Favourite Winter Flies

[supervdl]

What are everyone's Top 5 flies for fishing freestone and limestone creeks during the winter? Or are you staying home and tying your favorite spring flies?

 

[wbranch]

Glo bug, Squiry wormy (if you are of that ilk), Krystal Meth, Black Woolly Bugger, Green Weenie.

 

[CLSports]

Midge emergers if fish are rising. If not then streamers. If neither of those are working then go home and drink a stout.

 

[Tups]

Bead head hares ear soft hackle on point. Black wet fly on dropper.

 

[dryflyguy]

The older I get, fishing in cold weather becomes less and less appealing.
I'm tying for spring.
Usually start off with BWO's in march

 

[bigjohn58]

Pheasant tails, sucker spawns, walts worms

 

[jifigz]

Woolly buggers of various colors (size 6 is my favorite), brassies in red, brown, and black, zebra midge in olive, red, and black, Walt's worms of various colors, and San Juan Worms. Pheasant tails, green weenies, and a caddis larva I tie get honorable mention..

 

[RLeep2]

It's been years since I've really done any PA Winter trouting to speak of. When I did, I kept it pretty simple. Larger (#6-8) black or gold stonefly nymphs, Whitlock Fox Sq. in #8-14, simple beadhead muskrat nymphs in #12-16 and olive/black buggers seemed to be about all I needed. In the Winter though, none of them produced half as many fish as a #1 Mepps Aglia with a copper blade. Just sayin'...

 

[geebee]

winter is when i fish the most - I use #20 black zebra midges, olive #16 perdigons, #18 pyscho prince nymphs. #12 black stonefly hares ear.

i never ever catch on worms or weenies. i must be doing it wrong.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

RLeep2 wrote:
It's been years since I've really done any PA Winter trouting to speak of. When I did, I kept it pretty simple. Larger (#6-8) black or gold stonefly nymphs, Whitlock Fox Sq. in #8-14, simple beadhead muskrat nymphs in #12-16 and olive/black buggers seemed to be about all I needed. In the Winter though, none of them produced half as many fish as a #1 Mepps Aglia with a copper blade. Just sayin'...

Glad someone mentioned stoneflies, as that would make my list (along with a Rapala CD 5 with the front hooks removed and the barbs pinched on the rear ones ) I will often fish a stonefly anchor fly, something BWO emerger on the dropper, and a black midge off the hook of the anchor. Agree with walt's worm and caddis larva rolling on the bottom. Black or olive bugger. Gnat. Is that 5?

 

[just_jon]

Freestone: #14-18 pheasant tail, #22 zebra midge, #16-18 red copper John, #14-16 caddis pupa and #22 palomino midge (olive/gray).

Limestone: #14-20 cress bugs, #16-18 scuds, #6 Shenk’s sculpin, #8 Shenk’s white minnow and #22 red zebra midge.

 

[LetortAngler]

Rainbow Warrior, Zebra Midge, Pheasant Tail, Scud and Cress Bug,
Thread-Bodied Frenchie jig style 16-18.

 

[Wallyfish]

Black stone flies have been good to me. I also use a lot of nymphs that I have tied with a hot spot (orange,pink,purple) in the body. Something about that colorful hot spot. I even use green weenies with an orange bead head (standard beaded weenie tie).

 

[Dave_W]

Scuds, cress bugs, and sculpins.

 

[ryansheehan]

1. Midges
2. San Juan
3. Stonefly
4. Prince
5. Eggs

 

[geebee]

interesting. i haven't fished eggs for many years but i have a bunch.

maybe i should add a few to my day to day box.

i used to find that bows liked them but browns didn't.

 

[supervdl]

Interesting - other than buggers not many streamer patterns in the mix so far

 

[mcwillja]

small flies are typical but that is what the trout are seeing on a day to day basis. The mayflies are small and the stoneflies are buried and are only available occassionally in the drift. My most effective patterns are

1. size 20 zebra midges in red, black, olive, grey
2. size 18-20 perdigons, frenchie, or PTs
3. size 16-18 walts worm style patterns

 

[supervdl]

What nymphing system are you guys using? Tightline or with indicator? What indicator?