By Ian Scott

I needed new waders. Or at least a pair of waders I could count on, not knowing the beats ahead of time, that were better than what I normally wore. I mentioned this to Ian James, who suggested I provide a second opinion of a pair of waders he had been asked to review recently. When I met up with him to exchange some ideas, thoughts and waders, I had no idea what to expect - but when he handed me the pair of William Joseph waders, my first thoughts were, "Wow! They are so light!" Right off the bat, I was very impressed with how light the waders were, and while on my rounds before the competition, I showed them to Ray Collesso, owner of Hook, Line and Sinker in Guelph, Ontario, and his first reaction was about how light they William Joseph waders felt. Being light is great - but how would they perform, especially during the day under a blazing sun and humid weather? Well, during the recent 4th Annual Canadian Fly Fishing Championships, I wore the waders exclusively. And it was tough fishing and tough weather, with the sun blazing, humidity in the air, and temperatures on the river close to, and probably exceeding 30 degrees C. most of the time. And not because I wanted to, but due to some work related issues, I spent two of those days in black levi jeans instead of my normal fly fishing pants I like to wear. Anyone who spends any amount of time in the sun will know that black is a "no no" as far as colour is concerned. No matter what you are doing. Or what is covering up the black. As far as comfort is concerned, the William Joseph waders are by far the most comfortable pair of waders I have ever worn. The profile is excellent, and after many hours of fishing under the hot sun, there was no condensation going on where I even felt a little bit damp - and yet at the same time, I never felt overheated wearing them, either. One of the nifty features of these waders are the pockets with the water proof zippers - and yes, they are indeed, waterproof. I had my car keys and wallet in the pockets, and a couple of times, was in water deep enough to come up to the pockets, and everything stayed very dry. As far as technical inforation about the waders, they are apparently made from a blend of fabrics (Dupont Suplex and Schoeller Soft Shell), and a technique called "Drynamic Welding," where in both outer and innner seams are taped and waterproofed. AT a suggested retail price of US$339.00, these waders are something, in my opinion, that should be seriously looked at by anyone in the market for new waders. I personally loved them, and hated having to give them up after the competition. Positives: Economical in comparison to other 'high end' waders Very comfortable Very lightweight Built in gravel guards Truly breathable Excellent profile Waterproof zippers Large rear pocket with waterproof zippers Negatives: None Found The warranty is good as well. actually, it's great! In the first year, if the waders leak or blow out, the waders will be replaced, plus the manufacturer will send you fifty bucks for your trouble. After the first year, the waders will be replaced or repaired for free, unconditionally. These waders do not seem to be widely available. Yet. I expect as more anglers discover them, they will be carried more widely, but in the meantime, the website for William Joseph waders may be found here.

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