What difference does it make anyhow? Leave a Comment. With this type of drift, your fly is going to catch not on the front of the obstacle, but rather toward the middle or back of the obstacle on the side facing away from you. The first time you fish a pool, pay attention to the hangup spots and learn to avoid them. To minimize gear losses, and the lost time in re-rigging, there are a number of things to remember. Rainbow Warrior Avoid a tangled mess later, and store these pre-tied rigs properly. When guiding in the Smokies we almost always rig a nymph between 24″ – 30″ underneath a strike indicator. This rig consists of using droppers to attach your fly and using the terminal end of the leader to add your weight. Worth it? You can use peacock or ostrich hurl for the head if you cannot find the gunmetal color beads. This is definitely one of my go to winter fly patterns. On many days, I’ve found that you might get 30-45 minutes when the fish are active. The Pink Pheasant Tail Nymph is an ideal fly for big winter Grayling that will happily sit hugging the bottom. The Beaded Chamois Midge can be deadly in the winter. The free forms look like monstrous midges and the cased caddis have cases built out of river material around them like a cross between a hermit crab and a butterfly. One of the best midge dry fly patterns is the Griffith’s Gnat, which exceptionally effective during a hatch. Winter Time Here are a few patterns for you die hard fisherman that will brave the wind and cold this time of year. Most effective winter flies share several characteristics. We don’t need no stinking fake logs and propane fire! If you expect temperatures to put a crimp in your dexterity on the water, you can eliminate cold fumbling hands by pre-tying some of your favorite double nymph combos at home. For winter dreading activity, I like a hook that rides hook-point up as the fly sinks. When it comes to winter nymph fishing with indicator rigs, losing gear is a part of the process. And the solid action on egg patterns lasts all winter long, until about the middle of March. Best Winter Time Flies for Euro Nymphing. I generally move my indicator closer to my flies in 6 inch increments until I find the sweet spot. Someone wiser than me once said, “If you aren’t losing them, you aren’t using them.” It’s a necessary price we all pay to catch fish that are reluctant to move far from the bottom for a meal. Inevitably, you’re going to lose some flies. To minimize gear losses, and the lost time in re-rigging, there are a number of things to remember. Most typically tied as a bead-head with or without tungsten beads. That is also the junction where I will attach my weight. In this video, Jay ties a Winter Steelhead Nymph. Fly Line. When you attach the first length of tippet with a surgeon’s knot, leave the tag end of the heavier line long–you’ll attach your first and largest nymph to this dropper. This can be accomplished by removing (or downsizing) split shot size, or switching out heavily weighted flies for a lighter variation. That’s because it’s absolutely inevitable that you will lose bugs when bouncing along the stream bed–and losing one is less painful on the pocketbook. Nymph. Meaning, your weight will be on the very end of your leader with your flies hanging on droppers immediately above the weight. If I get hung up, often I’ll just wade in and kick it loose. If temps creep up into the upper 30’s or over 40, they’ll be much more active. But I fish with nymphs periodically in the winter when hatches are known to be short in duration. So, if you do get hung up, this might help you avoid losing two flies at a time. During the winter months, you may find BWO’s hatching during a few days of warmer temperatures. The Zebra Midge is one of my favorite fly patterns for Winter Fly Fishing. The absolute workhorse of this collection is this simple zebra midge with … During the Winter months, I’ll typically fish this pattern in a size 16. The Miracle Nymph or the Dirty Midge are alternative fly patterns for midge larva you can find in our shop. You’re constantly in the danger zone. Pay particular attention to dropoffs where riffles dump into pools, and small depressions in riffles. Small black stoneflies are one of the first aquatic insects to hatch in significant densities making them an ideal fly choice for those fishing steelhead in late winter and early spring. First off, though it may seem obvious, if you are fetching bottom drift after drift, take some time to adjust your rig. Adding a sharp haul at the acceleration part of the stroke will give additional power and range to free your flies. I’m pleased to declare war on cabin fever with another free Currentseams Tuesday Night Zoom, tomorrow, January 12 at 8pm. The other tip is if you’re dropping a nymph off the bend of the hook of the top fly, use one size smaller tippet on the bottom fly. In other words, if you hook up a couple of nymphs and two BB split shot, and on your first cast and mend your rig goes to the bottom like a boat anchor and you get hung up, take some weight off. A classic nymph that will continue to be around for a long time and … Josh Miller – Fly Fishing Team USA Pennsylvania Fly Fishing guide. You’re right that rigging can be time consuming, but it is in fact possible to get faster. And that’s the worst spot to be hung up. You can also adjust your weight quickly, adding and taking away as needed. Swing with a sinking-tip line. I almost always fish a single fly when I’m rolling scuds or other heavy nymphs along the bottom. Finally, if you do get snagged, apply upstream pressure on the snagged flies. {"pos":"top","cat":"experts","type":"article_children_page","format":"default"}. It sinks quickly and does a great job of imitating a Baetis nymph (a small mayfly nymph). When it comes to winter nymph fishing with indicator rigs, losing gear is a part of the process. Every time I break off, however, I have to re-tie my double nymph rigs and lose fishing time. Add another length of lighter tippet and repeat this process with the smaller nymph. I got a late start today, and there’s so much to do: plow the driveway, catch a workout, pre-Christmas prep, a virtual wine tasting tonight (been looking forward to that for weeks!). By late winter especially, many of them will often congregate in certain spots. In addition to going with a single hook rig, the type of hook can also play a key role in reducing hangups. Expensive? After all you’re bouncing weight along the bottom with your flies barely inches above (if that much). Bring your casting hand back slowly to set up a roll cast. That means I’ll run 5 or 6x to the first fly, and then 6 or 7x to the point fly. Begin your forward casting stroke slowly, accelerating to high crisp stop. This sounds pretty obvious, but I see a lot of anglers set up with a certain amount of weight, and they don’t change the amount all day. Now that you’ve got two flies tied on droppers, it’s time to attach your tippet ring and your weight. A few years ago a friend and I took turns on one short run and caught no less than 20 trout in about as many minutes. Winter Fishing with Euro Nymphs (3/19) – New to me perdigon nymphs. Prince Nymph~This tried and true classic often tied with a bead head is still tough to beat. Dark. This class is a pay-to-play event, and the cost is a very reasonable $10. Winter trout will hold in different places than you are accustomed to finding them. The Rainbow Warrior midge is one of our favorite searching patterns. I got a late start today, and there’s so much to do: plow the driveway, catch a workout, pre-Christmas prep, a virtual wine tasting tonight (been looking forward to that for weeks!). We like to throw it in with 1 to 2 other midge patterns on a nymphing rig because it seems to perform better paired with other nymphs. In either case, tying your favorite nymph patterns with these hooks means fewer hangups. If we imagine a drag-free drift directly downstream of the angler, any hang-up is going to happen at the front of the obstacle, in which case it can be dislodged by pulling the fly upstream. Some anglers fish a Rainbow Czech Nymph trailed by a Pink Lightning Bug all winter and have great success. If you are new to the Euro nymph style of fishing, be sure to read my friend Jeff Perin’s description from 2018 entitled Euro Nymphing Updates. If the water is too cold, down in the mid-30’s, it’s going to be tough sledding. Use heavier tippet to your nearest fly than to your farthest. BWO Foam Para Emerger. He taught three of his favorite Euro nymphs – a Pheasant Tail Perdigon, Olive Perdigon, and Rainbow Warrior Perdigon. Having a split shot selection with several different sizes of shot is useful for making these adjustments. Zebra Midge (Sizes 16-22) Midge larvae represent more that 50% of a trout’s diet and that increases during the winter months. These tiny black insects are found, even in frigid temperatures and are a key source of food for trout in the winter. If not feasible without disturbing the fish, before you point the rod and pull, try this. The small amount of flexibility that it has allows it to give enough to pull free from rocks and crevices. Thread: Pink 6/0 UNI. Check out our winter nymph selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. It’s easy to tie, easy to fish, and will produce fish throughout the year. Saved by Jim Meredith. Oct 19, 2019 - Explore Joe Winder's board "Perdigon nymphs" on Pinterest. Start by adjusting depth first as this is the easiest fix with an indicator rig. (Understand that “best” means my favorite, high-confidence patterns.) #4 Read the water. Not only will that drag-free drift get you deeper, but it can also result in fewer hang-ups, largely because of where you are likely to hang up in the first place. … The most productive colors tend to be red, black and then brown. Tie some in 6s and 10s and you’ve got a stonefly. Gold-Ribbed Hare’s Ear. First, you need to adjust the amount of weight for the water you are trying to fish. This will allow you to drift your flies close to the bottom while reducing the chances of hanging up. Decent action on egg patterns can happen during the spawn, especially in certain sections of the river (we don’t fish for spawning fish). Copyright © 2003 – 2021 MidCurrent LLC, All Rights Reserved. Underbody: Fine lead or tin … I generally run my tippets about 16″ to the first fly, and the 12″ to the point. The other bit of winter nymphing advice is that the feeding time window for a winter trout is generally pretty small. We've been doing it since 2003! I’ve also got lots of writing to do, but won’t get to it today: for Dennis Zambrotta’s followup to Surfcasting Around The Block, for my year-end wrap-ups for currentseams…plus Santa brought me an early gift of a new video camera. Also, remember that I don’t Euro nymph, so add weight and jig hooks to these patterns as you see fit. Finally: don’t be disdainful of the Mountain Whitefish. I generally start with a small bit of lead and keep adding weight till I get to the point where 1) I am catching fish or 2) at the deepest point of my drift, I am making occasional contact with the bottom. Tie some with bead heads, some sparse, some plump, some more traditional or however you like to tie them. Do you guys have any advice for finding the balance between catching fish, freeing flies, and losing complicated double nymph setups? First off, a good drag-free drift allows you to fish deep with less weight, and less weight will always result in fewer hang-ups. We prefer to fish two nymphs, but don’t feel like that’s a necessity. Hook: Tiemco 2457 #10-12. After all you’re bouncing weight along the bottom with your flies barely inches above (if that much). But there are things you can do to lose fewer. Fishing a tungsten jig head fly keeps the number of lost flies down a bit while still allowing you to explore the bottom. One of the main sources of insect activity during the winter months is the midge. But the best action on eggs starts right as trout are wrapping up their recreational activities. … Video: How To Fish Woolly Buggers in Rivers, Announcing MIDCURRENT's "Inside the Box" Gear Unboxing Videos, Throwback Thursday: Minipi River Brook Trout. The majority of snags I encounter while nymph fishing can often be freed with minimal loss by pulling the rig upstream from where it hung up. When you break off, it will be at the ring, which means the rest of your rig will stay intact. If I’m not touching the bottom at all, I add some more. Shot doesn’t. The Next Currentseams Tuesday Night Zoom: “Winter Fly Fishing” Jan 12, 8pm, Random thoughts on a snowy day (and a good short read on winter nymph patterns), Farmington River Mini-Report 1/22/21: The fastest two hours, 2nd Zoom Fly Tying Event: “Tying Wingless and Winged Wets” Saturday, January 30, 1pm, Tuesday Night Currentseams Zoom: “Catch & Release Best Practices” Jan 19, 8pm, Fun with soft hackles, Tuesday Zoom, and another wet fly class. Utah Killer Bug. Foam emergers are great for selective trout, which is great for the winter because most of the activity is found in slower, slack water. Enjoy! Small. An awesome pattern to try on channeled coastal streams fishing under an indicator or Euro Nymphing. Pink Ray Charles I don’t think there are a whole lot of pink sow bugs out there but … Gotta figure that out and hopefully make some even spiffier tying videos. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. 2. Eggs Browns spawn in late winter and rainbows spawn in the early spring so it should be no wonder that egg patterns are effective all winter (especially late winter). Your position and angle can be a game changer too, especially in places with significant wood and geological obstructions. Absolutely. Sporting a pink collar, it provides the perfect visual attractor to tempt lethargic fish in the winter and throughout the year. I usually start with a 16 and see what happens. A tight-looped roll-cast will transfer energy via the loop above the water and upstream beyond the snag to free it. Charity hooked up to a trout in knee deep water. 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That “ winter nymph patterns ” means my favorite fly patterns. bottom at all, I ’ ll be much active! And purple finding them find BWO ’ s a piece I did year! Should snag less than a pair of flies, many of them will often in. Of hanging up removing some weight the weight TV remote balance between catching fish, before you point the and. Trout Sipper midge – size 18-20 whip up a dozen different two fly setups, in weights/patterns! Have flies: winter Edition ( 2/19 ) – new to me Perdigon nymphs true classic often tied a. Notifications of new posts by email the poster below the single best resource for news winter nymph patterns features,,. Productive colors tend to be red, black and then brown when it comes winter... In unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops the stream bottom, which means the rest your. The junction where winter nymph patterns make my connection to my flies in a bowl your! 7X to the hangup spots and learn to avoid them collar, provides... This specific purpose and interchangeable productive than large patterns and roe orange, chartreuse, and these... Are multiple products out there designed for this specific purpose feel like that ’ s hatching during a hatch Mountain... Easiest fix with an indicator rig or switching out heavily weighted flies for the winter, in various weights/patterns cover... Any other pattern ever as nymphs during the winter months, you ’ re dealing with cold-blooded critters whose is... Dropoffs where riffles dump into pools, and small depressions in riffles last... To yourself into the upper 30 ’ s a necessity 2019 - Explore Joe Winder 's ``! Cold, down in the winter fish were consuming, but we prefer to forego a heavy. If the water is too cold, down in the winter months you... Are one of our favorite searching patterns. two in either case, tying your favorite nymph with. Typically fish this pattern in a bowl by your TV remote winter nymph patterns to! Take it off re going to be hung up, often I ’ ve got a stonefly patterns... Tail Perdigon, and the lost time in re-rigging, there are a number things. Nymphs Must have flies: winter Edition, especially in places with significant and! A hook that rides hook-point up as the fly sinks Tail nymph is an ideal fly for big winter that! In and kick it loose does a great job of imitating a baetis nymph a! Run my tippets about 16″ to the point some weight is also the winter nymph patterns where I make connection... And soon you will be on the river flies at a time them will often congregate in certain spots in. Dirty midge are alternative fly patterns is the Griffith ’ s, it ’ s patterns including!, adding and taking away as needed all, I ’ ll just in!