Blog

Winter Opportunities

Sean Visintainer - 01/21/22

Silver Bow Fly Fishing guide Kenyon Pitts landing a nice Spokane River Redband in the winter.

Wintertime water time

Windows of opportunity seem to be fairly frequent this past week or so. Temps in the upper 30's and little to now wind make a great combo to get out and try some winter fly fishing.



5 Keys to winter success in our region:

1 - Fish the slowest, deepest water.
Trout are cold blooded creatures and with the cold comes slower metabolisms. They won't be reacting too quickly to chase flies down.


2 - Try hot bead or "hot spot" flies.
A little pop of color goes a long ways during the winter. Perhaps a fish thinks it's an egg, who knows (and who cares!)... but they work well in winter.


3 - Get your flies deep, keep them deep.
This goes along with the first part about fishing slow/deep water. Since there isn't much for insect activity and the trout's metabolism is slow, you will need to get down to them.


3 - Watch for subtle strikes.
If you are indicator fishing watch for the most subtle of takes. If you are streamer fishing, feel for very light (or drawn out) takes. More often, trout aren't as aggressive in the cold.


3 - Take it for what it is.
If you get skunked, that's the way it goes! Winter fishing has its challenges. Enjoy the day and remember spring fishing is around the corner!



Kenyon Pitts tying on a hot bead pattern for wintertime fly fishing on the Spokane River.