It’s time to work off some of that Thanksgiving feast. There is no better way to do that than by making fresh tracks up or down one of your favorite Idaho trout streams. So, grab your fly rod, your winter fly box, and go enjoy some of the most beautiful scenes Idaho serves up all season long.
Speaking of that winter fly box… be sure you have a great assortment of Midges. Zebra Midges and Tie-Down Midges are a great place to start. A few other nymphs to carry include Hare’s Ears, Girdle Bugs, Rubber Legs, Copper Johns, Prince Nymphs and Brassies. Have all of your nymphs in a variety of colors; red, black, olive, and brown are hard to beat.
Streamers are a wintertime staple on all of our area rivers, especially on Silver Creek. On our freestone and tailwater rivers, fish weighted flies and get them to the bottom. If you are fishing Silver Creek, don’t bother with weight and fish your Streamers just under the surface. It is a lot of fun watching the fish wake behind the fly and leave a boil as they eat. If you fish streamers, beef up your tippets to 1X or 0X in case a toothy brown trout shows up.
We are probably a few weeks away from prolific dry-fly activity on the Big Wood, but it would still be a good idea to have a few Griffith’s Gnats and Tie-Down Midges, along with your favorite powder floatant and some 6X tippet. Be sure you keep the trailing shuck on the Tie-Down Midge wet and in the film. The shuck is what will bring the fish to your fly out of the thousands of real midges that can be on the water at any given time during the winter.
Have a ton of fun out there. Be safe if you are driving and on the water. It is a time of the season where little mishaps can be amplified. Have a full tank of gas, full cellphone battery, extra clothes, and food and water. Prepare for the worst and you can enjoy your day that much more. A little peace of mind will even up your fishing game.
Happy fishing, everyone!