I remember laughing out loud when I first heard that you could buy ‘bivvy slippers’. I mean, whatever next – a bivvy pipe and a packet of Werthers Bivvy Originals? Funny thing is, I now see them as part and parcel of my carp fishing set-up!
Okay, I don’t need bivvy slippers when I’m just fishing for a day, but most of my carp fishing is over the course of a night or four. The swims I fish, even in the height of summer, are often very muddy. I don’t go out of my way to pick muddy swims, they seem to pick me! I like to fish a swim that has the best chance of a fish these days, rather then the most comfortable, and you can guarantee that my feet will end up wet at some point. Often, I’ll end up fishing swims where my rod-pod is located in the water, so they get a soaking every single time I touch one of the rods.
So, what are bivvy slippers?
Basically, bivvy slippers (although I note that retailers have started calling them ‘bivvy shoes’ now – probably fed up with non-carpers laughing at the term ‘slippers’!) are lightweight, waterproof shoes that are designed to be simple and quick to put on. If you get a run, you dive into your shoes and away you go. Boots, especially at night, can be a pain to get on and trainers don’t generally like it when the 30-plus common you’ve just hooked has kited along the margin and you need to wade out a bit! This is exactly where bivvy slippers come in.
For the session carp angler, bivvy slippers mean that you no longer tread all the mud and debris from the bank into your bivvy….or even into bed with you. Crikey, carp angling is becoming a ‘clean’ hobby! You just take them off at the door and, if you’re properly prepared, wipe your feet dry on a towel and get onto your bedchair.
Appearance-wise, think Crocs and you’ll get an idea of what most bivvy slippers look like. In fact, if you’ve got a pair of Crocs and don’t mind getting them muddy and scratched (I know how precious some people are over their Crocs!), then they’ll probably do the job perfectly. As long as they are waterproof and snug fitting, there’s no need to buy anything else.
What bivvy slippers should you buy?
As you’ll be wearing them in the water at some point, get a pair that either fit across the bridge of your foot or, and these are my favourite, they type that have a strap that you can flip into place when needed. Flip-flops just won’t cut it. You’ll be bare foot before you know it. At best, it’s not always comfortable walking barefoot in the margins, at worst you’ll end up doing what a mate of mine did by treading on a sharp object and then getting taken to hospital for a few stitches and a tetanus injection in your backside!
Bivvy slippers should be light and waterproof, but also comfortable. Within the pages of this website, you’ll find some purpose made bivvy shoes – CLICK HERE – but do not think that you have to buy ones that are made for fishing. Anything similar will do the job – I’ve used pairs of cheap copies of Crocs for years and they are great.
Get a decent pair, in a decent colour (why green all the time?!!) and you can wear bivvy slippers away from the bank. As well as wearing mine when boat fishing, they also come on holiday with me for both beach and evening use. Honestly, I have a beige pair that cost me under a tenner, look smart, and have been worn in quite a few restaurants abroad. Value for money? You bet!
Elton