Winter bugs

[Big-Bass]

Now that caddis hatches are going on, what happens after they come to a halt for the year? Stoneflies through the winter or just midges? Are there any true "dry flies" that hatch during the winter?

 

[JackM]

Midges are not only true dry flies, they are true flies, having only two wings. BWO's of various sorts, in various places, can hatch about any month as well. Fortunately, trout are dumb and do not really appreciate that it is December, for instance.

 

[redietz]

I've seen fishable hatches of olives in early January, and as early as the first week of March. Little black stones can be out on warm days from early February on; I've taken fish on dry imitations of them on my birthday (February 3). Midges are around all winter.

You're not going to see fish rising to dries every time you go out during the winter, but it does happen.

 

[PENZZZ]

Midging trout in late Fall and Winter will still move to terrestrials. Try a Boxelder imitation in Nov/Dec and a Stinkbug imitation in Dec/Jan on slow moving water where trout rise to midges. Present your fly 2-3 feet left or right of the trout. In other words, don't drop it right on his head.

Jeff

 

[Chaz]

StoneFlies, midges, bwo's, winter sulphurs, and baetis. Winter Sulphurs only hatch on exceptional value spring creeks, so there aren't many of those bugs around.
Nymphs of all sizes, but mostly small, and species. Streamers.