Keeping warm

[Steeldrifter 0]

With the recent addition of BDH going on the PA winter steelie trip it brought to mind that some guys "new" to winter steelheading may not have all the tips to keeping warm here in the winter wonderland i call home so i figured some advice would help to keep them from getting frost bite

 

First off bootfoot neo's are a must if the weather is very cold,i have made due with breathables and layers under them during the mild winters but this year seems way colder than last already so bootfoot neo's are a must.

 

Under the neo's fleece wader pants are great but if you dont have them then i wear thermo long johns with a heavy pair of sweatpants over them.Stay away from wearing jeans as they dont retain body heat very well. Also thermo socks are a good idea.

 

For the upper body one word........LAYERS! i start out with a t-shirt then a thermo shirt over it,next i put on a long sleeve "fatigue" style shirt then over that i wear a pull over fleece. Over the fleece i wear a hooded sweat shirt if its really cold,then as an outer shell i wear a wind/resistant coat.

 

A hat is a must in the winter steelheading game....in the winter i wear a full face mask rolled up as a hat and if i get cold then i just pull it down...although then you look like a bank robber out fishing

 

Gloves are another must ....i like to use wool glaves as they seem warmer than neo gloves to me...BUT if you wear wool gloves make sure you have 2 pairs,one to wear and one to keep in the back of your vest because while wool gloves are very warm....WET wool gloves are NOT and when you hook that big 15# steelie and go to land/release it the last thing on your mind is your gloves so they are bound to get wet.

 

On the kinda days that make you nose stick together and your teeth rattle i have found that some pocket hand warmers both in the pockets and dropped down in your wader boots help to get ya warmed up.

 

Lastly a small thermose of coffee can be a life saver....against what some might tell you alcohol does not help to warm you up if you think a nip will keep you warm quite the oppesite,alcohol actually lowers your body temp so it will make you colder!

 

Hope this helps to keep everyone safe&warm out there this winter......everyone feel free to add tips if i missed anything!

 

SD

[Guest]

Very good tips Steve that should get almost anybody through a nice day in the tundra. It's hard to explain how cold it really is fishing in those conditions but man is it cold

 

I read a tip in a steelhead book I just got and it said to rub lip balm on your eyelets and it will help prevent them from freezing up.

[Guest]

loon makes a product to stop the ice from forming on your eyelets while fishing. cant think of the name right off hand, but if you get it put it on before you start fishing! it doesnt work after they get wet. this product is quite expensive though, but the chapstick thing sounds like a winner.

 

another tip is to always have a second pair of warm clothes at the car, accidents do happen and you can never tell when you will be going for a swim.

[Steeldrifter 0]

Since the topic of an extra set of clothes was brought up (good tip ffe)

 

Always carry a lighter or some waterproof matches in your vest ,in the unlucky event that you do a swan dive in the river when the temp is subzero a quick fire will not only warm you but will help to dry out your clothes if you happen to forget an extra set.

 

SD

[Guest]

I had to go and reread smalliehunters thing. I couldnt for the life of me imagine him rubbing lip balm on his eyelids

 

[Guest]

Here's a tip that is a little extreme but it was something I read years ago and have practiced every year. The past few years every January I climbed a 6600' mountain in NC where it gets well below zero. The problem with this type of trip you can only bring as much clothes as what you can carry in a pack plus you got food and everything else and when climbing over 6000 vertical feet your pack needs to be as light as possible which means as few clothes as possible.

 

To help reduce pack weight I started "conditioning" myself for colder weather usually beginning in early December. This means wherever you go and no matter how cold it is NO coat, gloves, hat or anything that will help you keep warm. This allows your body to get use to colder climate and you would be surprised in a month how much difference it will make!

 

Now when your fishing you can bring as much clothes as you want but it will still help take the edge off a cold January morning standing in the water and fighting the icebers floating downstream.

[Guest]

well, i wrote out a long reply then hit send reply instead of add reply and lost it all. I'll just add one tip now: Pam cooking spray on guides...... insanely cheaper than the "specialty" stuff, and works..

 

steve

[Guest]

Great thread

 

I use Crisco on my guides. It again must be applied prior to fishing. I carry it in a film vial.

 

As for dressing properly, I love my down underwear. It's lightweight and extremely warm. Regular LJ, the down and sweatpants will insulate enough to leave the neos at home. For the upper body, it all depends if I'm fishing from a boat or hoofing it. Fleece is hard to beat. It dries in a hurry when perspiration or rain/snow is a factor. Hooded versions of a sweatshirt are ideal. It will protect ones cheeks and neck from those cutting winds. A good quality turtleneck is always one of the layers

 

Like mentioned above, dress in layers. A good hat, I prefer either fleece or Ragwool, is a must. Convertible finger-less gloves/mittens are great. Once again out of fleece. Disposable handwarmers or the old fuel type are sweet for a quick warm up after re-tying.

 

Felt type soles should be avoided since they gather snow and ice. Once wet, they'll be like walking on bowling balls.

 

[Guest]

Pam rocks for keeping the guides free. If your eyelets do freeze up, just pinch 'em between two fingers and the ice'll melt pretty quickly.

 

I once broke a rod in mid-winter fishing the Ohio. The guides had frozen up for the millionth time and I had only caught 3 fish and instead of freeing the guides one by one I yanked on the line at the end of the rod.

 

Did I mention I had 30# Iron Thread on?

 

Thick socks are a must in the waders. This year I have my fist pair of stocking-foot waders and am really surprised at how cold my toes get. Stick with the boot foot waders for really cold conditions.

 

If you bait fish, use a net for the minnows! This may seem like a no-brainer, but I well remember the first (few) time(s) I reached into the ice water for bait. It slows your day down by a lot.

 

Go barbless so you don't have to fuss with your catch. I see pictures of guys in mid-winter reaching bare handed into the water and picking up the fish. This is nuts!

 

I like the glove/mitten combination that has the finger exposed from first knuckle down, but you can pull over the mitten part when you don't need your fingers. This is so far the best type of glove I've found. The neoprene gloves have the same effect that neo stockingfoot waders do: cold!

 

The ski mask is another great idea. I don't fish without one in wintertime. The wind blowing down the stream will chap you up in no time, and you end up with this "High Plains Drifter" thing goin'!