Dressing for Success: Or at least being able to stay on the water without suffering from heat exhaustion.
While Alvin and JD get to escape the summer heat of Texas, the rest of us will still run trips in the usual manner, however we’re going to be a little more inclined to do “half days” as opposed to the “full day trip” focusing on the early morning and late evenings.
During the next couple months we (as guides and fisherman) expect the brutal heat while on the water and do everything we can to prepare ourselves for it. Many of us guide and have “real jobs” on the side. Our preparation for the heat of the day not only keeps us fishing and guiding but allows us to not need a day off from our ‘day on the water’ to recuperate. Clients that show up dressed for the sun and heat in my experience catch more fish because they are able to fish hard from the first cast to last cast. Sun block, while an important part of the equation, can only go so far.
While on the water whether I’m fishing or guiding during the summer, you’ll find me covered from head to toe in clothing. Big straw hats, Buff sun masks, long sleeve shirts, pants and (yes, gloves). I’ve hyperlinked what I’m wearing in the picture. It seems to counter common sense that wearing so much clothing when its 105 will help keep you cool but it does. With the advances in outdoor clothing these technical garments create a barrier from the sun and “wick” moister (perspiration) in a way that you actually sweat less and what you do sweat evaporates in a more controlled manner. I’m not going to “cut and paste” a bunch of scientific evidence into this article as it is my experience that when I dress in this manner I’m a better guide for my clients and a better husband/father when my day on the water ends and the real work starts upon getting home.
Proper hydration isn’t something you can fix the day of. We all should be drinking water on a day-to-day basis. Bottled water won’t solve a dehydration or volume depletion problem the day of and while on the water, it can actually create serious complications (wearing my paramedic hat now) by flushing out electrolytes that well, are pretty damn important to being alive. As a medic this time of year we see a lot of people that don’t drink enough water on a day to day basis only to have it bite them in the ass after a full day in the sun. I’ve seen some scary cardiac rhythms associated with dehydration in “normal enough folks” that could have been avoided by just drinking a normal amount of water during the days before and wearing appropriate clothing. Shorts and t-shirts won’t cut it.
I think we all could easily drop a small fortune on gear without out a second thought. Personally it doesn’t take much to convince me that some shiny object to replace my perfectly good “older” shiny object is a must have for an upcoming trip (I’ve got a few coming). If you look at clothing as “gear” than it’s easy to justify a couple outfits for the elements. Rationally speaking it makes absolute sense to wear clothing that will keep you in the game longer whether it’s the trip of a lifetime or an afternoon on the Lower Colorado River with us.
See ya on the water!
AWG
I got bored. Tied up some leaders, then decided to write about it.
I first need to say that I enjoy building my own leaders. Most likely the store bought ones are better. (However, I cut those up too.) Also it gets expensive if you’re as tough on stuff as I am. Many in our community enjoy tying flies, I don’t. I enjoy building my own leaders. My nymph rig is not my own as I’ve cut and pasted what I like from others I’ve seen. It also needs to be said that Indicator Nymphing is pretty new to me. Having not grownup around tail waters I learned other ways.
My biggest issue with bobbers is that they destroy my leaders. Okay, “destroy” is probably the wrong word. My leaders seem to get all jacked-up from them though. You’ll notice a couple things in my rig. First, I run my bobber “inline” and secondly, I use a swivel. If you don’t see it, trust me it’s there. I’ll leave the swivel alone for now to let that digest. The nail knots of old fly-line secure the bobber where you want it on the butt section giving you your desired depth. However, you can make adjustments to your depth by just sliding the nail knots up and down the butt section. I’ve tried this on tapered leaders without much success. I think the declining diameter of the butt section allows the nail knots to slip. For comparison, this leader recipe will be pretty darn close to an Orvis 9’ 5x knotless tapered leader.
I use 3-4 feet of 30lb MAXIMA Ultragreen Mono (0.22”) for my butt section. MAXIMA is great stuff and has the stiffness required for a butt section. I’m pretty diligent on my lengths, for various and complicated reasons, so when I say 3-4 feet it is 3 feet or 4. I cut a longer section to work with and thread the bobber on inline. Then with old fly line tie in 2 nail knots on either side. Make them good and make them tight. I do 5 turns in mine. After you’re done with that, tie your perfection loop in one end and cut down your leaders butt section to the desired length keeping in mind the knot. (I’m a perfectionist and, yes, I will start over if it’s an inch off.)
For my mid section, I use Berkley VANISH Fluorocarbon. It’s supple and a good transition to the tip. With a 30lb butt section I’ll use 10lb test (0.11”) tied in with an improved blood knot. Capt. Dave Hunt, a tarpon guide whom I’ve fished with, instilled in me the importance of choosing the right knot for the right application, which I appreciate. Because of the drop in diameter between the two, I feel the improved is a better choice but I could be wrong. To finish off the mid section I use a swivel.
If you’ve never used a swivel or a tippet ring you should give it a shot. I am constantly breaking off, knotting up, cutting back…etc…etc… my tip section. The swivel helps with the cold finger tie-in if you have to completely redo your flies because of a tree, besides the extra little weight is good and I promise the fish don’t care. The business end of the rig is completely up to you.
For my tip section, I will tie to the swivel 1-2 feet of 4lb Berkley VANISH (0.009”) then my Frogs Hair Tippet 5x with a good ole’ double surgeons knot. I like the Frogs Hair because I get a deal on it and I’m nerdy. The gamma technology and their proprietary process is fun to read about and just like the Vanish it is made in the USA.
So there ya have it! Take it or leave it, use it or don’t. Just go fishing.
Tight lines
W