Four months ago, Simms released an all-new iteration of their flagship wader, the G4Z Stockingfoot. Since its inception, G4 has represented the pinnacle of design, development, innovation, comfort, and fishing focused features. To date, the new G4Z has tallied multiple coveted awards such as, Fly Fisherman Magazine’s Best Wader of 2024, Gray’s Best, Best New Wader, The 2024 Consumer Choice Award’s Best New Wader, and ICAST’s Best New Wader to name a few. Designed, developed, and built from head-to-toe in Bozeman, Montana the all-new G4Z is arguably the best and most advanced wader Simms has ever made. While G4Z has only been available for about four months, Simms Pro, Lael Johnson has been putting it through its paces for much longer. Guiding full time on the Olympic Peninsula, Lael places the highest value on not just the quality, but also, the reliability of his gear. He’s also brutally honest with his feedback which is why he has become such a critical component to Simms’ field testing program. Check out the Q&A below and hear what Lael’s initial thoughts are on the all-new, multi-award-winning G4Z Stockingfoot Wader.

Simms: Tell us where you guide?
Lael: I guide on the Olympic peninsula and North Cascades. I specialize in both fly and conventional gear. I guide on foot, jet boats, drift boats, rafts — I pretty much do it all.

Simms: How would you describe the terrain and environment you guide in and explain the importance you place on your gear?
Lael: So, the region I guide being the OP and the West Coast which includes British Columbia, Alaska, and Oregon — in short, it’s really tough country. For my zone, if you don’t have the right gear, plain and simple — you cannot do your job, period.

Simms: So is it safe to assume you consider waders, boots, outerwear and other technical apparel as gear?
Lael: Absolutely. To be honest with you, in my mind, especially for my region, I’d say waders, boots, and outerwear are the most important pieces of gear for anglers to consider. Specifically waders. The way I look at technical apparel through the lens of gear is this. Quality and reliable waders, boots, and outerwear allow me to be the best version of a fisherman and guide that I can be. Why? Because I don’t have to think/worry about what I’m wearing because I know it works and it’s going to work every time I’m on the water. I wake up, I put on what I need, I get out into the world and go fishing. I can’t afford to have to think about whether or not my gear is up to the task.

Simms: Give us the details on why you specifically call out waders?
Lael: Many of the rivers we have on the OP and the North Cascades are glacial fed. This means that even during the hottest times of the summer when a lot of anglers are able to wet wade, in my area, we still need to wear waders because the water is just too damn cold to go without. Having a wader that’s thick enough and durable enough to get you through multiple seasons is an absolute necessity.

Simms: How long have you been wearing Simms waders?
Lael: I’ve been a fan/purchaser of Simms since roughly 2007.

Simms: So you were using Simms long before you joined our pro team? Have you used other iterations of G4Z?
Lael: Oh yeah, I’ve been using Simms a long time for sure. And yes, I have worn all four iterations of G4Z. And for the record, I’ve truly loved each version. It’s just become my go-to, it’s all I want to wear because I know it works the best for what I do.

Simms: What are the most critical attributes of a wader for you specifically?Lael: Keep in mind, I’m on the water 280-300 days a year between guiding and my personal fishing. I launch my boat in the dark and I’m putting my boat back on the trailer as the light is going down. All that said, I’d say the number one thing I look for in a wader is durability which for me boils down to reliability. Can I relay on this wader day in and day out. For what I do, you seriously cannot put a price on that. After that, I’d say mobility. In all the years I’ve fished, I’ve come to realize that finding top tier durability and mobility in a single wader is pretty tough. If I can move good in a wader but they shred or fail after a few months, who cares? That’s what I’ve really come to love about the G4Z in general. I can move unhindered and I also know they are going to last for multiple seasons.

Simms: Considering you are part of our field test team, what were your first impressions regarding the early G4Z prototypes? Good or bad.
Lael: Yeah, I remember getting the first proto and I’ll be honest with you. I really didn’t like the adjustment mechanism on the shoulder straps. At the time, they weren’t lockable. I’d set them in the morning and throughout the day, they’d creep down. So all day it was — fish a little bit, stop and hike up the waders, fish a little bit, stop and hike up the waders. That was one thing I remembered that was problematic but you guys fixed that in short order.

Simms: You are referencing the cam-locking suspender hardware, yes?
Lael: Exactly. But that first proto I got, they didn’t lock. You guys made that tweak and they work awesome. It’s so nice to be able to adjust those suspenders on the fly. During the winter/colder months, I wear a ton of layers and as those layers come off, it’s really nice to be able to adjust right then and there. It's really a great new feature that makes a world of difference.

Simms: So you’ve worn all four iterations of G4Z. Is there anything that stands out about the latest version?
Lael: Sure. I’ll start with my first reaction when I took them out of the box. In all honesty, right off the bat, I just really liked the look of them. They look like a steelheader's tuxedo. They just look sick. The black accents, the darker grey color, they just look classy and sharp — they standout. Outside of how they looked, when I first put them on, I’d say the thing I noticed right away was that the new waders really allowed even more movement/mobility. I don’t know if it’s the cut, the material or what but I definitely have more mobility which as I said earlier is a big deal for me. Maybe you can explain why that might be the case.

Lael Johnson in the previous version of G4Z searching for steel in his home waters.  

Simms: That’s great to hear. Mobility is such a critical aspect but obviously it’s not an innovation or advancement that can be seen so it’s great that that’s something you felt straight away. As you mentioned, fabric plays a big part in mobility but in the case of the current G4Z, the mobility improvement you are experiencing is by-and-large due to an all new pattern. The product team went to great lengths to really dial in the fit. In addition to the new patterning, if you look at the current version compared to earlier versions, you’ll notice there’s less stitching. That’s because in this version, we bonded a lot of the components to the wader as opposed to sewing them on. This decreases rigidity especially in the upper portion of the wader. Along those lines, the center-front waterproof zipper is bonded in which drastically decreased bulk and rigidity and therefore offers much better comfort and mobilty. 

Simms: How about features? Anything in terms of features that stands out?Lael: I really love the two submersible pockets on the interior of the wader. I’m using those a lot and they have been really convenient. I’m also a big fan of the new suspender harness. It’s just super comfortable and seemingly provides a lot more support. Early G4s, it seemed like the suspenders would get bunchy and bulky on your back throughout the day. Now I just love how the suspenders and harness rest on my back and the fact that there’s nothing to bunch up because the harness is so ergonomic.

Simms: I just mentioned the new zipper construction. Again, to us internally, that’s a big deal but it’s also an innovation that consumers can’t see and likely won’t even know it’s there. The idea however is that this new construction offers more comfort and as you pointed out, more mobility. Did you notice anything with the zipper on the new G4Z?
Lael: Well, like you say, I knew something had to be a big contributor to the increased mobility and what you said about the zipper totally makes sense. What I’d say that I noticed and really loved about the zipper is that it just feels so much more stable. I just feel like it’s more firm. Like when you go to zip it up and down with the new suspender system. When you go to pull the zipper down, there’s something pulling against it. It just zips and unzips so much better and like I say, it just feels more refined. I know it’s a small detail but, when you are in waders as many days as I am from sunup to sundown, it’s actually a pretty big deal.

Simms: Finally, G4Z’s are not cheap. What are your thoughts on the price?
Lael: Believe me, I recommend Simms waders to my clients all the time. And, I get asked about G4Z’s all the time. Here’s what I say: Simms waders are not made for consumers, they are made for the most hardcore anglers on the planet and they are available for consumers. I’m not the best fisherman or guide in the world, but I’m pretty damn hardcore. In my guiding and personal fishing, I get after it as hard as anybody could. I mean I’m hiking through devil’s club, blackberry bushes, bear and elk trails, hiking over logs, jumping in and out of boats and I’m rocking G4’s all the while. G4’s have and always have matched my intensity for what I do as a steelhead fisherman/guide. As I said before, G4’s are a piece of gear that I wear every day so that I can be the best version of Lael Johnson I can be. So, in my mind, can you really put a price on something that allows you to be the best version of yourself you can be?

Simms: Any final commentary on your first impressions of the all-new G4Z?
Lael: There are some significant upgrades such as the suspender harness and suspender hardware, the internal submersible pockets and so on and those are all awesome. But, what I’d say is this wader is full of subtle details that make a huge difference, especially when you more or less live in them like I do.