Winter fishing

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mre3810

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Jun 21, 2007
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I've been fishing all my life but just started fly fishing about 2 years ago and now I'm hooked on the sport. Ha Ha, get it hooked on the sport. I never wanted to fish in the winter before, but now i have the itch to get out there. How hard is the fishing this time of the year? Is the water too cold or do you actually have a good chance of catching fish? Also what works best in the winter?
 
You will find it best to fish the limestoners and the Tully, since your from Berks, this time of year. You won't have to contend with ice on the stream in these type of waters. Fishing can be good on any given day. You'll mostly want subsurface flies, streamers and nymphs, as there are usually few hatching flies. I've only fished the Tully a few times but there were midges everywhere. I'm sure they hatch all year there and might provide you with some dry fly action. I had good luck there with a BH PT and BH Hares Ear. I'm sure others will be able to add more but basically, GO SCRATCH THAT ITCH! Winter fishing can be fun and productive.
 
Winter fishing can be great and gives you a good reason just to get out of the house in the winter. Nymphs and streamers will be your best producers just like Fly_Flinger said. If you find the right streams midges on top can be great but you'll be using dries that are sz 20 and smaller. Also catching fish in the winter comes down to time, fishing slowly will help you catch more fish and putting in a long day during the warmest hours will help you catch more fish. Always make sure you dress warm to make sure you can put in the longest amount of time on the water.
 
[color=000000]I've been winter trout fishin' for over twenty years. I was out yesterday in the gorgeous weather and caught a few small, wild trout on beadhead nymphs in 42° water. I usually stick to the Poconos. I mostly only go out in unseasonably warm weather, ~42° or better. It looks like some wild weather out there today, so I'll wait and go again tomorrow.

If we get 17" of snow, put on some snowshoes and have some fun. This is my snowshoe flyfishin' video from last year.[/color]

[color=000000]58 seconds, 13.5 mb, 720x480, wmv file-[/color]
[color=ff0000]http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/mgpa/fish/snowff.wmv[/color]

[color=000000]Same video, smaller version.
58 seconds, 3.6 mb, 320x240, wmv file-[/color]
[color=ff0000]http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/mgpa/fish/snoff.wmv[/color]
 
Take along a thermometer; you'd be surprised at the water temp. It's not unlikely (on limestones or mountain streams) to have temps in the mid 50's in the middle of jan. or feb.
I personally don't fish if the temp is below 38 degrees. Well, a few times a year I have the itch and go out when it's below 20 -- can't pick the days you have off work, ya know.

To answer your question about catching fish, fish gotta eat in the winter. You might be surprised how many fish you see actively feeding and you catch - even on the surface.
 
Pretty cool Mark....
 
Just to add onto whats already been said... If you're fishing when the air temp is in the 32 or under degree range. Make sure to put vasaline or chap stick on your guides because they will ice over otherwise. If you don't want to put anything on your guides then your next option is highsticking. Where you let out a certain amount line, typically not too much more than 1 1/2 times the length of your rod. And what you'll do is just continue to cast that same amount of line. The way you'll mend the line is by lifting the rod tip higher as it comes closer to you. The more you strip the line the more you'll build ice on your guides. Also just remember to go slow and winter fishing can be one of the best times to be out because there are practically no crowds this time of the year, except for the days it gets into the mid 60's in the middle of February..
 
Winter seems to be the best chance I have at catching larger fish on streams like Big Spring and the Letort. Its hard no doubt with vision and the angle of the sun this time of year, but one large trout from either of them can make or break my year for the stream being that I rarely hit double-digits fishing either of them.
 
shipnfish2006 wrote:
Just to add onto whats already been said... If you're fishing when the air temp is in the 32 or under degree range. Make sure to put vasaline or chap stick on your guides because they will ice over otherwise. If you don't want to put anything on your guides then your next option is highsticking. Where you let out a certain amount line, typically not too much more than 1 1/2 times the length of your rod. And what you'll do is just continue to cast that same amount of line. The way you'll mend the line is by lifting the rod tip higher as it comes closer to you. The more you strip the line the more you'll build ice on your guides. Also just remember to go slow and winter fishing can be one of the best times to be out because there are practically no crowds this time of the year, except for the days it gets into the mid 60's in the middle of February..

I also clean my line with a silicon line treatment just before I go. This helps minimize the amount of water that hangs on the line when you strip. I've fished the LL when the air temps have been in the teens and oddly enough have not had any ice buildup problems on the guides. I did have a glove freeze to the reel once and had to go back to the car to get it off.

One thing I don't do when it's that cold is wade in streams above about a foot and a half of water.

That's one reason to check out the LL since the banks are mostly grass there is no need to wade. (It's even prohibited to wade in one area.)
 
WOW !!! Someone else owns a tripod...good job...Hey, throw some music under that its even more watchable...Don't be afraid to crank up the natural sound at spots and try to make it pretty consistent thru the rest of the vid...adjust whatever music under it accordingly...again...good job and keep using that tripod!
 
A good rule of thumb for big browns is the fishing will be best when its most comfortable for them.
Spring and fall daybreak or dusk,summertime -night fishing but this time of year between 11am and 3 pm.Assuming others haven't disturbed the water its a great opportunity to catch a Moby Trout.
Look for them in water between 2 and 3 feet deep.The tail of a pool,lip of rapids or inside bends all likely places.Woolly buggers,woolly worms fished wet fly style as good as any way.
 
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