I have a love-hate relationship with wading boots. They are either too tight, too heavy, don't offer enough protection, are good for wading but hard for walking or are just plain poorly built.

When I was in college, I found that "flats" wading boots (designed for fishing the tropical flats for bones and permit) worked great for float tubing, but guess what? They were horrible for wading among the slippery rocks and boulders of the Rocky Mountain streams I also liked to fish. Felt-soled, leather wading boots were perfect for river fishing, but they were too heavy and clunky for much walking and were too big to comfortably fit inside my flippers for float tubing. So when I went float tubing I started wearing cheap canvas "wading" boots that were slim enough to pull my flippers over - the only problem was that I had blisters the size of half dollars around my ankles by the end of the first day. After all the different models of boots I tried, nothing was perfect for a variety of situations.

As you can imagine, when Cabela's came up with the prototype of their new Ultralight Wading Boot, I was chomping at the bit to get a look at them. After inspecting them in the office, I was amazed at their lightweight, quality construction, fit, feel and over-all great design. Inside they are made of soft stretchable neoprene, while the outsides are a combination of nylon and hi-tech synthetics. After looking at them, I was no longer chomping at the bit, but frothing at the mouth to get these babies afield for some serious field-testing. Graciously Phil Francone, Cabela's Footwear Product Specialist, gave me a set to see how they would perform.

As fate would have it, I already had several fly-fishing trips lined up that would put these boots through their paces.

The first time the laces were snugged down around the neoprene booties of my waders, I was standing in the parking lot overlooking the fabled Green River, in northern Utah. Fish could be seen cruising the shallows and breaking the surface, eating small midges. I headed down the trail, looking for a good hole to ply my trade with a bit more solitude and tranquility than offered by the parking lot crowds.

Without sounding like a paid advertisement, I could scarcely believe how comfortable these boots were for hiking. Weighing in at a scant 2.4 pounds per pair, they really did feel more like light cross-training running shoes than wading boots. I wondered how much support they would give for steep, mountain hiking and rough, river wading. Over the course of three days, I walked an estimated 10 miles up and down the riverside trail. The boots held up marvelously, both on dry ground, and in the water. However, I do have to admit that the Green, while mildly slippery, is not a very difficult river to wade.

To test the amount of wading support the Ultralights would give, I found myself a week later on the Miracle Mile of the North Platte. This incredible stretch of tailwater is a phenomenal fishery for large rainbows and browns; however, next to Rock Creek in Montana, is one of the toughest rivers I had ever waded. The bowling ball sized rocks are covered with a substance that simply defies friction. Numerous falls, slips and mashed toes were the norm during the course of past trips. I was anxious to try out the new boots as I waded in, waist deep, to pitch nymphs in the various chutes and runs.

These boots were a definite improvement over my previous set of leather boots. They were slim enough to really feel the contours of the bottom and helped avoid standing on loose rocks. The toe and heel caps, of virtually indestructible Wade Guard material, really helped protect from bumps, bruises, and smashed toes and remained looking good after lots of hard use.

Yes, I did fall once on the trip and it was a doozy. I was playing a fish downstream while standing in about knee-deep water. Like I was standing on ice, my feet instantly shot out from under me and I face planted into the river. I filled my waders with ice cold water, skinned up my knees and lost the fish. I can't really blame this on the boots; however, as for a felt-only sole they performed as good as could have been expected. On a slippery river such as the North Platte, slip over cleats should really be worn on any boot.

I took several more trips to the Platte, that summer, to do further "testing." In all honesty, I was convinced on the first trip that the boots worked fine - I just love to catch those four to six-pound rainbows!

For the final test of the summer, I headed to the Snowy Range in southeastern Wyoming. With elevations over 10,000 feet, miles of hiking trails over brutal granite and shale slides and dozens of high alpine lakes that have splake, brookies, rainbows, cutthroat and goldens, it is the perfect testing ground.

The hike started off as a gradual incline and after the first mile it rose sharply, cresting several small rises before a steep ascent of a relatively large ridge. The Ultralight wading boots, gave plenty of support and traction, even on the loose, dry rocks. Getting to the summit, there were a half dozen lakes of various sizes. All showed the telltale "rings" of rising trout. The action was sporadic, but at times it was fabulous. After a day of catching and releasing cutthroats, brookies and splake, I turned towards the truck and started the two-hour hike back.

Upon arriving at the truck, I unlaced my wading boots and looked them over carefully. Over the course of the summer, I have probably spent close to 100 hours in them, hiked over 30 miles and they still were in great shape. No appreciable wear, no failures, tears et cetera. They did look worn, but that is to be expected. I realized for all the situations I find myself in on fishing trips, these boots fit the bill better then any I had ever worn before. My search for the perfect boot was over.