The wading fly angler's kit: staying upright, seeing clearly and fixing small problems

Wading a river with a fly rod is about as self-contained as fishing gets. There is no deck to lay things on, no dry box and nobody to hand you a tool. What you carry on your body decides whether a stumble, a snagged fly or a bad cast is a small interruption or the end of the day. This guide is about the gear that is not a rod, a reel or a fly: what keeps you upright, what keeps your eyes whole, and the small tools that handle most problems with one hand.

Staying upright and what to do if you do not

MidCurrent says that perhaps no piece of equipment is more vital than the humble wading belt, because a belt keeps waders from filling with water after a fall, and a pair of waders full of water creates a dangerous drag. It adds that the most effective approach is to wear two belts, one at the waist and one at the chest, citing a Fly Fisherman writer. Wear the belt snug over your outer layer, and see waders and wading boots for Texas trout water for the waders themselves.

If you do fall, MidCurrent says the traditional position of floating on your back with feet downstream can be dangerous in waders. It says to get onto your stomach and swim down and across the current toward the bank, to crawl completely out of the water before you try to stand, and then to lie on your back and raise one leg at a time to drain your waders. This is one writer's advice, not rescue training, and the water in a Texas tailrace can run cool in any month. Before you wade, check the flow. See reading a river gauge and the readings, each with the time it was observed, on the Rivers page.

The small tools that earn their place

Your eyes

A fly can be a fast, hard projectile, because a wind gust, a false cast or a weighted streamer or split shot can send one back at your face at about eye level. An Ophthalmology Times story from September 5, 2026 on a long-term study of fishing eye injuries says fishhooks, rods and weights were among the most common causes, that the injuries ranged from penetrating trauma to blunt-force problems such as open globe injury, infection and orbital fracture, and that children made up 38.2 percent of cases. Wear glasses every time you fish, and make sure the person next to you does too.

Polarized lenses are the angler's usual choice because they cut surface glare so you can see the bottom, the rocks and the fish. Treat that as a bonus, and choose frames that wrap around and lenses the maker rates for impact, since sunglasses are not all built to stop a hook. A hat with a brim adds a little more. TPWD's card makes the same point more simply: protect yourself from the sun and from hooks.

A hook in skin

First-aid notes here come from MedlinePlus and other pages named at the bottom, and they are for information only. They are not medical advice and do not replace a clinician, 911 or Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222. If you are unsure, get medical care.

MedlinePlus describes two ways to remove a hook that is just under the skin. In the line method you wash your hands and the area, loop a piece of line through the bend of the hook, press the shank down slightly toward the eye so the barb lets go, and give the line a quick jerk. In the wire-cutter method, if the point is near the surface, push it through, cut the point off behind the barb and pull the rest back out the way it went in. Fly hooks are small and often barbless, which makes both easier, and a pinched barb helps for the same reason. Afterward, wash the wound, put on a loose sterile dressing, do not close it with tape, and watch for redness, swelling, pain or drainage.

MedlinePlus says not to try this if the hook is deeply embedded or near a joint, a tendon, an eye, an eyelid or an artery, and that a hook in the eye is an emergency that needs the nearest emergency room right away. It also says to contact a provider if your tetanus shots are not current or you are unsure, with boosters recommended every 10 years.

Do not leave line behind

Trim and snip all day, and every scrap that lands in the water stays there. TPWD's card says to pack out all litter, even if it is not yours. Texas also has a Monofilament Recovery and Recycling program, and NOAA's Marine Debris Program says project partners installed 92 recycling tubes and bought materials for 75 more, and that the installed tubes collected and recycled 321 pounds of line, which NOAA equates to 436 miles. Tubes collect monofilament, so check what a bin takes before you add anything else. Keep a small pouch for scraps and empty it at a bin or in the trash.

The pack and the light

A hip pack or a slim chest pack keeps fly boxes, tools and a thermos where you can reach them standing in current, with the heavier items in a small daypack. The National Park Service's Ten Essentials make a good checklist for a long day on a river: navigation, sun protection, extra clothing, illumination, first aid, fire, repair tools, extra food, water and emergency shelter. See the bank and wade angler's kit for the full list for foot anglers. Add a headlamp with a red mode for the walk out; the NPS notes that a light can help you find your way or signal for help. See dressing for a cold Texas morning for layers.

Keep reading

This is general information from the pages named below, on the dates shown, not medical advice or rescue training. Rules for rivers and licenses are in TPWD's Outdoor Annual, and the Guadalupe has special rules by section.

For more reading, we suggest these articles

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