Embrace the Cold
Don’t let harsh weather stop you from fly fishing for trout
Winter arrives with thick snow—not the autumn snow that melts in a day, but the snow that remains on the ground until spring. For most anglers, winter means packing away their gear and waiting for spring. But for those who persist, winter offers a unique and rewarding opportunity to catch trout in stunningly beautiful and uncrowded waters.
THE ALLURE OF WINTER WATERS
While winter is often associated with steelhead fishing, it’s also an excellent time to target trout with flies. The rivers, often devoid of summer’s crowds, take on a serene beauty. With bare trees framing crystal-clear water and snow-capped banks, the setting alone is enough to inspire a winter outing. More importantly, trout fishing during this season can be exceptional for those willing to adapt to the conditions.
Fly fishing in winter presents its own set of challenges, but it also offers unique rewards. The colder temperatures slow down both fish and bugs, requiring anglers to refine their approach. Yet the chance to hook into a large, vibrant trout in these serene conditions makes every effort worthwhile.
One winter day on Hat Creek, I stood on the bank and studied the water for some time before making a single cast. What caught my attention were swallows darting and circling above the tailwater of the Power House #2 riffle, hinting at insect activity invisible to me due to the light rain. Trusting the bird’s instincts, I replaced my Pheasant Tail nymph I had earlier tied to my leader with an EC Caddis emerger pattern. On my first six casts swallows struck my fly four times, with one even lifting my fly about six feet into the air before dropping it. These actions instilled confidence within me that I was fishing the right fly pattern. And within minutes, I had a nice brown trout on the end of my line.
THINGS TO CONSIDER
Water Temperature, Techniques, and Fly Patterns: Winter trout fishing is all about putting your fly in front of the fish until one decides to take it. In warmer months, rainbow trout feed readily and will move around in a pool or run when water temperatures range from 45 to 65 degrees. However, as the water temperature drops their metabolism slows down and they are less willing to expend energy chasing a meal. This makes them tougher to catch and less likely to feed at the surface. In response, anglers have to slow things down as well.
One of the most effective techniques for slowing your drift down and catching winter trout is to use a stack mend while fishing nymphs. This allows for the fly to get into the deep pools where lethargic fish hold. A stack mend is a fly-fishing technique that involves creating consecutive loops of slack line on the water to extend the drift of your fly. The river’s flow dictates the speed at which the fly travels, while the mend allows it to sink deeper in the water column. Continually change the depth until you find the zone where trout are feeding. I make my first casts close to me, then begin to cast farther out. After covering the water thoroughly, I wade upstream or downstream and repeat. If a dead-drift presentation fails to catch fish, swinging the nymph is a good alternative.
Nymphing: Nymphing remains the go-to technique during winter. When nothing else is visibly rising or feeding, focus on slow, deep presentations. Fish flies deep, close to the riverbed where trout hold to conserve energy. Fish with an indicator to detect subtle strikes.
Stripping Streamers: In times of decreased trout activity, slow stripping streamers can mimic injured prey. Select smaller patterns like Woolly Buggers or sculpin imitations.
Dead Drifting Dry Flies: Experiment with dead drifting small dry flies on the surface. This method can entice trout rising to emergers or midges.
In the wintertime I have had good success with the following fly patterns:
Midges: Midges dominate the winter insect menu, constituting a significant portion of a trout’s diet. Zebra Midges, Griffith’s Gnats, and Brassies in various sizes and colors are reliable choices.
Blue Winged Olive (BWO) Patterns: BWOs hatch in the winter, making imitations like Pheasant Tail Nymphs and Sparkle Duns effective choices in sizes 18 to 22.
Scuds and Sowbugs: Crustaceans like scuds and sowbugs are year-round staples for trout. Fly patterns like Kaufmann’s Scud and the Grease Back Sowbug are excellent imitations of these aquatic insects.
When to Fish: There is no need to head out early. Daylight hours are shorter, and trout are most active when the water warms, so fish during the warmest parts of the day, typically late morning to early afternoon. During these times, the sun’s rays have had a chance to penetrate the water and stimulate trout to become active and respond to flies.
Overcast Skies: Trout and the insects they feed upon prefer low-light conditions, so times of inclement weather like light rain, snow, or grey cloudy skies are good times to fly fish.
Avoid Extreme Cold: While fly fishing is possible in cold temperatures, avoid extreme conditions where the water is nearly freezing. Ice formation can make fishing challenging and may harm trout.
Where to Fish: Early in the winter, trout thrive in a river’s oxygenated riffles, hiding between rocks and boulders and in tailouts and back eddies. An angler can spend all day picking them apart. As the water becomes colder, the trout move out of the riffles into deeper, slower pools, allowing them to conserve energy. From mid to late winter, pools are an excellent choice.
Remember to take time to observe the water before you start fishing. Are the trout feeding at or near the surface or chasing bait? Are there insects flying around or floating in the water?
The author about to release a brown trout caught while fishing the tailwater of Hat Creek’s Powerhouse #2 riffle during a torrential rainstorm.
He exited the water once hard-hitting rain turned to solid ice. By the time he drove off, the weather changed again — from hail to snow.
Photo by Elmar Jakoby.
Clothing: Dress appropriately. Layer clothing and wear warm socks, gloves, and a hat. Bring along an extra set of clothing to change into if you get wet. When walking in the snow, be aware that wet felt soles can pick up a thick layer.
Solitude: One of the most compelling aspects of winter fly fishing is the solitude. On that winter trip to Hat Creek’s Power House #2 riffle—one of the most popular and pressured trout fisheries in Northern California–I was surprised to find the parking lot empty. You’d think I was somewhere seldom fished, a place located far off the beaten path that happened to have the perfect trout stream flowing through it. Winter offers a rare opportunity to fish popular waters without the crowds, providing a sense of solitude and peace that’s getting harder and harder to find.
Conclusion: You may think winter fishing is too cold or that fish are too difficult to catch, but what may surprise you is that trout, for the most part, are easier to catch and easier to fool in the winter. They don’t have someone throwing flies at them every day of the season. And, while I enjoy the challenge of difficult fish, I don’t object when they cooperate.
See you on the river!
