8 Gear Tips for Winter Fly Fishing (If You Have To)

There are two unavoidable truths that solidify fly fishing as a 12 season activity:

  1. Fish eat all year long.
  2. You don’t have the patience to sit the winter out.

Let’s be honest, though. It doesn’t make sense. It is cold. The fish are lethargic. There’s no hatches… or sunlight. But what else are you going to do all winter? Stay inside? Read a book? Tie flies? Tying flies is the jogging of fly fishing. Fly fishing is fly fishing.

Plus, this is the 21st century. Modern gear has made us masters of the natural world. A little technology, and a little planning can help you make the most of fly fishing in the winter. Here are 8 gear suggestions for making the most of your time on the water (no matter how frozen it may be):

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Podcast Ep. 16: Fly Tying Events for Beginners & Experts

Chances are there is a fly tying event that is held on a regular basis somewhere near you. Fly shops, fishing clubs, and TU chapters are all getting in on these gatherings. Whether you are a beginner tyer or an expert, I think you should go.

In this episode, I share 5 reasons why tyers of all skill levels should attend events like these; 3 geared towards beginners, 3 for experts. (Yes, my math is correct!)

These fishing/social/learning activities are worth your time.

Listen to the episode below, or on your favorite podcast app.

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Fly Fishing, Sales Pitches, & a Little Orange Thingy

I love a good sales pitch. In fact, one of the things I enjoy the most at fly fishing shows is hearing people hawk their products. But after riding the circuit for a while, I start to say “no thanks” when people ask if they can show me how their gizmo will surely help me land more big fish.

When I have two kids in tow? Its a hard pass.

After a frenetic morning of visiting booths, sticker collecting, and politely asking to place the thousand dollar rod down, I was in no mood for more product demos. Primarily because patiently watching an adult conversation is the absolute last  thing my six- and four-year old wanted to do. That was about the speed of most sales pitches, and rightfully so. Gear X is 50% more fishier than the last generation and 75% fishier than the previous model. Not riveting content for the kindergarten crowd.

Just as we were about to leave the show, I heard the common refrain: Can I show you how this works? I was forming the no thanks when I realized that he wasn’t talking to me. He was talking to my sons.

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No Clear Line Between Religion and Fly Fishing

I am blessed. I have four boys. A baby of two months, a two-year old, a four-year old, and a six-year old. As for the eldest, tonight is the last night he will be six. He is very excited about being seven and growing up. We are excited for him. Having other, younger children helps the sweet to outweigh the bitter. Still, our first boy is growing up.

For me, one thing that makes less bittersweet is his love of the outdoors and fly fishing. It means we’re closer to more opportunities together. I know that with each passing year more adventures will come. As he grows up and is able to do more, we’ll be able to do more together.

For tonight, he’s still six.

He still likes being read to at bedtime along with his brothers. With three tired little minds to please, finding a book isn’t always easy. It requires a consensus among the group regarding the title. Easier still is an executive order from a parent. Tonight, I chose the latter. Still I had to decide quickly.

Then the thought hit me.

A River Runs Through It, with some discretionary editing, would be fun. And if not fun, at least sleep inducing. I fetched my copy of the fly fishing classic, crisp corners and smooth spine more indicative of my obsessive care for books than this particular volume’s use.

All three boys were intrigued to know what I was going to be reading. I asked for patience, that they’d hear soon enough. This was most difficult for the almost 7-year old.

I knew that he would be excited about the story. Norman, the protagonist, was the son of a pastor who is also a fly fisherman. While I am not a Presbyterian, I am a pastor. And, of course, I am a fly fisherman. Hearing this most basic premise, he could relate. His eyes lit up and he propped himself up on his elbows.

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Podcast Ep. 15: From Trout to Panfish (& Back Again)

A lot of anglers started fishing by tossing worms to hungry sunfish. Usually, there is a progression from that point to more complex, conventional gear. For some, fly fishing becomes their preferred pursuit.

There are also anglers who go straight to fly fishing for trout because they took a class, got a guide while on vacation, or were invited to try it by a friend.

Both types of anglers should consider going back to the pond and back to the bluegill.

In this episode I give four reasons why fly fishers should fish for bass and panfish more frequently, along with a quick word on gear.

Listen to the episode below, or on your favorite podcast app.

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The Worst. Fly. Rod. Ever. (maybe)

The image has been altered to protect the identity of the fly rod in question.

This was the worst fly rod ever.

Or maybe not. I don’t know. You might like it.

But I didn’t.

To be honest, there was a time when I liked it. That is why I bought it. I could cast it a mile. In the fly shop parking lot. In my back yard. Even a few times on the water. Into the backing.  That is what I could do with it. Sounds great, right?

Well there aren’t a lot of real-life fly fishing situations where you need to dump 90 feet with a 5-weight.

Maybe you have had to plop a BWO down in the next county over. But I was never faced with that particular scenario when chasing trout. But hey, I guess I should chalk that up to not doing all I could do. I’m not that intense. Maybe this rod was built with real fly fishers in mind. All I was doing was casting real far.

To accomplish this casting competition feat, the rod was fast. And – and not to be disparaging to the  genius men and women who probably designed the thing – it was as stiff as a flash frozen salmon in the north sea. Flagpole stiff. Why a 5 weight would ever need to be that fast I don’t know.

I did buy the thing, though.

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Catch, Release, & Remember: Interview with Ty Hallock

Everyone likes to remember that fish. The big fish. The first fish. The fish you caught on a dry fly after the perfect cast.

The way it used to be done meant killing that fish. If you caught an impressive trout, killing and mounting it was the way you remembered your feat and your trip. This fell out of fashion as time went on and anglers became more conservation conscious. As technology advanced and cellphones became common, on the stream photography became simple.

But with fish mounts falling out of style and smartphone pics lacking luster, how can you remember that fish?

If Ty Hallock is your guide, you can get a custom painting of that fish.

Hallock is the head guide at Casper, Wyoming’s Ugly Bug Fly Shop. Primarily fishing on the North Platte, he rows clients through some amazing scenery en route to putting them on spectacular trout water. And while the fish and the rivers are certainly noteworthy, his talent for recreating those moments is special among fly fishing guides.

“Five or six years ago,” Hallock recalls, “there was a ton of snow the weekend of the Denver Outdoors Show. There wasn’t really anybody there and we were getting bored in the booth. I took two big Cliff boxes, ripped the stickers off, and drew a brown on one and a rainbow on the other with Sharpies. I sold both that day.”

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Podcast Ep. 14: Native, Wild, Stocked & McDonald’s

When is a fish native? When is it wild? Can it be both?

And what about stocked trout?

In this episode, I give a very quick overview of this topic. I look at the historic range of the three major American trout/char species, and talk about why knowing this information can be helpful.

Oh, and I compare trout fishers to people who eat at McDonald’s.

Listen to the episode below, or on your favorite podcast app.

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Fly Fishing, Low & Slow: 5 Winter Fundamentals

Low and slow winter fly fishing isn’t some sort of revelation.

Based on the river and the conditions, one could theoretically fish any kind of fly in the winter. Yet virtually everywhere, dragging streamers slowly across the riverbed produces. It isn’t fast and furious fly fishing, but it is consistent and effective. This is especially true if you are targeting larger, predatory trout.

There is more to it than just tying on a big fly and casting. Even if you find the best spots, there are some steps you can take to increase your odds of getting your fly where it needs to be. Again, the following five tips aren’t new or surprising. But cold weather and sluggish fish aren’t conducive to anglers sticking to the fundamentals.

Here are five things to stick to as you are streamer fishing in the winter:

Fly: Hook-Point Up

While winter stream bottoms aren’t covered in aquatic vegetation and the same kind of muck you’ll find other times of the year, there are still plenty of rocks and limbs that can snag your fly. Using a jig hook or simply a streamer tied hook-point up will reduce your frustration. You’ll still get stuck. You’ll still lose flies. But you’ll get stuck less and lose fewer flies. And less frustration is very good in the winter.

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Fly Fishing the Mushroom Kingdom

The year was 1990, and I can remember it like it was yesterday.  I took my first trip to this exotic destination. Even at the age of 6 I’d been to plenty of far off locales. In fact, I’d been only a stone’s throw from the area in question numerous times. But this was like a whole new world. It was bigger, wilder, and more diverse than anywhere I had ever been.

I have been back over and over again numerous times in the nearly 30 years that have passed. Like any place that has a profound impact on you, I’ve felt compelled to return. Just this year, I’ve been able to take my boys. It isn’t as flashy as some of the things they’ve seen in their young lives. Still, they’re captivated. Admittedly, not as much as I was that first time.

Because it was the Mushroom Kingdom, and it was up to me to save the princess (again).

Mario, Luigi, goombas, Bowser, mushrooms, and the rest matter. These are the literal stars of the show. Much ink has been spilled on warp whistles and coin caches. But there is another aspect of the Mario Brother’s 3rd (I know…) outing that hasn’t received the attention it deserves:

The fly fishing.

Here is an introduction to fly fishing the Mushroom Kingdom. The species, the patterns,  the locations, and some other considerations. *Spoiler Alert* The princess always ends up being in another castle. So you might as well wet a line on your way to rescue her.

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