ALL ARTICLES / WHAT CLOTHING SHOULD I WEAR FLY FISHING IN THE TAUPO RIVERS DURING WINTER?
What clothing should I wear Fly Fishing in the Taupo Rivers during Winter?
By Brendon Li
- Chief Marketing Officer eagerly awaiting early retirement to become a Fly Fishing old timer
As the saying goes… the early bird gets the worm.
And that is exactly the saying that drives me to always want to be the first on the water when it comes to fly fishing.
During the trout winter spawning season down here in Taupō, fly fishing enthusiasts, guides, novices, and everything in between descend onto the Taupō rivers to intercept the hard-fighting and fresh silver bullets as they migrate up the rivers from their summer home in Lake Taupō to their various home rivers. This season brings fly fishermen, women, and children out onto the rivers in their hundreds, as keen anglers cast their lines in the hope of snagging a Taupō trout for the smoker, a photo, or simply to fulfil their passion of the sport and challenge.
I’m not sure whether it’s a boom in popularity, the visibility of social media, improvements in weather and river flow forecasts and reports, or just that I am more conscious of other anglers on the water and cars in the carparks, but in my opinion, it feels that these days the rivers are busier than ever. Therefore, if you're an angler like me who values a bit of solitude and peace, or simply wants to maximise time on the water, it's all about finding the right conditions and timing. That usually means getting into the pools and runs before the crowds arrive and start frothing up the water.
Like many, I’m busy, and time is always a commodity I wish I had more of. When you’re a dad of four, work a busy job, and have more hobbies and passions than sense, what and how I choose to spend that time is very important and valuable. Therefore, I am forever trying to maximise the small window of opportunity that I have (or that my wife will let me have) to chase my passions.
For me, my one true passion is fly fishing. Being a born and bred local Taupō boy, I have grown up with an affinity and connection to trout. As a young sprat chasing trout down the Waikato River with spinners, to fishing on the lake, to graduating to the challenge and finesse of fly fishing, I really love chasing the winter-run trout up the rivers. They’re fresh, hard-fighting, and the early cold mornings, up to your waist in freezing cold mountain-fed waters, make me feel alive.
And when we are talking about the best time to chase these fish, it is usually in the depths of winter. That's where having the right gear really makes a difference to the overall experience. And, most importantly, getting and keeping you on the river or in the water for longer.
Getting to my intended fishing spot first is always my priority. I’ve always been a morning person and feel I have lived a life of perfecting the ability to function on minimal sleep. So setting the alarm clock super early, getting ready, and arriving before anyone else is my goal. There is something that makes me feel alive waking up early, boosting down in the darkness, blasting my favourite pre-adventure tunes, illuminated only by the glow of the moon or the ambient light of truck headlights, taillights, and nightshift workers. Coffee in hand, and facing the forever-oscillating decisions in my mind around what river, what carpark, and what pool I am going to choose today.
Getting first to the carpark is always a reassurance I seek. Knowing that I am going to have first crack at the rested and undisturbed fish in the pool, which hasn’t yet been frothed to a foam by other anglers.
I’m definitely no expert, far from it. I certainly don't claim to know what fish do or how they behave, but for me, I seem to have the best success early in the morning, for the few hours before the sun hits the river and the riffles, runs, and pools are cast in shadow. These are the moments, times, and conditions I love the best. It’s also at these times that the temperatures are at their lowest and the seasons are usually throwing rain, sleet, or even snow at you. Especially when you are wanting to fish after some significant rainfall and a fresh flush of water flow through the river system.
So for these conditions, you need to have really good gear that is purpose-built and performs. So when wondering what type of clothing and gear do I need to go fly fishing on the Taupō rivers during winter, my answer would be any gear that keeps you comfortable and confident enough to brave the early morning frosts and chilly water, but clothing and gear that also keeps you out there longer throughout the changing weather, temperatures, and activities of the day.
In my opinion, the true testament to having good clothing is that you shouldn’t even notice it. There should be no niggles with temperature, sweat, comfort, or movement that distract your mind or body from the fishing. If your body temperature, comfort, and range of movement are all in a good place, then I believe you can stay fully focussed on the task at hand. In my case, good gear = being on the water at the right time, in the best conditions, and staying there for longer.
This is what I love. Fly fishing in the absolute rubbish weather. The colder and wetter, the better. It works for me, and in my experience, it seems to work for the fish.
What are the BEST BASE LAYERS TO WEAR UNDER WADERS DURING WINTER FLY FISHING?
For me, I choose to wear lightweight, breathable waders rather than heavy, bulky, and poorly breathing neoprene waders. I am a big guy, and for those of you that know me, you would have seen me literally sweat in a snowstorm. So, to achieve the comfort and breathability I need with waterproof gear like waders, I also need a great-functioning set of technical base layers. My choice is the Stoney Creek Slipstream Thermal Top and the Stoney Creek SC Active Leggings. These are super comfy, super warm, and are the ideal low-profile, next-to-skin thermal layer to wear underneath waders when fly fishing in winter conditions. They dry quickly if they ever get wet or need to be washed, which is great for multi-day fly fishing trips where you need the gear to be dry and ready to go again the next day.
WHAT ARE THE BEST JACKETS TO WEAR FLY FISHING DURING WINTER?
When it comes to rain jackets, I look for a lightweight option that can help protect me from the rain (from heavy to all-day drizzle) as well as cut the cold wind. My favourite choices out of the Stoney Creek stable are our Stoney Creek Voyager Jacket, Stoney Creek Stow It Pro Jacket or the Stoney Creek Chief Jacket. All these jackets are super lightweight, flexible, and comfortable. They are high-performance, 3-layer, seam-sealed rainwear that keeps you dry throughout, and the various jackets all have unique features or designs which will suit different people and budgets.
The Stoney Creek Voyager Jacket is my first go-to. It has all the performance qualities that I need and expect out of a waterproof jacket. It’s got big full-length zips, which makes it super easy for cold, wet fingers to unzip when you need to. The fact that it’s full zip makes it really easy when you need to take the layers off, or unclip your waders underneath when nature calls. But the real reason I choose this jacket most of the time is because it comes in everyone’s favourite colour of BLACK, and this is the jacket my local mates and I chose as our jacket of choice for our fly fishing group. We got these custom branded with our own club's logo on the chest and back. So it’s a bit of an emotional choice.
The Stoney Creek Chief Jacket is my choice to use when I’m expecting a cold start but a warm day. This jacket is exceptional for breathability and keeps a big hot rig like me regulated for longer. It also has a good amount of stretch within the fabric, so this is my favourite jacket for comfort and big swings in temperature, or if I am walking a long way down the river to reach some far-away pools.
My other go-to is the Stoney Creek Stow It Pro. This is a 'lot of jacket' for an entry-level price point. They are vibrant in colour, so are perfect for those wanting to add a touch of style to their fly fishing kit, and the best bit about them is they have ripstop nylon in them. So, if you do happen to catch a wayward cast in the wind (or are just starting out and getting used to throwing heavy winter flies around), they are a great option to give you a bit of extra protection and minimise any holes or tears if your fly hook happens to catch your jacket by mistake.
These jackets all have great secure cuff straps to help keep the volume down around your arms, so fewer things for lines to catch on. They also are all really quick-drying, so when they do happen to get wet from the weather or the river, they naturally dry out quickly and are ready to go for your next mission.
I personally prefer to wear a fly fishing vest for all my kit, so therefore want a jacket that can keep me warm and dry, breathe well, and be as light and comfortable as possible. A full zip and performance fit are good to keep bulk and length to a minimum. There are a few more specific wading jackets available on the market, but for my style of fishing and my choices for gear storage, they are all unnecessary bulk, weight, and cost that I don’t need in a jacket.
WHAT INSULATION LAYER SHOULD I WEAR TO KEEP WARM ON THE RIVER
I remember being in the Boulder Reach pool, hooking up on a good trout one morning, and the fish ran straight towards me… I ran backwards as fast as I could to keep the pressure on the fish, only to trip on a small rock behind me. Thankfully, it was only shin-deep water, but I got a bit of a splash of water down my waders and it instantly chilled me down and meant I had to cut my time short.
It’s those types of lessons that make you choose better gear, adapt and evolve your techniques, or value things like wading belts or high-performance insulation fills – such as the Stoney Creek Accelerant Jacket. The Accelerant uses PrimaLoft® Gold insulation and an XReflex lining to make it super warm and thermally efficient, while still being incredibly lightweight and low profile. It’s also hydrophobically treated, so it continues to perform when wet and keeps you warm even if it gets damp. Essentially, the coating helps keep the insulation loft from collapsing when it gets wet, so it can continue to trap air and body heat and keep you warm.
For me, that wet-weather performance is a big deal when you’re fly fishing. You know you’re going to get wet at some stage. Catching and releasing fish means my hands and arms are going to get wet. Venturing deeper into the river, crossing rivers, or the accidental tumble on the side of a riverbank, or in a worst-case scenario within the river, could mean that I get a bit wetter than anticipated. Having an insulation layer that can handle a bit of moisture gives me a lot more confidence.
The Accelerant is also built with a Mini Rip Stop outer, which helps prevent a small tear from turning into a big rip and stops the insulation from pluming out if you do happen to catch it on something. When you’re moving around rocks, scrub, riverbanks and gear, that extra durability is something I really value.
A technical layering system is essential to work together and adapt to the changing temperature, conditions, and activities you experience during your outdoor activities or adventures. When it comes to what is the best clothing for winter fly fishing, I like to choose Stoney Creek clothing and a layering system that can defend against the cold winter weather conditions, be low profile, and work in with my chosen waders, wading boots, and fly fishing vest system, as well as give me the confidence knowing that I will stay at the right temperature throughout various levels of physical activity, temperature, and exposure to the weather and water.
A final thought...
When I am fishing, I like to wade out deep to access different parts of the pool, so I wind up feeling the maximum plunge of the cold. Arms can sometimes get wet dipping in hands for releasing of fish. Balancing warmth with breathability and the ability to dump heat if needed is key.
So much emphasis is put into waders, boots, and vests. They are all really important, and I definitely am always on the lookout for the best kit in these areas. But as someone that prioritises the experience, and wants to maximise this in the limited time that I have, having a really effective and performance-driven set of clothing is just as important as the world’s best waders, rods, reels, and fly lines… because at the end of the day… staying warm and comfortable and being able to endure and outlast Mother Nature, the seasons, and the river is the key to keeping your mind sharp and ready for the strike.
I've always said, good gear is all about comfort and confidence. If you gain those two things, it’s what you choose to do with it that counts… for me… it's chasing trout on the fly.
Cheers,
Brendon Li
