Top Ten Reasons to Fly Fish in Winter

It was a beautiful day on the Gallatin!  The sun was shining bright with blue bird skies and I was practically alone on the river.  After landing several fish, I enjoyed a nice break by relaxing on the river bank with a fresh made pastry.  Thinking the day couldn't get much better, I continued to drift my nymph rig through the hole that had been so generous all day.  My indicator suddenly sank and I set the hook.  Without hesitation a monstorious brown trout went airborne and the battle began.  After a few minutes a 21" brown trout lay in my net and I thought to myself "I love fly fishing in the winter!" 

Here are the top ten reasons to experience winter fly fishing!

10.  The Crowds:  Winter is one of the best times of the year to have the river all to yourself!  This gives you the ability to explore more water and cast to fish that are not spooked.  I have received some funny looks from passing vehicles while standing alone in the river as it snows, but they don't know how good the fishing is!

9. Being Able to Sleep In:  The best times for winter fly fishing are usually between 11AM-4PM.  This can be a nice change from the summer when the best fishing is either at the beginning or end of the day.  As I have told my dad for years, the fish don't start biting until the crack of noon!

8.  Low Water Levels:  The low flows on the Gallatin and the Madison help give the angler a small advantage because the fish are concentrated in their typical holding water.  Usually fish will be found in the slow, deep pools, long runs and riffles, and on most shelves and drops in the river bottom.

7.  You can use the snow as a boat ramp:  We used some creativity in order to float the walk-and-wade section of the Madison before it closes at the end of February to protect spawning rainbows. 

6.  Fly Selection:  Since there are few bugs hatching in winter, it is much easier on the angler to answer the eternal fly fishing question, "am I matching the hatch?"  Instead of getting frustrated and going through the entire fly box, winter is a great time to go back to the basics.  Most of your standard nymphs will do the trick: Girdle Bug, Prince Nymph, Copper John, Egg paterns, and basic midges.  Typically, I end up with a large Girdle Bug followed by a small bead head nymph with a little flash. 

5.  Try a New Winter Activity:  Instead of waiting for summer to roll around why not get on the river now?!  The mild winter weather and lack of powder days have upset some but it has made for amazing fishing!  If you have warm clothes for the slopes or trails, then you are ready to stay cozy on the river.  Bring the thermals and we can take care of the rest!

4.  White Fish:  Winter is a great time to experience, what some may call, the rocky mountain bonefish!  White fish don't get a lot of respect but they are fun to catch, they fight hard and are actually native to Montana.

3.  20 Fish Days!:  All anglers have stories, memories or ambitions of those mythical 20 fish days on the river.  Being a fly fisherman myself for almost 20 years, I have learned that these are usually fish stories.  Whether my counts are accurate or not, I do know that the winter provides opprotunities to have days with ridiculous fish counts.  There is something special about landing two or three fish in a row out of the same hole!

                    

2.  Warm Coffee & Fresh Pastries on the Water:  Nothing keeps you warm on the river like a steaming cup of coffee and an amazing pastry from the talented LMR Pastry Chefs.  You burn more calories when staying warm, so the more pastries the better!  My personal favorite is the chocolate filled croissant. 

1.  Catching Big Fish:  I have often heard that winter can be a time to catch big trout, but have not beleived it until now.  From the summer on the Gallatin, I knew it had a healthy population of 12-16 inch rainbows, browns and cutt-bows.  I did not know it held multiple 20" fish as well!  Over the past few weeks I have seen a 19" cutt-bow, 20" white fish, and 3 browns all over 20" caught and released just minutes from the ranch.



Contact the Outdoor Shop and we can help you create another reason to love winter fly fishing!

-John McKinnie, Lone Mountain Ranch Fishing Guide

Categories

• Summer Activities
• Winter Activities
• Food
• Crew Musings
• Guest Musings

Recent Blog Posts

• Weekly Fly Fishing Report, May 11, 2012
• A Note from Mark Parlett…
• Fly Fishing Report, April 2012
• Enhance Your Summer Experience Through Expression
• How Long Should We Stay at a Guest Ranch?
• Is it The World’s Finest Trout?
• Spring Fly Fishing Nears, as well as the Annual Spawning for Rainbows
• Unexpected Experiences Lead to Lifelong Friendships
• A Recipe from the Kitchen that Provides a Healthy Heart
• Top Ten Reasons to Fly Fish in Winter