Streamer Junkies

[Dave G. 0]

If I am shivering, it's time to go indoors. I'll fish with a sweatshirt on ... but I won't go if I need a "coat".

 

I moved to Florida so a sweatshirt is all I need in the Winter.

I get it Mike! On Cape Cod that might be about May in some years ( we traditionally don't have nice springs but beautiful autumns), so I'll do the coat thing if it means I can get going in late March or in April. Usually need a hood on , it's a cold wind that comes off the bay here and even the pond water for that matter.

 

I've been known to wet a fly in late Feb. I've seen rising fish up against the shore and cast a blood worm or red tiny woolly worm right from shore and nail a couple of first fish of the season. Barring that means the full wader and sinking line affair. That was fine when I was younger. I remember 4 wheel driving in to the pond through a late winter snow , waders the whole bit and 4wd back out after.. It was adventurous feeling, "frig it now" !

[mikechell 0]

 

... frig it now !

 

That's MY line !!!

[Dave G. 0]

 

 

... frig it now !

 

That's MY line !!!

 

Oh, I'll fix it then, I'll put quotes on it. It's all yours ! I won't take it away, that makes you angry as I recall lol.

[mikechell 0]

LOL No, I am not the little guy in the faucet commercials ... but I am impressed you know the reference.

 

You can use it, as you'll be putting up with frigging cold weather much longer than I will.

[FlaFly 0]

...and a PFD. Right Mike?

[IgotWood 0]

Nice discussion! I typically won't fish if the highs are expected to stay below freezing. In the past, I have had some fantastic fishing right through the winter! However, I haven't really done much streamer fishing. Looks like a couple of days next week in the upper 30's/low 40's, so I want to get out and only bring a streamer rod. Just trying to hear what most guys like to fish...patter/size/color.

[mikechell 0]

Right, Flafly!

I just sat through a two hour presentation by guide on the St. Joe River. He said, at this time of year, all his fish are taken while nymph fishing. A few clients will want to swing streamers, and they might get a fish ... but the nymphers will take from 10 to 30 fish on a good day.

[IgotWood 0]

Right, Flafly!

I just sat through a two hour presentation by guide on the St. Joe River. He said, at this time of year, all his fish are taken while nymph fishing. A few clients will want to swing streamers, and they might get a fish ... but the nymphers will take from 10 to 30 fish on a good day.

I certainly wouldn't disagree with this! Nymphing is almost always far more productive in the winter than anything else. I definitely wouldn't consider myself a trophy hunter, but I would much rather catch 1 or 2 quality fish, than catch 10-30 stockers under 18". At certain times of the year, on my local rivers, there are certain pools where big fish are known to hold for the winter, which is typically where I fish, and on most days, I'm lucky if I even draw a strike. It's tough, but when the line actually comes tight, the size and quality of the fish is almost always worth it.

 

Sometimes I am just looking for that one BIG fish who is willing to eat. And often times, that's the name of the game in streamer fishing. I'm just looking to try something different. I haven't done very much streamer fishing in the winter. Not sure whether to go big, or go small. I normally prefer big.

[Dave G. 0]

 

Right, Flafly!

I just sat through a two hour presentation by guide on the St. Joe River. He said, at this time of year, all his fish are taken while nymph fishing. A few clients will want to swing streamers, and they might get a fish ... but the nymphers will take from 10 to 30 fish on a good day.

I certainly wouldn't disagree with this! Nymphing is almost always far more productive in the winter than anything else. I definitely wouldn't consider myself a trophy hunter, but I would much rather catch 1 or 2 quality fish, than catch 10-30 stockers under 18". At certain times of the year, on my local rivers, there are certain pools where big fish are known to hold for the winter, which is typically where I fish, and on most days, I'm lucky if I even draw a strike. It's tough, but when the line actually comes tight, the size and quality of the fish is almost always worth it.

 

Sometimes I am just looking for that one BIG fish who is willing to eat. And often times, that's the name of the game in streamer fishing. I'm just looking to try something different. I haven't done very much streamer fishing in the winter. Not sure whether to go big, or go small. I normally prefer big.

 

So you're targeting resident pool fish in cold water season. And you want to streamer fish. You must try, "you must" ( don't rule out this generic killer), Medium sized dark colored , heavily weighted woolly buggers. That's it ,it's all you need, but if you aren't losing one here and there you aren't deep enough or fishing slow enough. I'd give you my magic weapon bugger pattern of all time but then it wouldn't be secret anymore lol !! No seriously, your area may be slightly more specific than mine on exact pattern but start with darkish, medium size, lot's of weight, maybe even weighted shank and a cone head as well, woolly buggers. I've gotten fish everywhere, big fish, cold water, the works on these things. Don't walk away saying "oh the woolly bugger" unless you put double exclamation points on it.

[IgotWood 0]

Dave G....thanks! To me, "medium sized" is #2-4 trailed by a 25-30mm shank. What is MEDIUM to you?

[Dave G. 0]

Dave G....thanks! To me, "medium sized" is #2-4 trailed by a 25-30mm shank. What is MEDIUM to you?

Mmmm, #6 3906b Mustad hook or a standard streamer hook with a shank length or a tad over of marabou ( unless I'm tying for my wife , she likes these huge buggers with huge tails). I don't use chenille unless it's all I have in a certain color, I much prefer natural or colored peacock herl for body wrap on my winter woolly buggers. Much prefer it, a good bunch of 4-6 strands twisted onto thread. I might use a very thin olive or brown chenille as an under wrap to cover the weight first but I end up with peacock herl. Try it , see what you think. I bet the fish like it. I suggest dark hackle, in the spring I switch to grizzly . Your choice if you want to rib it with fine wire or not. Depending on your river, I might try copper or gold wire, even olive wire. I go subdued in the winter !

 

Something else that has gotten winter trout for me is scarlet red and grizzly woolly bugger or woolly worm, small, like #14. I don't know , it gets that surprise fish sometimes, always rainbow though. But that is kind of getting out of your streamer request being that small.

[Pabrookie94 0]

#1. Size 8 olive wooly bugger

#2. Fly fish food's complex twist bugger in a color variation that I came up with.

#3. Either a sculpin pattern or again one of fly fish foods alevin streamers (obviously dead drifted)

[troutguy 0]

When I lived in NY I preferred night fishing for trout. All I used was streamers. I still use a lot of streamers. I like the active fishing style.

 

1. Muddler minnow size #2 .

 

2. Sculpinhead size #6

 

3. Black Nose dace Thundercreek style size #8

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

Black Woolly Bugger with Pearl Krystal Flash

Grey Ghost

Olive Wool Sculpin

[ihang10 0]

Olive crystal Bugger.

 

Olive/White double bunny

 

Foxy Clouser