My most recent fishing trip lead me to start researching ways to keep my feet warm. I had to get out of the water and walk around on this last trip because my feet were freezing. I had on a pair of thick wool socks but they couldn't seem to withstand the chill of the cold water. The water was maybe 40 degrees. I was wondering what people in colder conditions do. I tried googling "keeping feet warm while wading."
There wasn't an exact answer. There were more similar answers and from those I think I've devised a plan. There are a lot of choices out there. Liners and socks made out of various materials. There's even electric socks that have a low voltage charge that warms your feet.
From the information I've gathered it seems there are 3 things you want to keep your feet warm.
A roomy boot
A nice liner
Good socks, preferably wool.
Constriction to blood flow is the enemy. Keeping circulation is key. There's a common misconception that the more socks you wear the warmer your feet will be. This tends to cramp your foot cutting off circulation. Your feet will get colder and it can create a dangerous situation. I thought about going with a thicker liner that I'd wear inside my neoprene booties. Something like this.
The problem is accumulating things around your feet while keeping room. I could buy another pair of boots and have a winter pair and a summer pair. That doesn't make much sense to me. Winter is short around here. I could look at it like an investment. I'm really not leaning this way. The option that seemed made the most sense was to wear a thin liner then wool socks over that. I will most likely go that route first then if that doesn't work I'll think about more heavy duty options. There's always those socks that have a pocket that holds foot warmers.
This time of year if you're fishing a delayed harvest stream you're mostly fishing for hold overs. Fish that have survived an onslaught of fishing pressure. Many of the fish have been caught at least once and they've seen plenty of flies. They get to where they only feed when there is a natural hatch going on or they just can't stand it anymore and have to eat. The weather conditions and pressure cause the fish to move around the river finding different lies. The fishing is harder and the fish aren't as easy to spot. They learn to hide in the faster current and blend in with the bottom. Over the years I have learned tips for fishing these conditions.
Skip the shallow water and sandy bottoms. Fish have learned most of the food comes from rocky bottoms and sandy shallow water does not provide much cover. Pools usually 2-3ft deep right after large rocks are prime spots. Fish usually hide right under the main run of water that falls into the pool.
When the water is really cold. High 30's, Low 40's. Fish won't move much. They want the fly right in front of their face and near the bottom. Good luck getting a fish to move much or come up near the surface unless there's a bunch of stuff hatching.
A snag is a fish. Because the fish aren't moving much their hits are subtle. The only sign a fish is hooked is a silver flash in the water or a throbbing bend in the rod. Fish won't fight long. A minute max. I think the fish know there isn't a ton of food to make up for the lost energy. They give up quick.
I have probably tied 30-40 flies recently. All of them nymphs. They are in various colors, natural, pink, red, black and green. I tried quite a few today and the only one that worked was a fly I bought. It was a bead head pheasant tail gold ribbed hares ear. I'm wondering if fish only hit other colors when the water is warm. In the 55 degree and above range. It seems anything colder than 50 degrees makes the fish prefer more natural colors. Brown and black. This theory would be good if the fish didn't hit Y2K's. Which are basically pink and yellow egg patterns. I tried some egg patterns today. I got fish to turn and even swipe at my fly but nothing would eat it. I'll need to experiment more. It was nice to get out and enjoy the day. I got my first fish of the year. A purdy bow.
Before the holidays I was researching gifts for the family. The Kindle Fire intrigued me because of all of its functionality. I bought the Kindle Fire HD right after Thanksgiving and I have been really pleased with it so far. It has been a great eReader for my wife and there are a ton of free games and apps. Many of them are educational and great for kids. One of the main reasons I looked into the Kindle Fire was the option of watching movies over the device. The Fire HD has a 16GB hard drive and can play various movie formats. During the recent Christmas break I was researching tying patterns on YouTube and I kind of wished there was a way to have the movie right there next to the vise. I do have a laptop and I could put that near me but it takes up quite a bit of room. This is where the Kindle Fire HD really came in handy. I found a way to download YouTube movies and copy them to the Kindle Fire. This is great because I can now watch the movies with out being connected to the internet. I figured others out there might find this useful as well. Even if you don't have a Kindle Fire you can still use this info to download movies to your computer. The steps are super easy and there is no special software needed. Everything you require is free on the web.
I'm providing these instructions for the sole purpose of helping with getting tying instructions. I do not condone pirating or stealing content that should be purchased from a vendor. Please make sure the content you are trying to download is not copyrighted.
The first task was finding a way to get a YouTube or Vimeo movie into a format the Kindle could read. MP4 was preferred. I found this website called KeepVid.com. Find a YouTube or Vimeo movie you'd like to download. For this example I'm using this video.
If you click on the video itself and go to the YouTube page the url for the video is at the top. It is also located under the video on the share tab. I have highlighted it in the graphic below.
Copy the URL then past it in the download field on Keepvid.com. Similar to the image below.
Click on the "Download" button. You will be presented with various download links and different formats.
The format I downloaded was the MP4 format. Save the file to your computer. It's that easy. After the file is downloaded you can now watch it at any time from your computer whenever you want.
To copy the movie to your Kindle Fire HD.
With the Kindle on, connect the Kindle Fire to your computer using a USB cable. Your Kindle should have come with this. On your PC, open up a explorer view so you can see your drives. An example in the graphic below.
If you're running Windows 7 you'll see the Kindle listed under your portable devices. Double click on the Kindle. You'll see the following screens after double clicking it.
Double Click Kindle Storage
The folders on your Kindle will be listed.
Open the Movies folder. Then open the location where you saved the video you downloaded.
The last step is to copy the movie from your local computer to the Kindle Movies folder. After it is copied, disconnect the Kindle from your computer. Navigate to the apps menu.
Choose the Personal Videos Icon, you can also download a free app like aVia.
I used the Personal Videos app for this tutorial. If you don't see it under the Cloud menu check the Device menu. Inside the app you'll see all of your videos.
Choose the video you want. I found this to be perfect for tying step by step next to the vise. The video is crisp and clear on the Kindle Fire HD. It's great to have the ability to pause or rewind the steps while you're tying.
If you want to look something up you can pause the movie and use the Kindle Fire's WiFi to surf the web. It really is a cool little tool.
I've decided to change the name of my blog for next year. The new title will be
I'm also going to look more into helpful blog posts. Things that help with fly tying and fishing tactics. I really do like helping people and this blog can be way to help share what has helped me become a better fly fisherman and tier. I am by know means and expert I just think anything that has helped you may also help others. What you think everyone knows about or something that is a tip might not be common knowledge.
Some of my resolutions next year will be:
Fish with my daughter
She has shown and interest in fishing and I'm not sure if it's because she saw a Dora fishing pole or she actually wants try it. She has shown an interest in tying too. Mainly because I have been on the vise a lot lately. She helped me tie a egg pattern the other night and did an excellent job. Maybe I can get her to tie all my flies.
Explore more wild streams
I used to think small stream fishing was kind of lame. You drive far, the fish are small and you have to be stealthy. None of these things sound attractive until you actually do it a few times. This last year I found a lost love of hiking. I have always liked hiking and most of these wild streams require it. The scenery is unbelievable and the fishing is just a bonus.
A year that kicks bass
I have yet to really figure the bass out on the local rivers. This year I will really try to take it seriously. Most of the time I just kind of go out try some flies I think will work. If I take it a little more seriously and actually experiment it will benefit me more. I want to figure the largemouth out and the smallmouth in VA.
Personal Goal
Every year I like to do some kind of goal. Catch a fish a month or catch a certain number of species. This year I am going to try to become a North Carolina Master Angler. This is done by catching at least six sport fish species that meet certain requirements. The requirements for each species are located here. The challenge for this will not be to catch six fish that meet these requirements but to do it in the same year and on a fly. No artificial scents or live bait will be used.
Tie and use more of my own flies
I go in and out of phases where I tie a bunch then don't tie for months. I also have a habit of never using the flies I tie because I fear they won't work. I need to get over this and fish them. Many of the flies you think are bad work better than store bought ones that you think are good.
A lingering cold has kept me from wetting a line in over a month. I had the Christmas week off and I saw a break in the weather. I started sending the word out to see who else was interested in going. I wanted to try a wild stream I had never fished before. Another member of the club I had not met before agreed to meet me on the stream. This is always an interesting arrangement. You really put trust in a lot of things. First being on time. Nothing is more annoying than waiting for people. The second is can you tolerate the person? Luckily this guy was on time and a pleasure to fish with. We tried what I like to call the sucker pool first.
It's a place right off the road and it always has a few nice fish in it. This section is hatchery supported and it must be where most of the fish are dumped in. The fish get educated quickly and the ones left ignore any of your offerings. Sometimes you get lucky and a fish will strike but it's rare and you have to be ready at all times.
We discussed a plan for the day while watching the fish move out of the way as our flies drifted by. We'd hike up a wild section and if it wasn't good we'd try another stream. I was eager to get the hike started just to warm up. The air temp was 26 degrees and even in multiple layers I was chilled. After a few glimpses of the creek and the first wild trout sign I didn't think about how cold I was anymore.
I kept moving upstream trying to keep a decent distance from Jason so I wouldn't spook the water he was going to fish above him. The trail would change from a well traveled path to what looked like a deer trail. There were multiple obstacles where you had to duck under a tree or climb over logs. It's always fun to walk on the edge of a steep hillside putting all your trust in a 2inch diameter branch holding all of your weight. Now and then I'd cough and be reminded I probably wasn't totally over this cold yet. The ice in the guides reminded me of the temperature too.
The best cure was to keep looking at the view and pushing on. The fishing made me forget about everything and for the first time in awhile I could just relax and take it in.
There was so much fishy looking water but I couldn't even see any signs of fish. Not even shadows darting away as I stalked small pools.
I knew the fish had to be there but where were they? I tried many different combinations. A dry and a nymph, two nymphs, streamers, egg patterns. Nothing seemed to work.
I worked my way back and met up with Jason. He said he managed a couple fish and he hadn't hiked nearly as far. I was looking to move to another creek but after a brief discussion we decided to explore this creek more. There were multiple trails that ran along the stream and we found if we kriss crossed the hiking was a lot easier. As we got higher the water looked better and better.
The fishing continued to be ice cold. Jason had a stream thermometer and said the water was 40 degrees. There were no bugs in the air and we both figured the fish had to be deep. It's tough to fish heavy with a lot of weight when the average depth is about a foot in a half. We still tried of course. How could you not with water like this.
Eventually it was enough. I was tired of hiking and tired of going through the motions. I couldn't see the fishing getting any better. No matter what we did or where we fished there was no action. The hike back we still hit the spots that just looked too good to not try one more time. Back at the car we worked the sucker hole again. I talked about a section that was good to me in the past. There wasn't much daylight left. There were cars parked near the stream and after talking to some other fisherman we found they were having similar luck. Then as I was walking downstream I ran into two more. These guys said they had been catching fish all day. They told me of a place just upstream and explained that all the fish were up there. You always have to wonder when someone you don't know gives you a tip. Are they helping you or helping themselves? I guess it's the skeptic in me that thinks that way. I've heard stories many times about fisherman telling people the wrong location of where fish are just so they won't fish "their" honey holes. I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and headed upstream. What did I have to lose? Sure enough just like they said above the first rapid I started to see fish. There had to be 50-70 fish in this long calm run. Some of them monsters. Jason had already found the place before I got there. The fish were hitting something tiny off the surface. I started with an egg and a nymph. The fish would follow the egg but never commit. These fish had seen everything and we got the familiar feeling like when we fished the sucker pool. The fish continued to feed off and on on the surface which gave us hope. I think I tried about 20 different flies and my leader was getting down to the heavier section. I was tired and felt lazy. I didn't want to tie on more tippet. We knew if we could just throw something these fish hadn't seen before we'd probably have success. I started throwing multiple streamers and the fish would follow but never strike at the fly. Then I noticed something.
I was fishing a pink and white clouser with red eyes. If I let the fly sink to the bottom the fish would swim over and inspect it. Once I lifted the fly and gave it some action it seemed to turn the fish off. The big trout were super interested when the fly dragged across the bottom. Maybe these fish had some how learned that if food is just settling on the bottom it most likely isn't attached to anything. I tested this theory and on my second cast one of the largest trout in the pool made it's way towards the fly. The light was fading to where I could see the fish but I couldn't really tell where my fly was. I watched the fishes body language and it was definitely in attack mode. I thought I saw the fish make a move like it was hitting and turning. I went to set the hook and my fly shot out of the water. Did the fish hit it? I knew I didn't have that many casts left before dark. I cast again and let the fly crawl on the bottom. The big trout again started to follow. The fish followed the fly probably 15 feet or so. I saw the fish almost go into a carp feeding position with the head down and tail up. The head slashed then turned and I saw my fly line jerk. I set the hook and saw the fishes head shake. I yelled to Jason "get the camera ready!" I expected a long fight because I was using a 3wt and this fish had to be close to 4-5lbs. The fish never did any drag singing runs. It thrashed and bulldogged near shore far enough away to where I couldn't net it. I put constant pressure on the fish. I felt confident the heavier section of the leader would hold fine. I was more worried about the knot I tied on the fly and my issue grabbing the net. I just received a new rubber net for Christmas and the bungee thing had been giving me fits all day.
The net was constantly swinging around banging my feet and getting caught on branches. I had a difficult time holding the fish with a lot of pressure and reaching behind myself to get the net. I did get the net and missed the fish about 3 time before I finally slid the fish in. I ran over to Jason and he never knew the fish I hooked was one of the larger ones in the pool. He snapped a couple pics and the fish was released. What a way to end the day.
I have been wanting to tie sz20 nymphs since I had a couple work great on the South Holston. My buddy lent me a few and all they were was a tungsten bead and black thread. I decided to try tying the same thing then I noticed if I just added silver wire I'd have a Zebra Midge. Working with the small flies was challenging and fun at the same time. It's a little difficult to wrap and not hit the hook tip because the gape is so small. I usually ended up putting the hook and barb in the vise so it was less of a problem. I'm pretty happy with how the flies turned out. I decided to try a few different styles. Zebras with a collar and even attempted a Brassie and something I haven't seen before but I'm sure has a name.
I was thinking about a Griffith's Gnat pattern. I decided to tie that with a tungsten bead so it would sink. I put a little extra peacock hurl along the body to give it more flash. You can't really see it in the picture.
One fly I have been meaning to tackle is a bead head soft hackle. They are supposed to be basic flies. What you'll find when first tying them is the hackle will look severely different depending on the quality of feather you are using and what part of the feather is being tied in. I was using partridge feathers and I wished I bought an actual partridge bird piece. I tried go cheap and buy a "bag" of partridge feathers. I realize now these are odds and ends and many of the feathers are not even usable. You get what you pay for. If I tied low on the feather near the blood feathers I received very spindly looking legs. They didn't look like they'd flow very well in the water. If I tied up near the top of the feather I'd get more fluffy legs. I think these are more of what I'm looking for. I have an example of both.
The fly at the top has the spindly looking legs and the one one the bottom has a more fluffy style. I think both flies will work it was just interesting learning how to get each style of legs. There were even more variations depending on the quality and size of the partridge feather. I really didn't know what I was getting sometimes until I started twisting the feather.
While looking for inspiration on other patterns to tie I ran across a hares ear pattern using ice dubbing. The ice dubbing really gives the fly a busy appearance. What I mean by that is I do think in the water the colors and consistency of the material give the fly a life like looks. It just looks like something is going on. I tied a few hares ear type variants and used the ice dubbing as the body. I like pink and I think these will work well for the hatchery streams. I called these flies Trout Candy.
I've been wrong many times before but I can see these flies really working well. I have also been working on another pattern that looked easy but it's been giving me grief. It is a bead head hares ear style fly only the bead goes behind the hackle and not in front. It's a little hard to explain and I'll try posting pictures of the fly later. I'm finding it difficult to get the bead, hackle and pheasant tail all together with out crowding the eyed of the hook. On a sz18 there isn't much real estate. I'll post the results. I'm actually starting to enjoy tying. The bad part is having so many different things I want to tie. I'm stumbling upon patterns looking for other things and I just want to tie some flies because they look cool. Here's what I'm talking about.
