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You wouldn't want to take a swim in rain pants, which will quickly fill with water and drag you down. Rain pants are also not thick enough to withstand a long, wet day from splash or a serious rain, and would leave you miserable and cold even if worn over fleece or merino leggings; you need the thickness of real splash pants. I've floated with people using rain pants, and more often than not the pants rip apart in the seat after a day or two - they're just not made for heavy use and strenuous activity. I wear a pair of Kokotat women's splash pants that are apparently no longer available, but the NRS Endurance is very similar and should do the job - you can snugly secure them around the waist and ankles - and you definitely want them tightened if you find yourself in the river! I was very comfortable in them on the Grand Canyon when others in the group were miserably cold. As for the Middle Fork, I've been on in early July many times, and nobody in my group ever needed a full dry suit - most days are fine enough for shorts, but in bad weather a thick pair of splash pants will suffice, especially with the aforementioned merino or fleece leggings, and will last years even with heavy use. Have a great time on the Middle Fork - you're in for a treat!
