Winter Fishing....Why We Love It

One common thread that you will notice if you look at fly fishing guide service websites or follow the guide's blogs is that we all love fishing in the winter. There are several reasons for this. Not only is it a slower time for the guides, but there are many other reasons for this often misunderstood phenomenon. I've listed a few of the reasons below:

No Crowds
We can all relate to this one. The winter months seem to be the only time that you can truly enjoy the solitude of being waist deep in a pristine trout stream, or even floating a river with no other boats in sight. This alone is worth the trip to many of us. As a guide we get accustomed to dealing with crowds of other fishermen on a daily basis while working clients on productive water. After all, productive water draws fly fishermen like a moth to a flame, as it should. But on many of our tailwaters we also have the added numbers of recreational paddlers to deal with throughout the day. Nothing wrong with that, and they are certainly entitled to the same waters, but it is nice when you have less crowded waters to enjoy. Even they would agree with that.

Migrating Fish
Many of us enjoy the search for migrating fish that occurs in the late fall and winter months. Depending on your location, this could mean steelhead, salmon or brown trout. These fish will migrate in the colder months for spawning purposes. It can mean lots of suffering for the fisherman that stands out in the cold water drifting flies, but as they say, "The Tug is the Drug". I promise you that when a steelhead slams your swung fly you will forget all about the weather! Granted, it doesn't happen as often as we would like, but that's what makes it so special. After all, no one makes fun of deer or duck hunters. Why do they look at us like we're crazy when they see us standing out in the water when it's below freezing? After all, it's as close to hunting as some of us get anymore.

Larger Fish
Now I know this one may seem kind of far fetched, but on average I think the size of fish being caught this time of year increases. Think about it, the mature fish are the ones that are migrating after all. Plus the fact that they have more body weight to try and maintain throughout the year. True, their metabolism does slow down, but they still have to eat more than their smaller counterparts. In fact, they will often eat their smaller counterparts to maintain that weight during the winter months. That's why those big, gawky looking swung flies are so effective.

Spot & Stalk
Going back to the hunting comparison, many of us enjoy searching for those big fish that often lie out in the open during the winter. The big brown trout are especially vulnerable during this time. These bigger fish spend the rest of their lives moving and feeding almost exclusively at night. During the pre-spawn migration however, they let their guard down as they search for, and court, their prospective mates. This, combined with the fact that the colder water is much clearer, makes it possible to locate these fish during their big move. Obviously we don't fish to them while they are actively spawning, but during their migration they're fair game. Just remember to follow strict catch and release guidelines, use barbless hooks and handle them carefully. After all, they're the future of our fisheries.

I hope this will answer some of the questions from perhaps a newer generation of fly fishermen out there that seem to think this is the off-season. True, it is an art in itself understanding the winter fisheries and how to approach fishing them, but with a little homework I think you'll find it worthwhile to say the least. In fact, I know a few people that almost exclusively fish during the colder months. Get out there and enjoy the fishing. Just be careful and stay dry! Good luck!