By David Hulsey
The winter season is one of the most beautiful and serene times to be on the water. Long gone are the crowds of fall leaf lookers and throngs of anglers hanging out in every hole and run on your favorite trout stream. For sure, the thoughts of rising trout are still bubbling around in your head but seldom do the icy waters of our highland streams squeeze out a bug while in winterâs frozen grip. The exceptionally weird warm sunny day in this season might show you a few Tiny Black Stones or Black Caddis, or maybe, a Black Midge or two. The likelihood of a trout having the will to break the surface after one of these little bugs is a long shot at best. Still though, I carry a small box of floating imitations just in case. If a trout pokes his nose through I want to be there to greet him!
Normally, the slow moving, late morning arriving nymph angler will be the lucky one with a bent rod at this time of year. The trout are usually glued to the bottom at first light and only an accurate presentation to the nose of the fish is about all that will trigger a reaction strike. When the sun gets above the horizon and bathes the river in golden light, the trout may start to eat a little. One small degree of rise in water temperature is what youâre looking for. Spotting a single insect rising from the waterâs surface is a notable sign that the fishing is getting ready to get good.
Make it as easy as possible for the trout to eat your offering. If you can spot a fish, adjust the depth of your drift with weight, an indicator, or by mending until your fly is on the fishâs level. One sure way to tell if your flies are in their faces is to use a highly visible fly, tied about a foot away from the nymph the fish should be eating. This way, you can visibly see the flies approach the trout. If the fish âwinksâ at you, set the hook as he may have eaten it! Or, if the visible fly shifts position or stops drifting, stick him! A good pair of polarized glasses is required to do this and are as valuable as your fly rod, as far as Iâm concerned. Give us a call to set up your holiday season fly fishing trip. Noontootla Creek Farms fishes great in the winter so check out our website at www.ncfga.com and get ready for some cold weather action!
David Hulsey is the Owner of Hulsey Fly Fishing, LLC and can be contacted at 770-639-4001 or through his website at www.hulseyflyfishing.com to book a trip.