Winter Trout Fly Fishing
By Cameron Larsen, Thu Dec 8th

It is winter time now. One step on the frozen porch steps firstthing in the morning removes any doubt of that fact. Winter timebrings on many thoughts, holidays, dark afternoons, football onTV and for me some of the best fly fishing there is.That’s right fishing, winter steelhead fly fishing hasbeen around a long time, and gets more popular every season. Butthe truth of the matter is fly fishing can be excellent,the crowds are down to non-existent, the scenery and wildlifeare plentiful, and it makes those long days of early spring withnon-stop rain and overflowing rivers more tolerable.

When to go:

Winter fly fishing demands a little timing and planning on yourpart. One nice thing is, the weekends aren’t crowded, so youreally don’t need to ask the boss for time off, to really getsome peace and solitude. But other planning does need to bedone. The first thing is checking your local regulations. Many,many places now offer year around fly fishing. A goodportion of this is probably catch and release, but that onlyhelps in further reducing the crowds. Some areas allow onlylakes to be fished year round, some only allow rivers, but mostplaces will allow something to be fished year round.

After you have your areas selected, you must really get an ideaon the weather. Mild winter days, specifically afternoons, canprovide some shirtsleeve fishing opportunities. Coastal regionsthat rarely get snow or ice, need to be checked more for riverlevels. Three or four days of steady rain can really put a riverin at unfishable levels. It is also rarely enjoyable to fish inwell below freezing temperatures. Even if you can dress warmlyenough, the ice on the guides make casting nearly impossible,and the slickness of entering the river is extremely dangerous.Extreme care should be taken when wading in general, one slightmisstep, can send you into the river, dangerous all year, thisis multiplied by the cold air temperatures in the winter. Alsolight is much less, making it difficult to see the river bottomwhile wading. So step very cautiously. And always fish with apartner.

OK, enough of the warnings, when to go is what we are after. Iprefer a nice period of dry weather, with mild afternoons. Irarely fish in the early morning, in the winter, but if you canget a fogged over morning with nicely rising afternoontemperatures that reach in to the 40’s, you have a day to hitthe water!

What to wear:

A few years ago I switched to breathable waders and I actuallyhave never been more comfortable while winter fishing. I layerunderneath with two or three layers of thermal wear, includingone layer of fleece pants. I can move much better than inneoprene’s, and there is no clamminess to bring on chills. Socksare also important silk liners with thick winter socks work forme. I have a roomier pair of wading boots specifically forwinter to allow for the extra bulk. I also don’t cinch my bootsdown too tight, as that seems to cut off circulation, nothingwill ruin a fishing trip quicker than cold feet.

Many angler’s wear fingerless fleece gloves. I like them only ifthere is a biting wind, otherwise I can’t seem to keep them drylong enough to make them worth the effort. I can cast adequatelywith either hand, and will sometimes tuck my free hand inside mywaders by my chest.

To me a hat is virtually as important as waders, and I layershirts, remembering my vest will also provide some warmth. Don’tforget the inside, a nice hot thermos of coffee, has broughtmany a sigh of satisfaction.

Fishing:

Winter fly fishing requires some adjustments. Plan onsub-surface fishing primarily. The warm afternoons like Imentioned above will produce Blue Wing Olive hatches in manylocations, and midges hatch year round as well. Some dry flyaction can occur, especially on smaller streams where optionsare less for trout. But by and large plan on fishing nymphs. Andplan on fishing them deep. Depending on the size of water, asplit or two is mandatory, and perhaps a sinking tip line. Iusually use two flies, one as a dropper. Good patterns include,imitations of food sources that are available year round likeSan Juan Worms, Chironomid Pupas, Disco Midge, and Wd-40’s.General nymph patterns like Hare’s Ear and Prince Nymphs, willwork to imitate the occasional nymph that might come in thetrout’s path.. Streamers also make excellent winter flies,including Woolly Buggers, Muddler’s and Mickey Finn’s. Don’tforget that like trout, small fish and nymphs metabolism is slowas well, and they are apt to stick to the bottom, and out of themain current.

Winter fishing usually means clear water. I use lighter tippetthan normal, because fish seem more easily spooked. Trout’smetabolism makes them want to seek out pools near the bank thatare warmed by the sun, so they are more vulnerable. I usuallyforgo strike indicators as well. Also remember that due to theslower metabolism, the fish will be sluggish. They often willbite gingerly, hook-ups will be primarily in the tongue. Astrout may often go after several small insects in one mouthful.So rigorous setting of the hook is not required.

They are not likely to chase food down, as this will burn morecalories then they will take in. Especially when fishing smallerpatterns. While small pattern are very effective, in fact thefirst choice of many winter angler’s, they need to be fisheddeep, and in front of the fish. Dead drifting nymphs is my firstchoice. If no luck I will try swinging streamers, second. I mendmy line as soon as it hits the water, to ensure a drag freedrift, and wait for the gentle take. I let the fish do thesetting.

Once landed the winter fish might need more that it’s usual carebefore allowing it to swim free. Landing fish should be quickerdo to their lower energy, and then one must make sure the fishis 100% revived before it’s release.

Summary:

There you have it, like all forms of fly fishing winter flyfishing takes a little practice, and a lot of patience. But thesurreal beauty of winter combined the solitude it brings, makesthis an especially rewarding time of year, to flog the water.

About the author:Cameron Larsen is a retired commericial fly tier and fly fishingguide. He now operates The Big Y Fly Company.Http://www.bigyflyco.com. He can be reached atinfo@bigyflyco.com. This article will appear in the Big Y FlyFishing E-Zine atHttp://www.bigyflyco.com/Bigyflyfishingezine.html