Wintertime Fishing Tips

Well, we officially jump into winter tomorrow, but it's felt like winter here on the river since late November. We had very chilly conditions for our traditional Thanksgiving week rush, but the trips we ran on public and private water went very well, considering the highs only reached into the 40s! Then, earlier this month, the North Fork froze over from bank to bank - even the little riffle off the front porch was sheer ice. First time anyone here can remember seeing that! But before we could dig out our ice augers and rig some tip-ups, the icebergs retreated downriver and we were back in the trout-catching business.

With small wild streams in their winter doldrums, the two best options for those of us in search of a tug or two are the Davidson and any Delayed Harvest stream. The big 'D' has been fishing fair to middlin' thus far this winter - the recent snowmelt has dropped water temps into the mid-3os, which makes trout pretty lethargic. The hatchery stretch offers the most consistent fishing, though they're not as spread out, particularly above the bridge. With temperatures so frigid, the state isn't dumping pellets very often, which makes success less about pellet flies and more about picking the right midges and getting good drifts. Like the good ol' days, in other words. And don't neglect the other 99% of the Davidson. We had several decent days fishing between Coontree and Looking Glass this week, but the water is painfully clear and on our last trip, we were dodging mini-glaciers floating downstream and regularly cleaning ice out of our guides. Iced-up guides are a constant problem this time of year, with no easy remedy. We've tried smearing on Loon Outdoors' "Stanley's Ice-Off Paste," spraying Pam on our guides, treating flylines with Mucilin, etc. The only thing that consistently does the trick is dipping your rod in the river to loosen things up and then manually breaking off what remains.

The East Fork is holding fish -- and water -- better this year than any season in recent memory. As you would expect, the fish are not holding in the faster, shallower riffles as much as in deeper runs and pools (although they will move into the shallows when BWOs and little black stones are coming off.) Several folks have come in the shop complaining that they can see lots of fish glued to the bottom, but can't get them to eat. Here's what we're telling them - (1) make sure they're not suckers, which have been podded up in the back of slower moving pools; (2) make sure you're actually getting down to them and bumping them on the nose with your fly. Trout will not move as far for flies in winter and in gin-clear water, depth is harder to gauge. Try extra split shot, lengthening your leader, dropping down to 6X tippet, which cuts through current easier, and/or tying on a small tungsten-beaded fly like a #18-#20 Mercer's MicroMay or our Soft-Hackle BWO. Mend, mend, and mend some more. If that fails, change flies and repeat.

Winter is a great time to fish locally - the crowds of summer are gone and the sight-fishing opportunities are unparalleled because the water is so clear. Don't bother getting on the water at the crack of dawn - the best time is between 1 and 3 p.m., when the sun has had time to warm things up a little. If you're looking to book a guide trip this time of year, the key is picking a sunny day with predicted highs in the 50s. Bottom line is, we'd rather guide on a 55 degree day in January than a 90 degree one in August. Bundle up, fill up that coffee thermos and stop by for some hot flies and advice. We're open 10-6, 7 days a week, all winter long.

Tight lines,

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