It
is mid-September and this week I realized that fall is in the air. Early the
other morning I was preparing for a guide trip that day. I turned on the
Weather Channel and learned that it was then fifty degrees and the high
temperature that day was to be sixty six degrees. I made a few last minute
changes to the clothes I was to wear that day.
I
switched from the lightweight wading shoes for a pair of L. L. Bean gumshoes
and a pair of heavy wool socks. The lightweight wading shoes dry fast but were
not waterproof. That is not important, when the temperature is in the nineties,
but can be critical, when it is in the fifties. These have become my standard
cool weather footwear for fishing from the boat in cool temperatures. I have a
pair of eight inch high L. L. Bean insulated waterproof Maine hunting boots,
for when the weather turns really cold.
I
also grabbed a lightweight down sweater, which is the most warmth for the least
weight of any garment that I own. This is a new layer. I bought it from Patagonia
this spring. It proved to be so comfortable and warm that I bought a similar
one for my wife, Lori, and she loves it.
On
that day, I was to guide two ladies that had never fly fished before. Sandra is
a senior bank officer and Susan is a retired executive from IBM. I figured that
they would not have the proper clothing to handle the change in the weather, so
I gathered up a few extra layers to carry with me. It turned out to be a good
idea because Sandra was a layer short and both used a pair of the wool
fingerless gloves that I carry in my wader bag. They also bought hats at rim
Shoals Trout Dock, when they were purchasing their fishing licenses and trout
stamps. We were quite comfortable all day and only removed the extra layer and
gloves when it warmed a bit around 2:00 PM.
This
is my absolutely my favorite season of the year. It signals the end of the long
hot summer. While wade fishing can usually be comfortable, fishing from the
boat in hot weather can be tough. On a hot sunny day, there is nowhere to hide
from the heat, when fishing from a boat. I have seen at least one angler who
had rigged up a huge patio umbrella on his boat to escape the sun. It looked
cool and helped him finish the day but was totally impractical for fly fishing.
In the summer, you can remove just so much clothing before you are arrested.
The arrival of fall changes all of that. The cooler temperatures make it much
more comfortable to be outside. If it gets a little cool, all you have to do is
to add another layer.
I
love the clothing of fall. We are talking about wool or fleece sweaters,
jackets and pants. For the past few years I had switched to fleece garments
because they are warm and easy care. Lately, I have been adding more wool
garments to my fall wardrobe. With the popularity of merino wool, we have
clothing that is warm when wet and can be washed in the home. The real wardrobe
change that I look forward to is the addition of my felt cowboy hat. I have
been fishing in this hat for over thirty years. It just looks and feels right.
In addition, I like the look of fall. The leaves are turning and the grass is
going dormant. It is our most beautiful season.
Fall
is here and it is time to get out there and enjoy the weather. I hope to see
you out there!
John
Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local
streams for over thirty years.
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