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Stillwater Trout Fly Fishing in Winter – a Few Tips
Stillwater trout fly fishing in winter can prove to be difficult. Not only is the air and water cold and you will need to wear appropriate clothing to protect you from the elements. As the water is colder fish mainly trout are moving a lot slower and tend to keep to a certain depth.
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Unlocking the Winter Stillwater Fishery
As the fish are moving slow stripping flies past them quickly will not produce many takes so we have to use a different technique than what we use in spring or summer. When arriving at your fishery, it’s important to check out the main features look for islands, underwater structure or differences in depth. These are more likely to hold fish than the open water.
As feeding is sparse in winter fish tend to be slow moving to preserve energy and although they are hungry don’t think they will eat anything that looks like food. With all main stocked fisheries, the stocking of fresh trout usually ends in autumn and any fresh fish tend to be taken soon after leaving all remaining trout hardened cagey characters that have seen a fly or two and will not be fooled easily. This makes the art of catching them all the more difficult and challenging.
When you have located structure in the lake it’s always a good idea to fish around them as trout will usually be sitting just off them. Fish love structure and use it for protection as well as a place to rest. Finding these structures will help in locating the fish.
What depth are the fish feeding at?
A good way to find the depth at which they are sitting is use a slow sinking line or sinking intermediate and count starting with 1-2 seconds before retrieving then adding a few seconds to each cast.
This can also be done by using a strike indicator on a floating fly and continually changing the depth of a sinking leader to see when you get touches. Watching the indicator or slight movements will show what depth they fish are lying. When you have indicated the depth then it’s time to start fishing that depth more accurately.
Fly Patterns with Movement are Essential
Once the fish depth has been found we need to try to induce takes, this will involve changes in fly color and pattern to see what is working. On cold days’ trout will not move quickly so retrieve slowly through the water column to try to get them.
Fly patterns that have plenty of movement are a good bet on these days’, things like bloodworm with plenty of legs are a good option, others like large damsels with marabou tails and wings should work too. If the water heats up a bit try a cruncher nymph as it will mimic a lot of the natural insect material on the lake.
Different retrieves are what is needed to try to get a take. Casting out and letting the line sink to the level you found earlier is not enough you then need to draw it up slowly and let it drop back down with slow figure of eights and different twigs and pulls will create the illusion of an insect moving through the water column. Trying different things and changing patterns and colors will help increase your chances.
If you have done your homework earlier and located structures make sure you check them all out if things are working in one area. Even inlet or outlet pipes with water moving between lakes can induce activity or change temperature enough to bring trout in closer after the insect life that will be moving about.
Winter fishing is harder with the lack of activity and sluggishness of the fish but can be fun if you work at it. There are always hungry trout about that should be workable into a take and create some action.
Winter Clothing to keep Warm while Fly Fishing
One final thing to remember while fly fishing in winter is to keep warm and dry. Temperatures may drop quickly especially as the sun falls and you don’t want to be caught out very cold when the fishing is good. I would recommend layering clothes.
A light base fleece layer with a mid weight fleece followed by either a heavy softshell jacket, wading jacket or 3/4 length to add a waterproof layer. With the layering system you can always take a layer off if too warm and add it later when the sun starts to fall. The thing about base, mid and heavy fleeces they are all breathable and will let any moisture build up get away.
Don’t forget gloves and a woolly hat or heavy cap. I use neoprene gloves in winter with the first finger and thumb tips removed to aid tying leader material. Even if they get a bit wet they will stay reasonably warm.
Winter Stillwater Fly Fishing Checklist to Improve Catch Rate
- Get informed, ring the fishery beforehand, get details of catches be prepared with flies and tackle
- Once there get details of water depths and hot spots this will determine fly line density etc
- Be observant and look for cruising fish see what they are doing feeding movements etc
- When fishing, check the depths, count as line sinks for touches to see where they are at
- When depth is discovered, select flies with plenty of movement, flexifloss, marabou etc to entice takes
- Fish will not chase a fly on cold days’ so slow down the retrieve, you will get more takes
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About Author
Hi Mark
I’m a novice in real terms although i have fished from when i was a young lad with my late Father. But, it was when I passed a guy fishing on the bank in Northumberland I realised how far I was away to become a good fisherman…….. phew could he cast a line. I paused to watch , he said he was trying to find the fish and was working down the water column . I stood amazed at the shear distance and quality of presentation as he worked from close in and worked his way out to further than i thought possible to throw a line . I stood and watched, and after a few ‘niceties’, remember when he said it’s not necessarily the fly you fish but the way you fish it ………. which at first baffled me a little. I watched intently, as he created so many variants to his retrieve . The speed ,the depth , intermittent start /stops and knocks he gave each cast -concentrating looking for any knocks -as the flies descended and right to ‘the hang’ at the end of the retrieve . I walked up the bank to fish and noticed he’d started to catch one after the other …….. and made me realise how far i was off the pace but, equally I must admit it was inspiring to watch someone who new his craft . Then , as i walked away it dawned to me why I thought I recognised him , I had been watching his tutorials on utube a few weeks prior. It was Howard Croston England International and World Fly Fishing Champion 2019. Me ? yes I ‘blanked’ again and as i left skirted around him, keeping my distance and my head down for fear he was going to ask me how i’d done. Ha ha !
Thanks for the impressive comment Keith. It’s true that you can catch fish on almost any fly if you are fishing it correctly. Water, speed, depth, drift and dangle all improve the situation. It comes with experience and practice. I would have gone up to him and asked for some advice on how to improve. Being a champion I’m sure he could have given you some tips on casting or presentation. Don’t be shy it will improve your knowledge so much quicker to ask questions rather than try to figure it out on your own. When you are experienced it is part of the game to try and work it out for yourself when introduced to a new beat or swim but when starting out it’s more about catching fish and having fun. Tight Lines Mark PS fixed the typo.
hi guys
a di5 or di3 line (airflow good) with a humongous on the point fly and snail pattern on the top dropper works very well in the stocked lakes in Ireland February/March/April
Cheers tony
Thanks for the input Tony, a sinking line is ideal and the humongous pattern is full of marabou that makes great movement in the water with the added dipping motion of the beaded eyes will induce takes from those slow moving Winter trout.
Hey Man I just read the post and found it was very informative, I am wondering how I can catch some bigger trout in the winter. I live in North Dakota and we have a lot of great lakes here and would love to catch me some fish.
Any suggestions on what flies to use and types of ly lines. I’m not a bad caster with the overhead cast but would love to improve.
Hey, larger trout need to eat more to keep in tip top shape and in doing so will hold the best locations in the rivers and lakes to get the food first as it is blown in from the surrounding vegetation. They will also hold position around structures. So as the post says finding these areas will help in finding the bigger fish.
However large trout don’t get big by being stupid so your casting needs to be accurate and delicate to not spook them. One final thing I would add is usually a larger than average sized fly will help encourage them if it is fished correctly past them. A bigger meal means more protein for a bigger fish and so a fly a size or two bigger or has more material on it can do the trick on these larger trout.
Very good read. This article came at the right time. I actually planned my first fishing trip for 3 weeks from now.
When I lived in the USA, fishing in the winter was not fun because its too cold in connecticut. Now I live in Haiti and winters here are in the 70s.
Hey that’s not winter fly fishing, thats weather better than here in the UK in summer my friend. 🙂
I am a very new fly fishermen, and to tell you the truth I have a lot to learn. I never really gave any thought to the depth the fish may be laying at, or to a sinking leader for that matter. I just kind of thought it was all top water.
Can you tell me if the tips and tactics you have shared are relevant to Still water only, or do they apply to most cold water situations?
Hey Brendon fly fishing is so versatile tactics for one species can be used for another. However proper recon needs tobe done as you don’t want to be wasting time sinking your flies if indeed all the action is on the surface.
Fish will be where the food is at and if saltwater fishing your quarry may be after baitfish at the surface then a full floating line would be required. I would only sink the line if there was no surface activity.
This is a very informative article on trout fly fishing. The part about them sticking around structures for protection was very helpful. Depth finding is also an important aspect of trout fly fishing as well as finding the right fly and the best patterns to use it.
This is all amplified during colder months when there is less movement than in the warmer months. Very educational article for a novice or a seasoned fisherman.
Finding the correct depth can help increase the catch rate. Its also important not to go too deep as in winter the warmer water will be closer to the surface and usually where the insect and trout will be.
I feel it more important to use the correct flies in winter and retrieve to entice the trout to take than find the right depth. If using a slow sinker you will pass through the feeding layer anyway.
Hi Mark,
I just commented on another post on your site. I’m getting ready to learn fly fishing so I started going through all the page on your website. I sent a link to your site to my friend who is a fly fishing instructor here in North Carolina. He’s going to love your website. Keep up the good work. I look forward to reading more of your articles about fly fishing.
Jack
North Carolina seems to be a great place to be for fly fishing. Loads of creeks and rivers to cast flies on.
Being new to the sport a beginners kit might be a better option to try it out before spending loads of money on gear and finding out you are not keen on it or not being able to get out as much as you’d like.
Selling top gear will only get you about half your money back if lucky. Much better to get a kit and build it up as you go.
Tight Lines!
I think that sometimes people forget to take into consideration the temperature when fishing and how that can play a major role on how the fish act. Fish in general are much more sluggish in the winter time (for the most part) You provided some great tips here and anyone looking for some great advice needs to check out this site!
Your are correct fish do no move around a lot during the winter months mainly because food is scarce and they need to preserve energy. What food is available is usually a slow moving creature too so again they are not prepared to chase after it. You will entice more takes if you slow things down during the winter stillwater months.
Hi Mark,
I thought your article on still water trout fly fishing during the winter was very helpful and accurate with specific details as to what techniques to remember while this type of fishing.
Although I am not a fisherman, I have a little background from my brother. He is currently focusing on bait casting but he still does fly fish and I’m sure he could benefit from this article as we are approaching the winter season here in New York.
Thanks for the article, and best of luck to your winter fly fishing.
Winter fly fishing in New York now that sounds like a plan. I have been to NY twice although I didn’t get to fish. I hear there are striped bass in the bay and it would be a good adventure to try fly fishing for these.
The last time I was there it was minus 4 degrees centigrade and the wind chill brought it down to about minus 10. I was very cold. You would need to make sure the winter layers are on correct to fly fish effectively I wasn’t so well prepared that last time.
Interesting article trout fly fishing in the winter, I have not fished for many year and never fly fished even though it interests me very much to do.
Fishing when it is cold would be a challenge just to keep warm as you shared in your article, my biggest problem trying to fish during the winter was to keep my hands warm enough to really enjoy fishing.
Any tips on keeping the hands warm during winter fishing, I have seen hand warmers have you ever used these and which ones work the best?
I know what you mean cold hands can be a big put off when winter fishing. I have fly fished in minus 11 degrees centigrade. It was snowing hard and the rod rings were freezing up.
I was wearing a pair of Dennett neoprene gloves which I sold in our shop when I worked there. They are a great job, my hands were warm even when wet. Like a wetsuit works when surfing the neoprene keeps any water around your hand warm and keeps the cold out.
They even have little nipples on the palms for grip. The tips of the first finger and thumb are missing so you can still tie knots and were the only parts of me that felt any discomfort. Apart from that they are perfect for the job.
Wow, very interesting read.
I never thought fishing would be this challenging, especially in the winter.
It’s like strategizing for a very complex project.
I only thought that if we just brought the right tools and pick a spot and just wait for the fish to eat my bait, that’ll be enough. Haha. Me and my way of doing things.
LOL! There is more to fly fishing than catching fish I always say and the sport can be as complicated as you want to make it.
With fly fishing as you progress up the ranks from novice to advanced you will pick up all sorts of helpful tips to make catching your favorite species easier.
For instance the fly leader otherwise known as the tippet comes in several materials each with its own set of parameters, it can come in several colors, sizes and strengths and knowing when to use each type can be a lifelong challenge. Some fly anglers will favor one brand over an other and discussing their findings can lead to all sorts of improvements in the sport for you.
Winter fly fishing is no different in that there are loads of things to try to improve your catch rate. As the trout as usually slow moving to save energy you need to slow things down a bit and use patterns that have loads of movement to help entice the take.
I am so glad to have found this site. I do some fishing in Arkansas for trout with the fly pole and just love it. I have not tried the winter months and would like to try it.
With the information you have given on this site should give me enough to at least give it a try. If I do, I will check back with you and leave a message of how I did.
You did say something about using fly patterns that have lots of movement. Can you explain, what you meant by that?
Thanks for the great site.
Bobby, flies with plenty of movement are ones that flow well in the water that is their materials move about in the water a lot when you are retrieving the fly line back from the cast.
A fly like an Epoxy Buzzer has no moving parts and would not be a good choice in these days.
A fly like a Marabou Damsel seen here which has marabou in the tail and wing will move about quite a lot in the water and hopefully entice a take from the fish.