Favorite Time of Year to Fish

[jaybo41]

What's your favorite time of year to fish? There's nothing like hiking in the woods in the fall, looking at the foliage, the smell of the leaves in the air for me. I love the cooler temps too. Makes for my favorite time of year to fish. A close second is spring, the green just popping out of everywhere, cooler temps are good too, but here in PA we've been known to get 70 something temps in spring as of late.

Winter can be fun in it's own right, it keeps the boys at home and allows the men to get on the water. Especially for my token trip to fish the Erie Tribs. I just stay away during the fall.

What do you say? Please explain what makes for your most enjoyable time to fish.

 

[flyfishermanj]

From Jan 1st thru Dec 31st!!! But if you want my favorite time, it would be fall. Mid Sept- Nov. Scenery is great!!! The smell of Autumn is wonderful and the fishing isn't nearly as crowded as other times of the year. With the exception being the Erie tribs of course.
JH

 

[Woolybugger]

From now til Jan30th! Trout, bass, and stripers.........I've had the best fishing with a fly rod. The summer, June, July and August, was a terrible thing this year. Global warming, way too shallow with no O2 in the water, I was ready to start playing golf!! But these cool nights and the "fall bite" just starting!
Two weeks - streams in PA will be restocked
Two weeks - striped bass will start to migrate down the coast
Tomorrow - smallmouth bass feed heavy before the winter
All I can say is: Scuze me, while I tie a fly!

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[StudentofTheStream]

It appears that I'm not the only one but fall is by far my favorite time to fish as well as my favorite time of year. Less people, cooler temps, beautiful scenery and awesome fishing. I catch more 20+ inch fish in the fall than any other time of year. My only quandary becomes weather to archery hunt or catch some monster browns but what a nice problem to have!

 

[mattd]

Fall= less fisherman, beutiful scenery, and Big Trout. Don't have to think about this one.

 

[stonefly]

my favorite time to fish is defiantly winter because barely anyone fishes and you can sleep also i can fish with midges

 

[Salvi1]

it seems like most here i enjoy the fall and winter and wait a minute spring as well. if we had more water in the streams it would make this fall most spectacular! a friend and i fished a half mile section of the yellow breeches then another 1/4 mile section on sunday and saw not another angler awesome indeed! anytime on the water is incredible but the fall and winter add some extra solitude.

S,

 

[Coughlin]

Fall= less fisherman, beutiful scenery, and Big Trout. Don't have to think about this one.

Same here.
Coughlin

 

[dryflyguy]

I already answered this question and gave my reasons why in another post by ryan - when will things pick up? - yes, definitely fall is now my favorite.
One little fly in the ointment though - the fishing can be pretty tough once the leaves start dropping - usually around mid oct.
It can be all right even then, if you're out on a still day, but if there's any kind of wind, you've got problems. I have still found fish rising thru the leaves on the water, but removing them from your fly gets pretty annoying after a while.

Early spring time would be a close second. The fish rise in the middle of the day during both of these time frames, and my 52 year old eyes really appreciate that.
I don't really care to wait around until the last hour of the day for the action to start, as is usually the case from May thru summer