Winter fly fishing
Previous blogs include;
nymphs and our immitations of them
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In the North East of England we are blessed with rivers that contain grayling and hence can fly fish throughout the year. This is undoubtedly a good thing otherwise the enforced 6 month delay to the start of the trout season would send many of us stir crazy. There is only so much time we can spend fruitfully sitting at the tying vice. A nice grayling caught using the polyphaetis nymph |
This winter has been the usual mix of disappointment with swollen rivers with the odd stolen day when conditions have improved. Winter fishing typically involves using short fixed line techniques usually Czech nymphing with heavy bugs fished on or near the stream bottom. The polyphaetis nymph featured here is one of my favourite nymphs for this purpose. It represents perhaps the most abundant food available to fish throughout the winter months, a cased caddis
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The polyphaetis nymph. Winter fishing can be unpredictable and is often difficult. I have an adage that a winter fish is worth 5 caught in warmer seasons. But it can also be very rewarding. My favourite conditions for winter fishing are those crisp cold dry days. Unfortunately these are often bright and not the best for actual fishing but for me preferable to damp dank days without sunlight. The end of the winter is now upon us. The days are getting longer and most of us here in the Northern hemisphere are looking forward with excitement to the start of the new trout season! Click on the picture for more details. |
For more details on winter fishing check out the Onstream-Guide You Tube channel!
The next blog will be concerned with those early season hatches and catching trout.
Regards, Jon and Nellie.