Don't fancy freezing fishing? No worries.

Photo: Drew Stoecklein

If you don't fancy fishing in the cold; here's how to spend your winter.

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My waders came off surprisingly quickly. My icy rod left to dry outside. I rushed into the kitchen to prepare a nice warm tea. The winter months had finally arrived. The last feasible fishing trip had been made.
 
Some say the days get shorter during the winter months. For us fishermen, they only get longer and longer. The idea that beneath the ice – fat, rested brown trout are lying - is constantly haunting our minds. Some say the cold helps the brain think clearly. If anything, for us fishermen it only serves to jumble our thoughts.
 
After many restless years of unproductive winter months, I have decided to make the most of this year’s winter season. Instead of pondering over the spring, autumn and summer months of joyful fishing, I have decided to exploit the unique opportunities the cold offers. Below are my ways of productively spending your fish-free days.
 
Ensure your material is up to scratch
 
You just don't want to be spending time in the spring untangling lines, sorting out your fly boxes or searching frantically for rogue gear. Instead, use the winter months to order your gear so that when fishing time comes, you can find what you need efficiently. Spend this time cleaning your waders, checking them for leaks and making sure your backing, line and leaders are up to scratch. If you like tying flies, add to your fly box by experimenting with new ideas. There's nothing more pleasing than catching fish on an exotic home-made fly…
 
Make the most of the off-season to do some shopping
 
If you find that you are missing some gear, or that your lines are kinked, or that your waders are leaking – make the most of your time off the river to buy new gear. You can also save some money on new gear since most fly shops have winter clearance sales during this time.
 
Educate yourself
 
If you do end up visiting the shops, make sure you spend time talking to the vendors – no one knows fly tackle as well as these guys. You never know, you might even make some new friends! If you don't end up in the store, take some time to buy some fly fishing literature. Not only does this help you spend your time, it will also make your fishing better when the spring comes. Of course, feel free to consult our previous posts, we offer fly fishing tips, techniques and general industry information. We’ll still be posting throughout the winter !
 
Listen to a podcast
 
There are some pretty great podcasts available on iTunes that talk about fly fishing. Each of these are informative and unique. You can listen to them during your daily commute, or simply when you have time to spare.

1. The Orvis Fly-Fishing Guide Podcast – Tom Rosenbauer
2. Tenkara Cast – Daniel Galhardo
3. Anchored – April Vokey

 
If you know of any other fly fishing podcasts, let us know in the comments.

Tight lines,

Constantin