Tis the season of frozen eyelets and numb toes! I know that for most people, the open water fishing season is probably over but for those other die hard anglers out there, I'd like to give a few tips about fishing rivers in the winter. While I may be new to the fly fishing game, this year will not be my first rodeo when it comes to winter trout fishing. It can be a very frustrating thing and even miserable under certain conditions. Many people shy away from it because they just assume they couldn't catch anything or maybe they just don't want to be out in the weather. But the truth is, there are still hungry trout out there in the winter that can be caught! So here are a few tips to help make your winter fly fishing experiences more enjoyable.
1.)
Save the fishing for nicer days. It is pretty hard for anyone to enjoy themselves standing in an icy cold river with single digit wind chill in the middle of January. Trout are also less likely to bite on those really cold days, they become extremely lethargic. Especially take advantage of those random unseasonably warm days that were oh so common last year. You might be surprised how active the trout can be on those days. I've also had success on days when we've been hit by big snow storms. Don't ask me why but it has proven to be successful for me multiple times. I find fishing in the snow to be extremely peaceful and relaxing. I'm lucky to have the luxury of being able to walk to The Contoocook from my house on snowdays but I'm sure plenty of you have 4x4 vehicles. Snowshoes and waders make a great combo!
2.)
Don't go out expecting to catch fish. I'm not telling you to lower your goals, but the reality is that it's going to be a lot
harder to catch trout in the winter. Key word there: harder, not IMPOSSIBLE! Isn't that what everyone loves about fishing, that it's a challenge? My philosophy is that I'm going out to enjoy being outside, and if I catch a trout on top that, what a great day! That way if you don't catch anything you're not getting skunked, you still managed to beat the cabin fever.
3.)
Take advantage of your gear. They make warm clothes for a reason so, use it. One cold miserable day on the water could spoil a whole season of winter fly fishing. I like to wear a pair of wool gloves with the fingers cut off and they also have a mitten flap that can be folded over when you don't need your fingers. Wool and fleece clothing still have insulative properties when wet so leave the cotton at home! I use 3.5mm Cabelas neoprene waders with insulated boots. I know they also make some products that you can apply to your line and eyelets to help prevent them from icing up. Anything that can give you the upper hand against the cold weather will add to you're enjoyment.
4.)
Stick it to the pools. Many of the areas that hold trout for the rest of the year could be a baron waste land when winter rolls around. Trout need a decent sized pool with well oxygenated water to winter over in. They don't feed as much in the winter so they're not going to waste their energy trying to sit in a fast run.
5.)
Don't stress over "matching the hatch." There isn't going to be much insect activity going on in the winter unless you are fishing a tail water or spring creek which are pretty hard to come by in NH. Since the trout don't have many options to be picky eaters, they are going to feed very opportunistically. It's pretty much going to be a nymph and streamers game throughout the winter. For nymph patterns I would suggest the usual suspects; hares ear, pheasant tail, prince nymph, copper johns, egg patterns and a variety of stonefly nymphs. I would use medium to large sizes of nymphs. For streamers, there are a thousand different patterns that could work on any given day but I would especially suggest the legendary woolly bugger in olive, black, rust and brown and a pattern called the aggrevator. The aggrevator is similar to a prince nymph but tied on a streamer hook with a marabou tail. I mostly fish weighted patterns because the fish will be on the bottom. Wet and dry midge patterns can be of great use in some waters, especially tail waters where temperatures are somewhat warmer in the winter.
6.)
Fish deep and slow. Like I said before, the trout will be on the bottom of these pools. In most cases, they are not going to move far to feed this time of year so you really have to get your fly right in front of their noses. Really try your best to read the water and prospect where a fish would most likely be lying. I like to target seams and any area of a pool where there is a significant change in depth. Mending your line can really help your flies get down where you need them. Anytime the water is pulling on your line, it is probably pulling your fly closer to the surface or preventing it from sinking. When using a steamer, I would suggest slow stripping and swings.
7.)
Minimal fish handling. If you are planning on releasing the fish you catch, minimal handling time is a must. Keep them in the water if you can especially if it's a really cold day. Think about how fast the feathers on your fly freeze when you take it out of the water. The same applies to the fish, the freezing air temperatures can be damaging and even fatal. We don't want to lose any fins to fish-frostbite!
I hope these tips are helpful for anyone looking to give winter fly fishing a shot. Although people driving by will look at you like you've got 5 heads when you walk down to the river bank with a fly rod, you won't be the only one out there! I will be fishing throughout the winter. It can be tough but also very rewarding. You might not catch many fish throughout the winter but the ones that I've caught have been some of the largest trout I've ever caught in NH. Here's a 16 inch brown that I pulled out of The Contoocook last January.
Tight lines!
