Winter fishing

[patrapper90]

Does anyone nymph the winter months. I did a little last year and the eyelets on the rod froze up but i cought fish with a phesant tail. but havent tried any other patterns. I only fish fishing creek do to i keep failing to get my lisence but any winter patterns you would like to share

 

[JackM]

I used to fish every weekend of the winter regardless of temps, but last couple years I require 35 degrees or higher. The only thing I'd offer would be using slightly larger nymphs and slow them down, way down. Fish will feed, but the effort to food value calculation becomes more exacting to them. A small nymph isn't going to move them much more than an inch, whereas a size 10 stonefly or wooly bugger may get them to shift 6-8 inches.

By the way, don't you need a license to fish Fishing Creek?

 

[jayL]

Jack,

He probably means Drivers license.

And I fish buggers, buggers, and more buggers... When the sun is high and bright, I'll use midges too if I see any activity.

 

[tomgamber]

Buggers in winter are just big ugly generic nymphs...bugger color can be the most important thing that time of year...

 

[jayL]

True Tom.

But when has black ever been the wrong color?

I know, I know... I've got hundreds of the damn things laying around in every color imaginable.

 

[tomgamber]

Black is never the wrong color...

 

[flyfishermanj]

trapper,
Pheasant tails, buggers and my go to.. soft hackled hares ear. Brown,tan, black and olive colors in sizes 10 through 16.
Don't forget a warm pair of gloves and a good hat.
JH

 

[albatross]

I had one of my best days ever last December using chartruese egg patterns. I probably caught 10 fish in 2 hours that day with several in the 16-18 inch range. I could see the fish charging across the stream to get my fly. Too bad every day isn't like that...

 

[jayL]

I have also had some good days in the fringe winter months with egg patterns. Late, late fall/early winter, and late winter/early spring. Clearly due to instinctive knowledge of spawning habits IMO. So yeah, give an egg a try like Albatross suggested.



As I said earlier about midges though... Right around 2 pm, when the sun is on the water and warming it up a bit. 25 trout on a zebra midge in 1.5 hours one day. The best fishing day of my life was in freaking January. It was unreal.

 

[SlumpBuster]

I fish a lot during the winter because it is during the school year and I have a lot of time. I use a lot of buggers and streamers. You'd be suprised how active fish can be when you throw a large streamer in a hole even when there is ice on the banks. I watched my friend who dosen't fly fish catch a huge brown one january when it was about 10 degrees out on a rapala. The fish charged it from a long way. From my experince I trout will move long distances even in the winter if the meal is big enough.

 

[shipnfish2006]

patrapper,

To solve the ice problem there are 2 things you can try to help you. 1. Put some vasoline or chapstick on your guides.

2. Try highsticking. Its the most efficient way to fish in the winter without having to worry about iced guides.

I used to winter fish when I was in college and I now wait for at least 32 and preferably sunny.

 

[thedude1534]

I fished a lot this winter, and scuds were the most productive for me. However, I was mostly fishing Valley Creek. On other creeks, BHHE (size #14 and #16 in grey, brown, olive, black), BHPT (#14, #16, #18), midges (zebra and tiger), eggs, and San Juan Worms after rain were working.

I generally used a lot of beadheads or heavy weighted flys with lots of added splitshot to keep them as close to the bottom as possible. It means you get hung up a lot, but from my experience, if I wasn't getting hung up every 3-5 casts, I wasn't catching fish either.....

 

[Coughlin]

Slumpbuster,
In school = lots of time

I agree with JayL about zebra midges when the sun is on the water. Also, buggers and more buggers.

I never used to like winter fishing (age has something to do with that :-D ) but cold weather clothing is so good now. There's an ad in one of the fishing magazines that shows a guy with a big fish and the caption reads "there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.
Coughlin

 

[SlumpBuster]

School does give me a lot of time to fish and hunt and just be in the outdoors. The problem is $. Being in college sucks for that part. When I go I go for 12 hours and make the most of my time. We've been out so long sometimes I've seen some of my buddies get hypothermic. Its not a pertty sight but it is funny as long as they turn out unharmed.

 

[tomgamber]

The days of dropping 2 dollars in the tank of Plymouth Fury before a road trip are gone too...

 

[Coughlin]

Gambler,
No lie there. It costs me 20.00 up and back from the Delaware at Frenchtown :-(

Ah...Slumpbuster, you do find a few minutes to study. Yes? :-D
Coughlin

 

[sandfly]

used to fish winter alot , but ended up with bad feet from all the cold...still go now and then but i like the water to be above 40 anymore...

 

[mattd]

Late fall and winter is my favorite time of year to be on the stream. Not only are the streams empty but the average fish size is considerably larger. When it gets really cold most fish become less active, except for the large ones. Large trout can keep their body temp up by feeding on the smaller, less active fish in the water. It does depend on the stream they are in and what food is available, but streamers in the right stream can be deadly for large winter trout. I have caught twice as many 20+ in trout in fall and winter then in the spring.

 

[StudentofTheStream]

Winter is one of my favorite times to fly fish simply because I'm usually the only idiot out there (which is what a lot of my family thinks). Neoprene waders or not, I usually can't feel my feet when I get out of the water but then again I only need my hands to feel the fish.
I agree with most of the other sentiments about flies but I also use sucker spawn a good bit and hope that remembrance of the fall spawn with land me a few fish and I typically do well with it.
Just remember, if you get to the point where it hurts to move, it's probably time to get out of the water!

 

[mattd]

I have always worn my neoprene waders in the winter. I was told recently that you will actually be warmer in a breathable pair of waders. Even in cold weather you will sweat alot in the neoprene waders. Without anyway to escape, your sweat will actually make you colder quicker. I don't know if this is true or not but I'm going to give it a try this winter. An extra 30 minutes on the stream is worth it. I usually find myself hitting a couple streams in one day, using the car ride to warm up between fishes.