Winter Fly-Fishing

First and foremost you need to stay warm and dry while Winter Fly-Fishing. To keep your feet warm always wear boot foot waders. Avoid stocking foot waders and wading shoes because they restrict the blood flow to your feet making them cold. I use the chemical heat packs between two socks to help keep my feet warm on very cold days. My favorite gloves are capilene liners with a couple of fingertips clipped off. Over them I wear fingerless gloves. I always carry two or three pairs of gloves so that I can replace them if I get a hand wet holding a fish for a photo. I’m a big fan of cold weather wading pants of the fleece variety. In addition I wear capilene long johns, a turtleneck, fleece pullover and a wind proof jacket. This outfit allows me to fish in temps well below freezing in comfort and safety. You can find a variety of clothing products at Orvis and Patagonia.

Now that you are ready where do you look for fish and how do you catch them? Look for winter fish in slower water like deep pools. Because their metabolism is slow they avoid heavy currents and favor areas that offer security and comfort. Seams in slower water created by structure are prime lies and should always be checked. Fish these areas slowly and methodically with small natural offerings on light tippets. Due to the cold water the flies need to be put right on the fishes nose to get an eat. They won’t move far. I like to fish my favorite runs with a couple of patterns before I move on. Sometimes it takes a couple of different looks to get them to strike a fly. My favorite patterns are Hawk’s Green or Tan caddis, Hawk’s Crystal Egg, and subdued colored puffballs like Creamy Delight, Egg, and Oregon Cheese. Small black stones start moving around on the river bottoms during the winter.   Bear's fuzzbuster stones and Peacock Sparrows fish real well as winter moves to spring. I fish these in sizes 6 to 12 on 4-8 pound tippet. Flourocarbon can pay big dividends during the winter as water clarity is almost gin clear.

The guides at Hawkins Outfitters use a variety of methods to present a fly to steelhead and resident brown trout. Most commonly we use two methods, Chuck and Duck and Indicator/Spey Float Fishing. For either method use a 7-9-weight fly rod coupled with a good quality reel. For Chuck and Duck use a thin running line to which the angler attaches a ten foot section of fifteen pound test line and ends it with a swivel. Above the swivel lead is added to the line via a snap swivel set up so that it slides up and down the fifteen-pound test. From the swivel add six or eight-pound test tied with a dropper. Tie on a couple of flies and you’re ready to fish. Lob the weight into a likely run and feel it touch the bottom. You want to lightly tick the bottom, not pound down the run.

A more traditional way is to fish dead drifting flies using split shot and a strike indicator. Strike indicator nymphing is a very satisfying way to catch steelhead. Use the same method that you use to catch trout during the summer just use bigger equipment and heavier leaders and tippet. In winter this method is deadly on the Pere Marquette River in the slower moving pools where steelhead lie. Don’t be surprised when you catch trout on these rigs also. Hawkins guides are also working on the Spey Float Fishing which is having very successful results. Fishing deep slow pools with woody bottoms is the name of the game on the Manistee, during the winter. This Spey Float setup is allowing us to fish winter water rarely fished before with flies.

One of my favorite winter activities is fishing streamers for resident trout. Rig a 7-9-weight rod with a 200-300 grain sink tip. Attach three feet of twelve-pound fluorocarbon and tie on a streamer with your favorite loop knot. I prefer the fixed saltwater loop for all of my streamer fishing. Fish the same lies that you would the rest of the year, close and tight to structure but retrieve the fly much slower. Many times it’s almost a jigging motion and letting the fly swing. The secret is to keep changing your retrieve rate and style until you start getting looks. Remember to let the fish eat the fly, they are moving a little slower so don’t over react. Don’t be surprised if you move some of the biggest fish of the year in winter.

Winter fishing is a great experience if you are properly prepared for the weather. Imagine being on the Manistee River in January and not seeing another angler all day. Combine that with four or five winter steelhead hook-ups, a great room and meal in Traverse City. Heaven on earth if you ask me. If you want to see what Michigan has to offer for winter fly-fishing give us a call 231-228-7135 or contact us via email chuck@hawkinsflyfishing.com.