We've been spending a lot of time talking about women's waders lately. A big part of why is that we're in the middle of our summer and autumn review series that focuses specifically on women's waders. But another reason why we've been spending so much time talking about women's waders, is that women are becoming an increasingly important part of the sport. Women are one of the fastest growing demographics in the world of fly fishing and the companies that fuel the industry have noticed.
As we began preparing for our review series, we explored the market for waders designed specifically for women and found one manufacturer conspicuously absent from the list of offerings: Patagonia. Well, no more. Patagonia recently announced it would be offering waders designed specifically with women in mind. As Patagonia's Mark Harbaugh put it in an interview with Midcurrent, their new women's waders -- termed the Spring River Wader -- were designed from ground up "by women, for women."
The new waders include a variety of features geared specifically towards women, such as a reinvented fit and a drop-down seat for easy responses to nature's call. The Spring River waders also include features that may make them the "envy of men," as Harbaugh notes. One new feature, the Spring River waders' wool-lined booties, are likely an addition that would be welcomed by any angler.
And Patagonia's women-specific offerings in 2014 won't be limited to waders, but will include a whole line of women-specific apparel. "The product group worked tirelessly over the past year researching the needs of the female angler with ambassadors, customers and buyers," notes Bart Bonime, Patagonia business unit director for fly fishing. "The result is a nicely curated collection of product for women, with fit and functionality of paramount importance."
The Spring River wader is slated for availability in January 2014 and will retail for $399. Head to Midcurrent to see a video introduction to the new Spring River waders.
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