Raynaud's disease and fly fishing

[Ttannahill14]

So my fiancé approached me the other day and said she wanted to go fly fishing. I immidietly planned a trip for Colorado this summer as I'm super pumped she wants to do something outdoorsy with me. Her and I have fished plenty of Kansas lakes and ponds, but usually that's in mid summer when it's hot and the waters pretty warm.

She has severe raynauds's disease which basically means her fingers and hands turn purple and dead in even mild cold. It's so severe, we've considered buying a Florida condo for the winter months as its to the point of causing permanent damage.

With that being said, I'd like her to have a good expirience fly fishing... Any gloves you all would recommend or anything to help keep her hands warm? Any ideas are welcome- thanks guys!

 

[JWP58]

You might take a look at Glacier Gloves. I know they make a ton of gloves specifically for fishing, and sportsman's sells them.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

What about fishing down stream from a dam. You can have fishable water temps when the weather may be more condusive to her condition. Lots of great streams like that in the east and south. I assume its the same for the west and southwest.

Sorry, no help on the gloves, good luck with everything. Consider Georgia instead of Florida, still good trout fishing within a few hours drive of the mild temps associated with the south.

 

[Cornell2012]

She has severe raynauds's disease ... With that being said, I'd like her to have a good expirience fly fishing...

I've got a milder version of this as well. This is going to sound really dumb, but it will help greatly if she can keep her hands dry. Don't make her reach in the water for anything. Unhook the fish for her.

Doing general things to help stay warm, like not standing in the stream (even in waders) could help. I find that I have the most difficulty when I'm standing still. If I move around a bit as soon as my hands start getting cold, that helps stave off the worst of it. Maybe build in some "walk around and stay warm" breaks every so often? She'll get less fishing time in, but that's better than fishing a lot and being miserable for most of it.

 

[Ttannahill14]

Consider Georgia instead of Florida, still good trout fishing within a few hours drive of the mild temps associated with the south.[/QUOTE]

Yes we've considered Georgia and also South Carolina as well. She wants a beach and I'd like somewhere where I can extend my duck season. Also need rental income from it since we won't be using it much from March-November.

The doctor boosted up her dosage of meds cause this winter was really tough on her (even though it was a super mild winter)... Hopefully the meds will help things out next winter, if not we'll prob be snowbirds for the winter in the south. I'm not overly disappointed ha.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

There is probably more bargains to be had in Florida. After the housing bubble bursted, there's some nice homes around lakes with private docks etc. pretty cheap all things considering. I'm sure you guys have seen that already. For what its worth, there's a huge difference between the east coast and the gulf coast as far as people, scenery, and hunting and fishing opportunities. If distance to a beach is the thing, in my opinion south carolina and florida are the two options in my opinion. So much of the georgia coast is swamp and salt marsh.

Again, I guess this isn't really what you were wanting in this thread so sorry. I just know what your going through, some close friends have gone through the same thing rescently. They've slowly but surely started staying in florida a little longer each year. Good luck and best wishes.

 

[runningmt]

I have a bad case of this, even a slight drop in temp can make my fingers turn white and numb, if I don’t do something about it quickly, they will start to turn colors. It is excruciatingly painful, and it scares me sometimes. The worst part is that it takes my mind off of what I am trying to do. I am a hunter that lives in Montana, even in the hottest portions of the year, it can be 35 degrees at night. I have searched and searched for remedies, treatments, or products that can help, with not much luck.

I usually can stave it off if I keep moving, but as soon as I am stationary for a bit, the Raynauds comes back, and once it’s there, it takes a lot to make it go away again.

I don’t feel like I have great solutions for this, and often I feel like I make dangerous mistakes, and panic can set in quickly. I always have hand warmers with, even in the summer. The 18 hour megas are the best, bulky, but warm. Gloves or mittens alone DO NOT WORK, it is difficult for anyone to understand this is they are not affected. When out hunting, I usually have a pair of chopper mittens in my pack with the 18hour mega warmers in them, opened up and ready to put my hands in. This has worked ok.......when I remember. Often at home, I have to run my hands under hot water even after a quick trip outside.

I love fall and winter, I wish I didn’t have this issue. Anyone else have solutions?

 

[Salmonchaser]

She suffers like that and wants to go fishing with you? You better take care of her.
I guide in Alaska, I’ll second the Glacier Gloves.

 

[MITCHMO]

Not an expert but I claim that I have a mild case as well. No caffeine, and black nitrile gloves. Keep hand warmers going in a muff style handwarmer and take breaks. Getting the circulation going ahead of time should help as well. I would also recommend doing something with the rod handle. Rod handles don’t provide a lot of insulation and pull heat from your fingers. To make it worse, your fingers are curled up and tight for long periods of time. Hence taking breaks. Get some tennis racquet grip tape or similar to wrap around the reel seat and handle. I had to do this for my kayak paddle and bow grip. It makes a huge difference. Good luck and have fun. Did I mention no caffeine. For real, not even one cup of coffee in the morning. It will effect your hands worse at the end of the day than in the morning.

 

[runningmt]

Not an expert but I claim that I have a mild case as well. No caffeine, and black nitrile gloves. Keep hand warmers going in a muff style handwarmer and take breaks. Getting the circulation going ahead of time should help as well. I would also recommend doing something with the rod handle. Rod handles don’t provide a lot of insulation and pull heat from your fingers. To make it worse, your fingers are curled up and tight for long periods of time. Hence taking breaks. Get some tennis racquet grip tape or similar to wrap around the reel seat and handle. I had to do this for my kayak paddle and bow grip. It makes a huge difference. Good luck and have fun. Did I mention no caffeine. For real, not even one cup of coffee in the morning. It will effect your hands worse at the end of the day than in the morning.

Black nitrile gloves? I use them at work, so they help with Raynauds?

 

[R.K.]

I feel you- mine's been getting worse lately.

Cut back on alcohol and caffeine. Stay super hydrated and keep up with electrolytes. Get your heart rate up beforehand. Keep hands as dry as possible, including the use of nitrile gloves if needed. Do wind sprints if you have to.

Maybe sleep in to avoid the damp, foggy hours.

And if you find something that really works well, please feel free to share. I plan on seeing a doctor about mine as soon as this whole pandemic is over.

 

[MITCHMO]

Black nitrile gloves? I use them at work, so they help with Raynauds?

They are surprisingly warm and keep you dry. You aren’t doing anything the cause your hands to sweat so they don’t really trap moisture. They work great when we perch fish and it’s 30 degrees and windy. Otherwise you have to keep taking your gloves on and off and the minute you grab a cold fish, it’s over. Otherwise make sure to have a rag to dry hands.

 

[MITCHMO]

I feel you- mine's been getting worse lately.

Cut back on alcohol and caffeine. Stay super hydrated and keep up with electrolytes. Get your heart rate up beforehand. Keep hands as dry as possible, including the use of nitrile gloves if needed. Do wind sprints if you have to.

Maybe sleep in to avoid the damp, foggy hours.

And if you find something that really works well, please feel free to share. I plan on seeing a doctor about mine as soon as this whole pandemic is over.

Dang! The same thing happens to my fingers when I hold the metal steeringwheel on my boat for a long time. Even on warm summer days. All my dang fingers go white for an hour.

 

[runningmt]

I feel you- mine's been getting worse lately.

Cut back on alcohol and caffeine. Stay super hydrated and keep up with electrolytes. Get your heart rate up beforehand. Keep hands as dry as possible, including the use of nitrile gloves if needed. Do wind sprints if you have to.

Maybe sleep in to avoid the damp, foggy hours.

And if you find something that really works well, please feel free to share. I plan on seeing a doctor about mine as soon as this whole pandemic is over.

I’m 46, and mine keeps getting worse.

Do yours ever turn blue and black? Or just white? I am fortunate that mine have only turned blue a few times, but I think it’s because I panic and start running or climbing hard to get my blood flowing, and usually I have some hand warmers with me.

I have had this bs for about 20 years, my dad just started getting it about3 years ago, and his is severe. They turn black like frostbite. He is moving from Minnesota to Southern Utah just because of this.

Please follow up and let me know what your Dr says, I’d appreciate it. My dad went on blood pressure meds with minimal success, but that’s not an option for me as I exercise quite a bit and my bp is too low to try that.

Thanks for your post, good luck.

 

[Ttannahill14]

I’m 46, and mine keeps getting worse.

Do yours ever turn blue and black? Or just white? I am fortunate that mine have only turned blue a few times, but I think it’s because I panic and start running or climbing hard to get my blood flowing, and usually I have some hand warmers with me.

I have had this bs for about 20 years, my dad just started getting it about3 years ago, and his is severe. They turn black like frostbite. He is moving from Minnesota to Southern Utah just because of this.

Please follow up and let me know what your Dr says, I’d appreciate it. My dad went on blood pressure meds with minimal success, but that’s not an option for me as I exercise quite a bit and my bp is too low to try that.

Thanks for your post, good luck.

Things are manageable. Just has to be very careful and always have gloves. She just had a baby and pregnancy can help some women with symptoms. Hers did not.


If they stay as is she can manage, any worse we'll probably have to move or snowbird south.

Thankfully spring is here and summers right around the corner.

 

[R.K.]

I’m 46, and mine keeps getting worse.

Do yours ever turn blue and black? Or just white? I am fortunate that mine have only turned blue a few times, but I think it’s because I panic and start running or climbing hard to get my blood flowing, and usually I have some hand warmers with me.

I have had this bs for about 20 years, my dad just started getting it about3 years ago, and his is severe. They turn black like frostbite. He is moving from Minnesota to Southern Utah just because of this.

Please follow up and let me know what your Dr says, I’d appreciate it. My dad went on blood pressure meds with minimal success, but that’s not an option for me as I exercise quite a bit and my bp is too low to try that.

Thanks for your post, good luck.

If it is too prolonged, they'll turn blue or purple. I'm also missing one of my fingertips, so that one tends to turn before all the others. Hand warmers really help, but nothing like getting my heart rate up.

This winter, I was glad I had the hand auger over the power auger for ice fishing- kept my heart rate up to keep my hands warm. And a rag to grab fish with & keep my hands dry.

But mittens are a big plus, maybe 10x better than gloves.

I just want to get to a point where I don't need the crutches, and just fix it.