By Patrick Straub EBS FISHING COLUMNIST
There is
snow on the mountains and most of the leaves have changed. For anyone clinging
to summer, get over it. It is time to get serious about the fall angling
season. And, for anglers looking to get more out of their fall fishing, it is
important to have the right gear. Flip-flops and short sleeves can remain in
the closet, while gloves and turtlenecks should be on the top of the list.
As I’m deep
into the heart of my 23rd year of guiding on our local waters, my list of
angling essentials has come in handy nearly each day. Like the mood of a
two-year old, fall angling conditions can change rapidly: sunny and calm one
minute and stormy and cold the next. Here’s 23 years of experience in one
simple list of the seven fall angling essentials.
Windproof
fleece stocking cap or beanie. This may seem like a small piece of gear,
and it is. However, it is a big bonus to have if the wind kicks up or a shower
or snowstorm passes. A stocking cap can be placed easily over a baseball cap
and can keep your noggin warm. Choose a windproof variety as well.
Loon
Henry’s Sinket. Dry-fly fishing opportunities are a little less frequent in
fall—as the main hatches of blue-winged olives and October caddis are
sporadic—so there are times when fishing subsurface is the name of the game.
However, we may not want to use split shot to get a fly down to the target
depth as fast as possible. Loon Outdoors created Henry’s Sinket, a gel that is
placed on the fly to help it sink fast. I use this nearly every time I fish a
fly I want to sink—from rubber-leg nymphs to streamers to emerger patterns.
Sink-tip
fly lines. Larger brown trout can become aggressive as they prepare to
spawn. However, often times these fish lie near the bottom. To get a big
streamer to sink fast enough to be in the zone where a brown trout may take a
swipe, a sink-tip fly line is crucial. Choose the fastest possible sink-rate
and if I want the fly to not sink so fast, I will choose a larger, unweighted
fly.
Soft and
supple tippet for small dry flies. If the blue-winged olives hatch, because
the adults are small—usually size 16 to 20—a tiny dry fly is required. In order
to obtain the best possible presentation, I fish 5X or 6X and choose a tippet
that is fine, supple and soft. These qualities ensure the tippet itself doesn’t
cause any drag and allows the tiny fly to float on the surface longer and
behave more natural. Rio Suppleflex and TroutHunter Finesse are ideal.
Fingerless
gloves. In the past two weeks I’ve worn my fingerless gloves a few days.
Maintaining hand-dexterity is crucial to catch more fish. If you can’t move
your fingers to mend, strip or set the hook, you might as well be at home on
the couch. Too many times I’ve watched anglers miss fish because of cold hands
or because of bulky gloves covering their fingers. This is a small addition to
your gear arsenal, but invest in a good pair, stuff them in your pocket, and
catch more fish.
Sock-liners.
These are thin socks that are worn under a warmer sock. They are simple,
inexpensive, but go a long way in keeping your feet warm as the temps drop.
Another simple hint: make sure your toes are not cramped in your boots. To keep
those toesies warm, they must be able to move.
Fluorocarbon
tippets and leaders. It pains a dry-fly snob like me to feature
fluorocarbon, but, when this material was brought into fly fishing a little
over two decades ago, nymph anglers rejoiced. Fluorocarbon is not only
important for the two-fly indicator crowd, though; it is nearly crucial to use
fluorocarbon for fishing streamers. Fluorocarbon is far more abrasion-resistant
than nylon monofilament and sinks faster—two things very important when fishing
streamers.
The other
morning, still not fully into my coffee, I walked outside in my flip-flops and
t-shirt to organize my boat for the day. Like a wooly bugger cast errantly into
the back of my head, it hit me: summer is over. But then the excitement kicked
in. Fall means small dry-fly fishing and large-fly streamer fishing. I walked
back into my house, grabbed the things on the list above, and I didn’t need the
rest of my coffee to get excited for the day.
Patrick Straub is a 20-year veteran guide and outfitter on Montana’s waters and has fished the world over. He now writes and manages the social media for Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures. He is the author of six books, including “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Fly Fishing” and has been writing The Eddy Line for seven years.
