[jaybo41]

If I am going to be standing in water above my wading boot, then I wear waders, always. Between bacteria, poision oak, ivy, nettles, etc it just isn't worth it.

I will however wear long hiking style pants if I'm fishing small streams that I would not wade in. Streams so small that one or two steps gets you across them. I still wear wading boots though with foldover neoprene liners.