Catching Winter Trout

I love to fish when the banks of a stream are blanketed with snow. I’ve often heard people say that fish get lock-jaw in the wintertime and it is time to just stay home, tie flies, reminisce, and wait for Spring. I beg to differ. Winter trout fishing has yielded some of my biggest fish and can be extremely productive, but not with the same tactics employed in other seasons. The times and manners change drastically and many fishermen just don’t know how to adjust. If you fish the same way in winter and you do any other time of the year, you’ll get skunked. In other seasons, trout feed early in the morning and late in the evening, just like the average human. But on a cold, winter day do you ever find yourself just wanting to stay in bed until it warms up a bit? This is exactly what happens with a trout! Instead of feeding early, they wait for the temperature to rise. Mid-day is the time to catch trout in the winter months. Also, aquatic insects are in their smallest, larval stages during this time. These tiny morsels begin to squirm on the bottom and reveal themselves to hungry trout as the slanted rays of mid-day sun pierce the chilly water. So, obviously, trout are not prone to rise during the winter season. They pick a nymph and scud lunch from the bottom of the stream.

It is important to have the right gear for winter fishing. Necessary clothing includes an insulated base layer, fleece top and bottom, neoprene chest waders, and waterproof jacket. Lightweight fishing gloves make fingers less numb and more nimble. Headgear like a wool or synthetic beanie is essential. Always carry an extra set of clothes in case you fall in! One January, I had a fishing buddy that slid down a rock into a pool well over his head. We had been flicking the ice from our rod tips all day long. It was frigid. He didn’t bring any extra clothes, so he stripped naked and sat in the truck with the heater on. Several people passed by in slightly larger trucks. Their downward glance as they passed our little Ford gave them more than they bargained for as my shivering friend sat battling hypothermia in the buff. The primary flies to carry are little bead head nymphs and scud patterns sized sixteen and smaller.

One January morning, after waking to freshly fallen snow, I decided to grab my winter gear bag and head down the mountain to the Big Laurel. As I drove, the sun rose over the whitewashed hills and made them sparkle. The temperature was around twenty degrees Fahrenheit. I drove to a bridge on the upper section of the river. It is an easily accessible spot and gets hammered by fishermen in the Spring. It would be highly unusual to find a place to park in the warmer months, but on this day, the river belonged to me. This is another reason I enjoy these midwinter jaunts. I eased into the river and began my high-pole presentation of a scud and nymph tied in tandem. The flies need to drift very slowly, ticking the bottom. Split-shot sinkers attached, one six inches above the top fly and one between them does the trick. High-poling is the technique of keeping your rod tip high and your line as vertical as possible, following along with your flies as they kiss the bottom of the stream.

I caught several firm brook trout and rainbows, wading slowly down the river, periodically flicking the accumulated ice from the eyelets on my fly rod. I came to shallow riff in the river angling into a long, deep pool. It is a magnificent trout lie. I had no doubt that I would hook several nice fish here, as I had often in the past. A large boulder sits at the top of the riff. I carefully moved into position using the big rock for cover. Just as I was about to make the first drop, a voice rang out firmly, “You know people think guys like you and me are out of our minds to be fishing on days like this.” The voice came from the bank of the river, just fifteen feet or so behind me. The fisherman was clad in brilliantly camouflaged winter gear. I hadn’t seen him at all as I approached the boulder from upstream, even though he was always in my field of vision. It turned out that he was the Chairman of North Carolina Trout Unlimited. He said, “I don’t have to ask you if you’re having any luck because I’ve been watching you for a while.” I had landed several trout on the stretch above the riff. I noticed he was using the exact same set up as me, small tandem scuds with tiny split-shot in the middle. He said that it had been a very productive day. After a bit more chit chat, he continued in his state of quiet observation and resumed my position to fish. As I expected, this run produced four nice trout.