Great Lakes winter steelheading is not for everyone… but it can be. It’s deer gun/deer rifle season or even later. That means fewer anglers. Plus, the fair-weather fly anglers (no shade intended) are off the water deep frying their turkey, buying a deliberately ugly Christmas sweater, or deciding what size heart shaped box of chocolates best suites their current sentiment. All fine things.

For the weather prepared, this is prime time on the dark wintery creeks of the Great Lakes, breadcrumb snowflakes vanishing into the flow and piling on the brim of your hat. I can hear the silence now. Perhaps there is a hot thermos or a slim flask in your sling pack, and some tender jerky or salty mixed nuts.

No, this is not a Hallmark pharmaceutical commercial. It’s winter steelheading; one of the richest fly fishing experiences you’ll ever have.

Ok, there is the possibility of wind gusts in excess of 40 mph, edge ice to send you back flipping into a snow drift or worse, and line ice metastasizing on your leader so fast if you don’t clear it off every few casts you’ll need to flog it into a shale bluff to break it up (mind your rod tip though).

Tip: carry a spray bottle of isopropyl to melt your reel when it freezes up. Never let your reel touch the water or the snow. Hang it in some tree branches if nature calls or you stop to sit for a nip and a fine cigar, or a cold slice of leftover pizza you stuffed in your bag because you couldn’t bare to leave uneaten. I swear that might be the perfect river nourishment.

Making winter fly fishing work is all about having the right gear, and by gear I mostly mean clothing. If you get cold, you’re no longer having fun, no matter how tough you are.

You want layers of synthetic or wool.

No cotton for two reasons:

You will sweat way more in winter than you will in fall because you are wearing more layers and hiking in snow is more work. Sweat trapped in cotton bring your body temp down fast when you stop for more than a few minutes.
If, for some reason, you take a swim (even if its just your arms and a little gulp down the front of your waders) wet cotton can take you to near hypothermia no matter how many other layers you are wearing. That cooling effect is why we love cotton in the summer, but there is nothing to love about it under 40 Fahrenheit.

Layers: I have paid a great deal for a premium brand winter fishing jacket with removable layers. I don’t recommend you follow my lead. The better the jacket is at keeping out moister and wind, the better it is at keeping perspiration from escaping your clothes. If you have worn neoprene waders on a too-warm day you know what I’m talking about. Gauge your number of upper body layers on temperature, sun, and wind.

Yes, you need rain protection, but get it from a light-weight packable outer layer you can remove while trekking to your next spot, or when the sun suddenly breaks through and the wind stops. Just carry it in a light-weight ditty bag carabinered to your pack, or stuffed down the back of your waders. Only put it on when you feel you need it. Don’t worry, you can still pay hundreds of dollars for one if you want. Quality gear does heighten ones enjoyment of an experience.

Inside the waders: Air space between you and the water is what allows your body to keep itself warm. Breathable waders are thin. Here, the number of layers is less important than bulk. I have some Hollywood brand fashion joggers that are lined with what could pass for a fluffy stuffed animal. I think they were meant to make you sweat while jogging or working out. I use them to create and defend a layer of warm air around my legs when the pressure of waist-deep water is attempting to squeeze it all out. I also wear a base layer of not-cotton. Usually a thin layer, but if its really cold my base layer is fleece. I don’t recommend 3 layers on your lower half. It might be warmer, but the extra bulk can be restrictive when climbing or trying to get up from sitting. You are already wearing underwear (hopefully), and you want to add three hefty layers to that? On the water there is no good fix for swampy.

Tip: Socks. Everyone already has their own warm foot strategy. No-redirect needed. Ok, I’ll tell you. I am in love with Heat Holders brand. If you know, you know. A base layer sock plus Heat Holders and you’re good to go. If its really cold use a medium weight base layer. I will leave that right there.

Also get a hat that can cover more of your head than your hair. Here, I have hard time taking my own advice. I am completely partial to my leather wide-brimmed hat. I wear it late into the season… later than is good sense most years. There’s a certain point, though, where a bomber or a traditional hunting cap or any of the really nice quality protective headgear on the market, is nearly a requirement if you want to fish for any length of time without sheer misery ending your day. And buy something that allows you to get the ear flaps out of the way if it warms up unexpectedly.

For gloves I recommend wool or alpaca fingerless. Fingered gloves, even the half-finger types, separate your digits from sharing heat. Body warmth beats fiber warmth. There are plenty of high quality synthetic fishing gloves that are very warm, and I am sure they are fine, but I don’t believe I have never seen true fingerless fishing gloves marketed to fly anglers, and it’s an error. Perhaps just an error of fashion. The top brands all sell the short-finger gloves, so if I buy medium-name brand then they should at least follow the design of the top brands. I can see why manufacturers follow that logic, but that doesn’t make it the best strategy for staying warm. It just helps sell gloves that don’t.

I am sure everyone has tried a glove they think is perfectly fine. I have owned plenty, but the first time I wore my alpaca fingerless gloves I became a believer. Actually what I wear is more like mittens with the finger part cut off, mitten shorts? I often get my alpaca gloves soaking wet, even fishing in 17 degrees, with no concern about getting cold. It’s liberating. I ring them out and they keep my hands as warm as when dry. That’s why alpacas wear it.

I have fished the winter months for steelhead well over two decades. I don’t know everything but I have learned a lot. I hope your time spent reading this has been informative and encouraging.

I do know this much; using the above strategy as a guideline for staying warm in the water, you can shift your focus where it should be, on the bubble line, on the tail out of a flawless drift, on the subtlest take, on keeping your hook pulled into the corner of mouth, on lifting that steel football gently from the water for an epic social media post, and maybe on a change in dinner plans.