5/16/2008

These fishermen are below some howling winds whipping the tree-tops! The trees and foliage are protecting them from winds that would otherwise wreak havoc on their abilities to cast and sense strikes of biting fish.

It is the killer of fishing trips because it deprives anglers of the essential need to “feel” the strike. Once a belly forms in it it’s hard to detect anything and even if you feel the strike getting a good hookset is nearly impossible. I’ve told many fishermen that if the wind velocity exceeds 12 miles per hour and is sustained for lengthy periods of time that they should call it a day and head home, but there are certain wind circumstances that avail themselves that can actually enhance a fishing trip with the right fishing tactics. If you know what to look for you can use these emergency fishing tactics to combat severe wind and I learned about it while on a fishing trip with a fishing pal of mine.
Heading out at the crack of dawn, my good buddy Ron and I were going to a river that would take us four hours to get to. When we got there the river was running low and the wind was howling. The banks along the river were packed with fishermen who were hoping to hook into fish at any moment. Each fisherman seemed to have a technique that was secret to him or her but we were really all doing the same thing. We were drift-fishing and fundamentally it all boils down to fishing the current. What I liked about fishing in the company of Ron was the way he would sometimes crow that he and I were the best fishermen on earth; I don’t know if it’s true but he thought so and that was good enough for him to tell others while he geared up to fish. As ever, he and I broke apart, him heading upriver and me downriver; it was standard procedure. About an hour had gone by when he came down to talk.
“Hey Buddy, how’s the fishing?”
“Not bad Ron, I’m getting fish but the wind sure is picking up. How hard do you think it’s blowing?”
“Who cares? The fish are here, we’re here, what else do we need to know?”
“I was just thinking about all the leaves and debris floating downstream and the constant belly that forms in my line.”
“Yeah dude, I know what you mean. How do you fight that anyway? I’m getting fish, but I’m having a hard time on the hook-set. Got any suggestions?”
It was a haunting question. Though the wind was howling the leaves seemed to swirl about as though caught in some kind of a cyclone-like wind. There was no clear direction any of the leaves were heading in so I looked up.
“Hey Ron, do you see what I see?”
He looked up.
“I don’t know dude, what are we supposed to be looking at?”
“The trees are protecting us. I don’t know how hard the wind is blowing, but the trees are keeping the bulk of the wind current away from down here. Isn’t that great?”
“Hey, I just want to fish so do you think we could get back to it?”
“No problem. The first thing to overcome is the initial belly forming in the cast. Just before your terminal gear hits the water, about a foot or so, flip the bail over and the line will straighten out. Give it a try.”
As he cast out and flipped the bail over the line straightened out just as I told him it would.
“Now, as the line makes its way downstream very carefully reel in the slack that the river creates without disturbing the leader or terminal gear. Then as the line passes in front of you stop reeling and let it drift the rest of the hold.”
“Dude, these are such cool tricks; got any more?”
“Yeah, one more thing; if the line feels heavier than normal set the hook. Most of the time it feels slightly heavier because steelhead and salmon will often take the hook into their mouths and swim backwards with it. It doesn’t really feel like a hit but believe me it is.”
Life is full of ironies; I stood there and watched as his line went through the drift and jumped as Ron set the hook.
“Fish on! Fish On! I got one the second you told me about the line feeling heavy! Dude, I can’t believe it. How did you know it was going to happen like that?”
“It’s not magic. I didn’t know that you would get one at that precise moment. It was simply a suggestion for you to use whenever you felt it, that’s all. You have to be willing to adapt for the event and the moment.”
I thought about the last thing I told Ron and looked back up at the trees as they swayed back and forth. They seemed to be waving at me. I laughed at the thought and went back to fishing. I had been right. Life is full of ironies but the ability and willingness to adapt had saved the day.
We stayed until it was nearly dark. Both of us had landed about seven fish apiece and put back all but one. It was a great trip but I wanted to know more of the nuances that had transpired to give us the day we had. It certainly was not the weather I had anticipated and I had checked the Doppler radar; the weather looked good for all intents and purposes.
I got home and methodically put my gear away as I listened to the news broadcast. The forecaster was lamenting about all the downed power lines from trees that had been toppled. Ron and I had been fishing in winds that exceeded seventy-miles per hour. After checking a few stations and the weather channel I had become convinced. I got on the Internet and checked the direction of the wind versus the flow of the river and the layout of the trees. It was perfect. The configuration of the terrain, direction of the wind, the direction of the river nullified each other forcing the wind into a wide circular pattern while slowing down the speed of the wind long before it ever got to us. It was a scenario I was sure could be anticipated under all of those circumstances; however, sections of any river that either have no trees or hillsides will offer no protection, but that’s irrelevant. I had discovered that fishing could be done with those variables in place. Does this theory apply to lake fishing and saltwater fishing? No. But concessions for those environments can be made if fishing close to land or something that offers significant cover.
Ever since that day I’ve made sure to focus on howling winds. Prior to that fishing trip I would cancel fishing trips with winds over twelve-miles per hour; but no more. Now I make sure to check of winds will pass over trees, valleys, and hills on the section of rivers I intend to fish. If there’s no cover I look for those systems that do have it. The best way to verify terrain is to get topographical maps, trail maps, and road maps. All of them combined will tell you what you need to know in just a few seconds. The fishing tactics applied to the cast and the drift allowed all of us to feel the hit of each fish which is why we were able to land so many even during adverse fishing conditions. All of it had amounted to another irony that howling winds don’t necessarily have to be the killer of fishing trips after all.