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3. Tough conditions

Went out today to practice some euro-nymphing. Found it real hard to cast w/ the high winds! Didn't think this would be an issue in czech nymphing w/ the short casts and all: boy was I wrong!! It was so windy that even flipping short lobcasts and the addition of small shot STILL was hard. Also, the wind tended to increase tangles and made it very difficult logistically to rerig/retie, etc. Tried going up to 4x on leader size but didn't make any difference so it seemed. Did manage 1 nice Rainbow on a #16 bead head hares ear but that was it.

Speaking of high winds, I booked a week at Dutch John to fish the Green during the early March midge hatch. Day one was beautiful and the fishing was excellent from the very start. Day 2 I headed up into the Red Canyon where the wind started to become an issue. The fishing was a lot tougher and it was disappointing to only claim a couple of fish. On day 3 the moment I stepped out of my room I knew I had a problem. I drove down to the immense boat landing and found myself all alone. I spent about an hour trying to make casts between gusts which had me waiting many long minutes standing idle in anticipation. What made this particular day so memorable was that another fisherman showed up. I watched him cross the river and walk the bank down about 200 hundred yards. I couldn’t believe that there could be two of us this stupid. I stood watching, as it was impossible to fish. He entered the river and made one cast, turned around, walked the 200 yards back, where he crossed the river and proceeded to the car. I followed. I vowed that if the wind didn’t die down tomorrow morning I was headed to the Fork and the Pan. I left the next morning.

My deal on the high winds, is fishin the soft hackles. I had a perfect example, and with it could be viewed by all on a U-tube. I took a guy in my jetboat that is a fair caster to be complimentary. We ran up to a riffle on my big SF of the Snake. It was so windy that the guide boats were headed to the takeout ramp with all hunkered down in the driftboats from the wind at around 3 PM. We got out, and would make sidearm roll casts to keep the line from blowing back in our face...terrible casts, but the line would straighten out, swing, and FISH ON !! We musta landed in the neighborhood of 20 trout in an afternoons fishing casting beaded softhackles, having them sink some, and then swing up. And I will tie them on wet fly hooks in bigger sizes, like a #10 bead headed, or even some golden stone soft hackles on $8's 2x long, and wire ribbed to get them down some.

That's a good idea Sayfu -esp weighted wets in wind. I don't fish wet very often, and must keep it in mind. I do a lot of nymphing and can say wind is one of the biggest detriments to strike detection. It doesn't take much wind either to severely hamper detection.

Adirman -

Yeah, wind isn't as fun... Never fight it - you won't win.:) Go with it instead. On our western lakes, it is the rare day that wind isn't an issue. What I've learned is that with the wind at your back or crossing at an angle towards your casting arm, you can still cast fairly well provided you aren't trying to throw split-shot or heavy flies. Un-weighted flies on sinking lines or dry flies on floaters will still cast well in pretty strong gales provided you align yourself properly with the wind. A cross water wind in the face from either side of a river is impossible to enjoy, so go find a bend where it is going either up or down or fish from the other side so it is again either at your back or angling in the direction of your casting arm.

The good news is that wind is a great concealer of your efforts from the fish and their mood is usually far less suspicious. Use this to your advantage. On lakes and big pools, bushy drys bobbing around or indicators doing the same and jigging the flies underneath often drive the fish nuts and thankfully, the takes are seldom subtle. Swinging flies in the runs will rarely let you down. With the indicator rigs you must roll or Spey cast to keep the tangles down and spare your body from flying objects.:) Heck, even without wind, keeping the heavy awkward stuff in front of you and always casting without reversing direction is the best way to avoid tangles and bodily harm. With proper technique you can cast these rigs further with a Spey cast anyway. Sinking lines work well too, as long as you keep the rod tip in the water underneath the chop.

If the wind is blowing so hard that you can't use these techniques, perhaps you shouldn't be outdoors. Hurricanes are dangerous!:)

Good tips. I will certainly use them.

Entoman;

Yes, definitely good advice! Trying a little harder to the wind at your back is definitely doable on a river/stream, at least in most cases and in the situation I had previously described, definitely should have been done!