favorite winter time spot

hey guys,

with january 1st approaching fast i just can’t wait to get back out with the flyrod. i have had fair succes in the winter for trout but am looking to expand my favorite spots into new location. what i would like to no is where is your favorite spot to fish the winter season?

one of my personal favorite is definitly the root below the dam at lansbero. i always seem to catch fish when i go there in the witer. there isn’t usually as much pressure during the winter as there can be in the summer.

so where else can i go? any smaller streams around that are good in the snow. you don’t have to post an exact hole or strech of stream but the name would be helpful to get me pointed in the right direction.

hi jake, one of my favorite spots to winter trout fish is camp creek or east beaver creek both are rather small but hold lots of fish. try using a spinner instead of a fly you will get alot more action this way in the winter! MED

I agree that Camp And EBC are small, but stick to your flies, especially on “warm” days when water temperatures rise enough to trigger feeding. In the winter, that means trout will be keying on midges and scuds, or even sow bugs in Camp Creek. EBC is clean, very clean almost all of the time, so that’s why I would shy away from spinners there.

Before the March 1 expansion, you should check into the WW area or Forrestville…be sure you pack your scuds and use midges as the trailer. The food base in area streams is pretty small in size, so fish with the smallest stuff you’ve got.

Hope this helps.

thanks guys for the ideas. camp creek was actually the first place i ever went trout fishing, it was in the winter too. i’ve only been back once since then though. didn;t have much luck. i’ve never done great on small streams in the winter just because the fish can spot you so easily that they are all spooked by the time you get in range to make a cast. you have to try and be really sneeky if possible.

i have never really tryed spinners in the winter time. i always figure that if i want to keep any thats the best way to catch a few keepers, but since you can’t keep them in teh winter anyway i usually stick to the fly rod. so here’s another question. is it legal to use a spinner with treble hooks as long as you pinch the barbs?

During the winter season, as well as the early catch and release season in April, you can use spinners as long as the barbs are pinched down (barbless hooks). The same is true for flies – barbless hooks only until the catch and kill opener.

I think winter season angling for trout is very challenging because the trout can see you as you mentioned. Also remember that the water temperatures are low so trout are lethargic to begin with; that’s why I cautioned against the use of spinners. If the water temperature is barely above freezing to begin with, why would a trout pursue or chase down any meal when it can lie there and sip it as it drifts by? Lack of streamside vegetation is also a huge disadvantage to you the angler and fish can easily spot unnecessary or sudden movements.

The winter season is tougher than many people think, but it also shows your skill as an angler if you can figure out how to consistently catch trout when almost all factors are working against you.