How Cold is Too Cold for Fly Fishing?

Everyone has their limits. It appears that Romano’s and mine might be a little less aggressive than most when it comes to fly fishing in cold weather. Like many of you, I have a nice vacation this week, and yesterday, I thought I’d get out and go fishing. But this is what I saw when I woke up. It took me about 3.5 seconds to call the game. Maybe it’s because I have logged enough river hours in sideways snowstorms to know better. Maybe I’m not tough enough.

The other day, I asked Romano if he had a good winter fishing photograph that I could use. He replied: “Winter fishing is for (I’d rather not say).” If you think about all the images you’ve seen from the guy over the years, here on Fly Talk and elsewhere, it’s pretty telling that you don’t see many snowflakes.

I had a guy ask me the other day about what I do to keep ice from forming in the guides of my fly rod. In fact, I think we’ve talked about that here now and then. For the record, I squirt my guides with Pam cooking spray before I fish, and that helps for about an hour, depending on how cold it is. But the real cure for not having ice form in your guides? DON’T FISH when it’s below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

Of course, you find those special situations when you feel like you must be out there. But people layer up and duck hunt or deer hunt in cold, snowy windy weather, because that’s when those animals are on the move. There are short, defined seasons. Trout are happy year-round.

Ask me what the best fishing gloves are, and I will tell you that gloves and fishing do not mix at all. Triple layers under waders? A face mask? Hand warmers? You must be joking. Wrong sport.

I’ll pick and choose my bluebird days. I’ll admit to being a “fair-weather” angler. Does that make me a wimp?

I will say I do have a trout trip planned in early December, and I’m going to forge ahead on that one, no matter what.

Of course, it’s in Argentina…