FINALLY! We got a break in the weather! Now, let's be abundantly clear about something. I pride myself on fishing all year. I do not prefer the cold, but I'll endure it to help hone my skills and feed my addiction. Folks who fish all year know that winter can possess some of the biggest challenges for anglers looking to hook up an enjoy themselves in the bitter cold. In the Midwest, we get real winters - snow, wind, freezing rain, and bone chilling temperatures. So, I was happy to get out when it was a simmering 22 degrees. I felt as is the veil of winter was giving us a brief reprieve from its icy hands. Alas, I was mistaken. If you remember correctly, some little rodent in Pennsylvania predicted 6 more weeks of this stuff. I say it's high time we gave that little pest the boot and asked him to reconsider his day job. Seriously, a groundhog in a top hat predicting weather? I guess it's not far off from the professionals who actually model the forecast. Good thing they have charm and personality. This guy can't even wipe his own back-end. Groundhog rant, OVER. Moral of the story, winter is a long and terrible mistress for the fly fisherman. We braved the elements last Sunday for a short trip, and honestly, my expectations were not high.
Sun's Out, Gun's Out - Yeah, no....
As I mentioned above, the weather was in the low 20s. In the sun, the car said 35, so that made me feel tons better. Once I stepped out, I felt like a cruel trick was being played on me. It was even worse given that weather earlier in the week was flat out brutal. This was like getting stood-up at senior prom. I planned to fish about a 1 mile stretch near highway 85, but I saw the icebergs cruising down Spearfish Creek from the highway. I didn't want to pull another Titanic. You know, "I'll never let go, Jack"?! Well, I ain't Leo, and I ain't about to sink. So, we stopped by a fairly pressured spot in the middle of the city park. There are a number of runs and holes that are productive, but the fish aren't dumb in this area, either. Gink and Gasoline has some good tips for hooking up in highly pressured water. Click the link to find out more. Anyway, we're sitting at low 20s, a foot of snow, and trying to navigate the tricky area in order to catch some fish. With the water temperature hovering below freezing, I knew that I had to manage well. The elements and conditions were not favorable for a banner day.
Havin' Any Luck? (I hate that question)
I was itchin' for hookups on this day. So, I had to pay attention to my rig, my fly selection, and most importantly - my presentation. I was using my 7'6" 3 wt on the water, and it's my daily driver - for the most part. I noticed fish hovering in the slack water on tailouts and hugging the current seams near the bottom. These data told me a number of things, but the two most important lessons I learned were these.... First, I really had to pay attention to the depth I was fishing my flies and manage my line well. The second thing, my casting and drift better be spot on. To be clear, I needed to float the flies at the right depth and navigate the current well, with proper mends, in order to actually get any nibbles. The fish were hungry for some scud lovin', and they took eagerly as soon as I figured out the right drifts. We'll put it this way, you don't go to the back door of a restaurant to get your meal, do you? Heck no, you pull up right to the table and wait for the supper to be served. It's the same way when fly fishing for pressured, winterized trout. They're not going to jump for a meal, so you better get the meal on the plate and deliver it straight to the table. That's exactly what we did, and to better control out depth, we used a method of fishing that is similar to European Nymphing. It's a simple, effective way to maximize your results. See the video below (and link above)
We made good use of these techniques and it produced! My little feet could only handle a couple hours in the cold before calling it a day. In the end, we put 8 fish in the net and went home feeling accomplished. The browns ranged from 10 to 16 inches with the lion's share being in the 14 to 16 inch range.
We'll end this post with a "rig rundown" to help you get an idea of what I was fishing and the presentation style I employed to have good results on this day.
Rig Rundown
Rod - 3 wt Echo
Reel - Lamson
Line - WF 3wt
Leader 9ft 5x Rio leader
Tippet - 5x Rio Powerflex Plus
Fly rig - Euro jig (lead fly), UV Orange Scud (dropper), Jig Copper John (dropper)
Here's a little fish candy to end your day....
Keep 'em wet,
MB
