Winter Fly Fishing

[Mark Hanes]

I usually try to get out a few times on some of the local water where I know trout winter over.  Most of the streams I fish are freestone streams so if the winter gets to bad they are frozen to the point of unfishable.  Tailwaters and Limestone streams can be a different animal in the winter I have had some banner days of limestone streams.  I know you southern boys have some great winter fishing due to the warmer temps and less snow. 

The question is what tactics does everyone have luck with on those cold winter days? For me it is about slowing down and really fishing the spots where you know the fish should be.  They are there but you almost have to hit them on the head to get a strike.  I hear midges when I look up winter fishing online but really I have had mixed results with small stuff in the winter.  So who winter fishes and what tactics and flies work for you?

[Mason Sims]

Mark I winter fish and it is some of the best fishing of the year down here. I fish a lot of things in the winter depending on the stream I fish. Some all round good flies for me are a heavy pink and red san juan, One of my REALLY heavy wooly buggers in brown and olive, zebra midges in colors purple blacketc. 22-24, bwo nymphs, and a Griffiths gnat. This is what works for me in the winter I am sure there are many more.

[Matt Beam]

Mark, Here in western NC in my opinion the winter is as good as it gets for fly fishing. Mainly I think the reason for this is just a lack of fishing pressure. My tactics for the winter dont change much. I do use a lot of smaller flies in the winter. Red, Olive and black midges size 18 to 24 dropped behind a  small egg pattern in size 18 or 20 is my top choice for winter setups. M favorite midge pattern is the black beauty. My top color egg is peach to cerise and I also throw an egg pattern in a light blue color, probably more of a steelhead color but these stocker bows love it. I do tend to slow down a bit and work holes that I absolutely know hold fish and get that perfect drift in those holes. Like Mason I too as well will throw Olive/Black buggers in the winter on days that are little warmer than normal, and fish them deep. I dont change my go to tippet sizes either, even though the winter water levels tend to be a little higher here, the water also seems to be a lot clearer in the winter. In my area we have a ton of water that is stocked on a regular basis  and with the drop in fishing pressure the fish become less picky. Im curious to see some input from someone who targets mainly wild fish in the winter and see how their tactics may change.

[Alain Barthelemy]

I target wild fish all the time in the winter.  I either French nymph or dry dropper with 6 or 7X. In hard times (hot summer or cold winter) fish seek out deep refuges on a stream. Look for a deep area with surrounding ledge rock as there is probably a spring nearby. I rarely use midges. I use size 18 and smaller gold heads with 2mm or smaller beads. Wild fish are opportunistic and may not be too fussy about specific flies. The best fishing for larger fish is in the late afternoon in lower light. In CT, February can offer a few days that feel like spring. On those warmer days if there is any snowmelt, try crane fly larvae in deeper runs. My biggest wild fish this year was caught on Feb. 27. Hope this post helps you find success.

[Scott Brown]

Mark

We have our cold days too, not nearly what you encounter, but winter has become my favorite time to fish. The tailwaters typically have low flows and significantly less pressure, the DH streams are fun (and take pressure off the tailwaters), but the smaller streams can be just as good.

I downsize as well, we get some pretty fantastic (by southern standards) midge hatches and the water can literally boil with a good hatch. #18's & #20's black and gray zebras are good go to flys, occasionally a #22 cream or white midge is the ticket, but I struggle to both tie and tie them on my tippet.

My favorite though is an #18 Starling and purple or partridge and orange (red & yellow work too), jus tdrifte and swung in the current.

My favorite thing about winter fishing is the lack of pressure......

[Johnny Utah]

Mark,
   I fish the same types of water. I fish with a nymph rig, with a golden stone fly nymph at lead, and then a small midge trailing about 18". I like the top secret midge for this. 

 When the fish are boiling on midges, I will fish either a greased leader with midge pupa patterns, or dry dropper a small grey rsII.

I keep it as simple as possible and I fish quite often in the winter.

[Dell Neighbours]

I'm with Utah, I fish all winter and my go to set up is big golden stone and either a midge or BWO dropper for the deep stuff...We often have low water on the Nantahala and more times than not I will dry dropper dropper that with a tiny BWO rig...

[Mason Sims]

Dell you have got to tell me your secrets for the lower Nantahala I have been fishing there a lot more and can`t figure it out at all!! I have only caught 4 fish on the lower the multiple times me and my Grandpaw have gone.

[Eugene Shuler]

One of the biggest things I see for winter fishing is watch stream tempratures. Get yourself a good digital thermometer and take stream temps regularly throughout the day. Depending on what the water temps do, rise, fall, or stay the same, will dictate how I change my setup. I may fish the same fly patterns but I will rig them differently and fish them a bit different.

[Dell Neighbours]

Mason there really are no secrets for the Nan, some days it just beats the hell out of ya...I can point you in the right direction though...I'm gonna be out there Tuesday and Thursday of next week if you want to tag along...

[Mark Hanes]

I have also had good luck with stone fly patterns especially a tan colored turd fly.  Vladi Worms have also worked fairly well for me during the winter.  In the late winter I start to pick up a lot of fish on black thread body nymphs that look a lot like the little black stones that hatch in later winter up here. The midges don't seem all that productive on the freestone streams for me.

[Mason Sims]

Dell I will be able to tell you for sure the day after Christmas. More than likely i will meet you up there one of those days. Where will you be on the nanthala if I can make it?

[Mark Ferringer]

I fish all winter, save for ice ups on the freestoners, and I have a few ideas that have worked for me. On freestoners, I usually avoid the skinny water. I find most of my fish in tailouts of riffles, slower runs, but usually the pools. For the slower water and my reluctancy to wade aggressively in icy waters I often find myself using a suspension device on larger rivers. On limestoners, I tend to find more fish in slow skinny water, as well as the slower pools.  I have found that flashier flies have definitely produced better for me, and on freestoners and the larger limestone streams a prince has cleaned up many times for me. I want to give a half frozen fish a good reason to move. My two cents.

[Dell Neighbours]

I sent you a pm before I saw this Mason...just give me a buzz...

[Eugene Shuler]

Dell,
Are you gonna fish the new wave feature??!  Geez what a waste of money, and an upset to a good stretch of water

[Dell Neighbours]

I actually haven't seen the new structure yet...I'm thinking its going to piss me off...

[Eugene Shuler]

I actually haven't seen the new structure yet...I'm thinking its going to piss me off...

Oh it will...

Can't wait until they get all the new gate wires hung too. Long handle bolt cutters is what we need for those things. Nothing worse than swinging three of your best heavy Polish Nymphs in high water only to have them wrap completely around those wires, loosing all three.