One of my favorite fishin spots is in about a foot of fast moving river with the underwater cement path being slick and covered in algae. Does anyone know of a good pair of waterproof boots or waders or maybe cleats designed for slick algae?

Out west we used what they call corks or corkers.  They came in many styles but mostly were felt bottoms with aluminum studs through the bottoms.  Amazing in fast slimy rivers.

As for my past experiences, felt soled boots provide the absolute best traction on algae covered rocks and such. 

 

But they come with big problems:

1- they are not good on getting to and from those rocks- in fact much worse than rubber soles. (very slippery and dangerous)

2- they wear out really fast if you use them on anything but those algae covered rocks.  You might think, I would never use them anywhere else, but what you do not think about is getting to that location.  Just the act alone of walking to the fishing spots wears out the soles quickly.

3- Many places are starting to outlaw felt soles as they have been determined to be a factor in the spread of unwanted aquatic plants into other bodies of water.

 

The newer thinking on this is that the new rubber soles with metal cleats provide close to the same type of traction of felt soles, without the bad qualities of wearing out fast and the chance of your new purchase being outlawed.

 

Just my 2 cents worth.

 

Jeff

Out west we used what they call corks or corkers.  They came in many styles but mostly were felt bottoms with aluminum studs through the bottoms.  Amazing in fast slimy rivers.

 

 

If you are searching for these, they are spelled with a K- really good shoes, and I think some of them have interchangeable soles now.  My older ones do not.  "Korkers"

 

Jeff

Korkers, but a cheap alternative is the rubber slip on spikes, like Stabilicers that people use in winter for traction on ice.

Korkers, but a cheap alternative is the rubber slip on spikes, like Stabilicers that people use in winter for traction on ice.

 

X2 ~ This

 

Used Korkers For Years fishing at night off too many Slime coated rock jetties up & down the east coast chasing striped bass.

 

There are a lot of imitators but NONE duplicate the effectiveness of this product.

 

Nothing is fool proof but these are what I placed my faith (and Life) in ~ Best available.

 

A-Jay

 

http://www.korkers.com/footwear/fishing/casttrax.html​

 

http://www.korkers.com/footwear/fishing/rocktrax-plus.html

​

btw - now I wear them shoveling snow off an ice covered roof - wouldn't even consider doing it without them.

​

Ditto on the Korkers.  Only safe way to play on the jetties chasing those stripers.

The absolute best best is to get a good pair of boots and install Grip Studs in them. The 1800s are what i use I believe. They beat Korkers in almost every way but are expensive when you factor in cost of the boots and the spikes.

 

 

For what you are doing, Korkers with the interchangeable soles are probably what I would look at though, but you have options.

Korkers, felt with studs.

Current states with felt shoe ban:

 

Alaska, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Rhode Island, S. Dakota, Vermont

 

Just an FYI

Current states with felt shoe ban:

 

Alaska, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Rhode Island, S. Dakota, Vermont

 

Just an FYI

 

Good Looking out Jeff.

 

A-Jay

Hi Blackbird86,

 

I use to trout fish a place just like you describe.  I have a pair of slip on boots with aluminum channel cleats on the bottom.  There are the best I have ever used.  The aluminum channel cuts through the moss/algae and grips the rock below.  Dan Baily use to sell Super Stream Cleats that are somewhat like mine.  You could buy the aluminum channel and rivet or screw to a cheap pair of slip on break-up boots. Look up Dan Baily Super Stream Cleats and they should give you some ideas. Much better than the metal studs being used today.   

 

Frank

 

I do a lot of Salmon fishing in the fall here in NY. The ONLY thing I will wear on the often fast moving streams and rivers are these:

 

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Korkers-reg-Mens-Studded-Rubber-Soles/1514362.uts?productVariantId=3307077&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=43-81984308-2&WT.tsrc=CSE&WT.mc_id=GoogleProductAds&WT.z_mc_id1=03558876&rid=20

 

I have never gone down. I have seen many others not wearing them go down. Even saved a couple from ending up in Lake Ontario.

 

Just saying...

From all the positive comments about Korkers, it appears they solved the problem they used to have with the interchangeable soles falling off. 

Sorry for the misspelling.....when I was a fishing manager back in Portland, Oregon was when they came out with the Korkers in a package deal with several soles and they were huge with the steelhead and salmon fishing crowd.  Believe this was the time when they had made there move to north Portland.  I had one of the original pair and flat wore them out.  I made many special trips to the manufacturer to pick up orders...we sold tons of these boots.  Been awhile ago but they used to come in a box with two or three different soles in them. Timing could be off on this but its close.

Tight Lines

I've gone thru quite a few pairs of $40-50 felt-bottomed wading boots over the years. I'd only get a season or two before they're shredded. I guess I got what I paid for. If I were to get another pair, I'd invest a little more into them and get something more durable.