Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 13
This Rainbow Trout was fooled by a small streamer bounced along the bottom.
The cooler water temperature will have fish moving
a little more slowly than most other times of the year,
requiring you to slow down your drift. I usually like
to walk up to a random run in the stream and test the
drift. The fly should be moving through the water a bit
slower than the flow of the stream. This requires you to
hold your rod tip up and follow the drift, which most
experienced anglers know as "high-sticking." Highsticking is the most common nymph fishing style during
the winter months due to the speed at which you need to
fish. If your guides freeze up, this method requires you
to cast no additional line.
For those who live for the thrill of catching a trout
on a dry fly, you can look for midges on sunny days
until early- to mid-March when the small stoneflies and
blue winged olives begin to emerge. Most sunny days
above 35 degrees F will see midges gathering, which
usually brings out a few rising trout. You will need to be
throwing flies in the 20- to 26-size range to be effective.
Stalking a rising fish in the winter is much more
challenging than in the spring. Being able to accurately
cast a small fly and still see it on the water can be tough
for most anglers. It will make the spring sulphur hatch
seem like a walk in the park.
Streamers are still effective in the winter months. You
will not have quite the success in aggressively retrieving
streamers as you would the rest of the year, but you can
still work up strikes. I tie my own flies, so I like to make
my winter streamers much heavier. This allows the fly
to get to the bottom quickly. I prefer woolly bugger-type
patterns from sizes 6-10. In the winter months, I usually
go with smaller sizes, as smaller sizes are more likely
to get a quick strike. I add weight to the body of the fly
as well as using a large beadhead or conehead. As with
nymphs, I spend most of my time high-sticking. Rather
than just letting the fly dead drift down the stream, like
with a nymph, give the rod an occasional short jig. This
causes the fly to make a small but quick action that can
create incredible results.
Late winter fly fishing is a great way to get out of the
house and have large amounts of stream to yourself. If you
can find fish in the stream and bring along the right fly
patterns, you may have a productive day on the water.
Just remember to go slow.
During the spring, this stretch of stream is full of anglers. During the winter, there is no one around.
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13
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020
Contents
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - Cover1
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - Cover2
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - Contents
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 4
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 5
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 6
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 7
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 8
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 9
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 10
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 11
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 12
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 13
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 14
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 15
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 16
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 17
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 18
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 19
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 20
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 21
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 22
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 23
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 24
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 25
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 26
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 27
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 28
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 29
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 30
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 31
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 32
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 33
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 34
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 35
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 36
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 37
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 38
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 39
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 40
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 41
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 42
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 43
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 44
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 45
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 46
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 47
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 48
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 49
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 50
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 51
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 52
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 53
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 54
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 55
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 56
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 57
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 58
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 59
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 60
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 61
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 62
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 63
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - 64
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - Cover3
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2020 - Cover4
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