Seasonal Fishing Tips: Winter Has Arrived

It’s officially winter, which means it’s time to bundle up and hit the water.

There’s a lot to love about fly fishing in the winter including the beauty and solitude of the outdoors. Here are some tips to consider when fishing this time of year.

1. Be prepared for all manner of weather and wear layers. Don’t forget your hat, beanie, and easy to remove top layer if it gets warm in the sun.  Also, keep an extra pair of socks in your rig just in case your feet get wet or you want warmer feet for the ride home.
2. Be aware of the water temperature, especially when fishing a freestone. I will go out early sometimes, but hatches tend to improve once the water warms up several degrees.
3. Don’t forget your dry fly box!  Be prepared for midge hatches and either fish a single dry or cluster fly that you can see like as a Griffith’s gnat or Buffalo Midge.
4. Get some Stanley’s Ice Off Paste and apply it to your guides before you start your outing if air temps are below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Fish with lighter tippet. 5-7x can make all the difference during the winter months if the trout are being finicky and skittish.
6. Fish yarn or very small indicators while nymphing. Takes are more subtle in the winter and you don’t want to miss fish because of your oversized bobber.
7. Don’t be afraid to lead with an egg, stonefly or leech pattern. Fish will eat a bigger, higher calorie meal when they’re tired of snacking on minuscule midges.
8. Don’t sleep on zebra midges because they work. I like black and purple during the winter months.
9. Fisher brighter colored flies that incorporate red, pink or orange. The fish will at least give them a look.
10. Wade with caution and care. Snow, ice and slippery rocks are a friend to no one so be careful. Falling in while winter fishing will ruin your day.
11. Cast at different angles. Fish will react to larger food sources like leeches and are willing to move for them.  
12. Fish the slower water if you aren’t getting takes in faster stuff. My last trip out the fish were in the slowest water on the far side of the river and in slow, deep pools.
13. Fish below spring creeks, which can actually be warmer than the river itself, or near wastewater treatment plants that enter a river as that water tends to be much warmer. This leads to more aquatic life in those areas and the fish know that.
14. If you aren’t getting any action, move your flies a little. A slight mend or lift during a drift can create a strike. Play around with this in deeper pools too especially if you’re fishing midges on or below the surface.
15. Fish streamers! If trout are willing to commit to a streamer, they are most likely going to eat it. Try long, slow strips or short, quick ones to entice an eat.
16. Flies to try: Winter Nymphs and Winter Dries

Lastly, enjoy yourself out there.  Crowds are minimal in most areas during the winter so enjoy the serenity you’re likely to have out and don’t forget to look up.