Folstaf Wading Staff

What the Folstaf wading staff was

The Folstaf is a name wading anglers know, and the honest summary is short. According to Murray's Fly Shop, the Folstaf Wading Staff extends to a fixed 50 inches, measures 3/4 inch in diameter and breaks down into pieces nine inches long, with a holster for storage when you are not using it. The shop's page is labeled as discontinued in August 2023. I could not find a Folstaf website, a maker's spec sheet, a warranty page or a history, and I did not find a Folstaf listing on Amazon US at our last check (October 2026). The shop page does not state a grip, tip or shaft material, so I will not tell you what they were.

That leaves a page with little brand history and plenty of practical use. The one fact worth keeping is the design: a staff that folds into short pieces and rides on the belt, which is the same idea as most of the folding staffs in the table.

What a wading staff does, and what it does not

A wading staff gives you a third point of contact in moving water and a way to feel the bottom before you commit a step. The author of the Murray's page describes the safest technique as keeping two points in contact with the stream or river bottom at all times. A Troutbitten article makes the same case from experience: a staff speeds you up on heavy runs because it catches you if you trip, it frees snagged flies and it probes depth in murky water.

It does not make deep or fast water safe, and it does not do the job of a wading belt. If you wade in current, treat the staff as one piece of a kit: a belt, boots that grip, and a plan for the crossing. Our wading staffs page covers the technique, the columns in the table and how to choose.

How the alternatives in the table were picked

The table has 11 staffs, all from other makers. I picked them by type (wading staffs, folding or fixed) and by how many specs the maker or listing publishes, which means the ones with a stated length, material and holster rank first in my own reading. There is no ranking in the table, and the order is not a recommendation. The makers are Aventik, Maxcatch and Simms, plus Hammers, Creative Angler and MOJO Outdoors.

Each value in the table carries a small mark. "Maker" means the manufacturer's own page states it. "Claimed" is a maker's claim with no independent standard. "Listing" means the Amazon listing says so and the maker has not confirmed it, and a dash means we could not confirm it. Most staff values here are marked "listing," because most makers of this product publish little on their own sites. Only the Simms staff and the Maxcatch 55-inch staff have maker-stated values for folding, length, material and holster.

Which one is closest to a Folstaf?

If you loved the Folstaf for the way it folded and stowed, the folding staffs with a stated holster are the closest in purpose. In the table those are the Simms Wading Staff (aluminum, 54.75 inches, folding, with holster per the maker), the Maxcatch 55-inch folding staff (the same four values from the maker) and the two Aventik 55-inch staffs (listing-sourced). The Folstaf extended to 50 inches. The shortest staff in the table is a 52-inch Hammers model, so none of them match that length exactly. If length is the reason you liked it, sort the table by length and decide how much you can compromise.

If you liked a longer pole, the Hammers "Tall Version" is listed at 63 inches and the MOJO Outdoors Knot Wading Pole is listed at 60 inches without a stated folding design. Both values are from the listing.

I won't call any of these a "replacement." The Folstaf's grip, tip and joint design are not in anything I could read, so I can't say how the alternatives differ, and I'd rather leave that gap visible than fill it.

What to look at in a folding staff

Length (extended). Stated lengths in the table run from 52 to 63 inches where known, and 55 inches is the common size. Pick a length that suits your height and the depth you wade. My rule of thumb is a length that lets you hold the handle with your forearm roughly level and your shoulder relaxed. That is an editorial rule, not a maker's.

Folding design. A folding staff packs small and can sit in a holster on your belt. The cost is more joints. A fixed pole is simpler but long to carry through brush. Hammers, Creative Angler and Aventik list folding or collapsible designs in our data.

Shaft material. Aluminum is the only material stated in our data. One angler's published advice prefers aluminum over carbon fiber for durability, especially in winter. That is one person's view, so I'd read it as a prompt to check, not a rule. Where the table shows a dash, the material is unconfirmed.

Holster or sheath. The table says whether one is included. A staff without a stated holster might have one, so check the listing. Without a holster, you will need another way to carry it.

Tip and grip. The table has no column for either. One angler warns against weighted tips, which add weight and make a retractor less effective. Look at the listing photos and read the description.

Load rating. None of the listings in our data states a load rating. That means I can't tell you what any of these staffs is designed to hold. Read the maker's page before you put your weight on one, and replace a staff that bends or cracks.

Carrying a folding staff

One published setup is a retractor clipped to the wading belt and worn off the back of the hip, with the handle held by your line hand so your rod hand stays free. The author argues that fixed-length cords sag and tangle. He also notes that a retractor's pull rating must exceed the staff's weight, and that a folding staff weighs about nine ounces. That is one angler's method and it will not suit everyone. A holster is simpler, and a lanyard that is too long can catch your foot, so keep any line short.

Using a light staff in current

A light folding staff behaves differently from a heavy pole. The Troutbitten author notes that a light staff has to be pushed firmly to the bottom to do its job, and that hollow tubes of the trekking-pole kind can shudder in heavy current. That is one angler's observation, and it fits what the table can and cannot tell you: lengths and materials, but not stiffness, wall thickness or load rating. If you wade heavy water, favor a staff whose maker publishes more, test it in shallow water before you lean on it in deep water, and keep your wading belt snug. If a section feels loose or the staff flexes more than you expect, stop using it for support and replace it.

Buying a used or old-stock staff

If you find a used Folstaf or another folding staff, check that every section seats fully and locks, that any cord holding the sections is intact, and that the tip and grip are in good condition. These are general checks, not Folstaf instructions. Because I could not find a maker page for the Folstaf, there is no manual I can point you to, and no warranty term I can confirm. Look at the photos and ask the seller about its condition. If you buy a new alternative instead, read the maker's page for the model you choose, and save the order confirmation in case you need it.

Who should skip a folding staff

A folding staff also asks for a little upkeep. Rinse it after use, especially after salt or silty water, let the sections dry before you fold it and check the joints now and then. The makers in our table do not publish care instructions that we could find, so these are habits, not maker advice. If you wade only in shallow, slow water over a firm bottom, you may not need one. If you fish from a boat, a staff is one more thing to trip on. And if you wade in water where a fall is dangerous, remember that a staff is a support, not a lifeline. Our waders hub and the wading belts page cover the rest of the safety kit.