To Fish Or Not To Fish
The winter can often bring a sense of sluggishness, its cold, its dark, its BORING! Hunting seasons are long gone, the massive hatches are extremely distant memories and for some fishing isn’t even considered.
Often, the winter seems to be the time when I catch my biggest fish. Not only that, it seems that its the only extremely productive time for me fishing minnow pattern streamers. As a young guy, at the beginning of my fly fishing career I would often switch to spin tackle in the winter time. With the fishes slowed metabolism I caught more fish, it was simple choice. Once my passion for fly-fishing grew I put two and two together. While other guys were fishing nymphs I was doing the exact opposite of everything I had ever read or was told.
The technique is rather simple, throw up stream, strip it hard then pause and let it drift for a second. Fish often will move feet out of their feeding lies to hammer the streamer. Often, they will completely miss or go back without taking the fly. Whats really cool is that Ive found the same fish will chase and chase till you jab him. Usually if you stick his mouth he is not coming back.
Shallow water in winter seems to draw the fish. It took me a long time to figure out that most times they could be in water inches deep while deep pockets exist just a foot away. My only explanation for this phenomenon is that the water must be warmer. Either that or the bait-fish are hanging back under the cuts of the banks but this does not explain the fish in mid current.
Once spring time gives way to early caddis hatches, stone flies and the ever popular blue-winged olives the streamer fishing hits a wall. Theres so much food available they are reluctant to move like that for a streamer unless the water is muddy. I dont advocate fishing in sub zero temperatures as I once took a face first dive into a spring creek when it was 14 degrees. Had the house not been within 500 yards i fear what might have happened, that was bad enough. So, be careful, have fun and break up the winter time blues with some streamer fishing. If the stremaers are not being productive go small, size 26 midge pupa, 18-20 pheasant tail nymphs and never ever forget the staples such as cressbugs and scuds!
