July 3, 2021
Courtesy of Mike Moynihan.
Wind.
The damn wind!
It can be one of the most irritating conditions to fly fishing in and can be the cause of much frustration. It can cause problems when casting and especially when tying on your flies or when cleaning your flies.
These are two very unique issues – but the results can be the same. The mother of all granny knots! This article provides tips to avoid these tangles when tying on or cleaning your flies when the wind is howling, gusting, and swirling. Or even it’s just blowing hard.
The last time out – which was a couple of days ago – me and my fishing buddy Brian were fishing the Upper Arkansas River. There was a storm brewing – coming off the 14,000’ for peaks in the Sawatch Range. We could see it coming and before it hit us a bunch of fish started rising. It was one of those times when there was no doubt – time to switch to dries and hook some up.
A bit after the fish started rising the wind began to howl. It was gusting and swirling. Hats flying off, things on the ground getting blown away kind of wind. Then the storm hit – pelting rain. And the wind kept coming. Not sure how hard the gusts of wind were but I’d bet they had to be 35 mph – at least.
Before the wind and rain storm hit I had tied on a couple of caddis dry flies thinking that was what the fish were rising to eat. But they weren’t interested in either one of my flies. So after several drifts through the rising fish and not takers – I decided it was time to change up my flies.
By this time we were in the middle of the storm. My plan was to add a Chubby Chernobyl (a large dry fly that imitates a terrestrial insect like a grasshopper or such), change out my Elk Hair Caddis fly for a Grey Parachute Adams, and leave my Puterbaugh Caddis on as my last fly just for grunts. This should be a pretty quick change.
It didn’t occur to me that I should change my tying technique to account for the gusting, swirling wind. And it all started out OK – in fact I had all my flies tied on and was getting ready to apply some floatant to them. That’s when the problems started.
I had my Parachute Adams – which was the middle fly – in my fingers getting ready to apply the floatant and a gust of wind whipped my Puterbaugh Caddis around and the next thing I knew was I had a that mother of granny knot on my hands.
As I tried to untangle it – a gust of wind would kick up and rectangle my flies.
This was frustrating to say the least. In my experience, fish begin to rise - and continue too - for a finite amount of time. When it’s over – it’s over. I knew this and was trying to get the tangle out as soon as I could – but by the time I was done, the rising had stopped.
I had another experience in gusting wind while fly fishing in 11 Mile Canyon - a place know for being windy. This time I was nymphing and my flies had some kelp on them. As I took them out of the water to clean them a gust of wind came and whipped my flies into the same kind of huge granny knot.
It’s not uncommon to have wind – blowing hard, gusting, swirling, or all of it at once – here in Colorado. And after my last encounter with the wind on the Arkansas I began to think about how I could avoid getting all tangled up when fly fishing in windy conditions in the future. I gave it considerable thought and came up with the following ideas. I haven’t had a chance to try them out yet – but I think they will work.
First things first. Obviously you want to get out of the wind. But you’re on the river – or on the riverbank – and most of the time there is no shelter from the wind. If there is shelter – use it. If not, there are a couple of things you can do to help minimize the effect of the wind.
First, once your flies are out of the water - keep them as close to the ground as possible. Second, use your body to shield the wind as you’re tying your flies. Lastly, you have keep your flies from being loose and thereby getting caught up - and whipped around - in the wind.
Other than casting, I can think of four instances when you will have your flies out of the water and exposed to the wind. When you are initially tying up your rig, when you are inspecting or cleaning your flies, when you are changing flies, or when you get a wind knot caused by a bad cast.
The following tips cover each of these instances – with the common thread of keeping your flies secure to avoid getting them whipped around.
Typically, the fly fisherman rigs his set-up - whether it’s dry flies or nymphs – with more than one fly. When I’m dry fly fishing I usually have two flies tied on and sometimes three. When nymphing, I almost always have three flies on.
One obvious way to avoid getting your flies tangled is to only use one fly. I have never fly fished with only one fly though – and I am not confident it would be effective. So here is how I plan to tie on multiple flies in the wind.
Changing Flies
To change your flies - reel them in leaving your leader and a small amount of fly line out of the rod tip. Kneel or squat down to keep your rod close to the ground. Keep your flies either in the shallow water near the edge of the river - or on the ground next to the river’s edge.
Next lay your rod on the ground and position yourself so that you’re blocking the wind. Then grab your last fly (furthest from the leader) and secure it on one of the rod eyelets about mid-way up the rod. While doing this – make sure the tippet is taunt between the flies. Secure remaining flies to other eyelets insuring tippet is taunt till all flies are secured to one of your rod eyelets. Keeping the tippet taunt will insure the flies are not whipped around in the wind.
With all the flies secure, change them by starting with the lead fly (closest to the leader). While keeping all the flies secure, change one fly at a time till all are tied and secured in their respective rod eyelets. In this case, multiple flies are being used – so you will have to tie two clinch knots on a couple of them. Just be sure to keep them secure while doing so.
If your tying on dries and floatant is needed - apply it while all the flies are secure to the rod eyelets.
Next, with the rod is still on the ground – remove your last fly in the set-up (the one furthest from the leader) pulling the fly to keep the tippet taunt. Then remove the next fly and continue to pull the last fly so that the tippets to both flies are taunt. Continue to remove remaining flies while keeping all tippet taunt.
Make sure the tippet, leader, and fly line are all taunt and then pick up your rod, move into position to cast, and cast the flies into the water. You will have to strip line out – do so while the flies are in the water and are being pulled downstream by the current. Once you have the desired amount of line out – begin your normal casting routine. Use of a roll-cast will help to keep your flies out of the wind.
Checking or Cleaning Flies
To check the condition of your flies or to remove any debris from them - reel them in leaving your leader and a small amount of fly line out of the rod tip. Kneel or squat down to keep your rod close to the ground. Keep your flies either in the shallow water near the edge of the river - or on the ground next to the river’s edge.
Next lay your rod on the ground and position yourself so that you’re blocking the wind. Then grab your last fly (furthest from the leader) and secure it on one of the rod eyelets about mid-way up the rod. While doing this – make sure the tippet is taunt between the flies. Secure remaining flies to other eyelets insuring tippet is taunt till all flies are secured to one of your rod eyelets. Keeping the tippet taunt will insure the flies are not whipped around in the wind.
With all the flies secure, inspect or clean them by starting with the lead fly (closest to the leader). While keeping all the flies secure, inspect or clean one fly at a time – keeping the tippet taunt - till all are clean.
If you have dries on and floatant is needed– apply it while all the flies are secure to the rod eyelets.
Next, with the rod is still on the ground – remove your last fly in the set-up (the one furthest from the leader) pulling on the fly to keep the tippet taunt. Then remove the next fly and continue to pull the last fly so that the tippets to both flies are taunt. Continue to remove remaining flies while keeping all tippet taunt.
Make sure the tippet, leader, and fly line are all taunt and then pick up your rod, move into position to cast, and cast the flies into the water. You will have to strip line out – do so while the flies are in the water and are being pulled downstream by the current. Once you have the desired amount of line out – begin your normal casting routine. Use of a roll-cast will help to keep your flies out of the wind.
Initially Tying Flies On
When initially tying on your flies – only pull your leader and a small amount of fly line out of the rod tip.
Next lay your rod on the ground and position yourself so that you’re blocking the wind. Tie on your first fly and secure it on one of the rod eyelets close to the butt of the rod. Tie on your next fly and secure it on one of the rod eyelets further up the rod. Do the same for the last fly
If you have dries on and floatant is needed – apply it while all the flies are secure to the rod eyelets.
Next, with the rod is still on the ground – add the indicator if using, then remove your last fly in the set-up (the one furthest from the leader) from the eyelet, pulling on the fly to keep the tippet taunt. Then remove the next fly and continue to pull the last fly so that the tippets to both flies are taunt. Continue to remove remaining flies while keeping all tippet taunt.
Make sure the tippet, leader, and fly line are all taunt and then pick up your rod, move into position to cast, and cast the flies into the water. You will have to strip line out – do so while the flies are in the water and are being pulled downstream by the current. Once you have the desired amount of line out – begin your normal casting routine. Use of a roll-cast will help to keep your flies out of the wind.
A Wind Knot
If you unfortunately get a wind knot - reel your flies in leaving your leader and a small amount of fly line out of the rod tip. Kneel or squat down to keep your rod close to the ground. Keep your flies either in the shallow water near the edge of the river - or on the ground next to the river’s edge.
Next lay your rod on the ground and position yourself so that you’re blocking the wind.
If you can untangle the knot - do so – keeping the flies on the ground or close to it. When complete pull on the last fly (furthest from the leader) so that all tippet, leader, and fly line are taunt and then pick up your rod, move into position to cast, and cast the flies into the water. You will have to strip line out – do so while the flies are in the water and are being pulled downstream by the current. Once you have the desired amount of line out – begin your normal casting routine. Use of a roll-cast will help to keep your flies out of the wind.
If the knot is so bad that it will take too much time – cut off all flies and use instructions for “Initially Tying on Flies” above.
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