Winter fly patterns you all like?

[Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah]

So now were heading into Winter. What type of fly patterns do you find yourself fishing this time of year.

Nymphs, Midges, Streamers, Wets?

Or maybe even Worms & Eggs?

 

[Maurice]

Short answer......yes.

On sunny days you may see midges and even ants on the water even in sub freezing days. On waters where fish are resident and rise freely drys in small sizes can work well. On less dependable waters it is best to go "low and slow" with nymphs and midge larvae and put it right on their noses. Look for soft strikes. This of course refers to freestone waters.

Limestone streams with their more stable water temps may find more midges and bwos more reliable. Sub-surface the scuds and cress bugs reliable all year will not fail your efforts.

Of course, small eggs, worms and caddis larvae are also winter staples for sluggish cold water trout.

 

[unforgiven]

I've been having luck with egg patterns and worm patterns. No luck with streamers though.

 

[dubthethorax]

Streamers really early AM and evening. Besides that, midges and eggs, smaller the better.

 

[pcray1231]

I'll use eggs on rainbows anytime. For browns, though, they really come into their own in early spring with the sucker run, don't really use em over the winter.

Midge dries: I always have a few on me, though I don't use them all that often, and only in situations where fish are showing on the surface. Often, that doesn't seem to start for me until late January through Feb.

The bulk of my winter work is nymphs, deep and rolled slowly on the bottom. Midge pupa, and cressbugs/sowbugs are the standards. Sometimes Hare's Ears and the like.

I also use more streamers in the winter. In the summer, they're pretty much a high muddy water thing, but in the winter I'll use em anytime, fish sometimes suddenly become active when faced with a big baitfish like that.

That said, by late February, I'm using more and more BWO nymphs and watching for the hatches to begin.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

I find that streamers work better for me while its raining or shortly after a rain. I like eggs in the winter and worms. Also zebra midges