The Importance of Traditions

January. Ugh. All the good times and family traditions from the holiday season have faded way, you’ve gone back to your working routine, bills are piling up from shopping you didn’t need to do and you’ve finally built up the courage to step on the bathroom scales. I guess what I am trying to say is where is the silver lining in all of this?

Well, I have a tradition here at home where during the holiday vacation break I get out with friends and hit the local rivers, looking for winter steelhead that are migrating upriver right around the end of December. Often this is on Boxing Day, or maybe New Years Day depending on family commitments, weather, and if I can find a buddy or two to join me for some end of year laughs and (hopefully) chrome steel on the end of our lines. It’s a great way to end the year off on a high note and spend some of that ever shrinking quality time with good friends on our home waters.

In 2021, I wasn’t able to coerce anyone to go fishing with me over the holidays, so I did end up doing a few solo trips in my drift boat. I’ve always wanted to do winter drift down one of my favourite rivers in the snow and so I decided I would haul my boat up there and give it a shot. To be honest, I don’t really recommend that anyone go drifting solo in the winter for a number of reasons, including of course safety and the possibility of being stuck out in adverse weather. But being cautious and selecting a day where the river is at a reasonable height and no severe weather warnings were in play, I loaded up and gave it a shot. I watned to keep the tradition alive, even if it was just me on the water.

When drifting in the winter, a few things you need to keep in mind when setting out. First off, make sure your gear onboard is thawed out before you head to the ramp. Things like anchor lines and pulleys can easily become frozen stiff in the cold, and nobody wants to be sitting at the boat ramp waiting for things to thaw before you get going. I would also strongly recommend taking some sort of onboard heater with you, as sitting in the boat for 7 – 8 hours in your waders, regardless of long underwear, is not a warm endeavour. This is especially important if you have someone else onboard with you, as they won’t be keeping their core temperature warm through rowing the boat. Trust me, it’s ten times colder standing at the casting platform than it is for the guy rowing.

Another good tip – bring some nice dry firewood, paper and kindling. This is useful not only for a shoreside warm up mid drift, but also important should someone get wet or go overboard. If you don’t have a portable heater for onboard the boat, at the very least bring dry wood and kindling for a beach fire. Your toes and your buddies will thank you!

Finally, when winter drifting fishing nothing gets more high fives than a hot shore lunch. I often bring my portable boat BBQ along, so a nice juicy hamburger or two never gets turned down. There’s something about a flame broiled cheeseburger on the riverside that can’t be beat.

As for me and my drift that cold winters day in 2021, things were magical. For starters the sunrise as I put the boat in was amazing, and drifting down the snowy river was peaceful and calm, just the sound of the oars and the riffles keeping pace as I made my way down the river. Because of the snow and the cold temps I was the only boat out so I had the luxury of taking my time, fishing and drifting along in peace. I did manage to hook a couple of trout during the day but I wouldn’t say it was a banner fish day. But honestly I didn’t care. I was in my zone, doing something that filled my soul and as it was January 1st was the best way to start another year of tossing flys, dragging lines, and telling stories. I am grateful for that day, and for the opportunity to experience it. And that I didn’t give up on my tradition regardless of if I had anyone to fish with.

This year in 2022 despite best efforts, my buddy Steve and I (@Steely_Steve88) were unsuccessful with executing our tradition of a Boxing Day fishing trip. Our plans had been to walk and wade some of the local rivers on southern Vancouver Island, but unfortunately Mother Nature had other plans. We had departed from our meeting spot at 5:30AM, arriving still in the dark about an hour and a bit later on the logging road that would takes us to our destination. What we didn’t know was that there had been local high winds the night before causing many windfalls to occur, and as it would turn out two rather large trees fell across the road we were accessing. Normally one of us would have packed a chainsaw (from experience, never a bad idea) but on this morning we didn’t have one, and the trees were just too large to move by hand or haul out of the way with the truck. On top of that, the wind had been accompanied by heavy rainfall, and the rivers were super high and dirty.

Dismayed but undaunted we U-turned it out of there, and checked out some other alternatives nearby. Sadly there was no luck finding a river that wasn’t overflowing its banks or choked with dirt and debris. We had to concede defeat and headed back home with our gear but vowed to give it another shot in a few days. Less than a week later we hit the road again, chainsaw on board and were able to find some fishable waters. We didn’t find many fish around other than some late spawning Coho salmon, and a few trout kicking around the reds. But we got out there none the less, had some laughs, and ended our day with a beer (or two).

So as 2022 closed out the traditional “end of year” fishing trip was in the books, and I’m looking forward to repeating the same in 2023. The older I get, the more that I think maintaining traditions and friendships is super important and a good way to keep your mental health (and belly laughs!) in top shape. It seems to me that for some, the lingering effects of self isolation from COVID are still prevalent and in general people are spending less time socializing than they did pre-COVID. I’m not going to fall prey to that mentality, in fact I am going to push for the opposite. We need to appreciate not only those close to us, but those we interact with outside our close family circles and keep those pre-COVID traditions alive and well. Even introverts need others in their lives. As 2023 begins, I am going to continue to use the sport of fishing to get together as much as I can with friends, family, and those who I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting.

I can’t think of a better way to enjoy my time on the water.