For some anglers winter is the most challenging time while for others it is the secret season to catch big rewarding fishes. Winter fishing is a beautiful adventure where you learn how to change your strategies according to fish behaviors and weather patterns.
We have a couple of blogs about trout fly-fishing in America, bright rainbow trout, and today we will discuss winter trout fishing.
Pc: Unsplash
Where To Find Trout In Winters:
In winters trout mortality rate is higher so understand this concept and try to find some structures where trout hid themselves for protection from ice, or winter floods.
They mostly present in moving water as it brings them food, in the area of rock piles or logjams, as well as in small spring along the stream side. They usually present in water at the depth of 3ft. The clear water and stable temperature with a lot of weed, of tailwater fisheries prove to be the best habitat for winter trout.
Best Hours For Winter Trout Fishing:
Winter trout fishing is not the game of early morning in dawn and late half hour in the dusk, but this rule is not so applicable in winters as midday is the best time to target winter trout. The daylight hours between 11 A.M to 3 P.M are also suitable as it considered as feeding hours, the water warmed up a little bit.
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Make sure you are carrying a digital thermometer to detect water temperature as the temperature above 40 degrees turns the odds into your favor if water temperature is not suitable your efforts will be useless as fish are lethargic and will not cooperate.
Some Tactics Winter Trout:
- Spotting a fish or small pod of fish requires patience and focus, water glare may make it hard for you so to avoid it move in opposite direction of sun so sun it is at your back, and you can easily spot a fish in the slow currents, rivers have fewer areas where trout can hide.
- Dress yourself in layers to keep yourself warm.
- It is better to use polaroid sunglasses to increase light vision and to avoid sun glare.
- Slow, smooth currents act as temporarily windows and allow them to see to the bottom of the river, so look at the silhouette more focused on any minor movement.
- While you are targeting a small pod of fish, make sure your movements will not spook other fishes for this, apply pressure on the back side to get them out of the hole.
- Make your mind about which species you are targeting as different trout species has different behavior pattern, and knowing stream currents will be also helpful as brown trout loves slow moving stream while rainbow hang in fast currents.
Pc: Pexels
- Be considerate about your fishing gear and scale up your lure size, and do not be foolish to use light leaders for the mighty toothed rainbow trout. Use longer leaders in the range of 8-12lb it helps you to nymph where the fish concentration is high, preferably in deeper waters.
- For trout baits, try to use maggots, worms, corn, etc as trout has strong sense of smelling and most importantly use fishing flies, our store has good option for trout lovers fly fishing flies kits. Understand each trout species feeding pattern in winter ad use lures accordingly
- Catching fishing is not so tricky, but to handle your catch is real game.
Tie your fishing kit and head toward your favorite target.