When are waders not waders? Do Fire boots count?

Either way, my 24" Ranger Firemasters were definitely my first essay into tall rubber boots, and what experiences we have had together!!

In these photos from the mid-80s, I'm "exploring" the 16-inch depths of my second garden pond.

"A left-hand LaCrosse, and a right-hand LaCrosse" and what have we gotten into, A Wader boxing match?

No, just another demonstration of my delight in symmetry. Didn't know these had turned out this well until I started selecting photos for this page!!

Silicone swimcap by Kmart, surplus gloves and tan latex trunks, with a pewter grey latex shirt for contrast.

About the time I got the Firemasters I found these old Tan Chesters (no name) in a Salvation Army store in Colorado Springs.

I remember baptising them in the fast running water of the North Fork of the South Platte! Had that frigid water to within an inch of the waders' brim, and somehow kept dry! (I might do that differently now <G>.

Another Outdoorsman set of Chesters, these in dark forest green by AVID. Certainly, I've found wearing them to be an avidly sought experience! Fact is, they make adequately comfortable pyjamas!!

In the current instance, though, what you're seeing is near the end of a two-hour photo and mud therapy session alongside the Bigfoot Branch of the Tuxachanie Creek. The shirt used to be part of a German motorcyclist's rainsuit.

Remember when a beavertail was attached firmly to Davy Crocket's coonskin cap? I was so captivated when Lloyd Bridges brought the term into focus at a lower point on a man's anatomy!!

Sadly, those wetsuit accents have fallen out of vogue, but not out of mind. When an old shirt was ready for retirement, I carefully saved the ducktail area. Here was perhaps the only Beavertail Rubberjock in captivity!! I use the past tense advisedly, as another one is in production and may soon be featured on this very Web Site. The boots are I'm told English Workman's! And, this features yet another of my Studies in Symmetry.

A friend in Southern California first told me about SealDri, unique molded latex chest waders. It was a brand not common in Southern Mississippi! Here, I'm wearing them under my Black Diamond gear, ready for anything the Desoto National Forest can offer!

The SealDris are wonderfully flexible, and comfortable yet erotic next to my skin. Along with most waders, though, they tend to look rather flappy without water to hold them close to the skin.

Here, I've used my "Rubber Harness Kit" (sold in the early eighties), to add some definition in the best places!!

Recently, a friend was bemoaning the difficulty of find black rubber chesters. I was surprised, because I thought I'd seen some for sale recently.

Well, it turned out those I thought were rubber were in fact PVC. Except for some very pricey Gates waders from England, most all current models were either fabric-coated neoprene (see first photo) or various earth tones!

What to do, why "Surf", of course!! A quick search for "Black Rubber Chest Waders" turned up an ongoing E-Bay auction on an almost unused pair of Tingley Chesters! After a nail-biting couple of days, they were mine.

As the seller had promissed, they were in practically perfect condition. A date stamp reads "January 4, 1990." While about two inches short of the ideal inseam for me, they make up for it by being absolutely HUGE in the chest. I think the seller measured 50 - 52 inches, and I don't doubt it! Fortunately, they have belt loops that will handle my two inch heavy rubber belt, so I can cinch them up snugly.

Well, exCUSE ME!! I didn't hear you coming up! All of this Heavy Wader work had me exhausted, and I thought a good grope would restore my vitality, so to speak <G>

So bench me, and let's chat a moment. These boots are the most colorful of my collection, and I've actually put them to work, although thankfully not in their intended function: I prefer my trees standing tall! Look for a separate page devoted to my Orange Foresters about now. (Check the Benched Rubberman -- He might know the way!)