Brownie fishing in cold water.

[brookiesRfun]

Went out today instead of studying for a nursing final and spent a few hours on a stream. When I arrived at noon there was slush floating on the water and slow sections had a skim of ice on. All in all the action was slow. Turned 6 fish got one to hand. Fishing a #8 streamer slow through the deep holes produced the results today. here is a pict of the fish. Can't wait till spring.

 

[k-bob]

There is something nice about catching a trout with snow and slush around!

 

[PatrickC]

I enjoy fishing for brownies in the deep freeze. Action is a little slower, but they still turn on big streamers in the winter when other trout make you really downsize the offering.

 

[brookiesRfun]

PatrickC
I am learning this. This fish was 15 inches long. The last time i went to this stream just prespawn I caught a 20 incher on a streamer. I noticed today under the ice in the calm spots of the creek hundreds of small dace/chubs i think. I am finding I catch most of my brown trout on streamers/wolly buggers. Today they wanted them drifted very slowly...Almost dead drifted with a very slight twitch. On the bottom.. I would have caught more I think if my dang rod eyes would not have been frozen. I had trouble telling the hits from the bottom till i went to set the hook then I was too late... None the less a fun day! I needed a break from study.
I just checked out your blog...Seems you are in the health care field...The study for it can be brutal...an obsession of sorts for me 🙂

 

[pete41]

Spent many years doing that kind of fishing in the West.
Things I learned-forget just about everything you have learned about browns.
Some of the best fishing will be between 11 and 3.
Unless you find spring holes that are putting in warmer spring water they will be out over gravel or rock bottoms where the water is just a degree or two warmer.
Many fishermen wade where they should be fishing.
Needless to say you want to stay as far from your target area as possible.
If it gets too warm snow melt will cool the water and shut em down..
keep your guides clear by the dip and shake method.
dip your rod in the water,that clears the ice in guides,shake the water off-good for a few casts.

 

[zerodrag]

Brown trout and a snowy stream is a beautiful thing!

 

[midgeman]

Pete 41----SOLID!!!!

 

[afishinado]

pete41 wrote:
Spent many years doing that kind of fishing in the West.
Things I learned-forget just about everything you have learned about browns.
Some of the best fishing will be between 11 and 3.
Unless you find spring holes that are putting in warmer spring water they will be out over gravel or rock bottoms where the water is just a degree or two warmer.
Many fishermen wade where they should be fishing.
Needless to say you want to stay as far from your target area as possible.
If it gets too warm snow melt will cool the water and shut em down..
keep your guides clear by the dip and shake method.
dip your rod in the water,that clears the ice in guides,shake the water off-good for a few casts.

Yup! Great advice above. Pete hasn't forgotten everything.... ;-)

 

[k-bob]

Thanks for the winter trout advice.... Yes, fish on the warmest part of the warmest day unless there is snow on the ground ... when snow is on the ground, warm air makes the water colder.

hopefully we will have a few unusual 50F days this winter w/o snow around. Even in the poconos...

 

[PatrickC]

brookiesRfun wrote:
PatrickC
I am learning this. This fish was 15 inches long. The last time i went to this stream just prespawn I caught a 20 incher on a streamer. I noticed today under the ice in the calm spots of the creek hundreds of small dace/chubs i think. I am finding I catch most of my brown trout on streamers/wolly buggers. Today they wanted them drifted very slowly...Almost dead drifted with a very slight twitch. On the bottom.. I would have caught more I think if my dang rod eyes would not have been frozen. I had trouble telling the hits from the bottom till i went to set the hook then I was too late... None the less a fun day! I needed a break from study.
I just checked out your blog...Seems you are in the health care field...The study for it can be brutal...an obsession of sorts for me 🙂

🙂 I guess you could say I'm in the health care field. BTW, medical school is a terrible financial investment (unless you can get someone else to pay for it). But if you genuinely like to take care of people, it's the most rewarding career on the planet.

I actually continue to use large articulated streamers in the 4-6" category all winter long. When the steelheading shuts down, the brown trout action is pretty nice and the streams are all but vacant. As someone else posted, there is something special about landing monster browns in the snow!

 

[brookiesRfun]

🙂 I guess you could say I'm in the health care field. BTW, medical school is a terrible financial investment (unless you can get someone else to pay for it). But if you genuinely like to take care of people, it's the most rewarding career on the planet.

I actually continue to use large articulated streamers in the 4-6" category all winter long. When the steelheading shuts down, the brown trout action is pretty nice and the streams are all but vacant. As someone else posted, there is something special about landing monster browns in the snow![/quote] LOL! I'm not in med school but nursing school. Thankfully I work for a good hospital that has a program where it's employees can get a degree w/o having to pay for it..Gotta work for the hospital though for a certian number of years.
So, with the browns I need a little advice. I want to fish the alleghney river tailrace. It is pretty clear a spey rod would work good but how big a streamers ya talking would a 400 grain sink tip do the job for a fly line or heavier? It is big water and it has big browns and bows in it.
Thanks
Greg

 

[PatrickC]

I don't fish any waters that big. It would be pretty difficult to turn over the streamers I use with a spey rod. I guess a heavier gr line might work. Big sculpins work well around big structure as well.

I know guys that swing up browns. That would be a better approach for the gear you are talking about.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Pete knows about fishing?

 

[deaddriftx]

I do very well in the winter for browns on egg patterns. A tandem rig is a good choice i normally use a blood dot tailed by a midge or a nymph. The egg serves as both a fly and a strike indicator. Which is great because the fish bite super light in the dead of winter.

 

[PatrickC]

Anonymous wrote:
I do very well in the winter for browns on egg patterns. A tandem rig is a good choice i normally use a blood dot tailed by a midge or a nymph. The egg serves as both a fly and a strike indicator. Which is great because the fish bite super light in the dead of winter.

That is one of the things I don't get about winter fishing for browns. They will chase down a big streamer, and yet if you have on an egg or nymph...it's all you can do to detect the bite.

 

[jjsjigs]

It's because the browns pounce on the streamer to "stun" it before swallowing it. You feel that hit..

with eggs and nymphs, you are right. It's very sutble. Almost like you have a wet leaf on the hook.