Before l write my article here.
I would very much like to thank the members of NAFF for the generous donation of $5000 toward the Dry Run Creek project that the FNNFH is undertaking at this time.
I am sure you would all agree that this is a very worthwhile project and one that will provide long term benefits for both our local fly fishers and visitors to our fishery and hatchery.
Davy Wotton.
President FNNFH.
No doubt there are some days you are best inside the house tying flies for the new season. Otherwise, winter time can provide some of the best fly fishing to be found here on our river systems; and as a rule, you do not have to deal with the crowds.
Primary food base will be chironomids, with the possibility of BWO hatches, one of my personal favorite mayfly emergences. That is not to say both sowbug and scud imitations will not be the ticket as they often are. Cold water conditions coupled with this time of the year does see way less activity from the crustaceans, but hey, fish have good memories for what they have been used to feeding on when the naturals are more active.
Dave Whitlock was recently here with me to enjoy a few days fishing and hunting together. He told me he recalls days when you would see so many BWO hatch on the Norfork River that they would cluster in large mats on the surface. I would love to see that scenario again.
Fishing small mayfly hatches such as Trico, BWO, is difficult for many fly fishers. For all intents and purposes, l deal with fishing those hatches no differently than l would if fishing a rise of fish taking chironomids. Midge being, of course, a generic term as that in no way determines the actual species. The only difference is the choice of fly used. Presentations amount to the same thing at the end of the day. The consideration when fishing BWO is it the duns or spent fly that is causing the interest. In other words, l will either be fishing a dry/emerger style for the hatch or a dry for the spent. As a rule, l would not be fishing a bead head nymph as l wish for my fly to be right in the meniscus, which is normally where the fish will be focused.
BWO are in fact Baetis, the common species found here being the Pseudocloeon, around a 22 hook size with two tails.
We also have other Baetis species found throughout the system and you may see periodic hatches of those.
You are dealing with essentially three stages: the transitional stage of emergence from the pupa or nymph, the winged insect, in the case of BWO the dun, and thereafter the spent adults, be they BWO or Chironomids.
It is not uncommon for both to be abundant at the same time within the 3 stages.
The key to success is to fish your fly within the zone the fish's eye is focused and that may be within a 1 inch zone at times. Blind casting to cover the water is not the best option here as you will most times put fish down. Fish, when feeding on the surface, are more likely to quit feeding if you spook them or at least make them aware of your presence.
Pinpoint accuracy is easier to achieve with shorter leader/tippet section when fishing very small flies than it is with long leader sections. Often l will go with as low as 7 to 9 feet here for close encounter presentations. But avoid casting the fly line over fish.
Maintaining a low profile will go a long way in your favor at such times, likewise limit water disturbance when wading. It never ceases to surprise me to watch anglers destroy good water where they could have caught many fish had they considered a more careful approach.
Overall, expect fish to be a little lethargic on colder days. Dead drift techniques with generic nymph imitations will catch you fish. On days when we see a rise of temperature in the afternoon periods and before sundown, fish may become way more active. Soft hackles, wet flies and at times streamers are good choices.
For my money, unless l am fishing to surface feeding fish, then l will go with dead drift super midges, sowbugs and dead drift soft hackles.
One fly l will always have with me is an old UK pattern by the name of the black and silver spider. It is a deadly fly at this time of the year when fished at given depths through the water column.
You may also add to this fly a silver bead head and a peacock thorax, which adds a further value to this killer fly.
Have a great Christmas holiday, and see you on the water.
Davy.
