Winter Fly Fishing Gear – This article was written by Michael “Sal” Salomon, a trout fly fishing guide and author based at Will Valley Angler in the mountains of Colorado. Photos by Nolan Dahlberg. Follow them at @vailvalleyanglers for the latest information on trout fishing in the West.
Going near the river in winter can be a scary fly fishing experience when the water is as clear as glass. However, it can be very useful if the angler is aware of the conditions and delivers the fly with focused intent. Knowledge of the bugs that inhabit rivers and local waters provides a useful starting point. Knowing the daily conditions as the sun warms the river leads to great winter fly fishing.
Winter Fly Fishing Gear
Winter slows down growth. Narrowed by shore ice and covered by shelf ice, the river level is the lowest of the year. Bugs are kept in immature stages of development for long periods of time. Dried larvae can be the primary food item for hungry trout.
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Frozen ice accumulates on river banks and washes away rocks and detritus. The base on the ice anchor prevents the bugs from being displaced during the water flow. Long periods of anchor ice can stop fishing in the area for several days.
Trout are harvested in deep pools under oxygen infusion guns. Spending a few extra minutes observing trout behavior will lead to more productive winter trips. During the winter months, trout are fed by trout that hang in the middle of the river. Performance will be concentrated in a small feeding lane that requires precise and controlled flow for success.
Winter conditions are more technical when dealing with your presentation. Dialing in your rig to deliver small flies in a specific area requires some trial and error. Microshot helps add or subtract weight for precise fly placement. Throwing in heavy, single weights causes a weak, unnatural flow that hangs around and wraps around the rocks. Instead, use a series of small weights that are spread over a short distance of the same amount. The weighted wire has a tendency to heat up and twist around the rock. Think about the Mardi Gras bee and how it gets around, get the picture?
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Take care to catch fish before entering the river or starting to cast. Blind casting announces your presence and accidentally scares the fish away from the feeding line. Wait and see, read the trout’s reactions and how it feeds to adapt to your first few species.
Winter is all about nymphs. Dry fly opportunities can occur, although they are few and far between. The sun in open water can create the perfect set of magical conditions for a dry fly bite; Otherwise, head level.
Midges rule the stage. As a year-round source of protein, midges are available for food during the winter months. Popular colors include red, green (chartreuse), white, gray and black. Productive patterns for winter nymphing will be Zebra Maids, Jojo Maids, Black Beauty, Miracle Nymphs and High Secrets. Ultraviolet fiber breathes life into such a small offering. Any small fly that is attached to the UV material looks like bubbles or gives the illusion of movement.
Winter Fly Fishing Tips: Making The Most Out Of Winter Fly Fishing
Subsurface presentations require a lot of refinement and attention to line management, whatever is assigned. Winters are milder and cause less disturbance. Light tips and weights dialed in are a good presentation where the fly is suspended on the feeding line at the same height and speed as the feeding trout.
Must be received in winter. In cold weather, grains are reduced. Be prepared to miss every opportunity and turn it into a catch instead of a missed opportunity. Trying a larger lead fly such as a size 12 beadhead followed by a smaller offering such as a 22 midge larva can have a productive presentation. Surprisingly, the big lure is often eaten.
When fishing currents try to retrieve at low and slow speeds, fish are caught deep in the water column. A short hopping retrieve simulates a dead minnow, baitfish or trout. White is a great choice for the winter months. Keeping the steamer to the bottom is critical to winter success. It is not a chase scenario that we are trying to create but a slow motion, “dead sink”.
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Steamer fishing combined with dry larva imitations can be the ticket to success when the winter dropper are hard to come by. Often referred to as happy meals, streamers and nymph rigs cover all the bases for attracting hungry trout. A small dark colored stone also works effectively with a steamer. Here again, it is a dead movement that we are trying to achieve in order to achieve the perfect presentation of happy food.
When it comes to colder temperatures, rail selection becomes even more important. Click and pawl reels have a greater tendency to freeze than disc drag reels. Sealed drag rails can be the ultimate choice for dealing with cold weather and cold water. A train submerged in a river for some reason will start giving you trouble with cold.
Winter conditions regularly freeze guides with an ice sheath on your rod and coat fly lines. Both, when combined with the temperature of the river water, will form ice fingers. Hand-warmed hot chocolate placed on the rim of a thermos works wonders.
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Ask around and you’ll find plenty of home remedies to prevent frostbite in your guides. Stanley’s Ice Off Paste was a great performer in preventing ice on my roots.
Winter water conditions require anglers to reduce tip size. Smaller diameter tips, especially fluorocarbon, result in a more discreet presentation. Slow, clear water calls for low visibility to avoid detecting imitations from trout. A clear tape also helps introduce a natural flow.
Again, the micro shot is a key component in dialing in the desired results on thin tips. Light pound tippet helps hook ultra-small nymphs in sizes 22 and 24. Sizes 18 and 20 are too big. Cold water keeps dry larvae in an immature state longer, accounting for the success found with young nymphs.
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Avoid bright-colored clothing, such as red hats, that remain in harsh winter conditions. The gray color of the ground helps the British to remain undetected.
Along the same lines, stay away from bright color indicators. Spooking fish, especially winter fishing fish, are easy to spot with large, colorful indicators. A bright pink color is good for you but bad for your nymph, fish may avoid your rig. Small white or clear indicators are easy to adjust and do not appear as a distraction during your movement.
The best window of opportunity usually comes after the 10:30 pm time period. Stay as late as the sun allows. Careful planning and positioning can put you in line for afternoon sun. The angle of the sun will increase your productivity and temperature and extend the feeding activity for a long time.
Winter Fly Fishing, Strangely Balmy
The winter sun casts long shadows as sudden surface shadows spread over riverbanks, scaring the fish. Anglers who unknowingly cast their shad in productive waters must be accommodated for success. Placement is also a key component in preventing an ice shelf from cutting your line when a fish comes in. A long-handled landing net avoids that problem and helps you reach obstacles to land your well-deserved winter trout.
You will fall at some point. How well you do this depends on how you approach the frozen river. Dropping and breaking a dagger on ice can cause a broken arm or leg. Rubber-soled boots work wonders but any felt will dangerously collect ice. Many winter anglers choose slip-resistant shoes such as inexpensive ice packs that easily attach to your shoes. Your wedding staff from the summer can double as great support in the cold.
Avoid excessive hands in cold temperatures, especially when wearing any gloves. Rubber nets are an asset to fishing and fishing success because they give the angler enough time to revive sluggish winter trout after a fight. However, both nets and gloves eliminate the trout’s need for protective cover for healthy survival.
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Reduce the amount of time trout spend out of water. Soft tissues such as eyes and eyelids freeze relatively quickly when removed from the protection of river water. Keeping hooked trout in the water and in your net is a responsible way to remove flies.
Equipping yourself with the proper equipment and knowledge can take much of the worry out of fly anglers when it comes to winter fly fishing. Approaching the river with an understanding of cold weather bug life and the techniques used to present these flies will lead to winter fishing success. Knowing the dangers that exist in winter fly fishing is another step in preparing yourself for a successful winter fly fishing experience.
Mike “Sal” Salomon is a longtime fishing guide and author based in Vail, Colorado. He can be reached at adventuresal@yahoo.com or by calling Whaley
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