Winter Fly Fishing Tips

[troutchaser]

I had a conversation over the weekend that prompted me to start this topic. I was talking to a fairly new fly angler about winter fishing and the differences one needs to consider. This included everything from how to dress to flies and presentations used.

For the seasoned anglers, would you be so kind as to share your sage advice with the newer members of this sport?

To those who haven't spent much time on the water in the winter months, ask questions. I think we could get some quality information posted here.

To provide an example, I'll give you one of my winter fishing tidbits:

Keep those wading boots loose. If your circulation gets cut off while you're in the water, your feet will get cold VERY quickly. Silk sock liners help keep the tootsies warm, too.

[Danoinark]

Good info troutchaser. Layering of your clothing is important.

Wicking undies (bottoms and tops) such as those made from polypropylene are inexpensive and go along way from keeping you hot and clammy. Over the polypropylene long underwear fleece pants and tops do the same thing. A wading jacket of some sort that also breaths like goretex, dry plus or some similar fabric tops off the winter layer. With this you should stay warm, dry but not with a feeling of clamminess. Don't forget a nice poly watch hat and some fleece or wool gloves.

Dano

[Gavin]

Keep a bag of match light charcoal and a change of clothing handy in case you get wet and need to get warm quickly.

Never let your beer freeze to the point were you cant drink it.

Cheers.

[Don]

Here's a good article Bill Butts wrote on OAF about a year ago.

http://ozarkanglers.com/forums/index.php?s...winter+clothing

[John Berry]

DRESS FOR SUCCESS

Yesterday Lori and I went fishing and it looked like summer was over. It was 41 degrees, there was no sunshine and the wind was howling. I landed a fat eighteen-inch brown and Lori landed an eighteen and a nineteen-inch rainbow. In addition we landed a lot of other good fish. For me truly great fishing begins in late fall and continues through winter. Here in Arkansas we have a twelve-month season. But to take advantage of the most productive time you have you need to be able to stay outdoors to do it. To be comfortable you need to have the proper clothing.

The first consideration is waders. While neoprene provides insulation and a certain amount of flotation they do not breathe and tend to get a little clammy. My first choice is breathable waders. To provide the necessary insulation I wear capeline or polypropylene underwear and pile pants. What you have to remember is that the water at a constant 57 degrees is probably warmer than the air. When it is bitterly cold and windy you may find yourself wading deeper to stay warm. I buy my wading boots two sizes larger than I normally wear so that I can wear two pair of expedition weight capeline socks and still have room to wiggle my toes. It is more important to be able to wiggle your toes than to have additional insulation. Tight shoes will be very cold.

Next you should consider your clothing, which should consist of three layers, the wicking layer, the insulation layer and the shell.

The wicking layer is the closest to your body, your underwear. The idea is to wick moisture away from your body in order for you to stay dry and dry is warm. New synthetics like capeline or polypropylene are the ticket here. What you want to avoid is cotton. When cotton is wet, the water in it cools as it evaporates. The property that makes it a fantastic fabric in the summer makes it the wrong choice for winter.

The insulation layer functions as it sounds it holds heat. The fabrics of choice are pile or wool. Wool is a traditional fabric and functions well. It will keep 60% of its insulating value when wet. I prefer pile garments made from polartec or synchilla. These can be wrung out when wet and then put back on. The thing you have to consider is that they are not wind proof. Down garments should be avoided as they lose all their ability to insulate when wet. You can wear several insulating layers and remove them as the weather warms.

This of course brings us to the shell. The shell is designed to keep the wind and rain off of you. While you want the shell to be wind and waterproof you also want it to breathe. Once again dry is warm. The fabric of choice is Gore-Tex. It has tiny openings in it that allow water vapor to escape but keep out water in its liquid form. Another choice is waxed cotton. These cotton jackets have been treated with wax, which keeps the fabric from absorbing water. Waxed cotton is very functional, durable, and can be easily retreated at home. It does tend to be heavy and a little pricey. You should always have a hood on your shell to keep your head warm and dry.

Always wear a hat. If it is not too cold, I prefer a felt cowboy hat. The broad brim provides a lot of sun protection and they just look cool. If the weather really turns cold I wear a pile hat with a brim and ear flaps (think Elmer Fudd). I also wear gloves. I prefer fingerless wool but also have a few pair of fingerless pile gloves. I always carry an extra pair in case one gets wet. If it’s bitterly cold I wear neoprene gloves and polypropylene liners. They are waterproof and warm.

If you follow these suggestions you can easily stay out in the worst weather and catch the big one while your buddy is huddled up in front of the fire trying to stay warm.

[troutchaser]

Great information, guys. What about fishing tactics? Do you change anything for winter? I usually leave my dry flies at home during the winter and fish subsurface flies only.

[John Berry]

I fish midges and big western dries (hoppers and ants) during the winter and have had some great days on them. The trout do not have calenders. The water on tailwaters maintains a fairly constant temperature.

[troutchaser]

So, John, are you telling us that there are midge hatches throughout the year on the local tailwaters?

[Paola Cat]

There's substantial midge hatches at the trout parks also. Year round. Sometimes even better in the winter. I was at BSSP last weekend and the dry fly action was good at times. Anything light colored in a #22 worked. I used cream midges. PC

[John Berry]

Yes, I am saying that there are midge hatches on the Arkansas tailwaters in Winter. I have fished them and done well, particularly on the Norfork.