The sturdy Taimen Khatanga wading boots come with the ultra fast ATOP reel knob lacing system. Read on how it works!
The sturdy Taimen Khatanga wading boots come with the ultra fast ATOP reel knob lacingreel knob lacing system. Read on how it works!
Both boots together weigh 1630 grams (measured by myself)
Taimen website
Taking the Taimen Khatanga wading boots out of the box for the first time , I instantly felt how sturdy and well they are built. The rubber sole looks flawless and all seams are neatly stitched. Places exposed in particular to abrasion are even sowed three times. Wearing them with the Taimen waders, it seemed that the ring where the gravel guards hold is slightly too small. Still, I could easily attach the gravel guards to the wire of the Atop lacing system. (Note: Taimen supplies larger rings with each pair). The boots weigh 1603 grams when dry, which is quite heavy. However, robust boots need to have stronger material that is heavier. Furthermore, Taimen adds free tungsten studs for enhanced grip on slippery stones. Thus, the overall first impression is very good although a bit heavy.
What really caught my eye, was the new Atop lacing system. This systems consist of a little knob and a wire, which replaces the shoe laces. The knob consists of a wheel which rolls the wire up and hence tightens the boot. Furthermore, there is a little release switch. If you put this switch to open, the wire is loosened by pulling the tongue and step straight out of the shoe. In this way, the boots are tightened and loosened within seconds. This mechanism is particularly handy if the weather is nasty. It is just much more pleasant to turn at a knob when fingers are cold and wet.
While I was fishing in New Zealand, I heard some horror stories, where the similar BOA system from Simms broke down in the wilderness and the angler had to retreat. Some anglers even recommended to take some zip-ties with you in order to be able to fix the boots. Moreover, my friend Claudio, who uses the Simms Boa boots, walks around with one broken shoe. Therefore, I had some reservations regarding the similar mechanism of Taimen and its reliability. Yet, during the extensive testing phase of 3 months with weekly adventures, I had not experienced any issue relating the Atop lacing system.
I am very impressed how convenient the new Atop lacing system works in the field. Not only am I two to three times faster to put on my boots, but also when I take them off. Moreover, when taking of the shoes, there are no wet strings from the laces lying on the ground. Therefore, I had much less dirt in the car. Additionally, the boots feel snug and it seems to me that they are slightly larger than my Patagonia Ultralight boots of the same Size (11).
After fishing for a while, I realised on various occasion that even though you can tighten the Atop lacing system strongly, it does not become as tight as with usual shoe laces. In particular the lower parts of the boot do not enclose the foot as tight as other boots. Yet, I was never urged by this issue to feel insecure in my step. Owing to the protective toe cap, rather the opposite was the case. Whereas light wading boots offer less protection against stones, the Taiman Khatanga wading boots are superb. I never had any problems with squeezed toes between rocks.
Given that I use the Taimen Khatanga wading boots for about 3 months, I cannot adequately judge the long-term usage yet. However, due to the sturdiness and the tough feel of the hard rubber, toe cap and synthetic leather, I expect them to last for a long time. The only issue I foresee is that the strong steel wire causes an abrasion of the fabric while tightening. Otherwise this Taimen Khatanga wading boots seem to be built to last.
Pro
– incredibly fast to put on and off!
– no laces in the dirt
– sturdy
– Rubber sole with good grip
– Studs included
– comfortable
– protective plastic toe cap
Contra
– cannot be tightened as much as with laces in the lower parts
– heavy (dry 1630 g)
– wire causes abrasion on fabric
– Gravel guard ring too small (larger ones supplied or hook to wire)
All in all, I am very satisfied with the Taimen Khatanga wading boots which indisputable speed up the time until you are in the river. The minor issues regarding the tightness in the lower parts of the boots and their weight can be neglected in comparison to the advantages of a sturdy boot. The design issue has already been reported to Taimen and is hopefully fixed soon.
I can recommend the Taimen Khatanga wading boots to all those of you, who are looking for a robust shoe and want to be as fast as possible in the water.
The price of this item is currently EUR 139 (151$) and can be purchased here.
Have you used the Taimen Khatanga wading boots? What is your experience? Do you have any questions?
How do I determine what fly rod I need for trout? I work backwards.
I begin with five key questions:
Those five questions tell me almost everything I need to know in order to choose … drumroll, please … no, not a fly rod. A fly line and a leader.
I pick my fly line and leader based on my answers to those five questions. If I’m fishing size 18 dry flies to spooky, surface-feeding trout at 35’, I’ll need a particular fly line and leader combination. If I’m high-sticking a couple of weighted nymphs through a waist-deep run, I want a different line/leader combo. That’s also true if I’m casting a streamer 60’ to the far bank.
To recap: the size and weight of my fly, the distance I’m casting, the wind (or lack thereof), and the type of presentation determine the appropriate fly line and leader. The fly line and leader inform my decision about the length, weight and action of my fly rod.
Simple, right? Well, sometimes yes and sometimes no.
If I’m only going to ask my rod to do one thing during my time on the water, then my choices are more obvious. Say I want to fish medium-sized dry flies to rising fish and I’m confident I’ll be casting between 30’ and 40’ under relatively calm conditions. It’s easy for me to pick out the best line/leader combo for that scenario and then choose a rod that’s designed to handle that particular task.
Let’s say, though, that I’m only going to use that set-up until the afternoon wind starts to blow hard, at which point those rising trout will disappear and I’m going to switch over to a size 8 grasshopper — or maybe even the ubiquitous hopper/dropper combination.
Now I need to ask myself whether the line & leader I was using earlier will still work — which it won’t —and whether rebuilding my leader will suffice or whether I need to change both the leader and the fly line. The answer to those questions will help me determine whether to use the same rod I favored earlier, or whether I need to choose a new rod to match the new line/leader/fly combination that the conditions are demanding.
Here’s something to think about. We don’t use a 9’ 5 weight fly rod on a regular basis because it’s always the best tool for a particular angling situation. We use a 9’ 5 weight because it’s a solid choice for such a wide range of potential scenarios.
There are certain decisions fly fishers will always need to make. When we change flies and techniques, we also have to decide whether to adjust our line and leader combination — and perhaps even change our fly rod. For example, an 8’ 6” 4 weight might be the perfect setup for dry fly fishing on a small spring creek, while a 9’ 6 weight might be the ideal rod for fishing hopper imitations on a big western river. Do we carry two rods, or do we opt for one rod that will handle both situations?
As you might imagine, the answer to that question ultimately depends on the flies we will use, the distance we plan to cast, the presentations we will choose, and the amount of wind we can expect.
Finally, there’s one factor that we didn’t account for earlier: the size of the fish. And that’s because the vast majority of the trout we’re going to catch here in the Lower 48 are somewhere between 6 and 22 inches. Any weight fly rod, from a 3 weight to a 6 weight, will play and land those trout effectively as long as our tippet isn’t too light.
I hesitate to share hard & fast rules, but my advice for anyone who fishes for normal sized trout — say, 2 feet and less — is to focus on the questions up above. We don’t match the size of the rod to the trout we hope to catch. We match the line & leader to the type of fishing we anticipate.
At the end of the day, it’s not all that complicated. If we know the size of the flies we’ll fish, and how heavy they are, and what presentation we’ll utilize, and how far we’ll cast, and what the wind is likely to do, we can pick the right line and leader for the job. Once that’s clear, we can choose the rod — or rods — that make the most sense for our time on the water.
Both boots together weigh 1630 grams (measured by myself)
Taimen website
Taking the Taimen Khatanga wading boots out of the box for the first time , I instantly felt how sturdy and well they are built. The rubber sole looks flawless and all seams are neatly stitched. Places exposed in particular to abrasion are even sowed three times. Wearing them with the Taimen waders, it seemed that the ring where the gravel guards hold is slightly too small. Still, I could easily attach the gravel guards to the wire of the Atop lacing system. (Note: Taimen supplies larger rings with each pair). The boots weigh 1603 grams when dry, which is quite heavy. However, robust boots need to have stronger material that is heavier. Furthermore, Taimen adds free tungsten studs for enhanced grip on slippery stones. Thus, the overall first impression is very good although a bit heavy.
What really caught my eye, was the new Atop lacing system. This systems consist of a little knob and a wire, which replaces the shoe laces. The knob consists of a wheel which rolls the wire up and hence tightens the boot. Furthermore, there is a little release switch. If you put this switch to open, the wire is loosened by pulling the tongue and step straight out of the shoe. In this way, the boots are tightened and loosened within seconds. This mechanism is particularly handy if the weather is nasty. It is just much more pleasant to turn at a knob when fingers are cold and wet.
While I was fishing in New Zealand, I heard some horror stories, where the similar BOA system from Simms broke down in the wilderness and the angler had to retreat. Some anglers even recommended to take some zip-ties with you in order to be able to fix the boots. Moreover, my friend Claudio, who uses the Simms Boa boots, walks around with one broken shoe. Therefore, I had some reservations regarding the similar mechanism of Taimen and its reliability. Yet, during the extensive testing phase of 3 months with weekly adventures, I had not experienced any issue relating the Atop lacing system.
I am very impressed how convenient the new Atop lacing system works in the field. Not only am I two to three times faster to put on my boots, but also when I take them off. Moreover, when taking of the shoes, there are no wet strings from the laces lying on the ground. Therefore, I had much less dirt in the car. Additionally, the boots feel snug and it seems to me that they are slightly larger than my Patagonia Ultralight boots of the same Size (11).
After fishing for a while, I realised on various occasion that even though you can tighten the Atop lacing system strongly, it does not become as tight as with usual shoe laces. In particular the lower parts of the boot do not enclose the foot as tight as other boots. Yet, I was never urged by this issue to feel insecure in my step. Owing to the protective toe cap, rather the opposite was the case. Whereas light wading boots offer less protection against stones, the Taiman Khatanga wading boots are superb. I never had any problems with squeezed toes between rocks.
Given that I use the Taimen Khatanga wading boots for about 3 months, I cannot adequately judge the long-term usage yet. However, due to the sturdiness and the tough feel of the hard rubber, toe cap and synthetic leather, I expect them to last for a long time. The only issue I foresee is that the strong steel wire causes an abrasion of the fabric while tightening. Otherwise this Taimen Khatanga wading boots seem to be built to last.
Pro
– incredibly fast to put on and off!
– no laces in the dirt
– sturdy
– Rubber sole with good grip
– Studs included
– comfortable
– protective plastic toe cap
Contra
– cannot be tightened as much as with laces in the lower parts
– heavy (dry 1630 g)
– wire causes abrasion on fabric
For more information, please visit what is lacing system.
– Gravel guard ring too small (larger ones supplied or hook to wire)
All in all, I am very satisfied with the Taimen Khatanga wading boots which indisputable speed up the time until you are in the river. The minor issues regarding the tightness in the lower parts of the boots and their weight can be neglected in comparison to the advantages of a sturdy boot. The design issue has already been reported to Taimen and is hopefully fixed soon.
I can recommend the Taimen Khatanga wading boots to all those of you, who are looking for a robust shoe and want to be as fast as possible in the water.
The price of this item is currently EUR 139 (151$) and can be purchased here.
Have you used the Taimen Khatanga wading boots? What is your experience? Do you have any questions?
How do I determine what fly rod I need for trout? I work backwards.
I begin with five key questions:
Those five questions tell me almost everything I need to know in order to choose … drumroll, please … no, not a fly rod. A fly line and a leader.
I pick my fly line and leader based on my answers to those five questions. If I’m fishing size 18 dry flies to spooky, surface-feeding trout at 35’, I’ll need a particular fly line and leader combination. If I’m high-sticking a couple of weighted nymphs through a waist-deep run, I want a different line/leader combo. That’s also true if I’m casting a streamer 60’ to the far bank.
To recap: the size and weight of my fly, the distance I’m casting, the wind (or lack thereof), and the type of presentation determine the appropriate fly line and leader. The fly line and leader inform my decision about the length, weight and action of my fly rod.
Simple, right? Well, sometimes yes and sometimes no.
If I’m only going to ask my rod to do one thing during my time on the water, then my choices are more obvious. Say I want to fish medium-sized dry flies to rising fish and I’m confident I’ll be casting between 30’ and 40’ under relatively calm conditions. It’s easy for me to pick out the best line/leader combo for that scenario and then choose a rod that’s designed to handle that particular task.
Let’s say, though, that I’m only going to use that set-up until the afternoon wind starts to blow hard, at which point those rising trout will disappear and I’m going to switch over to a size 8 grasshopper — or maybe even the ubiquitous hopper/dropper combination.
Now I need to ask myself whether the line & leader I was using earlier will still work — which it won’t —and whether rebuilding my leader will suffice or whether I need to change both the leader and the fly line. The answer to those questions will help me determine whether to use the same rod I favored earlier, or whether I need to choose a new rod to match the new line/leader/fly combination that the conditions are demanding.
Here’s something to think about. We don’t use a 9’ 5 weight fly rod on a regular basis because it’s always the best tool for a particular angling situation. We use a 9’ 5 weight because it’s a solid choice for such a wide range of potential scenarios.
There are certain decisions fly fishers will always need to make. When we change flies and techniques, we also have to decide whether to adjust our line and leader combination — and perhaps even change our fly rod. For example, an 8’ 6” 4 weight might be the perfect setup for dry fly fishing on a small spring creek, while a 9’ 6 weight might be the ideal rod for fishing hopper imitations on a big western river. Do we carry two rods, or do we opt for one rod that will handle both situations?
As you might imagine, the answer to that question ultimately depends on the flies we will use, the distance we plan to cast, the presentations we will choose, and the amount of wind we can expect.
Finally, there’s one factor that we didn’t account for earlier: the size of the fish. And that’s because the vast majority of the trout we’re going to catch here in the Lower 48 are somewhere between 6 and 22 inches. Any weight fly rod, from a 3 weight to a 6 weight, will play and land those trout effectively as long as our tippet isn’t too light.
I hesitate to share hard & fast rules, but my advice for anyone who fishes for normal sized trout — say, 2 feet and less — is to focus on the questions up above. We don’t match the size of the rod to the trout we hope to catch. We match the line & leader to the type of fishing we anticipate.
At the end of the day, it’s not all that complicated. If we know the size of the flies we’ll fish, and how heavy they are, and what presentation we’ll utilize, and how far we’ll cast, and what the wind is likely to do, we can pick the right line and leader for the job. Once that’s clear, we can choose the rod — or rods — that make the most sense for our time on the water.
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