Season's about over

[Rick Z]

Fish unwieghted patterns very slowly. I tend to use some larger patterns at this time of year. Size 8 & 10 hooks. Also a lot of leech patterns.

Rick

[Bluegill222]

I'm back to soft hackles myself. It's what I start the year with while the water temps are still low and what I end it with as they cool down again. A painfully slow retrieve usually does the trick. watch the leader close because cold weather gills and bass don't give you much. If the leader stops, hitches, jumps, or does any little thing you didn't do to it, set the hook.

[EdD]

Fish unwieghted patterns very slowly. I tend to use some larger patterns at this time of year. Size 8 & 10 hooks. Also a lot of leech patterns.

Rick

I agree with Rick. I have had retrieves as slower than a yard a minute. The 'gills still eat in the winter. I have even taken 'gills on dries. Try big (~size 10), dark, parachute patterns close to the bank in deeper water. Even better, tie on a nymph dropper. Since you are in Florence, at least some of your streams are likely to support populations of "warm water brookies", red bellies (Red-breasted sunfish). They are probably the most active sunnies in cold water. It ain't over 'til it freezes solid. In Tennessee and Kentucky, that is very infrequently.

Remember, "slow" is the word.

Good luck,
Ed

[jeffnles1]

I agree with Rick. I have had retrieves as slower than a yard a minute. The 'gills still eat in the winter. I have even taken 'gills on dries. Try big (~size 10), dark, parachute patterns close to the bank in deeper water. Even better, tie on a nymph dropper. Since you are in Florence, at least some of your streams are likely to support populations of "warm water brookies", red bellies (Red-breasted sunfish). They are probably the most active sunnies in cold water. It ain't over 'til it freezes solid. In Tennessee and Kentucky, that is very infrequently.

Remember, "slow" is the word.

Good luck,
Ed

I'm hoping to get out on a couple streams before hard winter sets in. Gunpowder creek has a lot of "warm water brookies" (long ear and green sunfish) and Laughery Creek in Indiana has a lot of them and some smallmouth.

The lake that is about 10 minutes from my driveway is starting to slow down considrably. I caught a couple the other night on a white unweighted woolie bugger and a few more on an elk hair caddis (there was some type of hatch that looked a lot like caddis).

I'm not ready to give up, but the fishing is definately getting slower.

I just picked up a spare spool for my 5wt rod (thanks Art) and am going to put on a sinking line which will help me get out a little deeper.

Jeff

[joe cool]

I managed half a dozen gills today in 40 degree weather. Its been cold here all week but I decided I had to get out so I went to a local park late. Size 16 bh pheasant tail behind a big size 4 conehead nymph pattern I used for carp worked for me. The big heavy fly got them down and got the gills attention and they ate the trailing pt when it came by a few seconds later.

[Sonny Edmonds]

Well, winter may be comin, but you can always tye fly's to past the time.

[FishnDave]

I fly-fished after dark last night. Air temps were 40-45 degrees F. Catching was slow, but I managed 6 crappies, 6 bluegills, and a 16.5" bass. All on a #8 yellow unweighted boa yarn leech. Retrieve was just slightly slower than what I've been using before it started getting cold around here.

Had another good fish on for about 10 seconds before it shook free. Probably another bass, or maybe a catfish.

[MontanaMoose]

Hello FishnDave, can you post a pic of your boa yarn leeches?

Cheers,

MontanaMoose

[Rick Z]

Do a search on this site. Boa yarn leeches were a FOTW a while ago.

Rick

[Night Angler]

why think of it as the end of the season...


Think vacation... tying time to restock... a get ready for a new year with bigger and meaner fish