Wool warms soul better than fish

It's winter now, the time of year that trout bums rest and heal up from the trout wars. We've trashed all our gear, tied hundreds of flies, baked ourselves in the sun and probably swam for it a few times.

This is no time for man nor beast on the Yakima River. The water is 37 degrees, the air temperature 35. You get the call. Midges. The Monsters of the Midgeway, size 20-24 black dry flies. Black flies on dark water in a snowfall, it is beautiful.

If they are taking midges, trout will be in the slack water and along the foam lines. The fish are sipping the tiny bugs; you can almost hear them in the canyon's winter silence.

You can leave most of your summer gear in the garage. Rod, reel, 6x leaders and a little box of midges is all that is required. This is fairly civilized fishing with the hatch starting around noon and over by three. Sometimes conditions will be perfect but the bugs don't show up. Just take it in stride. After all, this is secret winter dry fly fishing.

I keep a bag of fishing clothes in my truck. Fuzzy pants, wool socks, a fleece scarf and Old Blackie. Actually, this is Old Blackie II or son of Old Blackie; a gorgeous, wool V-neck Army sweater made in England. This garment has seen some terrific fishing from Kings in Alaska to Grayling in Montana. Old Blackie has a kind of charm only wool can acquire. You could think of it as a big sheep giving you a hug, but try not to think about it that way too often.

This new year, consider adding a wool sweater to your gear. You really don't need another rod and reel. A purchase of a wool sweater made in England of Scottish wool will, unlike a new plastic rod, add some soul to your fly-fishing journey.

Several winters ago I was fishing a favorite midge stretch when it began snowing hard. Across the river the Bighorn sheep covered in snow were moving down the hillside. Those sheep looked warm and happy. Wool.

On a non-wool related subject I am going to be working the Hill's Discount fly booth at the Bellevue fly-fishing show at Meydenbauer Center this weekend. Y'all stop by and say howdy.

Trout Bums, authored by Randal Sumner, normally appears on the first Tuesday of each month. Sumner owns Blue Skies Guide Service on the Yakima River. He can be reached at guides@blueskiesfishing.com.