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Winter Trout Fishing - A
Scientific Approach to Catching More Trout in Winter
By D. J. Brookings
 Winter
trout fishing can be one of the most frustrating
and most rewarding fly fishing experiences
you'll ever encounter. You can be accused of
being crazy when people see you standing waist
deep in a river constantly removing ice from
your rod guides, but it's hard to notice the
cold when you're catching trout.
A common mistake many people make when winter
trout fishing is to think like a fisherman
instead of thinking like a trout. A fly pattern
that appeals to a fisherman's eye isn't always
the fly that appeals to a trout's eye. Perhaps
the most legendary fly fisherman of all time,
Gary Lafontaine, created some of the strangest
looking, yet most effective flies. Gary's
patterns were the result of countless hours
observing trout and insects and designing
patterns around those observations. The flies
were designed to appeal to trout rather than to
catch the attention of a would be fly fisherman
in a fly shop.
To catch more fish during
winter trout fishing excursions, you need to
understand what is taking place in the trout's
environment and adjust your fishing accordingly.
During winter when water temperatures drop,
fewer hatches take place and a large part of a
trout's diet will be made up of midges. Trout
also become more sluggish and are less likely to
go out of their way to expend a lot of energy
tracking down a food item. Therefore, when
winter trout fishing, you will often need to
downsize your flies and be more thorough when
fishing a run or a riffle. |
Midge patterns such as a zebra midge in sizes
16-24 are often your best bet. Keep an eye out
for rising fish and don't be afraid to go small.
Understand that trout have evolved to be able to
locate and feed on tiny insects in the water.
Although you may think it will be impossible for
a trout to locate a size 22 midge in a riffle,
this is an easy feat for a trout.
Experiment with different depths as trout can
feed near the bottom, on the surface, or
anywhere in between depending on where insects
are located in the drift. Be thorough before
moving on to the next spot as you may need to
place your fly just a few inches from a trout to
get it to take it when water temperatures are
extremely cold. Use a strike indicator to help
you detect the slightest of takes.
Be scientific in your approach to winter trout
fishing and you will catch more fish. You may
see trout rising, but it may be difficult to see
exactly what they are feeding on. Start with
larger size 16 midge patterns and then try
smaller flies if you aren't getting strikes.
Finding the largest fly the fish will still take
is advantageous because it is often easier to
hook and land trout on a bigger fly.
As a general rule, you can usually get away with
a larger fly in faster currents because it is
easier for the fish to see and they have less
time to decide whether or not to eat it.
Smaller, more realistic patterns are often
needed in slow, clear water as trout will have
plenty of time to thoroughly inspect the fly
before deciding to take it.
Experiment with adult midge patterns as well as
pupa and larvae imitations until you find what
the fish are targeting. You can be more
effective and more efficient by using an adult
midge dry fly and attaching a smaller midge pupa
or larvae imitation 6-24" beneath the dry fly.
This gives you the advantage of fishing multiple
flies at once.
When everyone else is bundled up out on the ski
slopes, strap on some neoprene waders and head
to your favorite trout stream. You'll likely
find solitude and eager fish waiting to make
your winter trout fishing experience one to
remember.
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