Winter Trout Fly FishingWritten by Cameron Larsen
It is winter time now. One step on frozen porch steps first thing in morning removes any doubt of that fact. Winter time brings on many thoughts, holidays, dark afternoons, football on TV and for me some of best trout fly fishing there is. That’s right trout fishing, winter steelhead fly fishing has been around a long time, and gets more popular every season. But truth of matter is trout fly fishing can be excellent, crowds are down to non-existent, scenery and wildlife are plentiful, and it makes those long days of early spring with non-stop rain and overflowing rivers more tolerable.When to go: Winter fly fishing demands a little timing and planning on your part. One nice thing is, weekends aren’t crowded, so you really don’t need to ask boss for time off, to really get some peace and solitude. But other planning does need to be done. The first thing is checking your local regulations. Many, many places now offer year around trout fly fishing. A good portion of this is probably catch and release, but that only helps in further reducing crowds. Some areas allow only lakes to be fished year round, some only allow rivers, but most places will allow something to be fished year round. After you have your areas selected, you must really get an idea on weather. Mild winter days, specifically afternoons, can provide some shirtsleeve fishing opportunities. Coastal regions that rarely get snow or ice, need to be checked more for river levels. Three or four days of steady rain can really put a river in at unfishable levels. It is also rarely enjoyable to fish in well below freezing temperatures. Even if you can dress warmly enough, ice on guides make casting nearly impossible, and slickness of entering river is extremely dangerous. Extreme care should be taken when wading in general, one slight misstep, can send you into river, dangerous all year, this is multiplied by cold air temperatures in winter. Also light is much less, making it difficult to see river bottom while wading. So step very cautiously. And always fish with a partner. OK, enough of warnings, when to go is what we are after. I prefer a nice period of dry weather, with mild afternoons. I rarely fish in early morning, in winter, but if you can get a fogged over morning with nicely rising afternoon temperatures that reach in to 40’s, you have a day to hit water! What to wear: A few years ago I switched to breathable waders and I actually have never been more comfortable while winter fishing. I layer underneath with two or three layers of thermal wear, including one layer of fleece pants. I can move much better than in neoprene’s, and there is no clamminess to bring on chills. Socks are also important silk liners with thick winter socks work for me. I have a roomier pair of wading boots specifically for winter to allow for extra bulk. I also don’t cinch my boots down too tight, as that seems to cut off circulation, nothing will ruin a fishing trip quicker than cold feet. Many angler’s wear fingerless fleece gloves. I like them only if there is a biting wind, otherwise I can’t seem to keep them dry long enough to make them worth effort. I can cast adequately with either hand, and will sometimes tuck my free hand inside my waders by my chest.
| | Fly Fishing and KidsWritten by Cameron Larsen
I have taught all three of my kids about fly fishing, and many of their friends as well. Like all things taught to humans, some caught on faster than others. Some pursued it, so never touched a fly rod again. I have become a patient and good teacher, and now enjoy time I spend teaching others, in particular adolescents to fly fish. I was not always so good at this. When my two oldest kids were both younger than five, I was not as patient as I became later. Not having as much fishing time as I would have liked, I sometimes resented feeling of having to teach fly fishing, instead of just being able to lose myself in my passion. Yet I must have done something right, because years later they are both knowledgeable fly fishermen. Many things stick out when I look back to those days. I remember both of them caught their first fish on same day. Their first fish all alone that is, one in which I hadn’t hooked first and then allowed them to reel in. One time, my younger son had been standing on a rock behind me, in a small stream while I fished a riffle next to far bank. Well he decided he was cold and wanted me to carry him back to shore. I tucked him under my non-fishing arm, and low and behold here came our Golden Retriever puppy unable to touch bottom and with a slightly panicked look. I slipped my hand under his color. This whole time I had left my nymph in water, and I was heading back to shore with my son and puppy. If that wasn’t chaotic enough, it was just then that a fish struck. I safely deposited my son and puppy, and then reeled in fish. I was always kind of proud of that fish, even though it was just average in size. Several times my sons were extremely competitive in fishing, and it seemed they went hot and cold at exact opposite times. With one catching several fish, while other one got skunked. And when one was losing all hope, magically fate would reverse. I would tell them only thing they can’t control is how many fish they catch. They can control how they fish. How they cast, how they present fly, which fly they use, and most importantly how good of time they have. And a good time fishing can definitely happen when no fish are caught. Actually we wouldn’t enjoy fishing if we knew we were going to catch fish, fun is in surprise, fun is in not knowing. They would look at me like, “yeah dad, whatever,” and go back to fiercely trying to catch a fish. The one memory that sticks out most, though was when my oldest was 13. We had scheduled a four day float trip down Deschutes River, with two other dads and their sons. At last minute both other parties canceled, and I was faced with spending four days alone with my reticent son, who seemed to be a more distant stranger by day. I had toyed with idea of calling whole thing off, but quickly decided that wasn’t acceptable. My son’s mother and I were heading through what would prove to be a lengthy divorce, and my son never talkative was growing more withdrawn every day.
|