40 Rivers To Freedom

There is much debate on the naming of fly patterns. On one side of the stream you have guys who feel it’s okay to call their flies whatever they want. Then on the other bank are guys who feel a fly’s name, and it’s recipe are sacred and renaming a fly or changing it’s recipe is blasphemy. I think both sides have valid points. I’m kind of in the stream, fishing of course.

For the most part, I think if a certain pattern has been established it shouldn’t be renamed for the same reason we have a taxonomic system for identifying insects. To supposedly eliminate confusion. A Light Cahill is a Light Cahill. Don’t tie a Light Cahill and call it a “Jed’s Light Cahill”. Can you say ego?

Then there are tyers who are reluctant to name their patterns, so they’ll just call their fly a, “fly name” variant. This is okay, and I think is a good way to let the guy upstream know what the fish are taking, but without giving away your secret pattern.( a topic for another day) If you’re not worried about keeping something secret, and you tie your Light Cahill with a HIVIZ wing, call it a HIVIZ Light Cahill or a Light Cahill w/ a HIVIZ wing. If someone wants to whine about you naming it, don’t let their snootiness discourage you. Because technically it’s not a Light Cahill.

I think we’re probably better off in the long wrong staying away from calling variations “variants”. Because sticking the tag variant onto the end of a flies name doesn’t tell us what the variation is. I’ve called a fly a variant in some of my old fishing reports. Now when looking back on them I don’t know what the variation was!

After about 10 trips in these boots, I’m finally ready to give them a review.

Why I Bought ‘Em

There were a few basic things I wanted out of whatever boot I decided on. They had to have cleats, they had to be comfortable, and they needed to be durable.

Normally, gear I buy needs to be affordable, but the first two pairs I had my eyes on(LL Bean River Treads II with Aquastealth, and Chota STL Plus), were both about $130. The Citico Creeks ended up being about $80 straight from Chota’s website, including shipping. After seeing how quickly the last pair I owned deteriorated after moving out to NY, a pair that I thought I’d have for another 2 or 3 years- I was ready to spend as much as I had to so I wouldn’t have to buy another pair next year.

When I originally intended to get new boots this Spring, I went into a fly shop with the intentions of getting The Chota STL Plus. A boot that a friend owns, who puts serious miles on his boots each season. If they’ll hold up for him, I figured, they’ll hold up for anyone.

The guy working in the shop mentioned that the Citico Creek was basically the same boot, but without the QuickLace™ system. I tried them on and they felt great, so I decided to save about $50 and go with them, instead of the STL Plus.

Getting Them Dirty

The first day I wore these boots, I really didn’t do much moving around. So I was a little cautious about giving them the thumbs up right away. The second trip, I probably put about 5 miles on them- on a river that has baptized me 3 times. Having the removable cleats on the bottom was awesome. I found myself haphazardly going places I normally would use extreme caution- if I dared wading through them at all. Since the cleats are removable(they’re just machine screws), I was, (and still am to some extent), worried about them working their way loose. However after about 10 trips in them so far, they’re all still tight. It’s not that I’m worried about losing individual cleats- you can get a replacement pack for like $7- it’s more that it seems to me a cleat sticking halfway out would probably increase the chances of “stripping” out the pre-drilled hole, or it might have me falling on my face(something I have little trouble doing already).

Comfort-wise, they’re great. Wearing these all day, on rugged, boulder-strewn terrain is no big deal on my feet. In fact, I’d say they don’t feel much different than they do after wearing normal hiking boots all day while hiking up Adirondack and Catskill mountains. I did have a little back stiffness on that second trip that someone mentioned might have been due to the cleats, however I think it had more to do with a lack of time at the tying bench this Spring.

Warranty

According to their website, Chota only offers a one year limited warranty(material or workmanship defects). If a friend hadn’t battle tested and recommended their products, I would have forked out the extra $50 and went with the LL Bean River Treads II boot and it’s unlimited lifetime warranty. If they do fall apart due to poor workmanship in the first year, or the second, I’ll be sure to let you all know about it.

UPDATE: After one full season(about75 trips), these boots are still going strong

Overall Impressions

I like’em, I like ‘em a lot! Assuming they’ll stay in one piece for a few seasons, I would highly recommend them to people looking for a comfortable boot, with removable cleats, that doesn’t want to break the bank.

Here’s a link to them on Chota’s website it you’re interested, or, check em out at your local shop.

Chota Citico Creek Wading Boots

Before I get started I’d like to thank my friend Michael McAuliffe from www.riseformstudio.com for his mad graphic design skills. He offered to redesign the ghetto header image I was using and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.

The Christmas cheer has started to hit me the past few days. I love the holidays, and giving when I’ve got the means to give. The local Wal Mart has a bell ringer that should go on tour. It’s nice to see those people actually enjoying themselves while standing in the cold. I’ve always let my kids drop the money in the pot and it rubbed off in a good way. Now they willingly give their own money that they earned vacuuming, cleaning their rooms, etc. to charity. I couldn’t be prouder!

This morning on my daily commute into Albany I was beating my head against the wall trying to think of how I could use this website to give. Then while stuck behind some old lady going 40 in a 65 it hit me.

Here’s a few organizations that use fly fishing or fly tying as a means to help everyone from cancer survivors to children fighting for their lives, to wounded veterans. Check out their cause, if it’s something that you feel like you can get behind go to their website and see how you can help. There are many ways to help that range from giving a few hours of your time, to money, to fly fishing or tying equipment.

Ask anyone who has spent a day helping out at any of these retreats, and you can feel how rewarding it was just by the tone in their voice.

Casting For Recovery

Casting For Recovery is an organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of women who are doing battle with, or have survived Breast Cancer.

Hooked On a Cure

Hooked on a cure benefits the St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital

Project Healing Waters

Serves those in the US Military and have come home wounded or injured by aiding in their emotional and physical recovery by introducing or rebuilding the skills of fly fishing or fly tying.

Reel Recovery

This organization conducts fly fishing retreats for men who have survived life threatening cancer.

Reel and Heal

Introduces women in recovery from breast cancer to the healing powers of the sport of fly-fishing by providing a unique outdoor experience, a renewed perspective, new friendships, and a very special source of hope.
These 5 are all fantastic organizations who I’m sure most of you have heard of or seen ads for in fly fishing magazines. If you’re unfamiliar with them, they all use fly fishing as a means of enhancing the lives of people who are battling misc. forms of cancer

These links are a permanent staple on the sidebar here if you ever need to find them down the road. If I’m missing any, please let me know and I’ll get their link up ASAP!

Photo Courtesy of Graham Owen Gallery of Fine Art

My friend Graham just got back from a trip to the Kern River and Lake Isabella in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Graham is an avid photographer and got some great shots on his trip including the one above. To see more from photos from his trip click here to check them out. He’s also got pictures from a past trip to the Kern River here.

Definitely a beautiful area of the country worth a visit if I ever get out west.