I broke my net. The net broke my fall. The wooden handle took my full weight as I hit the granite boulder. Shiny rocks looked like icy rocks, so I let my guard down. One of those shiny rocks was actually an icy rock. My feet went out from underneath me so fast that I heard the crack of the net before I knew that I slipped. It wasn’t immediately adjacent to the stream, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.

How do you move to, in, and from the water when there’s snow and ice on the ground? Obviously, there are some situations you’ll probably want to avoid. Based upon your mobility and health, you should use your best judgment. That being said, there are a few things that will increase your odds of staying upright and safe.

Here’s one gear suggestion and two practical tips on navigating frozen streambanks:

The best soles for snow and ice are studded rubber. The bigger the studs, the better. Some are concerned about the click-clack of spikes on streambed rocks. That is a real concern. But it is a much less significant concern than taking a spill into freezing water or  icy parking lot. Little studs are nice; aggressive spikes are better.

When entering the water, don’t use an ice shelf. It might seem thick enough. It might seem incredibly convenient. It might even be where you usually enter the water. But what happens if it breaks? Even if you’re only a foot or so over the streambank, will you fall straight down? Probably not. Even a few inches of ice, which would usually be very stable, can be brittle if over running water and at the edge of an ice shelf. If you can’t safely stomp the ice away, head to a spot where you can access the water from snowpack or bare ground.

When exiting the water, carefully step onto ice or packed snow. This might sound completely contradictory to the previous bit of advice. The key here is the surface that you contact when landing with a wet boot sole. And, of course, you’ll want to make sure that said surface is stable. Packed down snow and ice will have a tacky effect on the bottom of rubber (or felt, even) on that first step. You’ll eventually want to find your way to something softer. Snow or bare trail are easier to traverse.

Although it is common sense, it needs to be said: go slowly. Walk to your spot slowly. Wade slowly. Walk back to your car slowly. My wipeout, which I mentioned at the beginning of the post, wasn’t on the stream. But I was pretty deep in the woods. I’m lucky that a broken net was all that I suffered. As fly fishers, we’re used to looking all around and taking things in. In the cold winter, we need to train our focus a lot more on where are feet are and where they will be.