Winter Fly Fishing

[DFoster 0]

Do you fly-fish through the winter?  If your a northern based angler how do you cope with the winter?

In the past my winter fishing has been limited to the odd, unusually warm days we get here in New England on occasion. This year I have decided that I will get out and fish on more of the “nicer” winter days. Nothing bring my fishing to a screeching halt like frozen toes so I’m going to target a few local locations, either small streams or pools on rivers where I can fish mostly from the shore. That’s the plan anyway.  Now It’s only been a few weeks since my last cast but damn it I miss it.  With the Christmas and New Years bookending a destination wedding and another home improvement project looming my free time has been in short supply.  When the time has been available the weather hasn’t cooperated. Time at my vise helps brighten the winter gloom a lot.  So does cleaning and maintenance on the gear.  Still nothing replaces fishing for me,  hopefully a few mild days will present themselves here and there.

[flytire 0]

i used to winter fish when i lived in colorado

many layers of clothes. heavy wool socks

at my age i'm staying in the house with a sweater on most of the time

blood too thin to stay warm 😁🥶🥶

[Fruitrollup 0]

I fish all year long in Colorado as long as the overnight temps are higher than 19*F.  My new electric socks have extended the time I can spend wading in comfort.  Here are my first 2024 a few trouts from a Jan 2 trip to the Arkansas River.

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Can't resist... when everyone up north is tying flies, repairing gear (or visiting lady friends...) all that's needed to find great fishing is a plane ticket down to south Florida (among other similar destinations...).  We'll be jumping small tarpon tonight on a falling tide between Miami and Miami Beach if all goes well.  One of my anglers will use light spinning gear and lures - the other an 8 or 9wt rod with simple white flies...   Those "small tarpon" will be between 20 and 40lbs - all you can stand with a 9wt - and even more fun with  the 8wt...  

[Poopdeck 0]

Two times I hate to fish is when it’s really cold and when it’s hot. I don’t fish in the throws of winter which is typically January through February and generally avoid fishing in the heat of July and August. There’s nothing appealing to me about fishing in hot sweaty skin burning weather or the icy cold. Nope, I’ll leave the torture of Florida to those who like soaking in sweat and happily sit in front of my propane fireplace during January and February. Fortunately I have plenty of other things to occupy my time so not  fishing for a couple months is no big deal and has zero impact on my life or my psyche. I work, I tie flies, I prep gear, I make rock ducks and other homemade gifts for friends and family and I help my kids out with their home improvement projects. I like and enjoy everything in my life and fishing is only one piece to my puzzle. 

[KnottaFly 0]

I agree with Flytire about staying warm in the house during these cold days, but I love to fish in January and February. Here in Western North Carolina they are some of the best months to fish. No pressure on the trout,  usually not a fisherman in sight, rivers to yourself. I’ve had some of my best days then. That’s if I can motivate myself to get out in the cold. Of course, 22 degrees this morning is tough to get motivated to go stand in a stream.

[Bryon Anderson 0]

Winter steelheading is very good here in Michigan. I've done it a few times, and even caught a couple over the years, but I never can get myself motivated to do it anymore. I used to feel bad about that -- like I wasn't a "real" fisherman unless I was out on the water at every available opportunity -- but I've since come to the more rational mindset that it's silly to force discomfort onto myself in order to try and live up to some archaic notion of what "real men" do. I mean, the whole point of the exercise is to enjoy it, right? 

These days I happily spend my winter free time either in my nice heated wood shop, or in my office tying flies.

[Park1 0]

Make a day trip to the Cape if the weather is looking good. All the trout ponds are open water and most of the others too. Streamers and woolly buggers but bring midges if the temps warmer too, both zebra midges and often see rising fish also.

[DFoster 0]

On 1/10/2024 at 1:01 PM, Fruitrollup said:

I fish all year long in Colorado as long as the overnight temps are higher than 19*F.  My new electric socks have extended the time I can spend wading in comfort.  Here are my first 2024 a few trouts from a Jan 2 trip to the Arkansas River.

Those are some beautiful fish!

[DFoster 0]

18 hours ago, Bryon Anderson said:

Winter steelheading is very good here in Michigan. I've done it a few times, and even caught a couple over the years, but I never can get myself motivated to do it anymore. I used to feel bad about that -- like I wasn't a "real" fisherman unless I was out on the water at every available opportunity -- but I've since come to the more rational mindset that it's silly to force discomfort onto myself in order to try and live up to some archaic notion of what "real men" do. I mean, the whole point of the exercise is to enjoy it, right? 

These days I happily spend my winter free time either in my nice heated wood shop, or in my office tying flies.

 

On 1/10/2024 at 8:37 PM, Poopdeck said:

Two times I hate to fish is when it’s really cold and when it’s hot. I don’t fish in the throws of winter which is typically January through February and generally avoid fishing in the heat of July and August. There’s nothing appealing to me about fishing in hot sweaty skin burning weather or the icy cold. Nope, I’ll leave the torture of Florida to those who like soaking in sweat and happily sit in front of my propane fireplace during January and February. Fortunately I have plenty of other things to occupy my time so not  fishing for a couple months is no big deal and has zero impact on my life or my psyche. I work, I tie flies, I prep gear, I make rock ducks and other homemade gifts for friends and family and I help my kids out with their home improvement projects. I like and enjoy everything in my life and fishing is only one piece to my puzzle. 

Gentlemen I don't enjoy freezing either and have no intention of fishing when it's really cold which is usually most of January and February. Those days I can spend at my vise in a really warm home.  Since my hear attack in 2014 I have been on medications that make this life long New Englander notice the cold a lot more than I used to.  Back when I rode Harley's I was riding until snow or ice and they salted the roads.   Temps were sometimes in the teens.  The key was to dress properly. People are out on snowmobiles even in the coldest temps. 

The trouble with fly fishing is that no matter how you dress your fingers will get wet.  My point was not that I will fish at every opportunity, the weather on average here IMO is too cold for that but there are some days in January and February when the temps get above freezing or even warmer.  When that happens and it coincides with my free time I'm going to make more of an effort to get out. Scratching the itch even if it's only for a short while.  Mostly small streams for Brookies and Browns that I don't need to wade.  A pair of Muck boots with ice cleats will be all I'll need.

[Mark Knapp 0]

All very cool, so to speak.

[cphubert 0]

If it is a decent day, sunny, above 25-30 degrees Ill fish if I get an opportunity. Used to steelhead fish in colder. Layers, neoprene waders, a sling pack and inflatable suspenders. thermos of hot coffee. fishing is slow and deep unless the winter caddis or stoneflies hatch about mid-day then its slow and shallow. Bitter cold - frozen guides and reels- snow & ice encased wader boots I'm over with fishing in that.............but I'll drag the ice sled out!

[Poopdeck 0]

6 hours ago, DFoster said:

 

Gentlemen I don't enjoy freezing either and have no intention of fishing when it's really cold which is usually most of January and February. Those days I can spend at my vise in a really warm home.  Since my hear attack in 2014 I have been on medications that make this life long New Englander notice the cold a lot more than I used to.  Back when I rode Harley's I was riding until snow or ice and they salted the roads.   Temps were sometimes in the teens.  The key was to dress properly. People are out on snowmobiles even in the coldest temps. 

The trouble with fly fishing is that no matter how you dress your fingers will get wet.  My point was not that I will fish at every opportunity, the weather on average here IMO is too cold for that but there are some days in January and February when the temps get above freezing or even warmer.  When that happens and it coincides with my free time I'm going to make more of an effort to get out. Scratching the itch even if it's only for a short while.  Mostly small streams for Brookies and Browns that I don't need to wade.  A pair of Muck boots with ice cleats will be all I'll need.

Wheeeeeeeeeeew, I actually thought New Englanders enjoyed freezing. 

[Mark Knapp 0]

Any more now adays, my motto is, "If you're suffering, You're doing it wrong"

[partsman 0]

I typically fish in the winter, I just pick my days when the weather and the roads aren’t to bad. My biggest problem was my feet, I wear size 9 1/2 shoes so I bought some size 13 wading boots and wear one thinner pair of wool and one heavy pair of alpaca socks and I’ve got room to wiggle my toes. This year so far no fishing , came down with COVID in early December and still dealing with some after affects. I do need to get up to Grayling soon, I purchased a bamboo fly rod blank from a builder up there and it’s ready for pickup.

Mike.