Winter Fly Fishing Trout Tips
Fly fishing during the cold winter months for trout can be a wonderful experience, if you have the right tackle and equipment. Winter fishing is one of the extreme fishing games but can be very productive. Here are a few tips to make sure you have an awesome day out on the river or stream.
Wearing a good thick pair of neoprene chest waders will keep most of your body warm. A pair of neoprene fishing gloves will keep your hands warm and dry. If you get the type of glove that have the tips of the thumb and forefinger that fold off of the digit allowing you to change flies, you’ll be able to keep your fingers warm and dry and still be able to change tackle.
Wearing a good waterproof parka tucked into your waders will keep your upper body warm.
This time of year the trout are looking for good aquatic bugs to eat. The best way to see what they are eating is to seine the river and find the bugs that are along the bottom; then match them to a pattern in your box.
Stream fishing is good this time of year. Using a weighted line and a split shot on the leader or a beadhead fly, cast out up stream and holding the tip just above the water surface, strip the line in. It is also effective to stand out in the middle of the stream and cast upstream towards the bank: then with the tip just above the surface strip the line in.
During the cold winter, fish try to conserve energy. If you plan on fishing with a catch and release style it is a good idea not to play the fish too much. If a fish uses too much energy fighting the line, they will have a hard time recovering and then replacing the energy used.
Remember, if it’s too cold you'll be better off playing online fishing games, like shark fishing games in the warm truck.