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12 Best Flies for Winter Stillwater Fly Fishing
As mentioned in a previous article Stillwater winter fly fishing can prove to be challenging.
To help assist us in getting more takes from trout that are feeding we need to incorporate some flies that are better suited to winter fly fishing.
In this post, we find out about those patterns that prove to be better during the winter months.
Quick Post Navigation
- Winter Stillwater flies how to present them.
- Winter Stillwater flies group one – Nymphs
- Winter Stillwater flies group two – Damsels
- Winter Stillwater flies group three – Worms
- Winter Stillwater flies group four – Buzzers
- Summary – Top Tips to Fly Fish Stillwater in Winter
- “Check out some of our other Buying Guides”
Winter Stillwater flies how to present them.
In winter fly fishing trout will normally be swimming very slowly and not inclined to chase after lures or flies very well.
In this instance we have to slow down the retrieve and how we present the flies to the fish.
If you can see trout feeding or cruising try to cast in front of them and draw the fly past their path.
This way you will induce more takes.
Half the battle is getting the fly within a close distance to a cruising trout. Next, we look at the best patterns to use.
A common mistake in winter fishing is going too deep.
Trout will look for food namely the insects that live there and they will be looking for warmer water.
The water closest to the bankings is usually best and where it slopes gently and not straight down.
This gives trout a way to sulk off into the deep if disturbed and where the water can warm up on the better days in the sun.
Another thing to look out for is the activity of birds.
Wading birds will usually be in around the weed beds and it’s here that there will be most of the insect life.
During the winter the weeds will below the surface and not easily noticed so looking out for the birdlife and where they are feeding will help your catch rate.
Winter Stillwater flies group one – Nymphs
Nymphs are one of my favorite patterns for Stillwater fishing all year long.
However, nymphs in winter can be special. Insects like the Corixa, Shrimps and Hoglouse are usually still active and patterns that imitate them are good ones to have in the box.
Cruncher fished slow and not too deep.
Team it with a black buzzer for a great effect.
A top floating fry or bite indicator
Let it drift around in the wind and keep an eye on the takes.
Gold ribbed hares ear will imitate a shrimp and also fished slowly with a figure of eight retrieve.
Dawl Bach fished like the cruncher nymph above on the drift a few feet down.
Winter Stillwater flies group two – Damsels
If the nymphs are not working a Damsel is a good fly to have in the box.
They are good all year round but especially in winter when the trout are slower moving the extra movement of the marabou tail can help entice takes.
My favorites are Olive Damsel
A simple figure of eight or slow retrieve should work.
I sometimes like to put in short twitches to draw the fly up and then let it sink with a pause this mimics the swimming of a nymph insect. (hook 10-12 long shank)
Orange and olive damsel. As the olive damsel but sometimes the olive will not work so changing to orange helps mix things up abit. (hook 10-12 long shank)
Gold head Damsel. Something to take the fly down quickly if required.
The extra weight of the gold head will help sink the fly to lying fish if they are not cruising the margins.
(hook 10-12 long shank), patterns like the humongous are great in this as the head allows for dipping motion which give extra movement.
Winter Stillwater flies group three – Worms
In Winter a staple diet for trout is bloodworms
Trout will root them out when they are on the move.
It is a good idea to have some of these in your fly box.
There are many blood worms on the market and you can always tie a few yourself but ones with plenty of legs to pronounce the movement will work better than the plain old red dubbing over a hook.
My top three are the apps bloodworm.
Comes in several colors blood red and orange being the most productive. (10-12 grub hook)
The bloodworm nymph (hook 10-12 short shank)
The last is the blood worm with marabou tail. (hook 10-12 short shank)
Winter Stillwater flies group four – Buzzers
Buzzer fly fishing is one where you let the buzzer drift around in the current very slowly watching the indicator for any twitches or movement which usually indicates a take.
Buzzers will hatch on the better days in winter especially in the warmer water if you can find it.
Trout will be waiting close by for them to hatch and sip them down as they emerge.
Black Buzzer epoxy (10-12 grub hook)
Black Buzzer shipmans (10-12 grub hook)
Black Buzzer JC cheeks (10-12 grub hook)
I know they are all black but usually black works best for me in winter, you can always try different colors to see how you get on in you home waters.
Summary – Top Tips to Fly Fish Stillwater in Winter
- Do a bit of recon, check for birdlife, cruising fish, structures
- Don’t wade in the water as fish may be close to the edge
- Cast out close to start with as fish may be feeding in the margins
- Don’t fish too deep as warmer water will be at the top
- Slow everything down as fish will not chase
- Be patient there will not be a feeding frenzy as in summer.
- Drifting flies can produce some good action
- Keep warm after all it’s winter
There you have a few tips and a dozen fly fishing patterns
Would be happy to hear from you on patterns that you would include in this list.
Tight Lines!
“Check out some of our other Buying Guides”
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About Author
Hi! I have been throwing Flies at trout here in Northern Ireland from the age of 8 and I now feel old in realising that 36 years have passed since then! Lol! That said I truly believe that every day is a school day and brings each of us something new to learn! What are your thoughts on terrestrial imitations? I’ve always found them deadly during the summer months but I only throw them as a last resort on days when the fish are being dicks and ignoring everything else!
Hi Brian, it really depends on the imitation but I have seen some great reproductions lately where they look exactly like the real thing. It’s like my posts matching the hatch and un-matching the hatch if the usual fly is not working then try something different. Stillwater trout become used to patterns very quickly and so I find changing often until I get a color or size and shape to work then grow from there. It’s all part of the game trying to work out what they want that keeps us coming back anyway.
I read your article with great interest even though I doubt I will ever do any fly fishing for trout, because I live in the deep south.
I am indeed an avid fisherman though, only I fish for crappie in the winter with either jigs made for the pupose or flies made for fly fishing. In fact several of the best flies for fishing in the winter for you work for me when I’m fishing in the stillwater of resevoirs and lakes.
Thanks
Hey they are proven patterns to catch fish, although tied originally to catch trout they will work on many predator species. I have indeed caught small Jack Pike on them too while out fishing for trout in my local stillwater fishery.
They have a decent school of Pike and the occasional one comes to a trout fly. A wee bonus to the sport of fly fishing is you never know whats going to happen.
I have always had an interest in fly fishing, but I have never given it a try when I was young and now my health prevents me from fishing at all.
I was amazed you could catch fish fly fishing in the winter time, I always thought fly fishing was a spring-summer season activity.
My son still fishes and ties flies to make extra money where he lives now, what is your opinion on hand tied flies and the flies you purchase in stores?
Hey Jeff, sorry you cannot get out to fish anymore, don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t.
On the question of flies, I tie my own when I get time. I have done so since a boy. I used to tie for a shop when younger exchanging flies for tackle which kept me going.
Its much better and sweeter to catch a fish on one of your own flies. If its a new pattern so much the better.
I used to watch sea trout rise for a small dry fly when I was a lad and decided to catch some and try to copy them. I had limited tying materials then so my mum’s sewing/knitting kit came in handy. The poor dog would get a snip now and again too. I managed to roughly copy the fly these trout were rising too and used it to get myself a few over the season much to my pleasure.
I’ve been spending most of my winter fishing time on the beaches going after surf perch…but now I am thinking I better dig out the fly rod and go after some trout in the nearby lakes!
I was wondering about presentation when it comes to worms. I’m assuming they are fished near the bottom? What kind of retrieve would you use?
Would love to see an in depth post on winter fishing tactics…this would go along perfectly with this post!
Thats a good idea winter fly fishing tactics I’ll put that on my to do list.
As for the worms you can find them mostly in the verges where the water is warmer. A retrieve is not fast but a slow figure of eight or a gentle strip is better than retrieving in fast.
As mentioned in the post fish are slow moving and not looking to waste energy so stripping will not usually get a take in mid winter.
Hey Mark
Awesome read, I never consider fly fishing in the winter simply because I thought that it wasn’t a good time. Now after reading your article it’s truly is amazing how fish can still be active in the winter month especially trout. I glad you have mentioned some tactic on catching these slow-moving trout with your recommendation of the selective lures. This article is one to bookmark for my next trout fishing trip.
Trout are slow moving in winter as they save all that precious energy for when they need it like evading a predatory Pike or Eagle. as food is scarce they are always on the lookout for an easy meal and will usually stay close to the verges where the water can be a few degrees warmer and usually enough to produce some insect activity.
Wow! I love the post! Living close to Lake Erie there is always the opportunity to fish throughout the year. I like to hunt and have been thinking about starting to fish. I like the idea of fly fishing since you definitely need to be engaged for sure! I have a friend that fly fishes. I will definitely be showing him this page because I’m sure it will do him good to review which Flies he should use. Thank you!
Lake Erie is a huge expanse of water. I hear fly fishing for small mouth bass is great fun there. I would recommend getting some local knowledge beforehand or purchasing a fish finder to help find the bass otherwise it could be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Great information, I want to learn about fly fishing and your article is full of cool stuff to help anyone interested in the sport. Learning where to look for the trout in the first place is invaluable.
One must be dedicated to fly fish in the winter, it can’t be easy working with the tackle with cold fingers, but the thrill of catching the trout overrides the cold.
I see your favorite patterns are the Nymphs. I, being a beginner at this craft, will go with Nymphs as a place to start since you point out that you can use them in the winter or summer.
Another tip I picked up from your article, was to not fish to deep, and not to wade is the water because the fish may be close to the bank. I will refer to this article for guidance in the future as I become more active in the sport. Excellent article, Thanks for sharing.
Hey Harold, yes it’s important not to wade in the water as cruising fish will work the bankings looking for what little scraps of food are available.
Shallower water heats up better and insects will hatch in the little heat they get so it’s not a good idea to go marching into the water up to your armpits and scare anything off that may be there.
After a bit if no takes are happening you can always move in a bit at a time taking care to go gently to get into deeper water. Alternatively I would work my way around the fishery before getting into the water.
Nice read Mark. I have been a freshwater fisherman since i was a kid so I can relate to this. This will definately be on the bucket list. I got the chance on my Honeymoon awhile back in Tennessee but they had the river shut down for stocking at that time. Where would you recommend for a beginner to try?
Your new wife allowed you to go fly fishing on your honeymoon, man shes a keeper but you know that as you have married her. 🙂
On the topic of Tennessee you are gifted as there are loads of places to fly fish. I have found two web pages one at planetware showing 12 places to fly fish and one at rootrated showing 7 places, hopefully that will get you sorted.
Amazing site and yes I never knew that you can do fly fishing in the winter. Maybe because were I live in Canada the water is completely frozen from November to March-April. What place do you recommend closer the Montreal (Canada) if you know any?
Thank you for the great article
You have me there as a frozen lake is no good for fly fishing. I would suggest going to the rivers if the lakes freeze as flowing water takes longer to freeze and will allow you to fly fish a month or so longer than the lakes. I hear frozen lakes do offer ice fishing which is not really my game but sound fun nonetheless.