What a wonderful wading staff! Mine is not so nice as yours, but I can’t wade without it. It keeps me from falling! And with it I’ve retrieved dozens of flies from trees and underwater snags as well!
Inspired by Tom Davis, I used to use a regular senior citizen’s wooden walking stick as my wading staff and fly retriever. currently I’m using a metal, collapsible senior citizen’s walking stick, becuase my wooden one broke when I tried to use it as a machete to smash my through blackberries.
I’m now thinking that perhaps a cut-down, grinded and sanded hockey stick might also work? Thoughts?
This morning we were fishing on a small creek and had often slingshot casts to do. When you need your two hands you can hang the staff on a ring. Here my friend Daniel is carrying it in the ring of his tamo.
I have a bunch of wading staffs, a metallic one that makes too much noise when I hit the rocks, and 4 wooden staffs. For small creeks I use this one, it’s light and has a roe deer horn:
I walked along the river with a wooden staff and thought I needed to buy a folding, metal-covered staff. Bought and realized that he rattles on the stones. When the lower part of it gets stuck in the stones, the upper part continues to move with me. Everything is relative, you need to make a wooden staff.
I bought a pair of High Stream Gear aluminum carbide-tipped hybrid telescoping/folding trekking poles that have cork hand grips and included removable mud baskets and rubber tip covers, and a belt pouch for each pole off Amazon for a around $35 (they’re up to $45 now). I carry one in a pouch on my wading belt. The collapsed length is 14.5 inches. They’re not quite as stout as my BD poles but collapse much shorter and are about 1/2 the cost. They work very well as a wading staff and were a great deal at <$20 per pole. I think they are still a good deal $23 per pole
I think making your gear is part of being a tenkara fisherman. Making a wading staff is pretty freaking cool. I am inspired by you guys and I want you to know it. Dr.Tom and Jean Santos, I think Chris Stewart makes his too.
My hat is off to you guys.
I will be happy being steady.
@JeanSantos , would you be willing to do an interview?
I’m well on my way, I’m making a T-handle staff ala Dr.Tom Davis.
I’m really digging it, I’ll use it next time I go fishing, super stoked.
Check the page, I’ve made three blanks, one for myself, one for my fishing buddy (his will be pink wrapped) and there is an extra that I will sell to re-coup my money. You can pick out your own color paracord if you so desire at boredparacord.com otherwise, I’ll just lean it in the corner and finish it later.
Been thinking about using a wading stick as well, since my left hand is free most of the time and might save me from an awful humble.
Wondering what people do with their sticks once they have to handle a fish? Do people place the stick on the bank, have it attached to a string, tuck handle in belt, etc?
I’ve been using the Zpacks carbon fiber staff as a wading staff. I like the fact that’s it’s lightweight and folds down to a very small package so it works well for my style of ultralight backpacking. I attached a gear keeper to it and just let it hang behind me while I fish. It’s so lightweight I forget it’s there. It is also really strong and I’ve had it save my bacon a few times while getting up and down into some pretty sketchy places. I’d love to figure out how to attach some sort of hook or antler thing to the top. That would be a nice upgrade.
