Michael Gracie has some ideas about why Carp are better than Trout. That prompted me to get back to listing all the ways the Salt is better than fresh water fishing.
Yet another reason saltwater fly fishing is way more super fantastically awesome than freshwater fly fishing. – Iced Guides.
It is mid-February now and things are cold. Here, in the SF South Bay that means temps getting down to the 40’s! Brrr. Elsewhere temps are dropping to the point where stuff starts to freeze and if water is freezing and fish live in water… well… comedy and complications must ensue.
The coldest weather I ever went fly fishing in was 16 degrees on the Scott River in Severe Northern California. Steelhead were the intended target and despite my falling into the river about 30 seconds into the trip, I managed to A. Not freeze to death, and B. Catch some. The cool thing about the trip was that the Scott is a small river and the fish are mostly in the half-pounder range and you can high-stick/short-line nymph for them. I caught 2 and had a decent time, my dad was there too, which is always a good day on the water, even if that water aspires to ice-cubes.
Still… I’m going to have to say that the whole scenario does present a pretty clear-cut case in favor of saltwater flyfishing.
Reason #3… Iced up guides
That there is cold...
There is no ice in bonefishing, except maybe in the cooler to keep your beer cold and that is how things should be.
PS – If you haven’t figured this out, and I’m surprised I need to write this… this is really tongue-in-cheek.
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Tags: bonefishing, fly fishing, flyfishing, iced guides, Michael Gracie, trout fishing
Iced guides are better than dusty guides…
Gettin to the salt is expensive for most everybody (especially in winter)…gettin to the backyard is not. The salt will never be superior to fresh water fishing for me for that simple reason.
I remember on chilly morning on the Deschutes. I finally got into a steelhead and when he started his run I realized my reel was frozen over. I know I have learned my lesson. No more cold water. Only white sand and the “ghost”.
True Sven. My fresh water fishing is always going to out pace my saltwater fishing. I grew up on steelhead and shad and some the most special places on earth for me are little bits of trout streams I know. This post is just a little sarcastic.
Amen Butch… but that Deschutes is nice country… the Metolius is kind of special as well…
I had this same conversation the other day with the guy at the local fly shop. Wading around in tropical waters, with the palms and the white sand will always beat out slogging through a cold river, with 4 layers of clothes on, heavy waders, and those moments when your line will not travel through your guides, because of ice. As well as the fact that the saltwater fish seem to have boundless energy. Aside from bonefish, I have caught small jack salmon on the west coast that when landed amaze me that such a small fish could have pulled so hard.