A wading staff, stick or doddering stick; all names to describe a pole you take with you when wading all mean the same thing.
That is they definitely help you keep your balance when wading in rivers, streams or lakes. If you've waded, you know the bottom isn't exactly as smooth as an airport's runway.
As you wade, you'll encounter logs, rocks, mucky bottoms, trash and about anything else you can imagine. Old, discarded tires come to mind.
A wading staff can be purchased at a sporting goods store or a retailer like Bass Pro. You could make one out of an old ski pole so long as the material is fairly substantial meaning it doesn't have a lot of bend to it.
Or you could shape one from a closet pole or a piece of seasoned wood you find. I've got several. One is a commercial staff from Simms.
Several I've made from tree limbs I've found while fishing beaver ponds. Shape the bottom end to receive a rubber cap, add a screw eye to the other end, tie on some light line-even an old nylon fish string works great-and you're all set.
The line ties to your suspenders on your waders or to your vest. That way you can fish hands free while your staff floats alongside.
You'll wonder how on earth you ever did without one once you begin testing the bottom before take a step forward.
Happy wading!
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