Limestoners in the winter

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fisherboy3

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I dont fish many limestoners at all. I usually fish freestoners, or limestone influenced streams. Any tips for the winter? Im assuming the typical zebra midges and san juans. I would also think mot of the fish would be holed up now and out of their usual spring and summer time feeding lanes. Any tips appreciated.-Kev
 
If its a true limestone creek, the water temps will be about the same year round. Toss midges, scuds, cressbugs, and small pheasant tails. A good book to read is Spring Creek Strategies by Mike Heck.

Also don't get discouraged if you don't do as good as you think you should.
 
If the stream doesnt have much aquatic vegetation, should i still use scuds? Or would they not be present?
 
I find limestoners harder to fish in the winter due mainly to the die-off of a lot of the summer cover on the banks and in the stream channels. In the spring and summer, you can usually find something to crouch down behind or crawl up next to. A lot of this stuff disappears in the winter, and in combination with the clear waters on most limestoners, it can be tough. If you hit a decent little black stone or bwo hatch, though, it can be a lot of fun.
 
Any true limestone creek should have abundant aquatic vegetation, at least in the slowest areas. Flip over a few rocks.
 
fisherboy3 wrote:
Im assuming the typical zebra midges and san juans. I would also think mot of the fish would be holed up now and out of their usual spring and summer time feeding lanes.
Click to expand...

Zebras and SJW will indeed work well. The ZM looks like midges and makes a good scud or small nymph imitation. The local limestone streams here in SC PA also have a lot of pink/red aquatic worms as well.

If it's a true limestone stream such as we have in the Cumberland Valley - Big Spring, Letort etc - you will find fish in the same spots throughout the year for the most part. "Partial" limestoners like Yellow Breeches, Penns etc will likely see more fish in pools rather than riffles.
 
The stream i will be fishing is a partial limestoner. Always has that green tint, high alkalinity, but not much vegetation. Ive fished it before in the winter, but never had much success. Always successful in the warmer months. What are youre favorite midge patterns? I dont use midges much except the zebra. -Kev
 
In limestone spring creeks midges are really one of the best things to use during the winter if the fish aren't taking a scud or cress bug. While I use them and are successful with them, there are a few other midge patterns I use other than the zebra. I have grown very fond of the Yong Special. It is very quick to tie and is effective. I also like the Blood Midge. But you can never go wrong with a Shenk Cress Bug or Mike Heck's version of a scud called the Simple Shrimp. Good Luck
 
Fishidiot is dead on. On limestoners my favorite subsurface midge is a blood worm larvae. I tie with and without a red glass bead. If youre interested in midges, Midge Magic is a great book that I believe is underrated. While I've never met the author, Don Holbrook, you can see that he did his homework on midges.

Breechesangler, do you tie the Yong with Coats&Clark sewing thread?
 
^^ Agreed with midge magic. His work was done on all of PAs Limestoners, IMO opinion its a must have for the serious midge fisherman, the book even has a midge hatch chart for mainly BigS. . I remember a few years back going to Jo-Ann's and purchasing a bunch of C&C and DMC. I think I'm set for life now lol
 
Yes SteveG, I do use C&C for the Yong but I also use my thread and just twist it into a "rope" and wrap for segmentation.
 
What is C&C? Tied up some Yongs but I can't get that segmentation. Maybe my thread is too small?
 
Longbow, C&C is Coats & Clark sewing thread. Try taking your bobbin and while holding it with 2 fingers, spin it and it should work, if not then use C&C.
 
Sculpins or big streamers tossed to undercuts or woody cover will produce. Just make sure to place your cast far away from your target and swing it past or toss to the stream edge and pull it into the target zone. Fish as deep as you can get.
 
though i am no expert (far from it, only been fly fishing 5 times so far) all the fish i have caught this winter have been on a dry dropper with an elk hair and a zebra midge. The wild browns have been eating it up. I believe its a size 18.
 
Most of the time I use a swinging fly method in spring fed stream. If there are any active feeding trout they will hit the streamer. I tie smaller Maribou Spey flies which if you are on the hunt for big trout this time of the year you need really throw something at them that they would like.
 
Fish runs where the sun is on the water, that's where the feeding fish will be.
 
The limestone creeks we have in central pa sure are a blessing in the winter.
 
Well I'll be fishing in Easton. Most of you know where i will be fishing. I have never seen that stream frozen, i just hope it isnt. Im set on flies, thanks guys. Pretty sure in this stream the fish will be holed up like they usually are.-Kev
 
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