Flies for winter fishing

Some interesting fishing trips recently made me think about fly selection for winter. Their seems to be two distinct moods for feeding trout during the colder months of the year.

On one day the trout will be more inclined to go for a larger fly with plenty of movement,such as a tadpole lure. The next a small slim pattern like a buzzer will be needed to induce fish to bite!

Tackle also needs to be taken into consideration. If small nymphs prove the key to catching fish on the day then lighter leaders, fly lines and rods are needed. This fact is never more apparent than when fishing in clear water. When rainbows target small midge pupa, presenting your artificial with the seven weight outfit used for larger flies will spook a lot of fish. Scale things back to a five weight and not only will you spook less trout, your fly will appear more lifelike in the water.

Remeber, the key to a good day is to identify the mood of the fish early on and watch for changes throughout the day!

If you would like to learn more about winter fly fishing techniques Midlands Flyfishing are running one day courses until the end of February.

Tight Lines

Steve