Warm Toes In The Winter

Last Saturday was a new moon, it was overcast and just above freezing. Perfect conditions for a quick fly fishing trip in the middle of winter. Jon and I rigged our rods with Rainbow Warriors and scud imitations on 4X fluorocarbon. On New Year’s Day Jon had given me a box of Graber® Hand Warmers. I put one in each of my fleece socks as I was putting on my waders. I checked the water temperature as we crossed the river to head upstream. It read a frigid 36 degrees, even colder than last week. On my previous trip I had placed the hand warmers inside the wader feet but outside the socks. I couldn’t really feel the warmth through the thick socks so this time I thought I would experiment with them inside the socks. My toes never did get cold, so I will report that they worked great and did the trick. These hand warmers will make wading in the winter much more comfortable. They stay warm for 10 hours. When I got home I gave the ones I had been using to my wife and she held them all evening to keep her hands warm.

When we got to the first good looking spot in the river I pointed out a perfect spot to cast right where the deeper, fast water met the slower water. Would you believe on the second cast I hooked a fish. Jon laughs, “like that!” I say, “that’s what I’m talking about, quite a different river than two weeks ago.” Jon went on to hook a fish on his second cast as well. I love days that start like this.

Thingamabobbers

I started out nymph fishing with a sink tip line and no strike indicator. I had good success but could tell I was missing a large percentage of takes. I experimented with different weight and line systems. This was about when strike indicators first became popular so I experimented with that system. I’ve been experimenting ever since and continue to do so. I certainly haven’t found the perfect system yet. There are two types of strike indicators I use and recommend.

Currently my favorite strike indicator is the Thingamabobber. The Thingamabobber is a plastic bubble with a loop for attaching the line. It comes in different sizes. The smaller ones are good when the water is clear and low. The larger ones are good when the water is deeper or faster and you need to use more weight.

The main things I like about the Thingamabobber are: 1) It floats very well and high. When I’m using a lot of weight to get my fly down deep, this is the indicator that will stay floating. Because it floats so high, I can get by with a smaller indicator. 2) It attaches to the line at a right angle so the line goes down from the indicator rather than continuing straight along the surface of the water past the indicator and then gradually going into the water. 3) You can take it on and off the line easily. You don’t have to thread it onto the line before tying on your fly and you don’t need to remove the fly or cut the line to remove it. 4) It is easy to adjust. If you need to move the indicator up or down the line you can take off the indicator and put it on at a different location. For small adjustments, I just loosen the leader, slide the leader up or down and tighten it back up.

There is one thing I do not like about the Thingamabobber. It causes a kink in your leader. When you adjust the indicator, it leaves a curl. This can be corrected somewhat with a line straightener, but it still leaves a mark where the indicator used to be and it never goes back to being completely straight. I end up replacing my tapered leader more often because of this.

I have also used styrofoam indicators for many years. These also work well and I recommend them. If the indicator doesn’t have a cut in the side so that it can be placed on the leader after flies are tied on, then I take a razor blade and make a slit on one side. These are held in place with a small stick or toothpick. The advantages of the styrofoam indicators are: 1) They do not kink your fly line. 2) They are easily adjustable. 3) You can take them on and off easily. The disadvantages are: 1) They don’t float quite as high as the Thingamabobber, 2) They wear out. The hole that the line goes through and where the line is held into place with the stick eventually becomes too big for the stick. 3) They don’t attach to the line at a right angle.

I have tried most other strike indicators on the market and have not found them to be adequate for weighted nymph fishing. Most the other indicators seem more suited for surface fishing of dry flies, emergers or for slow, shallow spring creeks.

A Backhoe in the Middle of the River

I climbed down from the snow covered trail to find the water nice and clear and not too low. Checking the temperature of the water it was a chilly 38 degrees. I was hoping the water would be warmer closer to the dam. The air temperature was a balmy 46 degrees, quite a bit warmer than it was in Salt Lake. I strung on a small, yellow Thingamabobber and placed a BB size removable split shot above the double, overhand knot at the end of the leader. I started my first cast and noticed the water turning cloudy. It was nice and clear near the shore. I could hear construction work in the background and figured the construction must have disturbed the water a little. I headed downstream towards a promising hole in the bend of the river. The water continued to get cloudier. Despite the murky water I caught one brown trout and then headed to the trail to go investigate the disturbance. I couldn’t believe it. There was a backhoe moving downstream in the middle of the river. Talk about a major frustration. Well what could I do? I hiked back to the truck and headed upstream above the backhoe.

I parked near the I-80 overpass and took a picture of the beautiful fly fishing mural. This was the perfect mural to have right next to a blue ribbon river. I enjoyed noticing the details like the net and the fly. I put my cap back on, slung on my vest, grabbed my rod and hiked down the rocky incline to the river. Once again, I notice the water is crystal clear. Yea! I cast in the middle of the water chute between two rocks that was causing bubbling in the water, nothing. Then I cast a little further out to the far side of the chute next to the slack water. The indicator hesitated and I lifted the rod. This was a solid hookup and I quickly scurried down the rocky shore and found a place between a couple of large rocks without much current where I could gently grab the fish. It was a 15 inch brown. I shot a quick picture of it and let it go back into the quiet water. It had taken the scud imitation. The brown I caught earlier had taken a Rainbow Warrior. Its throat content showed that it was actually eating scuds.

I worked my way further downstream. This was a new section of river for me and I was excited to see if it held any good fishing water. I could already see a few large rocks downstream breaking up the otherwise featureless run. There were a few cows laying under a tree near the water on the way to this next hole so I stayed in the water, not wanting to disturb them. They kept their eye on me. The water was deeper on the downstream side of the rocks so I added one more split shot to make sure my fly would go deep enough. On my third cast I hooked a brown that commenced to jump a couple of times. This is one of the most exciting times fly fishing, having a newly hooked trout show off its acrobatics.

More Exercises for Fly Fishing

What does exercise have to do with fly fishing? How many of you want to fish more as you get older or when you retire? I believe staying in shape is a way to ensure this. Even this past year I have noticed that I enjoy fishing more since I have been working out regularly. I can hustle a mile or so down stream to a good fishing hole or to get further away from the crowds and not feel worn out. Or wade upstream fishing for hours without feeling tired. As I get older, staying in shape will pay off even more. My grandpa lived to be over 100 years old. That adds up to a lot of days fishing.

The majority of the exercises I do are aerobic exercises that keep my heart rate up for an extended period of time. At the same time they are low impact so my joints don’t have problems. I have had friends who kept in shape by running outside several miles a day who, in their later years, have had knee problems. So I don’t overdo it and I stay low impact. Using an elliptical, tread mill or stationary bike is a great way to go. One thing I like about ellipticals is that they also provide an upper body workout with the handles. I alternate between the exercise equipment. Often what I will do is run a mile on the treadmill to get my heart rate up and then do two miles on the elliptical. Three miles in 30 minutes is a good pace for me, but pick whatever pace is right for you. A good fast walk for 30 or 40 minutes is also adequate. I often go on walks with my wife in the evenings when the weather is nice. Four or five times per week is a good frequency. I also include in my workouts some stretching exercises, sit ups, a small amount of weight lifting and, of course, the shoulder pushups and the back exercises.

A Jumping Red Fox on New Year’s Day

The weather forecast had predicted a snowy, below-freezing day for New Year’s. But walking out to get the morning paper I could tell it was going to be a nice day, mostly cloudy but warmer than it had been for weeks. The kind of day I look for during the winter months for a quick fly fishing outing. I quickly called Jon and we agreed to meet at noon. I finished the chores I had planned for the day, made some sandwiches, loaded the truck and we were on our way.

Turning off the main road onto the dirt road that lead to the fisherman access points, Jon pointed out a red fox out in the field. Sure enough, a beautiful red fox was jumping in the snow chasing a mouse or something. It seemed to be enjoying the gorgeous weather for it was jumping way to high and playfully to be merely looking for a quick meal. It reminded me of the nature channel shows where the foxes are jumping high in the air and landing with their front paws digging deep into the snow. In the future I need to keep the camera with me in the front of the truck for times like this. It was in the back zipped inside one of the hundreds of pockets of my fishing vest.

Sometimes beautiful weather can be deceiving, especially on a full moon. Although it was nice to be on the river on such a gorgeous day, the fish seemed to have lock-jaw. While expecting to catch a ton of white fish, we didn’t catch a single one. I don’t remember any days last winter when I didn’t catch at least a few. We did catch a nice brown trout though, which is what we really wanted to catch. The trout was at the bottom of a deeper portion of the river right next to the middle faster water. It jumped four times after being hooked and certainly seemed energetic considering the cold, 38 degree water. Jon did an expert job netting the fish head first. The brown had taken a small scud pattern. It was sure nice starting the year off right by being on the river.

Back Exercises

Ten years ago I was having lower back pain when I would stay in bed longer than four or five hours. This was quite unusual and so I went in for a physical. The doctor didn’t find anything wrong but subscribed some back exercises. I thought this was totally crazy and didn’t think it would help at all. I tried them anyway. Sure enough, after a few days my back started feeling better, even when I stayed in bed my normal seven to eight hours. I was amazed. I never thought exercise would cure something like this. I have done these back exercises four or five times per week ever since. Here are the exercises:

1) Single knee to chest stretch: Lie on your back. Bring one knee toward your chest. Clasp hands around the knee and bring it firmly toward your chest. At the same time, keep the other leg straight. Hold for 5 seconds. Repeat with other leg. Repeat this process 3 to 5 times.

2) Pelvic lift: Lie on your back with your knees bent. Lift your buttocks off the floor as far as possible. Hold this position for 5 seconds. Repeat 3 to 5 times.

3) Pelvic Tilt: Lie on your back with your knees bent. Push your lower back flat against the floor by rocking your pelvis backward and tightening your abdomen and buttocks muscles. Hold this position for 5 seconds. Repeat 3 to 5 times.

4) Lumbar rotation: Lie on your back. While keeping your shoulders flat on the ground, bend one knee and cross it over the opposite leg until you feel a stretch in the hip and low back. Repeat with other leg. Repeat this process 3 to 5 times.