Midges, the most active food source in icy winter waters, form the trout’s primary source of forage. Trout survive by eating a lot of midges, but since these insects are usually quite small, the effort is not energy-efficient. The fish will move very little to intercept these tiny morsels. To be successful, you must drift your offering right into the trout’s mouth.

The shrewd angler seeks trout occupying feeding lies. These fish have reacted to hunger pangs or perhaps increased insect activity, and have moved from their protected holding lie to a more productive spot to eat. Normally, a feeding lie will be shallower water, perhaps warmed by the radiant sun. Water at the head of a pool and the calmer water along a seam in the currents are likely locations to find feeding trout.

COLD-WATER TACTICS I emphasize three key factors for productive winter fly-fishing:

 

 

• Successful fishermen sight-fish. • In winter, trout demand precise presentations, and • First-time winter flyfishermen, or anglers fishing new waters, should take advantage of a guide’s experience, if possible. A knowledgeable guide can teach you more about identifying good lies, proper presentation, productive flies and sight-fishing in one day than experience will teach you in several trips to winter waters.

SEEING MEANS
CATCHING Improve your chances by spending time visually searching for trout rather than blindly casting to vacant waters. Because winter trout tend to congregate in preferred lies, a lot of winter water will be void of trout. If you catch a fish, there is an excellent chance other fish are present in the hole. A good sight-fisherman will catch far more trout than one who spends the day casting to empty lies.

I carry a small pair of binoculars to assist in my search for feeding trout. Winter rise-forms are usually subtle, and my binoculars help me locate fish feeding on or near the surface.

High-quality polarized glasses are an absolute necessity, and a thermometer is also an invaluable tool in the search for winter trout.

THE SETUP Learning to position yourself properly once you’ve discovered a feeding trout is essential. Lethargic winter trout are focused on conserving their energy and won’t move far to intercept your offering. Precise casts are required.

My preference is to position myself to the side and slightly upstream as close to the quarry as possible. Try to minimize glare so that you can follow the fly and watch the trout’s reaction at the same time.

From this position, I can make sure the fly arrives in the strike zone before the leader or line, to reduce the chance of spooking skittish trout.

Stealth is critical. It’s likely that a trout will cease feeding as long as a fisherman remains a possible threat. However, a trout that senses your presence may not flee if it is feeding heavily.

Cast far enough in front of the fish that the fly has time to sink to the proper depth before it reaches the trout. In slow currents, two or three feet is usually enough lead, but each situation is unique. You must control your line to prevent drag, and control your depth to get the fly down to the trout’s level.

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