Dry Ice: How to Catch Trout on Dry Flies in Winter
There’s not a lot of dry-fly action in winter, but when trout are rising to midges, you don’t want to miss it. Photo by Paul Schullery
Winter is the most frustrating time to be a fly angler. The weather is cold, the rivers are frozen, and warm sunny days of casting dry flies to rising trout seem so far away. Most of us just deal with it or find another hobby to keep them occupied during the cold months. Perhaps you’ll do a bit of winter nymphing here and there just to stay in shape, and then sit inside tying dry flies and dream about using them during the first spring hatch. However, if you’re one of those “dry or die” types who just can’t stand waiting for warmer weather, you need to make time for winter dry-fly fishing.
Though it only works on certain days when the weather is right, winter dry-fly fishing is not only possible, it can be incredibly productive. Trout have fewer options for winter sustenance, so when there are insects hatching on the surface, almost every fish in the river is willing to rise to the occasion. But to encounter and make the most of such a situation, you need to be at the right place at the right time with the right gear.
Dress in layers to beat the cold, as you’ll probably have to sit and wait until the trout start to rise. Photo courtesy Orvis
Cold Weather Gear
Let’s start with the gear. Not only do you have to wear the right clothes so you can at least stand to be in a freezing river for a few hours, but you also have to fish the right rods, leaders, and flies to make sure your frosty suffering is not in vain. Because river levels are generally low and the water is extremely clear, rising winter trout are quite spooky, so your approach must be extra stealthy.
While your standard 5-weight or 6-weight rod will work for winter dry fly fishing, it’s best to go lighter, casting a 4-weight or even a 3-weight. These rods usually have a slower action that is perfect for casting tiny flies accurately. Your leader should be at least 9 feet long, and in the 5X-to-7X range. Carry a couple spools of 6X to 8X fluorocarbon tippet, as well, just to ensure that you can lengthen your leader and fish with lighter tippet when necessary.
Clockwise from upper left: Griffith’s Gnat, Pat’s Midge, Massacre Midge, and Harrop’s CDC Midge Cluster. Photos 1-3: Umpqua, Photo 4: Galloup’s Slide Inn
The Right Flies for the Job
In winter, fly choice is remarkably simple, as midges are the only insects on the menu. Midges are in the river throughout the year and hatch on the surface of the water on an almost daily basis. While they are generally ignored by trout for most of the year when other insects such as caddisflies and mayflies are available, during the winter midges are often the only game in town.
The best dry-fly midge patterns are fishable in all the different water types where trout feed, from slow-moving pools to bubbly seams, to fast shallow riffles. As winter trout are always on the hunt for the biggest meals they can get with the least amount of effort, you’ll want to stick to large fly patterns that represent midge clusters, rather than single midges. However, to ensure you’re being thorough and can pick off any stray trout that might be feeding on single insects, it’s best to fish a two-fly rig with a midge cluster and a smaller, single dry-fly pattern as a dropper. My favorite midge-cluster patterns include the CDC Cluster Midge and the Griffith’s Gnat, in sizes 18 to 22, because they are very buoyant and easy to see in faster water or in the chaos of multiple rising trout. Pair these large cluster patterns with single-fly patterns, such as the Pat’s Midge or the Massacre Midge in sizes 22 to 26.
Midges often hatch in large numbers in winter, which brings trout off the bottom. Photo by Ryan Kelly
Finding Risers
One of the most important things to remember when fishing dry flies in winter is that there is almost no point in casting unless you see rising trout. While you may occasionally draw a strike by drifting a midge over a winter trout you just see hanging below the surface, for the most part winter bugs are so small that trout won’t be tempted to rise in the cold winter water unless there’s a large hatch. When fish are rising to midges, though, the fishing can be fast and furious, so it’s worth scouring the river looking for risers when the conditions seem ripe for action.
The best dry-fly fishing usually occurs on calm, slightly overcast days when air temperatures are in the mid-30s or warmer. To find fish, focus on long sections of smooth, slow-flowing water near the tailouts of pools or on shallow flats of faster water immediately adjacent to drop-offs and dead water. If you find a good-looking area, just hang out on the bank for a while and watch the water until you spot rising fish. It can be worth the wait because once they start, winter trout will often take flies off the surface for hours, giving you plenty of opportunities. The rises are usually subtle and may be little more than a tiny dimple on the surface, so you must be vigilant to spot them.
Shallow flats and tailouts are great places to look for midge hatches. Photo by Phil Monahan
Once you’ve found a good pod of rising trout, cast your dry flies well upstream of where the trout are feeding and mend the line quickly. You want the bugs to be dead-drifting, at the same speed as the current, when they pass over the fish, and you don’t want to have to adjustment your presentation near the trout, as it will surely spook them. Fish a larger midge cluster pattern as your lead fly, with a smaller single midge pattern tied between 18 and 24 inches behind it as a dropper. Most of the time, winter trout concentrate on eating the midge clusters, so the larger pattern usually gets the most action. However, even when trout are picking out the single midges, your cluster pattern acts as a strike indicator that will help you see subtle strikes on long drifts.
Drying It Out
Fly fishing game involves a lot of sitting around and waiting for something to happen. When you’re just starting out in the sport, you wait for instructors and mentors to teach you about casting, flies, and knots, and then you wait to hit the river until you’ve practiced enough to get them right. Then, you wait for seasons to open, for rivers to clear, for hatches to begin, and for fish to run.
It often seems like you’re always having to be patient, and that’s why winter dry-fly fishing is so cool. Instead of sitting around and waiting for spring, you’re going out on the river and playing your hand. While it may not always be productive, there are times when the action is hot enough to make you want to grab your chips and go all in.
