I’d be mendacity if I instructed you I really like fly fishing throughout the winter. Perhaps, in my teenagers or twenties, I beloved the isolation and the problem of fishing in harsh situations. That’s not the case now. As my predecessors defined to me years in the past, a chilly atmosphere and an getting old physique don’t combine nicely. My winter fishing has grown extra painful with each lap across the solar. As of late, winter additionally doesn’t present the solitude it as soon as did, as extra anglers take up the game and understand that good fishing may be had even when temperatures plummet. Nonetheless, I nonetheless get excited for fishing with recent snow on the banks and by being the primary angler to create footprints to my favourite wintertime gap. Plus, studying books, watching YouTube movies, attending fly fishing reveals, and even tying flies can’t overcome a case of cabin fever, so cold-weather fishing stays my mode of avoiding a case of full-on wintertime despair.
So how do I take advantage of winter time on the water? By staying heat, secure, and maximizing my alternatives. On this two-part collection targeted on winter fishing, I’ll provide ideas that can assist you do the identical. First, some tips on staying snug, together with recommendation for safely returning trout again to the water. The subsequent article will concentrate on ways for the winter season.
Calm down earlier than you heat up
Slowly acclimate your self throughout your drive to the water. Your physique experiences shock when going from excessive warmth to excessive chilly. I’m not speaking in regards to the harmful or lethal sort of shock, however one which induces discomfort. I really like cranking the warmth in my automobile when driving to work, the grocery retailer, or working my teenage youngsters round. However the worst a part of getting out of your toasty car and into the chilly is the preliminary shock of going from one excessive to the opposite.
When enroute to fish, I favor to put on mild layers and switch the warmth down anytime I’m inside 10-Quarter-hour of my vacation spot. That manner, once I open the automobile door, placed on a heavy jacket, and wader-up, I don’t expertise as a lot discomfort. In actual fact, once I placed on my heavy jacket, further socks, and waders, it looks like I’m warming up.
Get bootfoot waders
Whereas stockingfoot waders are far and away the preferred possibility, they lack the insulation and heat supplied by the development of bootfoot waders. From my teenagers by means of my late 30s, I used stockingfoot waders throughout the chilly season with little discomfort. Throughout my 40s, I observed I used to be getting chilly regardless of sporting further socks and layers and even after buying bigger wading boots to permit for higher circulation whereas sporting an additional pair of socks. 5 years in the past, I made the swap to bootfoot waders — which have an insulated sort of muck e book connected on to the wader — and I’ve by no means had chilly toes since, regardless of fishing throughout some excessive cold-weather occasions.
Whereas a number of respected fly fishing producers make glorious bootfoot waders, they usually come at a excessive value. For me, it was price the fee, as my pair of bootfoot waders have lasted me over 5 years and have made fishing within the winter snug and generally downright cozy. And also you don’t want to interrupt the financial institution, as there are many lower-cost bootfoot choices obtainable.
For those who plan to do a good quantity of winter season fishing, bootfoot waders could also be a superb funding.
Latex gloves and towels
Anybody who has fished throughout chilly climate is aware of that the second water meets any uncovered a part of the physique is when the chilly burn units in. Your fingers will probably be uncovered to moisture anytime you could launch a fish or strip a fly line. Regardless of the purpose, the second your fingers get moist is similar second a painful burning sensation units in and renders your fingers and fingertips ineffective till they heat up. Final week, one among my flies fell off my fly patch, so I caught my hand into the water. I saved the fly however it took 10 minutes to heat my hand up and get it again in motion.

Picture: George Daniel.
Wool and fleece gloves are good for retaining your fingers heat however can’t assist as soon as your fingertips join with water. For this reason a number of anglers use latex (or comparable non-latex alternate options) gloves as a base layer and will put on a pair of fingerless fleece or wool gloves overtop for further heat. A further benefit of latex is that they help you retain some dexterity to tie knots and handle your fly line. Personally, I favor sporting fingerless gloves over naked fingers and bringing alongside a small hand towel to wipe my fingers anytime they get moist, however a number of winter regulars favor the latex possibility lately.
C&R Considerations
Preserving a fish moist could also be extra essential throughout excessive chilly climate than at every other time of the 12 months. By excessive chilly I imply when air temperatures drop under 32 levels. For this reason I not take the standard grip and grin shot of an angler holding a fish out of the water throughout such situations. Trout have delicate gills and there’s a superb probability that irreversible harm is completed when trout are held out of water for an prolonged interval, permitting their gills to freeze. I now use a web throughout the winter months so I can hold fish within the water and cut back the time a trout’s gills are uncovered to chilly air temperatures. If air temperatures are above freezing, hold the fish near the water’s floor, do a (very) fast raise out of the water, and instantly put it again. However solely do that when temps are above freezing and there’s no probability of exposing a trout’s gills to freezing air temperatures.
That is half 1 of a two-part collection on winter fly fishing. Half 2 may be discovered right here.