Throwing Strikes in the Wind

 

" I ain't ever had a job, I just always played baseball".
- Satchel Paige

One of my favourite trout rivers is a five hour drive south of my home. The time spent crossing over the flat barren land is well worth it as the river offers incredible dry fly fishing. It has great hatches and I can usually find large fish feeding on the surface. There are individual fish along the banks or in other likely haunts, and sometimes pods right out in open water. It is quite a sight watching large numbers of trout feeding frenetically on the surface. I often go there in the Fall hoping for a strong hatch of Olives to pull the fish to the surface.

The river runs through open arid terrain and the region experiences more than its fair share of wind which accelerates down off of the great continental divide just to the west and races across the plains. One year on the drive there a motorcyclist travelling in the opposite direction was listing severely in order to compensate for the stiff cross winds. This brought a smile to my face. Although my four wheels were more stable than his two, I had to keep a firm grip on the steering wheel in order to counter unexpected blasts. Sometimes tractor trailers get blown over here. Travelling this route can be a rough ride...think movie scenes depicting re-entry into earth's atmosphere.

When driving there in the Fall, usually in October, the morning sports report always reminds me it is World Series time. I have always enjoyed baseball, especially playoff games with the classic pitcher versus batter duals.

I remember one year arriving at the river and in a hurried attempt to erect my tent in the wind it went airborne like a kite. It was quite comical and embarrassing, especially amongst the conclave of condo sized RVs that surrounded me. I decided to wait for the calm of nightfall to complete the task. Instead, while sitting at a picnic table I built a tapered leader with several spools of leader material that I had recently purchased. Following, I geared up ritualistically, tugged my hat down tight and started walking the river bank in search of what I came for.

As is often the case on this wonderful stretch of water, it didn't take long to locate rising trout. My fly presentation, however, left a lot to be desired. I missed several great opportunities to catch large fish due to my inability to control where my fly landed. It was frustrating to spot noses poking through the surface and not be able to get my fly consistently in the strike zone. I caught some wonderful trout but missed many more. If I was a big league pitcher the sportscasters would be announcing I was "wild" or had absolutely  "no control". My manager would be cursing and alerting the bull pen. What it all came down to was I just wasn't able to consistently throw strikes!

That night I listened to the magical call of coyotes filtered through the drone of RV generators. My RV neighbours had their satellite dishes pointing skyward and TVs on loud. Baseball had also captured their imaginations. While lying in my tent I reviewed the day and came to the conclusion I have fished in worse conditions in the past and performed quite well. Usually I have some semblance of control over the fly no matter how adverse the situation. I am used to wind. The terrain that surrounds my favourite river at home has giant wind generators sprouting from it.

I had tried using the wind to my advantage but with little success. Even driving my line forward with more zest and speed by single and then double hauling didn't help much. Side casting low to the water also didn't help. It seemed that no matter what tactic I tried I was inconsistent in reaching my target. Something was different. My leader was clearly the weak link in the chain. It often collapsed or folded, and seemed softer or limper than the material I usually use. The wind was simply pushing it around. It was wimpy and so was I. Although I had bought the same brand of leader material I usually use and fish with success, I realised that it was a new product line. It wasn't like the old material. My struggles continued all weekend.

I returned home an unconfident angler. During the week I bought several spools of the old familiar stiffer material and built myself a new knotted leader. The following weekend I returned to the same river. As usual the wind was blowing and the trout were rising. I took the mound and dug in my spikes. This time, however, I had great control and the trout responded to my more accurate fly presentation. Arm, rod, line, and leader were performing, if I may say, artfully. Finally the energy I was exerting was being transferred consistently through to the fly. I imagined the same sportscasters announcing that this week I was in the "zone" and had "great control". My confidence was back. I was throwing strikes again!

Locating and casting to surface feeding trout is a wonderful activity. It is so visual and my favorite type of fly fishing. I often search for and travel to creeks and rivers that provide this type of angling opportunity. The world becomes very small and focused when you spot a mature trout rising consistently. You forget about upstream, downstream, yesterday, or tomorrow. When a trout is surface feeding on a dense hatch its attention, like yours, is intensely focused and narrow, and you can usually wade or walk fairly close to it if careful. A river surface disturbed by wind aids you in moving in tight. The fish will remain relatively stationary as long as food continues to glide consistently overhead and if it isn't disturbed by something. Casting accuracy and sometimes timing are important in these situations.

You don't need long drifts for this type of angling and therefore you don't need a lot of slack in your leader. The fly needs to be cast just a couple of feet upstream of a feeding fish. A stiff monofilament leader gives you the control and therefore accuracy you need to do this in adverse conditions (wind). Just add on two or three feet of regular soft tippet and that should give you just enough slack to go at  the fish and get just enough natural drift. If the fly is convincing and it appears at the right moment, then you have a chance of a hook-up. If your accuracy and drift are good but timing is off, then slide the fly away once it passes safely downstream of the trout and try again. With repeated pitches you eventually should get it right. The key is to throw strikes and in big wind a stiff leader helps you do that.

This past weekend it was blowing hard on a nearby river. Here are a couple of fish picked up while throwing dries and some strikes.