Winter Fishing

Its cold, I can’t feel my hands, the guides on my rod keep freezing, and I wouldn’t change a thing. Winter is one of my favorite times to hit the water. The fish get somewhat lethargic and don’t spook as easy, and believe it or not, there are some hatches in the winter.

On overcast cloudy days BWOs are not uncommon. Midges are always prevalent, and around January tiny black stoneflys will be emerging. Most of the fishing in the winter is predominantly nymphing. I’m a creature of habit, and usually end up leading my nymph rig with a hares ear in a sz 14 or 16 and dropping a midge larvae or small mayfly imitation behind it.

The best thing about winter fishing is that most of the time, you are the only one on the river. Just be sure to layer up and be safe on the water. Try to use wool garments as much as possible. If you do take a swim, wool will still insulate and keep you somewhat warm when wet, where synthetic fabrics (polyester, nylon, capeline) lose their insulating properties when they get wet. So layer up, get out of the house, and get on some fish.