Wind

[JimKennedy]

Seems like I almost always get skunked when there’s a steady wind. Even if I do get one or two, it’s never a great day.

Anyone else have an observation?

Blowhards welcome!

 

[TimMurphy]

Seems like I almost always get skunked when there’s a steady wind. Even if I do get one or two, it’s never a great day.

Anyone else have an observation?

Blowhards welcome!

Dear Jim,

I had thoughts of giving it a go today, maybe hitting Big Spring. But after watching every one of the millions of leaves in my backyard completely change sides a half dozen times I decided to stay put. They were swirling like a tornado!

The power went out briefly and I'm glad I stayed home. We have had a lot of dry fronts come through bringing gale force winds this Fall and nothing else. It's getting old, like me! 😉

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[Jay_H]

I went out briefly a week or so ago when it was really windy. While I didn’t catch the skunk - it was tough fishing. And the ones I caught were on the smaller side.

The wind we’ve had today feels like the stuff we usually get during winter storms in January and February.

 

[dryflyguy]

Wind is never good for fishing IMO
Makes it hard to get a good cast
And hampers rising activity

Even worse at this time of year - it brings leaves down

 

[Broodstock]

I fish when I can. I don’t usually get to pick the day based on the best conditions so I’m used to fishing in all kinds of weather. Today was windy and the temperature plummeted. By the evening the wind died down. I caught three fish, all of them good and one very good. One on a streamer with gale force winds. One on a nymph in the lulls between the gales. One on a dry after the winds died down.

 

[herbalwizard]

The only windy days that I can think of where I've done well for trout is late august if you find some fish rising to flying ants. I've had some good windy days for other species.

 

[McSneek]

Wind is the bane of my existence. Try getting a drag free drift with a #18 sulphur over a picky West Branch brown and I think you’ll agree.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

A NW wind off New Jersey beaches is a godsend, as the bunker are filter feeders and turn into the current and therefore get closer to shore.

Smallmouth on a lake will get excited if the wind is pushing bait into a cove or a bank.

Otherwise, wind is a 4 letter word.

 

[sarce]

I've only noticed a major negative effect on my trout fishing when it is blowing leaves into the water. But I usually fish streamers.

I have had poor fishing on windy days in the spring after a cold front - but I attribute that to the bluebird clear skies and blinding sunshine that comes with those days, rather than the wind itself.

Strong south winds often bring clouds and I've had good outings in those conditions.

If the wind is strong enough to be breaking small sticks off trees and sending them crashing into the water, that will also shut the bite down fast. Trout don't like feeling under attack from above! Yet if you can find a sheltered pool, often the fish in those spots are still feeding normally.

 

[nymphingmaniac]

other complications- Ten or so years ago, I had a very large limb, a man-killer, come crashing down about 20-30 ft upstream from me while fishing. I then had to dodge it.

 

[Taimenpala]

Dear Jim,

I had thoughts of giving it a go today, maybe hitting Big Spring. But after watching every one of the millions of leaves in my backyard completely change sides a half dozen times I decided to stay put. They were swirling like a tornado!

The power went out briefly and I'm glad I stayed home. We have had a lot of dry fronts come through bringing gale force winds this Fall and nothing else. It's getting old, like me! 😉

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

Fishing Big Spring in those winds would've been rough, and that place is always windy.

I decided to go to Clarks yesterday, hoping that the valley and trees would shield some of the wind. Only ended up with one little brown hitting a tiny streamer.

Is it less the wind and more the fact there is a change in pressure that turns the fish off on days like these?

 

[tjsingle]

I don't think wind really affects the fish, directly. Wind can come from a front coming or going, which I think has a greater impact.

Generally speaking I don't think wind affects me much aside from casting or trying to get a drift. It will most definitely impact my tactic of choice though.

On really windy days (Like yesterday), I am wary to venture in a heavily wooded area because I've seen far too many trees and limbs fall because of it.

 

[Streammagic237]

I usually will try to fish in wind , but I cut a trip short on LVC few weeks ago when 4 big trees came down around me . When you see the deer 🦌 running out of the forest it's probably best you do also . And To the gentleman I saw at confluence who fished on I commend you !

 

[tomgamber]

Wind is the Devil. I can keep my line low and get "some" distance but it does get frustrating. I once had a great day on a lake where the wind kept blowing ants from a bush onto the water and the fish went crazy for a solid hour.

 

[Billr]

Seems like I almost always get skunked when there’s a steady wind. Even if I do get one or two, it’s never a great day.

Anyone else have an observation?

Blowhards welcome!

Went out yesterday. Sunday. Maybe the windiest I've ever fished but i wanted to get out. Fished the Codorus and caught five.

 

[EchoRidgeElder]

I hate the wind. My least favorite of any of the potential weather events!

I never fish in the wind.

 

[Broodstock]

This was my best fish from sunday - the wind was so strong at times my nymphs were pulled right out of the water. I had to fish with a lot more weight in the system then I would have liked. This fish ate a nymph in fast water, and it was sleeting and hailing and then the sun came out, all in the span of a couple minutes of November Gales

 

[Swattie87]

I caught my biggest wild Brookie on a super windy February day. Usually the type of weather patterns (other than thunderstorms and remnant tropical systems) that produce high winds in PA tend to be colder season (say mid November through mid April or so) strong cold fronts. Ahead of it you get strong, and generally warm-ish winds out of the south, and behind it you get a dry, cold wind out of the northwest. The key to fishing on days like this IMO is to find streams that have a mountain as a natural windbreak. Meaning on the warm, southerly flow days find a ridge that runs roughly east/west, and fish a stream on the northern side of that ridge. On the cold NW wind days, find a ridge than runs SW to NE (there are lots of these in PA) and fish a stream on the SE side of the ridge. The day I caught that big Brookie you could hear the wind howling over the ridge to the NW, but in the valley along the stream it wasn’t bad at all.

 

[dryflyguy]

This was my best fish from sunday - the wind was so strong at times my nymphs were pulled right out of the water. I had to fish with a lot more weight in the system then I would have liked. This fish ate a nymph in fast water, and it was sleeting and hailing and then the sun came out, all in the span of a couple minutes of November Gales

View attachment 1641246416

Fish like that makes fighting the wind worthwhile!
The sky behind you looks very ominous....

 

[dryflyguy]

I caught my biggest wild Brookie on a super windy February day. Usually the type of weather patterns (other than thunderstorms and remnant tropical systems) that produce high winds in PA tend to be colder season (say mid November through mid April or so) strong cold fronts. Ahead of it you get strong, and generally warm-ish winds out of the south, and behind it you get a dry, cold wind out of the northwest. The key to fishing on days like this IMO is to find streams that have a mountain as a natural windbreak. Meaning on the warm, southerly flow days find a ridge that runs roughly east/west, and fish a stream on the northern side of that ridge. On the cold NW wind days, find a ridge than runs SW to NE (there are lots these in PA) and fish a stream on the SE side of the ridge. The day I caught that big Brookie you could hear the wind howling over the ridge to the NW, but in the valley along the stream it wasn’t bad at all.

If I am out on windy days, I always look for places with windbreaks.
Usually where a stream goes through a high mountainside or gorge.

However, if I'm preparing to leave on a fishing trip, and I see wind forecasts of 20 MPH or more - I'll usually hold off, and go when things should calm down again.
A perk of being retired