Muck Boots are completely waterproof, but unlike traditional ‘wellies’ can be worn all day in comfort. They also provide better foot protection and insulation against the cold without excessive weight.
The TAY SPORT also features:
– Protection from really cold conditions; down to minus 47C – Extra insulation includes fleece-covered AIRMESH boot inner-liner and 2mm layer of THERMAFOAM above the foot – Sticky natural rubber soles with large block cleats
Verdict
We have had a cold and challenging few weeks as far as fishing goes, but I’m glad to say I managed to keep going as much as I could and some nice bags of roach, perch and pike came my son’s and my way in weather that kept a lot of anglers indoors.
Fold down for easy walking and stepping into
The most important part in finding the fish was local knowledge, we fished swims I knew offered us a good chance of fish in the prevailing conditions, but once there all the tackle and best bait would have been rendered useless unless we could spend the day outdoors in relative comfort.
There is some terrific clothing available for keeping us warm. I remember wearing old tank suits years ago, bought for a few quid at the local Army surplus store, but didn’t they get heavy and smelly when wet!! How times have changed!
It’s easy to keep the torso warm and dry nowadays; a well thought out layered system means we can add or subtract clothing depending on whether we are on the move or static, and when the conditions change. My winter / night fishing rucksack has to be big enough to take my clothing if I am on a long tab to my swim, it is no use getting there all lathered up from walking. Much better to wear comfy walking clothing and then add layers as needed, which is easy and simple with what’s on offer nowadays, in no time we can be warm and waterproof and snug as the proverbial bug in a rug.
BUT!
There’s always a BUT! I have to say that most of the fishing footwear is in my opinion made down to a price rather than ‘up to the job’. I say most because some of the top range waders for game anglers are class bits of kit, but some of the ‘angling shoes’ I have seen and had mates tell me about are just plain rubbish. I have been through loads myself over the years, my dad’s wellies with newspaper and multiple pairs of socks when I was a kid through to moon boots, etc, over the following years.
My latest favourite until now has been a pair of Aigle walking boots, they are waterproof thanks to a Gore-Tex lining and very comfortable on long walks, but even with these there is a BUT! Anyone who has fished the Midland rivers in the aftermath of a flood will know just what I mean when I talk of ‘Severn mud’. It is everywhere, fish a ‘virgin’ swim, or a well worn one, it doesn’t matter, the damn stuff is everywhere. I even know of anglers who will not bank fish the lower Severn because of it!
I forgot about them!
It cakes to your boots and makes them three times their original weight and they feel three times the original size too! The laces become buried under a mass of mud and then have a knack of coming undone – not nice! And not easy to paddle and wash off without water coming over the top of the boot!
Then there are those times when to be able to fish a swim efficiently a little paddling is needed (see pic). Too deep for ankle boots, but not deep enough to justify walking a decent way in waders. Going back to basic wellies, even neoprene lined ones, results in cold feet and fishing is affected after a couple of hours.
So my thoughts were: I want something totally waterproof that reaches beyond ankle height. They have to be warm enough for my feet to be immersed in cold winter river water all day and still keep my feet warm. And they must still be comfortable enough to walk in for a decent distance. Tall order, or so I thought!
Before parting with any hard-earned cash I asked the lads on the FishingMagic forum for their opinion on the available neoprene ‘super wellies’. Constructive and valued comments were soon forthcoming, and I coupled this with a bit of searching of my own and narrowed it down to one make in particular………..MUCK BOOTS!
Hardly an awe-inspiring name for a fisherman, but after reading the technical stuff they were the ones I chose, and whilst I had the missus under the influence of a bottle of cheap chilled Liebframilch, liberally doused with Cassis and the smell off a Chicken Bhuna wafting from the next room she agreed my little tootsies (Very little tootsies, she said actually, is that relevant?) deserved the very best. So I ordered their top of the range all singing and dancing ‘Tay Sport’ at £ 74.95, I just hoped they justified the cost.
When they arrived I was like a dog with two tails! I wore them for half an hour around the house to much merriment and piff taking from the kids and wife. I just wanted to see if they were comfy to walk in and be in! But of course the true test comes in the real outdoor world of angling – walking, sometimes for decent distances and then being static for long periods. And it’s there that reality kicks in, I wasn’t strutting them to a laughing family now, I was walking and fishing, standing for hours in water and that Severn valley mud in freezing conditions!
“You wear the boots dad, I’ll catch the fish!”
I hope you understand when I say the biggest compliment I can pay these boots is that I forgot about them! Because that’s exactly what I did and the compliment is that I never thought about my feet; they were neither hot or cold, just unimportant and not thought about during a day’s fishing in the cold. That’s good enough for me!
At the end of the day I hold them under the outside tap and wash away the clinging mud and they are ready for next time. An undemanding bit of very efficient kit that keeps me fishing for longer in difficult conditions.
I can honestly see these becoming my fishing footwear for 90% of my fishing, even in the bivvy. If you like to take off your shoes in a bivvy you just roll the tops down ( see pic) and they turn into a fast step-into boot.
The Muck Boots Company’ make a range of ‘super wellies’, the Tay Sport being the ‘warm’ one. I haven’t worn them in a hot summer yet so I don’t know how they will perform on those warm nights, but I will give you the gumpf that is claimed for them.
“Sweat is the enemy! Let’s face it we all hate cold, wet feet. Problem is, many boots made to protect against cold weather actually cause sweat and moisture build-up by over insulating with non-breathable materials. Circulation next to the foot is the best way to maximise a boot’s comfort range and minimise internal moisture build-up. The combined layers of CR-foam, structured airmesh and arctic fleece provide an unmatched comfort range of -40f to 60f, without the sweat build up of pac style or ankle fit rubber boots. For optimum comfort and fit, a medium weight sock is recommended.”
To me, they are a waterproof boot I can wear for my winter all day and summer night fishing. I can walk in them and paddle in them and forget them……….the mark of a good fishing boot!
