Winter Fishing … Sounds crazy right?
Maybe winter fishing in the high elevation areas of Almont, Gunnison and Crested Butte Colorado sounds a bit crazy. However, this season can be rewarding for the dedicated trout angler. Sure… you can fly out to Belize or Mexico and chase bonefish and tarpon, but there is plenty of fishing to do here in the Rockies.
If you have never pulled out your waders in February or March, remember to layer up, bring a second pair of wool socks, and be prepared for the cold. If you happen to have a pair of neoprene waders, these are a great option to help keep that warmth in.
Before you get to the water, be sure that you are setting yourself and your gear up for success. Continue reading for tips on how to do this.
Layers
Proper layers can make all the difference for safety and staying comfortable. A good set of long underwear and sweatpants can be key, especially if you are wearing breathable waders. Remember to choose synthetic materials over cotton! Some good examples of wader layers are the Orvis Underwader Pants or the Sitka Gradient Bibs. Most of the time, I can get away with wearing long johns and sweatpants.
A piece of advice that I picked up for winter fishing, is to always bring two sets of socks to the river. This is NOT for doubling up, but to switch out your driving socks for wading socks. This has been an absolute gamechanger for me, and here is why: If you have the heat cranked up in your truck, or have been wearing the same pair of socks from 8:00 – 12:00 and plan on fishing at 1:00, your socks have been soaking up sweat and are already wet. Even if they don’t feel wet to the touch, they have water building up between the fibers and will zap the heat out of your feet when you get into the river. Put on a fresh, dry pair of socks right before you throw on your waders, and your feet will thank you.
On top, I always suggest having at least a fleece hoodie, a puffy jacket, and a shell/wading jacket. This is a great balance for me, but it will vary person to person. What I don’t recommend is only wearing a t-shirt (especially cotton) and a ski jacket. Having a layering system is key with wind, temperature fluctuations, and precipitation. I really like wearing a Melanzana brand hoodie (lightweight grid fleece), as you can cinch up the “fish bowl” hood tight to your face when you need to. Any high quality wading jacket will do, just make sure that you have something with the rubber cuffs to keep out water. There is nothing worse than picking up the fish of a lifetime and having water run down to your armpit through your sleeve. A good stocking cap and gloves are a must-have.
Equipment
It’s important to have your gear set up as efficiently as possible during the winter season to minimize fumbling around with frozen fingers to find the gear you need. I personally use Fishpond for my pack systems (Hip Pack, Chest Pack, Back Pack or any combination), and prefer to have the submersible options. This is by no means the only way to carry your gear, but it sure saves the hassle of drying out fly boxes and thawing out your wallet when you get home with a soaking wet bag. Having used almost every pack style or system, the waterproof ones are definitely worth it.
Now for the fun stuff – flies and tackle. Ideally, you should organize the flies you will need in just one to two boxes. For us fly tying junkies, be sure to leave your hopper, stonefly, and caddis boxes at home. There are few to no opportunities to fool winter fish on big dries. However, it would be prudent to pack a box of small dries, mole flies, parachute adams, comparaduns, etc. You may also include a selection of streamers and nymphs. You likely will not need to have your size 4 pat’s rubberlegs with you, but anything from a size 10 – 26 will work well.
I personally carry a bit more. My flies are separated into a tiny size bug box (18-24) that consists of midges, baetis, pmds shrimp, and eggs. Then, I have a standard size box (10-16) with mainly bead head nymphs, a stonefly box with Pat’s, Two-Bit Stones, and 20 Inchers, and finally an egg box. My streamer box is about half full of leaches/buggers and topped off with a variety of articulated patterns.
Depending on the fishery, you may want to be able to throw the kitchen sink in the river, but for others (like the Taylor Catch & Release), you might just need a couple of streamers and your little bugs. Having your flies neatly organized is vital, especially when it is below freezing.
Tactics – Picking a river and finding trout
During the dead of winter, there may be few options to find open rivers to fish. Here in the Gunnison Valley, we are pretty limited to a handful of stretches compared to the massive quantity of fishable water that we have during the summer. Tailwater stretches are always going to be open, even in sub-zero temperatures. Freestones and spring creeks on the other hand tend to fully freeze over. This is the case locally, typically from December through March.
Tailwaters
The Catch and Release section of the Taylor River is always a go-to tailwater during these winter months. Be sure to check the weather before you head up Taylor Canyon, as big snowstorms can cover up the road. Once you have a good day picked out, it is game on. Because of its steady flow of water and ample bug life, the fish are consistently feeding and are willing to take a fly. This is also the time of Post and Pre-Spawn for both Rainbow and Brown trout. Many of the larger fish will hang around eating eggs downstream of Redd’s and are more present throughout this stretch. Sight fishing is the best approach to target trophies, but blind casting in the “Hog Trough” and “Avalanche Hole” will still get you into some amazing fish. If these location terms are all foreign to you, be sure to book one of our expert guides available all winter.
It is much more important to have a great presentation, than to have “THE FLY” (even though that helps). A 9′-12’ leader is vital as it keeps your flies far enough away from you and your fly line. It also gives you plenty of room to change depths depending on the run you are fishing. Along with this, I highly recommend fishing fluorocarbon tippet, especially in those smaller sizes. The biggest advantage is that it has a higher abrasion resistance than monofilament, and is much denser, allowing your flies to get into the zone quicker and then stay in the zone with fluctuating currents.
Using small indicators can also be a key to success. A large indicator will: 1)Create a large splash when cast 2)Can spook fish based on the color. I find the best luck utilizing small or extra small Oros, or small to medium sized yarn indicators. White or camo colored yarn will be the least invasive colors and mimic either air bubbles or leaves floating down the stream. It is less imperative when fishing super deep holes. Overall, though, small indicators will spook less fish and allow for a more sensitive rig that will detect more strikes.
Freestones / Spring Creeks
While most of the higher elevation creeks and freestone rivers will freeze over, there are always one or two that stay open enough to fish throughout the winter. Targeting these fish requires a stealthy approach, but if you are sneaky enough, you can get into some amazing dry fly fishing in the dead of winter. Unlike the rest of the aquatic insects that we mimic throughout the summer months, Midges hatch year-round. On a warm winter day with a bit of cloud cover, you’d be surprised how many bugs are hatching and how many fish are looking to the surface for their next meal. Craven’s Mole Midge, Sprout Midges, and Parachute Adams are all great options to get some dry fly eats in February.
Looking to learn about Winter Fishing?
There is a lot of information here and winter fishing can be intimidating. If you are interested in trying it out for the first time or you are looking for some insightful instruction… well you are in luck!
Willowfly Anglers is hosting not only one, but TWO, Winter Tailwater Clinics on the Taylor River this year. On February 22nd – 23rd, and March 8th – 9th 2025, we will be braving the cold on our Gold Medal Waters. These two-day clinics are $525.00 per angler; including all equipment, expert instructors, and lunches for both days.
This clinic is for any skillset, and there is a 2 angler to guide ratio. With these small group sizes, we can help every angler expand their knowledge of tailwater fisheries, improve their casting, along with learning new techniques in rigging, fighting fish, fly selection, etc.
If you have any questions, give us a ring at (970) 641-1303. Ready to sign up today? Click HERE to register online.
Adam Engleman is the Assistant Outfitting Manager overseeing the operations of the
fly-fishing shop and Willowfly Anglers guide service.