Winter? What winter? That happened already?
We are officially a few weeks into spring here in the Yellowstone Region, and it never felt like we had a winter. The snow didn’t come, the temps didn’t drop, and the rivers never froze.
Despite the lack of winter weather, I am excited to document my fishing experience during the mild winter by sharing what I learned and what left me curious. I hope you enjoy the read and enjoyed many days on the water this past “winter”.
The Lack of Winter
The lack of winter was the talk of the town all over the West and the Rockies. I heard many comments such as “I have been here 30 years and never seen a winter like this.”
Ski trips were canceled. Winter events and festivals didn’t feel the same. We didn’t even have snow on the ground for Christmas here in Bozeman. Crazy!
This was amidst some of the worst winter storms the East Coast has seen in a long time. It was so weird to be watching NFL football games where it was dumping snow while it was 60 degrees and sunny here in Montana.
Temperatures remained very mild, with only one week I can recall when they dropped below 10 degrees. There is no getting around the fact that it was a weird winter here in Bozeman and the Yellowstone Region.
What It Meant For the Fishing
With the mild winter, the fishing conditions remained good on many rivers throughout the Yellowstone Region. Many anglers were out and about, fishing harder than they ever have through the winter months. While we don’t know what it means for the summer ahead, it was hard to complain when the weather was so nice for winter fishing.
The tailwaters remained king, but the freestones also fished well. While usually frozen and flowing fully of ice, the freestones stayed clear and warm enough to fish for most of the winter. Nymphing was undoubtedly the most productive method, but streamer fishing remained productive on many days. The trout were happy and feeding all winter long, thanks to the warmer-than-usual water temperatures.
For many anglers, the constant drive to get out fishing never subsided. Most winters, there is a period when it is simply not feasible to get out and fish. This calms the angler’s mind and opens up space to focus on other things or enjoy different hobbies. That was not the case this year. Fishing remained top of mind for many of us as the conditions allowed for fishing most weekends.
Swinging Flies
While I did not fish a ton this winter (probably 2-5 days a month), when I did get out, I focused on swinging flies. My excitement for swinging flies started last fall, and it only grew as winter went on. I found it much more engaging and exciting than nymph fishing, and some days it was plenty productive. I am still very new to swinging flies and don’t really know what I am doing, but wow, what a blast it is to get a fish on the swing.
I’ve been just using a single hand 6wt paired with a floating line and a variety of sinking polyleaders. It seems to work just fine as I learn the flies and swing techniques, but imagine I upgrade to a full trout spey setup at some point in the future. My friend Tim was nice enough to let me cast some of his trout spey rods and give me some pointers. All in all, an epic winter of swinging, and I topped it off in February with a stud of a brown on a swung leech.
Check out this photo essay for more details on my experience fishing the tailwaters this past winter.
My Setup
Swinging Flies:
Leaders: A 10 foot 5 ips polyleader with 6 feet of 2x fluorocarbon
One of the main reasons I got into swinging flies was to tie fun patterns specific to the swing. Intruders and soft hackle varieties are a great challenge and something new on the vise. While I tied a variety of patterns, I found confidence in a simple craft fur leech inspired by my friend Tim. It moves so well in the water and fooled many fish this winter. It felt good to have a fly I was confident in while I learned the technique.
What I Learned
This winter, I was reminded how effective the simple flies can be. In a world of complex flies with all the fancy materials, simple flies are often easier to tie and more effective.
It was explained to me this way. I want a fly with the fewest reasons for a fish to say no, highlighting the aspects of a fly that could spook a fish as negative triggers. The goal is to tie a fly that the fish has little reason to say no to. This can be done by using less tying material and focusing on profile/movement. Yes, flies with excess flash, legs, and other materials catch fish on the right day. But they also have a chance to spook fish or turn them away on many other days. This mindset drastically changed the way I tie flies and think about fly selection.
In my opinion, it is as important as ever to have simple but effective flies in your fly box. With so many anglers on the river and new flies coming out each year, simple and impressionistic flies are often the way to go.
What Left Me Curious
As many of you are, I am curious about what the mild winter means for the fishing season ahead. Will we have another drought year in which fishing restrictions go into effect early in the summer? How long and thick are the hatches this season? Are the fish going to be bigger after a mild winter and an extended growing season? A lot of questions, and only time will tell how it all shapes out. Luckily, we have many fishing options in the Yellowstone Region, and I feel confident I can find cold water with some effort and flexibility. That said, let’s hope for a wet, cool spring.
Thanks for reading and following along with The Curious Angler. I am excited for another fishing season in the Yellowstone Region, and I greatly appreciate having you along the journey. Plan some trips, finish filling the fly boxes, and I’ll see you out on the water.
Thanks,
Nick
