Five Helpful Tips for Winter Fishing

Trout have to eat to survive. While we all stop fishing because the weather gets cold, the fish still have to eat; and besides trout are a coldwater fish.  Winter fishing can be some fo the best fishing of the entire year, I enjoy winter fishing probably more than any other time of the year. There are fewer people on the river and the fish I catch are generally larger.  You do have to make some changes to your tactics for the winter though.

1. This is the clearest water of the year. You will need to approach holes cautiously. Fish will spook easier this time of year than any other time. So be sure not to line fish, and be cautious of your shadow spooking fish ahead of you.
2. S L O W down. While most anglers fish just as fast as they do in warm weather, the fish are lethargic and will not run the length of the pool to attack a fly. You may literally have to drift the fly over the fish three times to make him eat it.
3. Know what the fish are feeding on. There are not a lot of insects available to the trout in the cooler water, mainly midges, stoneflies, and a few baitfish or crayfish. There are also some worms available after it rains.
4. Stay in the strike zone, while you will catch a few fish in the winter on dries.  More often than not you will have to add lots and lots of shot to keep you fly in the strike zone.  Generally if you are not hanging on the bottom on occasion then you are not deep enough.
5. While it is tempting to fish very small tippet in the clearer water don’t. There is usually increased water flow, so I typically fish 4x fluorocarbon to my lead fly and 5x to my dropper. This results in fewer lost fish, and fewer lost flies on the bottom.

Good Fishing

Kevin Howell

Davidson RIver Outfitters<-->