeling on sharp uneven gravel and stones to release fish can be done over and over with ease of motion and no fear of damage to the wader. Yet when you first enter the stream, the material is so light and comfortable, you would swear it will never repel water.

If you are in line for a new set of chest waders, or just fed up with the hassle of neoprene, Bean’s Wicked Toughs are for you. The khaki brown color works for hunting and fishing and a vast array of sizes guarantee a fit for short, tall, big, or small sportsmen. Add on L.L. Bean’s product satisfaction guarantee and the $299 price for regular sizes is a steal. Check out the L.L. Bean Fly Fishing 2004 catalog, visit llbean.com/fishing, or call 1-800-221-4221.

Hard case

It’s sad how many rod guides are bent, cork grips marred, and rod tips broken between the fishing hole and the house, or walking from the lodge, boat, or truck to the waterway. It’s carelessness, inattention, rushing, and just plain neglect combined with car doors, trunk lids, trees, thick brush, rocky shoreline stumbles, and a dozen other graphite-snapping, metal-marring mishaps that end a fishing trip. And every reel-ruining, rod-wrecking event is fully preventable by use of a hard-bodied rod and reel case.

Once a rod is put together, reel attached, line run through the guides, and a fly tied on, most sports prefer not to take everything apart when switching locations, or even when an outing is over. Often they just separate the pieces and store the unit in the trunk, behind the pickup seat, or on the rear floor or seat. The same thing happens in a boat or canoe, and in all cases the rod and reel get bounced around, jarred, stepped on, and worse.

DB Dun makes several styles of fly rod cases that allow two-, three-, and four-piece rods, reels, and lines to be separated into sections, but with the reel, line, leader, and fly intact, and fitting safely and securely into a hard rod tube with built-in rod sock and a padded reel cover. Banging about during travel, dropping on hard surfaces, and even stepping on these well-designed, tastefully colored 1,000 denier fabric-covered cases won’t affect the expensive rod and reel encased inside.

Each DB Dun rod and reel case comes with a strong, well-attached hand and shoulder strap so an angler can actually carry the case to the water’s edge, assemble the rod, and sling the light case across their back for the duration of the outing.

The reel compartment is thickly lined with Vetrex, a moisture wicking fabric, and new this year is a unique air exchange system to aid in ventilation and drying of wet equipment and preventing corrosion. Zipper assemblies are heavy duty with easy-to-grab tags. For anglers who prefer a choice of rods, dual rod cases offer full protection of two favorite rods and reels.

Traveling across town or across the country, DB Dun rigid rod and reel cases will make sure your gear arrives unscathed. No matter if your rod, reel and line are worth $100 or $1,000, broken they’re worth nothing and a trip is ruined. Dependent on size and model, prices run from $50 to $100 per rod and reel case; now that’s cheap insurance. DB Dun cases are carried at most area sporting goods stores and fly shops, or you can also find them in most mail-order fishing catalogs.

What’s your line?

Experience and a well-balanced rod and reel are prime requisites of a fly caster, but a top quality, correctly sized line is the most important factor in properly presenting a fly. The perfect fly line possesses durability, rod-matching weight, proper taper to cast specific fly sizes and an outer coating that glides through the guides. Over the years I’ve used literally hundreds of styles of floating and sinking fly lines by a dozen manufacturers, but the new Mastery Series from Scientific Anglers is head and shoulders above anything I’ve ever cast.

Mastery Series’ newest specialty taper is Trout, which excels at presenting dry flies, but also offers a mid-length head and concave taper perfect for wet flies and streamers as well. For delicate yet accurate casting, this line has Advanced Shooting Technology, the slick, supple coating that eliminates drag through the guides. Choose from six line weights in either weight forward or double taper styles.

Scientific Anglers Mastery Bass Bug taper is a godsend to those of us hooked on casting mouse-size poppers and hair bugs for top water bass action. The AST coating on this line is designed for warm water and the taper excels in windy conditions. No matter how bulky the bug being cast, the powerful head will turn the fly over and provide great accuracy. Five sizes of this bass fishing fly line are available.

In all, 12 specialty Mastery fly lines are available for specific angling styles and conditions. Average price is $60, and most specialty tapers are readily available at local fishing shops and sporting good stores. For more information on these lines or to locate a dealer in your area, call 1-800-430-5000 or visit online at www.scientificanglers.com.

Any product that helps me be a better angler, have more fun, catch more fish and be more comfortable and safer on the water is worth the investment. All of the fishing accessories I’ve mentioned have improved my all around angling experience and I’ll bet they satisfy you as well. I love trying new and improved gear. It’s another reason to go fishing.

Outdoor feature writer Bill Graves can be reached via e-mail at bgravesoutdoors@ainop.com