Winter is a special time for the anglers that fish it. The fish are fat, opportunistic, and predictable. Whether it’s a trout, musky, pike, or any other fish in the colder months, it’s bound to have a winter routine that’s not too hard to crack. On top of that, the rivers are less crowded and the fish are less pressured.
Not every angler fishes through winter. The cold, wind, and snow isn’t for the faint of heart, and dealing with it is the hardest part of fishing after the fall. It’s tough to do what you need to to keep your fly in the water when it’s below freezing. It’s hard to stay warm in general, but the hands are the worst.
Gloves Aren’t the Best Answer
The obvious answer to cold hands is wear gloves, but it’s not that simple in fly fishing. The more you cover up, the worse your mobility gets. At most, you can get away with a mid weight pair of gloves and still maintain enough mobility to fish well. These will only do so much to keep your hands warm anyways. For me, the ability you lose when wearing gloves just isn’t worth the comfort they provide. I do everything I can to avoid putting them on, and I know plenty of other anglers that feel the same way.
That’s not to say gloves don’t work for anyone. They’re a comfortable, easy solution, and some anglers use them and get by just fine, at least with the way they fish. If that’s the route you’re interested in, fingerless gloves or foldover mittens are the best ways to go- if your hands aren’t going to be completely free you at least need your fingers uncovered. Wool or neoprene gloves that still work well when wet are best.
I use gloves too, but only as a last resort on the coldest days, and only for certain types of fishing where dexterity isn’t as important. Days when I’d have my hands in my pockets more than out, usually when the feels-like temperature is 15F or less. Even then my preferred gloves are thin, fingerless ones. What I’m using now are Evolution Knitwear Fingerless Mittens. They don’t have separated fingers and can be rolled back to provide a bit more freedom.
Stay Warm Blooded
So if gloves aren’t the answer, what is? The method I’ve been relying on the past few seasons is to warm my hand indirectly by heating the blood as it flows in. Heating the top and bottom of your wrist can warm your hands a surprising amount.
Hot Hands chemical hand warmers are the best for this. You can get a forty pack on Amazon for around a dollar fifty a pair, and they’ll last you all day. Even if you have to use few pairs for extra heat on an extra cold day, it’ll be the best money you could spend to enjoy the day more.
Holding these hand warmers against your wrist is like having bluetooth gloves. Your hands feel noticeably warmer, and your mobility lasts significantly longer than if you had nothing on. I prioritize having a hand warmer on the back of my wrist to bring warm blood to my extensors. I’ve found keeping these warm is the most important thing for preserving mobility, as they’re significantly weaker and less insulated than the flexors. On a day with a feels like temperature down to around 25F, this is usually all I need. When it gets colder or I want a little extra warmth, I’ll add one to the bottom of my wrist as well. They’re not quite as good as some nice mittens, and can’t protect your skin from the wind, but they’re the next best thing and provide unmatched dexterity.
I used to use hair bands, tape, or the cuff of my sleeves to hold the hand warmers in place. They all worked, but nothing was perfect. I’ve now switched to Hand Heaters, which are neoprene wrist straps with a hand warmer pocket. The hand warmer pocket isn’t quite as warm as the hand warmer directly against skin, but it’s pretty close, especially after I added a few holes to the skin side to help the heat transfer. When I want a hand warmer on both sides, I tuck the second under the thin side of the strap. I pull my jacket sleeves over this whole setup and I’m comfortable fishing some pretty cold days.
Have a Hot Pocket
Fly fishing in winter with no gloves may help you fish better, but it also means your hands get colder quicker. No amount of warm blood will protect exposed skin forever in harsh conditions. Don’t get me wrong, some days you can go all day with just the hand warmer method, and most you can at least go an hour at a time. On the chillier days though, you need somewhere warm to bring your hands back to life in between stints.
The best, most convenient place I’ve found is the chest pocket of my Orvis Pro waders. It’s fleece lined, so it’s already comfortable, but I add a few rags in for extra insulation and to help dry off my hands when they’re in there. I also throw one or two pairs of hand warmers in there to keep it toasty. A few minutes in the pocket is usually enough to bring my hands back to life in any conditions.
Keep Em’ Dry
We become desensitized to just how often our hands are wet over a day on the water. Unhooking fish, retrieving stuck flies, stripping in line, and more all leaves your hands at least damp, which in turn makes them cold. Consistently drying off your hands will help you stay warmer for significantly longer. I bring a few rags with me tucked in my waders or jacket, and dry off my hands at least a few times an hour. On wet, snowy days, I keep extra dry rags in may car to switch out every now and then.
Final Thoughts
The method I use may not be the best for everyone, but it’s the best I’ve found. I don’t like gloves. I don’t like something between my hand and the rod, the loss of sensitivity and dexterity, or the fabric blocking part of my fingers. I’ve tried plenty of different ways, but in any case I feel like the gloves hinder performance, and I’m not alone in that thought.
The system I use is not going to keep your hands perfectly warm in all conditions, but most of the time it will keep you comfortable enough to stay out there all day. It’s a trade off- give up a little comfort to maintain performance. When the going gets really tough, you can always throw a glove on over top. Give it a try, stay warm, and go catch some fish.
-Mike Komara
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