Winter Fly Fishing

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Have to toot my horn a second time... this past weekend the waters in the interior of the Everglades out of Flamingo... were as high as 77 degrees.  If the weather stays mild in a week or two we'll begin seeing the big tarpon... Whitewater Bay is the first place the big girls show up down here - well before they show up down in the Keys each year... Just nothing like the 'glades.  In winter the interior waters in places like Whitewater Bay are just warmer than any shallow waters elsewhere and that warmth is a magnet for big tarpon every winter...

Will post a report with photos under "non-fly fishing" since I didn't have any fly anglers this weekend... 

[DFoster 0]

On 1/12/2024 at 5:15 PM, Poopdeck said:

Wheeeeeeeeeeew, I actually thought New Englanders enjoyed freezing. 

Some of us do literally love the winter months cold though they may be.  Others not so much,  I once worked for a company based in West Palm Beach, the receptionist was a young lady from up here in the North.  As she told the story one particularly bad stretch of winter had pushed her to he verge of a mental break down.  One day she just couldn't take it anymore.  So she drove to the airport and bought a one way ticket to FLA.  She called her parents to tell them where to pick up her car and then called her employer to let them know it was over.   Still there's something weird that happens to the other half of the New Englanders who move to Florida.  Despite Florida's comparatively inexpensive cost of living and a warm sunny climate they move back after a few years.

I've been to Florida many times, for me tropical climes are a nice place to visit but I could never live there.   

 

[Bryon Anderson 0]

On 1/12/2024 at 10:13 AM, DFoster said:

The trouble with fly fishing is that no matter how you dress your fingers will get wet.  My point was not that I will fish at every opportunity, the weather on average here IMO is too cold for that but there are some days in January and February when the temps get above freezing or even warmer.  When that happens and it coincides with my free time I'm going to make more of an effort to get out. Scratching the itch even if it's only for a short while.  Mostly small streams for Brookies and Browns that I don't need to wade.  A pair of Muck boots with ice cleats will be all I'll need.

I agree with you 100% DF. I didn't think you were advocating for fishing at every opportunity regardless of weather -- that was an expectation that I used to impose on myself, but eventually decided made no sense for me. I, too, will sometimes take advantage of warmer-than-average days to get out on the water, but even that I do less than I used to, as every other angler in the state usually seems to have the same idea on those days. 😄 I am envious that you have places where you can cast a fly to trout without wading. Our streams run mostly through forests, and the stream corridors usually prevent fishing from the bank with a fly rod; sometimes even with a spinning rod. Or maybe I just don't have the patience I had as a younger man lol.

[DFoster 0]

4 hours ago, Bryon Anderson said:

 I am envious that you have places where you can cast a fly to trout without wading. Our streams run mostly through forests, and the stream corridors usually prevent fishing from the bank with a fly rod; 

Hi Byron-  I fished in Honor Michigan (Platt river) and that environment  looks exactly like the steams in Mass. Our streams are closed in by same dense trees and shrubs.  In preparation for winter fishing  I made mental notes of a handful of area's where I could roll cast to most of the run or pool without wading. I hate cold feet so if I can avoid winter wading I will.  Generally speaking I'm looking a blue lines and using a 5' 3" 3 weight.  The small stream wild trout here in Massachusetts rarely exceed 8" and 12" brookie is a trophy. 

[Sandan 0]

As long as the water isn't hard and the temps won't have my guides freezing up every other cast, I'll go

[niveker 0]

I don't care for the dead Winter, the beginning and end I enjoy.

I agree with Sandan, as long as the air  temps are above 40 and the shelf ice is at a minimum, I'll hit the water. 

I don't ice fish, but I'll pretend to if there's beer and brats. 

[Bryon Anderson 0]

On 1/15/2024 at 8:18 AM, DFoster said:

I've been to Florida many times, for me tropical climes are a nice place to visit but I could never live there.  

Ditto for me -- every time I visit Florida, I'm so envious of the year-round opportunities to fish in shirtsleeves, but there's no way I could deal with the extreme heat and humidity of their summers. I also don't think I'd enjoy fishing as much in place where every single body of water, fresh or salt, is inhabited by predators large enough to kill and eat me. 

And then there's the snakes. Nope. 

[Steeldrifter 0]

Being a born & breed Michigan guy as well as a big steelhead fisherman, I've fished in some cold weather that most people would think I'm crazy for doing. I'll never forget one February trip in particular to the Pere Marquette river where we fished in 15f-20f temps and about 15" of snow. Probably one of the coldest outings I can ever remember.

As others mentioned it's all about layering. Base layer of a thin wicking material (shirt & pants) then a more normal layer over that such as a long sleeve flannel shirt, then fleece pull over, then zip up hoodie over the fleece, and then wind/rain resistant wading jacket. You end up with about 4 layers but that is key. For lower layer over your thin wicking style pants, look into some fleece under wader pants like these. I have a pair I've used for year and they really help keep the core warm https://www.amazon.com/MidwayUSA-Eagle-Bluffs-Fleece-Wader/dp/B01L7U7JLY/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=fleece+wader+pants&qid=1705503912&sr=8-7

For gloves a pair of latex gloves under wool gloves help a ton for warmer hands. Latex keeps your hands from staying wet and wool retains heat even when wet unlike cotton or other materials.

Also in real cold weather a couple of the hand warmer packs opened up and dropped down into the stocking foot of your waders can help hugely in keeping your feet warm.

That's usually how I dress for real cold weather steelheading and it helps me stay out for 4-6hrs even in sub 32f weather. I don't do as much winter fishing as I use to these days now that I'm in my 50's, but my fishing buddy & I just made plans to head up to the Au Sable in early March this year for steelhead & Atlantics so that will be a cold trip and how I will dress for it again.

[niveker 0]

4 minutes ago, Steeldrifter said:

I'll never forget one February trip in particular to the Pere Marquette river where we fished in 15f-20f temps and about 15" of snow.

[DFoster 0]

58 minutes ago, Bryon Anderson said:

Ditto for me -- every time I visit Florida, I'm so envious of the year-round opportunities to fish in shirtsleeves, but there's no way I could deal with the extreme heat and humidity of their summers. I also don't think I'd enjoy fishing as much in place where every single body of water, fresh or salt, is inhabited by predators large enough to kill and eat me. 

And then there's the snakes. Nope. 

Exactly, but you forgot a big one, at least for me though- there are no wild trout streams in Florida.  My passion for this sport is totally based in fishing for wild trout on our small flowing streams.  I do fish for other species but I could never really be happy living in a location without wild trout streams.  

[Chasing_Tails 0]

1 hour ago, DFoster said:

Exactly, but you forgot a big one, at least for me though- there are no wild trout streams in Florida.  My passion for this sport is totally based in fishing for wild trout on our small flowing streams.  I do fish for other species but I could never really be happy living in a location without wild trout streams.  

We have wild trout, they just have fangs and a bad attitude...😉

 

[DFoster 0]

18 hours ago, Chasing_Tails said:

We have wild trout, they just have fangs and a bad attitude...😉

 

 

Nice fish but with all due respect, this is a trout- 🙂  The temp was about at freezing that day with a nice strong north wind.  There was me and my buddy standing in a freezing cold river doing our best to catch 10" fish.  I have no idea what it is about fly fishing that drives us but we had a ball!  .And froze...

 

 

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

In my neighborhood - we have fish that will eat whatever fish you've hooked.... just nothing like the 'glades...

 

Here's a true story... in a place called the Little Shark River one day my anglers caught and released a small great hammerhead (about six feet long, and skinny, maybe 50-60 lbs... at full growth a great hammer may be as much as twenty feet long...).  It was in good order and swam off - no problem.  When that small guy was about 200 feet away from my skiff - it got blown up with an enormous explosion... and whatever monster had him in it's jaws swam by us with that little hammerhead sticking straight up in the air about three feet... My anglers got really excited and asked what was that...  I replied a really, really big shark... When they asked what kind my only reply was large and hungry....  very hungry.  

No, the areas we fish in are not suitable for swimming since the waters are dark and you just don't see a big animal headed your way until it shows itself (which only happens now and then...).

[DFoster 0]

Here in New England we have stories of 20" Brown Trout snatching the 3" Brookie you just hooked, and hooking themselves in the process- LOL. 

The state claims that our big carnivores, Wolves and mountain lions were hunted to extinction back in the 1800's although we still have sightings.  There have been recent confirmed deaths of both locally from being hit by cars.  Recently a mountain lion was hit and killed and it's DNA testing matched one the state of South Dakota registered.  New England has huge deer population and eventually hungry predators are bound to follow.   Black bears, some very large are everywhere  but unless you're really dumb or surprise a mother with cubs they go the other way before you even know their around.   Cape Cod has a thriving population of Great White Sharks, the result of the state protecting the local seals. 

Sadly around here it's a few of our fellow Homo Sapiens that you really need to be wary of at the local swimming holes.

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

That bit about homo sapiens is true wherever you go in this world, unfortunately,  in my experience.  Of course as a retired cop my point of view is a bit skewed but I came to the belief years ago that - it's who we are as a species... All possibilities, angel to demon are contained within each of us from my experience..  Any time we get compared to monkeys - the monkeys ought to feel insulted...