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Float tubes have come a long way since the early days of canvas seats tied into an inner tube. In recent years, pontoon craft (PC's) have slowly replaced traditional round tubes in popularity with fly fishermen. I believe this has been due in large part to PC's providing easier entry and higher riding seats, keeping more of an anglers anatomy out of the cold water. More however doesn't mean all. So, while PC's are an improvement at staying warm, there is still a lot of an anglers subsurface body to get cold when out tubing. This is especially critical during the prime "shoulder seasons" of early spring and late fall when water is cold, but fishing is hot. In fact, these times frequently provide the best fishing of the entire year. So being able to fish comfortably during these shoulder periods is of vital importance to the serious tuber. Some larger PC's have a platform that keep the anglers entire body out of the water, except for his legs from mid-calf down. In cold weather, this is an advantage to keeping warm except that such high profile craft are a frustration to control in any sort of moderate wind so common in spring and fall. For this reason, even during cold shoulder periods I often opt for a smaller, more controllable PC on most days, but I dress for the cold. Listed below are the methods and clothes I wear, and for the most part have found effective at helping keep me warm. Waders: I prefer neoprene for cold weather tubing. 5mm Neoprene is nearly half again thicker, warmer and probably more durable than the 3.5mm variety but a bit more cumbersome when putting it on and taking it off. Breathable waders are easy to put on and great for warm summertime waters, but have no insulating benefits. In either case, choose waders with a high back and front, coming up nearly to your shoulders. These will protect you from getting wet due to wave splash. If you get wet during cold weather, your fishing day is over. Rain jacket: It seems to be nearly impossible to keep elbows and forearms dry while tubing so I wear an uninsulated, breathable rain jacket about 95% of the time out on the water. If the weather is warm, I'll just throw it over a light shirt to provide protection from the wind. If it's cold, mine are all cut big enough to allow an abundance of layering underneath as temperatures dictate. Tight, Velcro adjustable cuffs are also an important consideration to keep water from running down your arm when your hands get wet. This happens most often after reviving and releasing a fish, when you raise your arm up to begin your next cast. While Gore-Tex is the most recognized breathable fabric coating on the market, there are many other brand names to choose from. Just be certain the breathable rain jacket is large enough to fit over a warm coat, or multiple layers of warm clothing, and be sure it has adjustable wrist cuffs that can be cinched down tightly to keep water out of your sleeves. If you don't want to spend the money on a Gore-Tex jacket, I have worn less expensive rain jackets of vinyl coated nylon before. They work fine in cool or cold weather. But in warm weather, or if you begin to sweat they'll become uncomfortable quite quickly. Gloves: I try to avoid wearing gloves while fishing unless I have no other choice. Gloves inhibit my ability to feel the line and subtle takes from fish. If it's cold, I'll sometimes wear a glove on my left, non-casting hand, leaving my right hand free to maintain line feel. If my hands are still too cold, I'll resort to fingerless neoprene gloves, like Glacier Gloves. Many of these types allow you to cover your entire hand except for your index finger, allowing you to feel the fly line as you fish. The very nature of fly fishing requires fishermen to handle wet fly line with nearly every cast, so some sort of glove is almost mandatory during cold weather. When dry, wool or cotton gloves are quite warm, but become cold once wet, leaving neoprene as the logical choice in fishing glove material. I've recently seen some Gore-Tex gloves that are only lightly insulated and seem to have good "finger feel" to them I haven't tried them out yet., but thin waterproof gloves that allowed your hands to breath would seem to be a perfect fit for fly fishing. Hats: The key ingredients to a good fishing hat are first, that they will shade your face and eyes, and second finding a hat that will stay on your head in a strong wind. I've worn both straw cowboy style hats and a fisherman's "Up-Downer" for many years. The up-downer is nice because I can take it off, fold and stash it in the back pocket of my tube. I'll also turn it around backwards so I can put on my headlamp for night fishing. In cold weather I've often placed a stocking hat over a ball cap. Such a set-up looks a bit silly, but works great at keeping ears warm while shading your eyes. Underclothing: Underclothing can play a big role in determining how comfortable you'll be while in your tube. In general, multiple thin layers are a better choice than a single thick one. Under my waders, I like to start out with a thin layer of polypropylene, followed by a thicker pair of fleece, or polypro if the weather is cold. I usually wear a medium to thick pair of wool socks over the bottom cuffs of my "long johns" to keep them from riding up my leg when I slip into my waders. Many fly shops and catalogs now sell fleece stirrup pants designed just for use with waders. This set-up allows you to wear your socks either under or over your layered underclothes, as the stirrups keep your cuffs where they belong, which is down on your ankle, not up by your knee. On top, the same rules apply. Dress with multiple light layers and wear only enough to stay warm Sweating will only make you chilled as the day wears on toward evening. To help offset this, choose tops or sweatshirts that have a button or zippered front. This way if you begin to overheat you can pull down your waders a bit and unzip your top to allow cooler air to circulate around your torso. If things are really cold you can add a down vest or coat underneath your rain jacket. Down is nice because while warm, it can also be removed, stuffed into a small sack and stored in the back pocket of your tube if the day heats up. While down looses it's insulating properties if it becomes wet, your breathable rain jacket, worn properly, should assure it remains dry and warm. Even at the wrists and elbows. Using this type of dressing technique, I've been extremely comfortable while tubing on some very cold days. In fact, on several occasions I've remained toasty, even as I've been busy knocking ice out of my tip top and line guides. Many anglers opt to not tube or even fish when the weather turns cold, that's too bad as they are missing what is probably the best fishing of the year. If you'll only dress for tubing success, you can enjoy the great early and late season angling opportunities the shoulder seasons present, and do it in comfort. |
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