Advice On Fly Fishing in Winter

Copyright (c) 2010 Gerry Stringer

If you're looking for a man-versus-nature adventure, put on your thermal underwear. As fly fishing fans know, nothing beats a quite winter day on the river. Sure, a little extra planning is involved than on a summer day, but it is well worth it.

Start with appropriate gear. In the last few years, many advances have been made in winter fly fishing equipment. Layering is key: Under fleece pants and neoprene's, wear two-three layers of silk underwear. Sock liners—silk—under thick winter socks (ski socks work just fine) are recommended and fishermen who are really into winter fly fishing sometimes use a larger pair of wading boots to accommodate the sock bulk. Breathable waders get high marks from a number of professional fly fishermen.

While ski gloves do the trick making the walk from your car to the river or lake carrying fly fishing equipment for the day, fingerless fleece gloves will allow you to maneuver your lines and flies. A rigorous setting on the hook isn't needed because fish tend to bite more gingerly in low temperatures.

As in any winter activity, a hat keeps the body heat in.

Key to decent winter fly fishing, is an understanding of the river levels. Too much runoff can make a river unfishable. It's almost sure you won't have a bite if you've experienced as much as three to four days of steady rain. Moreover, you have to consider the light—not just the shorter days but the dimmer light makes it more difficult to see below the river bottom while wading.

Winter fly fishing is a sub-surface experience for the most part. Because small fish and nymphs metabolism slows in winter, they're most likely to stick to the bottom out of the main current so fishing nymphs deep is the obvious recommendation. Tucker Ladd, a fly fishing expert, reports having luck with Disco Midge, Wd-40s and San Juan Worms. He recommends a split or two on the line as well a using two flies (one as a dropper) and possibly a sinking tip line. Streamers like Woolly Buggers, Muddlers and Mickey Finn's make superior streamers.

Dead drifting nymphs is the most popular method. Swinging streamers, second. Allow the fish to do the setting, as any expert fly fisherman would. If you're mission is catch-and-release, take care that the fish is 100% revived before release. Because of the cold temperature of the water, they may require extra care. The cold is a reason to pack a thermos of hot chocolate or coffee. Put a change of clothes in your car in case you do get wet and always fish with a buddy, summer or winter. Use your common sense when participating in any outdoor sport in the dead of winter and the likelihood is that you'll be glad you're on the river enjoying its solitude rather than paying $100 a lift ticket to fight the downhill ski crowds.

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