Well, the snow has begun and winter seems to be setting in here in Central Oregon. For some, this means hanging up the waders and boots and breaking down the rods for the year. While it is true that many of our local bodies of water closed for the year on Halloween, we are blessed to have year-round opportunities for trout and other game fish! Within an hour of town, one can find a plethora of less-pressured fish gorging themselves on aquatic insects in preparation for the cold winter. In fact, several of my personal best days on the water have occurred with the thermometer reading below 32 degrees and my hands the color of a slightly under ripe tomato. Those willing to brave the weather associated with a Central Oregon winter may just be rewarded with plenty of plump, colored-up fish, which seem to have forgotten what an artificial fly looks like.
All that said, how we fish will have to adapt as the seasons change. The fish have moved on from their shallow, summer feeding grounds, and found more suitable winter homes. One cannot necessarily use the same techniques and flies and expect to catch the same caliber and quantity of fish. If you find yourself with some spare time and you can handle frozen fingers and numb ears, here are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind for winter fly fishing.
Nymph deep
In order to expend as little energy as possible and maximize the amount of time they can last between meals, trout tend to move to the deepest water they can find. With very little current to fight and virtually no predators able to reach them, the bottom of deep pools and runs presents an excellent sanctuary for a trout looking to make it through the harsh winter. In addition, far fewer insects are making their way to the surface to hatch and emerge as adults. As such, less fish are cruising the upper portion of the water column. For those fishing with an indicator (whether that be a bobber, buoyant dry fly, or yarn), the general rule is to have your bottom fly about 1.5x the depth of the water. For example, if the water seems to be about 5ft deep, consider placing your indicator about 7.5ft (5ft x 1.5 = 7.5ft) above your bottom fly. As the surface current is usually faster than the current near the bottom, your indicator will move quicker than your flies and keep them from sinking all the way down. For this reason, the extra distance between your indicator and your flies will allow them to reach the proper depth despite the slight swinging motion that is caused by the difference in current. For our visual learners out there, here is a diagram showing where your nymphs will normally be in relation to your indicator and the feeding fish:
Size down your flies
I don’t know how many people (if any) would rather fish a size 22 Zebra Midge as opposed to a size 6 Chubby Chernobyl, but when it comes to winter fishing, small flies are the name of the game. While it is true that trout will still absolutely gargle a size 6-8 stonefly nymph in the dead of January, they are generally on the lookout for smaller meals: midges, scuds, leeches, and worms to name a few. Through the miracle that is natural instinct, trout are pretty aware of what their food sources should be during each season of the year. That same fish that seemed beyond excited to smack your size 4 grasshopper pattern in August will not show that same level of excitement for that same fly during the winter months. They know that grasshoppers are not part of the winter menu and will hardly give it a second-glance. For those of you who prefer to only fish dry flies, the same general rules apply: the smaller the fly, the better it will fish.
A few flies to try: #16-22 Pheasant Tails, #18-24 Demon Midges, #18-22 Rainbow Warriors, #16-18 EZ Eggs, #18-22 Black Beauties, #18-22 Top Secret Midges, #14-16 San Juan Worms, #18-22 Parachute BWOs, #20-22 Spinners, and #16-18 Klinkhammers.
Sleep in!
If you struggle to get out of bed on those frigid winter mornings, fear not! The early bird does not always catch the fish. Like humans, fish tend to be a bit lethargic during winter mornings. Fishing before the light has had a chance to warm up the water can be somewhat of a futile endeavor at times. On the dry fly side of things, there are virtually no morning hatches in the winter. If there is a hatch, it will most likely occur past 11am and before 3pm. While this is not a hard and fast rule, it is certainly a good guideline to follow.
On the subsurface side of things, fish often need a bit of time to wake up and build up an appetite. Although the water will most likely be cold all day, they are most active during the warmest parts of the day.
Dress for the weather
It may be obvious to some, but nothing will kill a winter fishing trip quicker than being underprepared for the weather. The most vulnerable extremities are going to be your toes, fingers, ears, and nose. For the ears, a knit hat with a thick windbreaker (preferably with a hood) should keep them nice and toasty. For the nose and neck, a fleece-lined buff or similar will prevent you from constantly inhaling frigid air and reduce the amount of exposed skin. For the feet, wool socks are an absolute must. If your budget allows, alpaca or heated sock covers are ideal. The fingers can be a bit trickier. As contact with most gloves and mitts is extremely harmful to the protective slime of a trout, it can be tough to find a solution. While nitrile allows for safe handling of fish, it provides no insulation at all. On the other hand, wool will keep you warm (even when wet), but cannot be worn when handling a fish. In my humble opinion, it is far better to be warm and just remove your glove-layer when/if you need, than to wear no gloves at all or just nitrile gloves. In general, it is far better to be over prepared than underprepared.
Handle the fish with care
Holding the fish out of the water for more than a quick grip n’ grin can be dangerous for the fish in the cold just as much as the heat. During summer months when the water is warmer, there is less oxygen to consume. As such, fish struggle to reoxygenate themselves after encounters with anglers. Even though a fish might seem to swim off OK, there is a chance it might die a few minutes later due to an inability to get enough oxygen flowing through their gills.
While the oxygen levels are not so much of an issue in winter, the outside temperature can be. Aside from the fact that they can’t breathe out of the water, due to some somewhat difficult to understand science, their gills can freeze, causing potentially irreparable damage and even death. For this reason, reducing physical contact and keeping the fish in the water as much as possible is key when fishing in the winter (and a good habit to get in for the rest of year, as well). A hook remover can also be purchased for under $20 and can help reduce stress on the fish and keep them happy and healthy.
For those headed out on the water soon, good luck! Feel free to sleep in, dress warm, fish deep, fish small, and handle those fish with care!
Tight lines,
Kaden
