Of all of the vagaries of weather, wind is probably the one most dreaded by spring creek anglers. In a game that places a premium on casting accuracy and spotting the quarry, wind can create serious problems. All the same, wind is an almost constant companion to the fly fisher, so strategies for dealing with windy conditions are an important part of angling tactics.

The first problem with wind is that for most anglers even a light breeze destroys casting accuracy. This is a particular problem in spring creek and tailwater situations because placement of the fly in a narrow feeding lane is crucial to success. A further complication is the fact that drag may be caused not only by current acting on the leader and fly, but also by wind pushing the fly and tippet across these currents.

A wind ruffle on the surface of the water also makes fish much harder to see, even with the aid of polarized sunglasses. Even experienced spring creek anglers may find that they spook more fish because they don't see them until the fish are scurrying for the cover of a weed bed.

Wind can also indicate other weather changes that have adverse effects on fishing. Summer afternoon winds caused by temperature gradients can be annoying, but the fish are still willing to eat in these conditions if the angler can get the fly to the target. Winds caused by large scale barometric pressure changes as a storm front moves in can put a complete damper on the feeding activity of the fish.

My experience is that wind also diminishes hatch activity, although it is not clear whether the insects are reacting to changes in air pressure or sudden changes in light intensity (from wind chop on the surface of the water). It is not unusual to see the start of a good hatch and then watch the activity dissipate as the wind picks up. Similarly, evening falls of mayfly spinners are dependent on gradient winds dropping in the evening to allow the bugs enough mobility to form a mating swarm — if the wind stays up, the spinner fall just won't happen.

On the other hand, anglers should recognize that wind — in small doses — can be an ally. In extremely flat water, a breeze can produce a riffle where one didn't exist before. The broken surface of the water in wind chop prevents the fish from getting a good a look at the fly or its drift, and although fish are harder to spot in these conditions, it is also harder for the fish to spot the angler. If there is decent hatch activity in the wind, the fish grow accustomed to the hatching insects skittering across the surface, movement that is mimicked by the drag of a less than perfect drift. The fish also recognize that hatching bugs in these conditions are often ripped away from them quickly, so they may become more aggressive in their feeding habits, slashing at the insects (and your artificial fly) before it can get away.

Tackle Selection for Windy Conditions

Some of the problems created by wind can be alleviated by proper tackle selection. One strategy is to pack a heavier rod and line as a backup for use in windy conditions. If your standard rod for spring creek fishing is a 3-weight, think about keeping a stronger 4- or 5-weight in reserve for windy days. The delivery of the heavier line is not a problem in wind chop, and most casters will find the extra line mass will help carry the fly accurately to the target.

Even though most anglers don't carry a variety of floating lines for different conditions, some line designs are a handicap in the wind. Long front tapers — often found on "spring creek" lines — provide a more delicate presentation, but a line with a shorter front taper is a definite asset in transferring energy to the leader and getting the fly to the target when wind is a factor.

Although rods and lines may be more glamorous, a well-designed leader is the most important piece of tackle for presenting a fly in windy conditions. In particular, a stiffer butt section is critical for transferring energy from the line down the leader. Many spring creek anglers are enamored of soft-butted leaders (either knotless or braided butt designs) with extra long tippets. These leaders help produce a drag-free drift by failing to transfer energy through the length of the leader, which dumps slack tippet material into the cast. This works well with downstream presentations when a reach cast or reach mend can skate the fly across several current lines and leave it in the fish's feeding lane, but accuracy is nearly impossible when the caster tries to drive one of these leaders into or across the wind.

Hand-tied leaders offer the advantage of combining different leader materials to get the best of both worlds — a stiff butt section for positive turnover and a soft tippet for a better drift. In windy conditions, don't be afraid to shorten the tippet. A shorter tippet will transfer energy more efficiently, and although it will present the fly faster and "harder", this is usually hidden by surface chop.

Casting and Presentation in the Wind

These notions of how wind affects fishing point toward several basic fishing strategies of casting and presentation. The first is to leave the dictum to "fish fine and far off" for calmer days. Since accuracy is at a premium, get as close as possible and let the wind hide your approach.

Wind velocity is always lowest right above the surface of the water, so try to drive the forward cast low and allow the loop to unroll just above the target. Driving the forward cast too high puts the loop into a zone with more wind and also gives the wind more time to act on the cast before it can drop the fly to the target.

If the wind is blowing directly upstream, don't try to present the fly downstream with a reach cast. You may be able to make the reach with the line and butt of the leader, but the wind will invariably kick the tippet and fly back upstream, leaving a downstream belly in the tippet that will cause drag on every drift. With upstream wind, rely on a traditional upstream cast, and hope that surface chop will hide small amounts of drag that come with this style of presentation.

If the wind is blowing downstream, you may be able to make a reach cast by simply holding the line out in the wind (on a slight upstream angle) and hovering the fly slightly above the target. Drop the rod tip quickly to put the line, leader, and fly on the fish's feeding lane, and then reach downstream to allow the fly to drift naturally.

Extremely windy conditions will frustrate even the best caster, and there are times it is important to recognize that discretion is the better part of valor—if the wind is gusting to hurricane force, it may be time to retire to the motel room to tie flies for the next day (or to a local tavern to commiserate with other disappointed anglers). But there are casting and fishing techniques that will allow an angler to minimize the effects of wind, and it's worth trying to achieve a level of proficiency that will make a moderate breeze a nuisance, but not a total barrier to success.