Winter Fly Fishing: Tips for Finding Fish & Staying Warm(-ish)

Unless you live somewhere with a designated trout season, there's no reason not to fly fish in the winter. My friend Jama caught this buttery cutbow on the South Platte with me last winter.

When frigid winds and snow creep across the horizon of Earth's bare skeleton, many anglers pack up their gear until spring. You can still target trout in the winter, and you'll enjoy less crowds in the process. There's also something to be said for witnessing how trout modify their behavior by the season over the course of a full year.

Winter fishing will challenge your skills as an angler and teach you a great deal about the environment.

I began fly fishing in the fall of 2013 when I joined the Fly Fishing Club at CU Boulder my freshman year. I spent the subsequent winter learning to tie flies thanks to Rocky Mountain Anglers' free tying classes. Nearly every day, I would find tiny, un-frozen sections of Boulder Creek to chuck my ugly flies into, then hike back up to my college lectures in my wet, oversized Cabela's clearance waders. I finally caught a fish on my own fly that February, and I've been enjoying winter fishing ever since.

Today I'll be yapping about various aspects of winter fly fishing: strategies for targeting fish, good fly patterns, putting together a solid layering system, and general tips for staying warm.

TARGETING TROUT IN THE WINTER

Trout are ectothermic animals - their metabolism is dependent upon the ambient temperature. When the water gets colder, their metabolism slows down and they become less active. They're generally not going to be expending a lot of energy hanging out in fast water or shallow riffles. Instead, we should focus our efforts on deeper, slower water, where fish are able to conserve as much of their limited energy as possible. Pools, especially ones at the end of riffles where food items dump in and accumulate, are usually a good bet. Keep in mind that during the winter, Colorado's rivers tend to be as low and clear as they're going to get. Wear neutral colors if possible and step gently to avoid spooking fish. Longer leaders, thinner tippet (6x), and smaller strike indicators will all help you put the sneak on nervous winter trout.

The remnants of a recent midge hatch (top) on the South Platte River. It's easy to see why flies like the zebra midge (bottom) are such effective imitations.

At the coldest end of the spectrum (~32°F),

trout are often extremely sluggish. It's important to get flies as close to a fish's face as possible. I'm inclined to cast to the same spot several times in case I missed a potential bite. In conditions like this, I think a trout is more likely to move for a larger, more calorie-dense meal like a leech or worm, as opposed to something more subtle like the ever-popular zebra midge.

Patterns lovingly classified as "trash flies" - mop flies, worms, and eggs - often move fish when smaller offerings won't. I'm also a big fan of throwing streamers in the winter, as I feel that large, hungry fish might expend the energy to chase a well-presented prey imitation.

Insects are still present in the water during the winter, but there is far less variety than the rest of the year. Midges make up the majority of insects trout consume during this time. Midge hatches can occur on warmer days, as evidenced by the photo on the right. This was a very cold day on the South Platte, but zebra midges put a lot of fish to the net since the fish experienced that hatch the previous day. Pat Dorsey's mercury midge looks similar to the tan ones in the photo.

Some of my other favorite winter patterns are the Mayer's mini leech, black beauty midge, blue poison tung, blood worm, top secret midge, and RS2s. Woolly buggers in a variety of colors are good small streamers to have on hand. Most of these can be purchased through my shop here.

WEATHER WOES & STRATEGIES

As previously mentioned, there are some great benefits to winter fly fishing: less crowds, interesting fish behavior, an increased chance of spotting wildlife against the snowy landscape. However, cold weather presents some unique (and honestly, annoying) challenges we need to be prepared for.

My competitor Santiago fishing in heavy snow during my birthday competition in January. Tough weather combined with a tough section of water left us with a score of 0 for that round.

This past January, I spent my 30th birthday at a regional Team USA fly fishing competition in Pueblo, Colorado, on a stretch of the Arkansas tailwater that boasts some of the best winter fishing in the state. Originally, the forecast called for the snow to begin midday, which would have been perfect. As with incoming thunderstorms during the summer, the barometric pressure drops as a snowstorm approaches. You've probably heard someone tell you that they've experienced one of the craziest periods of fish activity during these times. According to papers by Ahrens (1993)¹ and Amat, et al. (2006)², insects can sense this sudden change in barometric pressure and know that their chances to get to safety or lay eggs will deteriorate quickly. This can trigger intense feeding activity from fish as insects move or hatch. Unfortunately, the snow came early the night prior, and it appeared we had missed that hatch - I saw tons of dead insects float by me on the surface during my first fishing round (presumably from the evening before), and the fish were hunkered down. I made the mistake of trying to match the hatch with tiny bugs instead of throwing larger "trash" flies or leeches, which produced success for some of my other competitors.

If you get lucky or can time your trip such that you are on the water right before a snowstorm, you will probably find greater fish feeding activity than you would on a random cold day. It's also a good idea to sleep in a bit - waiting until the sun has a chance to warm the water later in the morning might see more fish activity. In his book Tactical Fly Fishing, Team USA's Devin Olsen describes the water temperature range of 36°F - 39°F as one where trout start "waking up" and moving around more.

Frozen guides on very cold days are inevitable.

On very cold days, you will probably experience ice forming in your rod guides. Eventually, this will cause your line to get stuck, and hooking into a big fish runs the risk of breaking your rod or fly line since there is nowhere for the line to go. It's important to clear this as often as possible. Plain chapstick, cooking oil spray, or products like Loon ice-off paste can help prevent ice buildup for a time, but not entirely. Be gentle when breaking ice off your guides with your fingers. You can also dip the top section of your rod into the water every so often to melt iced guides.

Working with the same amount of line out lessens how often you're pulling wet line though your guides. Euro nymphing is especially advantageous in the winter for this reason.

Tailwaters are some of the best places to fish during the winter. "Tailwater" refers to a section of river just downstream of a dam, and because dams control the flow of water, fish enjoy consistent temperatures, flows, and food availability here year-round. The insect biomass in these waters can produce very large, albeit very pressured, trout. Tailwaters also tend to be slightly warmer than freestone sections of rivers, so it's unlikely they'll lock up and ice over completely.

I have a love-hate relationship with the Dream Stream tailwater of the South Platte.

Some of the most popular and productive winter tailwaters in Colorado are the Arkansas River in Pueblo, the Big Thompson through Estes Park, the Taylor River below Taylor Park, the Blue River in Silverthorne (aka the "Troutlet Mall"), and the Deckers, Cheesman Canyon, and Dream Stream sections of the South Platte River. These fish are pressured and picky, but brave the cold and you will be rewarded.

LAYERING

The topic of layering has been beaten to death already. However, I can show what I wear on my coldest days and the basic thought process behind a layering system.

All the layers I tend to wear during my coldest fishing days. I bring an extra pair of socks in case I need to change them halfway through the day.

The most important part of your layering system is your base layer. Ideally, this is a moisture-wicking layer that fits tight to the body and removes moisture from your skin. Wool and synthetic blends wick moisture very efficiently. Smartwool is my favorite, but Hot Chillys have also been good to me. Cotton should be avoided at all costs - it holds onto moisture, loses its insulative properties when wet, and cools you down as it evaporates. I have a gifted set of Grundens that are a little too large and loose to be worn solely as a base layer, so I sometimes wear them over my true base layer.

The next step in your layering system are mid layers. You can have a few of these, given they aren't too tight. If you crush too many tight layers together, you're getting rid of the air pockets in the filling material that hold heat and insulate you. The black, red, and camo jackets in the photo each go up in size to prevent just that. It helps that I've acquired these during different stages of my weight loss. Fleeces and puffy jackets do the majority of the legwork in keeping you warm. Additionally, a vest will help keep your core toasty. Sometimes I will wear fleece-lined pants over all of this as long as they aren't too tight.

Your waders function as a windproof layer for your legs at minimum, but it will behoove you to wear a windproof layer over your mid layers at all times during the winter. Any amount of wind amplifies the cold (known as the "wind chill factor"), so even a small breeze will be more uncomfortable than you think. It can be either insulated or non-insulated.

A beanie pulled over the ears will prevent heat from escaping your head, and it can be worn over a cap so you still have some relief from the sun. A balaclava adds more insulation to your head and neck, and can be pulled up over your nose and mouth. For socks, I've found that over-the-calf socks are a bit warmer, and just like your base layers, cotton should be avoided. In my opinion, Smartwool is king, and I like the thick snowboarding or mountaineering ones. Wool and poly blends retain their insulation when wet, but I bring a change of socks just in case. Toe warmers on the top of the toes can help.

If you cannot handle removing your gloves to get your hands wet and handle fish, you should not be fishing in the winter.

I have a pair of lightweight Orvis gloves that are fingerless on the thumbs, index and middle fingers, but I try to avoid wearing them. If you do choose to wear gloves while you fish, you will need to remove them before you handle your catch. Gloves (and dry hands) can strip the protective mucosal layer from the fish's skin and harm them in various ways.

Your hands will get wet if you're catching fish. Latex or nitrile gloves can keep your hands dry, but not insulated. Allegedly, these don't hurt the fish, but I don't use them. I do keep a small towel with me to dry my hands after releasing a fish.

Some things to avoid: Again, no cotton in cold conditions. Don't wear multiple pairs of socks at once, we want to avoid crushing the insulation that keeps our feet warm. If socks cause your boots to be too tight, you can lose some circulation in your feet, which will freeze your toes. Along similar lines, avoid wearing too many same-sized mid layers so they don't compress. My chest waders and boots run a little big to accommodate my winter clothing.

I also keep a bag with a change of clothes, a towel, and emergency gear in my car. I spend a lot of time in extreme cold by myself, so it's important for me to be within jogging distance of my car and get out of wet clothes if I fall in.

OTHER TIPS FOR STAYING WARM

A hot lunch, like this one on a Pocket Rocket during my birthday competition, is a great morale booster on a frigid day.

• I've found that handwarmers next to my femoral arteries keep my legs and feet warmer. Some pants have vents to put them in, but they can also be taped to the skin.

• Eating before and throughout your day gives your body calories to burn.

• Darker-colored layers absorb solar heat from the sun.

• Stepping out of the water every so often will give your toes a chance to warm back up.

• Using barbless hooks means you'll be handling fish less and getting your hands wet for a shorter duration.

In conclusion, winter fly fishing can be tricky but rewarding. The earth appears barren as it prepares for its spring rebirth, but there is still life teeming within its ever-flowing waters. I asked my Team USA teammate Katie what advice she has for fly fishing in the winter.

"Endure it for what it is! It makes the summer days sweeter."

CITATIONS

¹ Ahrens, D., 1993. The influence of ecological factors on the Mediterranean flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella, and its parasite, Nemertitis canescens. Journal of Animal Ecology 5, 67–93.

² Amat, I., Castelo, M., Desouhant, E., Bernstein, C., 2006. The influence of temperature and host availability on the host exploitation strategies of sexual and asexual parasitic wasps of the same species. Oecologia 148, 153–161.