Winter

[Rcassady]

As a new fly fisherman, I'm not sure to do with myself right now, as I see rain and snow-swollen rivers become unfishable, dawns that come too late and nights that come too early, and temperatures just getting too cold to really invest too much time out there.
So ... my question is really pointed to all my fellow Central Appalachia fly fishermen. What to do now? Anybody got any tips about what works for them during the late fall, early winter, fly-wise and otherwise?
Any tips that would give me an excuse to get out there would be greatly appreciated.

[EdD]

Rcassady, tye flies, read (books, magazines, on-line), make plans with maps etc, chat with friends, face cabin fever (a.k.a. the shack nasties) and know it for what it is. Or buy fly angler appropriate winter gear and get back into the water.

Remember the mantra of the fly angler in winter: "I do NOT need to switch to decaf, thank-you-very-much!"


Warm regards,
Ed

[Fisherman John]

If we get three days of rising temperatures check the mountain stream levels. If levels are not too high or too low and it isn't raining or snoweing then go fishing for brook trout. I use a Griffith Gnat or Mr. Rapidan nymphs and emergers.

Don't let winter keep you indoors.

John

[dudley]

[Jeff Clough]

Same issue here, but perhaps a little worse. In NH, rivers and streams close to all fishing on October 15th and don't re-open until January 1st. I've been having serious withdrawal, but have spent the time so far reading and planning out what I'll be tying for next year.

I'm also reading up on winter fly fishing so I can hit the rivers in the next month or two. Damn the cold! I already have a kid so freezing my man parts means little.

[MontanaMoose]

What about lakes near you Rcassady? I mean for me when the rivers are blown and lately mostly frozen and if i was going crazy wanting to cast a line then i head up to the nearby lake and i could care less if i catch anything but sometimes i do. Just the fact that i leave the house, drive to the lake, see the water and cast for a while is good enough for the moment.

And, if you can do that, you might try big unweighted leech patterns first on a rod length tapered leader, cast as far out into the lake as you can, then give it a countdown of say 25 for starters, then make slow strips back towards you with the rod tip quite low to the surface of the water and be ready. After that you could try a 10 or 12 foot sink tip with a 5 ft leader and the same unweighted leech pattern and give that a count appropriate for the depth of where you're flyfishing and strip that back.

Also with both ways, you can try different stripping methods i.e. slow, erratic, fast or even combinations. Again, be ready as one never knows what crazy starving fish of any kind will do next.

Lastly, if nothing else, you will have 'gotten out there' and enjoyed some fresh air and gotten in your casting practice especially with longer casts plus you'll sleep like a baby that night.

Cheers,

MontanaMoose

As a new fly fisherman, I'm not sure to do with myself right now, as I see rain and snow-swollen rivers become unfishable, dawns that come too late and nights that come too early, and temperatures just getting too cold to really invest too much time out there.
So ... my question is really pointed to all my fellow Central Appalachia fly fishermen. What to do now? Anybody got any tips about what works for them during the late fall, early winter, fly-wise and otherwise?
Any tips that would give me an excuse to get out there would be greatly appreciated.

[Rcassady]

I just looked at the next few days' weather. It's going to be 61 ... on Monday! ACK! I'm going to have to figure a way to finance this fishing thing without a job.
But seriously, I appreciate the advice so far. I really like the leech idea. I have a lake less than 10 minutes from the house, full of bass, and they've probably not seen any artificial for at least a couple of weeks.
The other thing I was wondering about with all this time on my hands was crappie. What kind of gear would work best for them.

[fishbum]

If it is not frozen solid, go fishing! Even if the pools on your stream have ice on them the riffles should still be open. I was still catching some good bluegills as late as last week here in Indiana. That is over now that the cold weather set in.

fishbum

[bobbyg]

If you can luck upon a day where the conditions are favorable...go fishin'!!!

BobbyG

[cycler68]

A place you might look for fish in a lake is if you can find an unfrozen area with a steep drop off & some sort of structure such as rip rap or a sunken tree & then fish it with a good sinking pattern such as a clouser minnow. My best luck for late fall crappies came in just such a place. I fished the fly just above the bottom & used a hand twist retrieve. I watched the line carefully as the hits were usually pretty light. When the line tighten up a bit, the tip of the rod bent a bit or something else happened I set the hook & usually was rewarded with a crappie. They weren't big but they were FISH.
Good luck with you winter fishing!