This week’s picture is brought to you by Brian.
This giant comes from the depths of the Salmon River, Idaho.

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This week’s picture is brought to you by Jason.
Who says you can’t find great fishing in Colorado in the winter. All you need are some warm long johns and a box of tiny flies. Got this fish on a size 24 midge in a lull in last weeks “blizzard”. Took some great rainbows when I wasn’t picking ice out of my guides on every other cast. People say I’m nuts for fishing big snowstorms, but I like to think it keeps the crowds down.

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No this is not a marketing lesson, not exactly anyway. Anyone who has fished in waters that get heavy fishing pressure knows that fish get educated by anglers. Sometimes such fish get very visible and approachable but often times they begin to refuse even the best of fly patterns fished with the best of presentations on the lightest of tippets. This is sure to bring on a serious case of frustration, nearly obsessive compulsive fly switching, hair pulling, and occasionally leads to profanity.

However, one technique that I’ve found to be effective in such difficult situations is to allow a heavy nymph that roughly imitates a local invertebrate food source to rest on the bottom just upstream or in front of the fish. Sometimes even picky trout will move in and grab the fly off the bottom like a bonefish or carp. If they don’t go after it, twitch it. If nothing still, try to lift the nymph with a smooth steady upswing of the rod tip to bring the fly swimming up in front of the fish.

This motion mimics what fish often see in hatches and can trigger a strike. This works best of course in relatively slow moving rivers and lakes where fish are visible. My first greenback cutthroat, a deep crimson hued 17 inch beauty, was caught in heavily fished waters in a lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. He succumbed to such a technique after I’d tried everything else on him for about half an hour. What a beautiful reward for such an effort!

This week’s picture is brought to you by Steve.
Steve fought this one on the flats in the Bahamas. It looks awfully warm there if you ask us!

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Winter fly fishing is great, however, sometimes you have to ask yourself if it’s really worth it. A few weeks ago as I drove down a local canyon I passed a couple of crazy friends who were out knee deep in the river. I glanced at the car’s thermometer and saw 17 and I’m pretty sure that it wasn’t set to Celsius. I asked them later how the fishing was and got the surprising answer that it was great. I still have a 20 degree rule but really it seems that the fish probably don’t care what the air temperature is. If you can take it then go for it.

Whatever your rule and pain threshold though, make sure that you go out prepared to deal with winter elements.

First, make sure your outerwear like waders and jacket are waterproof and breathable. Nothing is more uncomfortable than a leak on a cold day or getting wet from snow.

Next, make sure your under-wader-wear is warm and flexible. Polarfleece type pants with a wicking layer underneath and good wool socks with a wicking sock liner are usually best. Use flexible thin layers up top and add or subtract layers to regulate your core temperature. Be sure to have good gloves, usually half-finger gloves made of Windstopper fabric are my choice. Make sure your hat is warm and covers your ears; you’ll lose heat from your head faster than any other part of your body.

Lastly, it is best to wear wading boots with rubber soles or better yet, Aquastealth soles with studs. Ice and snow stick to felt and, unless you have a strange need to feel taller or to fit a leg workout into your day, felt soles are better left for warmer weather.

If cabin fever is setting in then get out there and fish, but be ready. I’ll see you when the thermometer hits 20!

This week’s picture is brought to you by Todd.
Todd caught this lunker in the Grand Bayou Area, SE Louisiana.

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Big fish are the ultimate target of many, if not most, fly fishers. Big fish aren’t necessarily smarter though, they are often just overlooked.

A few simple things to remember when targeting big fish is to fish where big fish are and to fish when big fish feed. I know this sounds simple, and maybe even a little “no duh”, but many anglers miss out on the biggest fish by fishing in the wrong spots and at the wrong times. This obviously varies quite a bit by species and location but with trout, being territorial feeders, most big fish occupy the best feeding lies.

In good hatches this may be the tailouts of runs, lies closest to the banks in slow water, or the best current seams. At other times it will often be at the heads of runs where they get the first shot at the food. With browns, cuts, and brookies the biggest fish often lie closest to the best cover or deepest water. With rainbows the biggest fish often occupy faster deep water where more food drifts by. If you’re catching a lot of small fish it is likely that you aren’t going to catch the biggest fish in that particular spot. Also, big cutthroats, brook trout, and especially browns are notorious night feeders. Staying late or arriving early or simply fishing all night can result in the biggest fish in the river or lake you like to fish.