Winter Fly Fishing Tips From The Pro's In The Know

TOP WINTER FLY FISHING TIPS

So it’s now that funky crossover period between rivers closing and fish beginning to move here in the south, but there’s a lot you can do to ensure that you’re ready when those rainbows run...Chris Dore tells you what you need to do, so open your eyes and ears...or scroll down to see what some other top pros think. We've asked a few to cover every base.

 

CHRIS DORE | FLY FISHING WITH CHRIS DORE & FRIENDS | SOUTHLAND & CENTRAL OTAGO

Chris Dore | Fly Fishing Guide NZ
Your hands will probably get cold fast, so fish smarter and cast less. Excessive false casting will be clumsy, so false cast less by tracking straight, rotating late and accelerating smoothly to a crisp stop, what you should be doing anyway. My top 5 getting ready for Winter Fly Fishing tips are:
  1. Practise your casting, because we know you haven’t been. Winter fishing often requires longer casts and bigger mends, usually with way more weight than you’ve been used to these past several months. It’s no use waiting until your Winter mission to find you’re lacking, or arriving at that river mouth and not getting your flies beyond the drop off. And practice with weight similar to what you’ll be fishing. A bit of fluff won’t help you much once you tie on your personal glo bug combo.
  2. Socks, thermals, gloves and hats. Dig them out and check their condition. Worn out / worn down garments won’t provide the same insulation and wicking benefits as they would new. And if you’re cold, chances are your fishing’s going to suck too.
  3. Check waders for leaks. You need to be comfy. For Gore-Tex it is but a simple spray test. Checking for leaks in Toray / non Gore-Tex waders is a little more complicated but still an easy DIY fix. If you are not keen to DIY, then get in touch with your local Simms dealer and they will be able to point you in the right direction.
  4. Sort your fly box. With cold hands you don’t want to be wasting time, poking around for that special fly so have your box sorted neat, practical and accessible, which may mean leaving extra space between flies so cold, clumsy fingers can get to them. Likewise check your leaders and tippet. Chances are your 0-3x doesn’t get much of a workout over a low, warm summer so make sure your spools are still full and ready to go.
  5. Finally, clean and dress your lines. Grit, scum, slime etc from last winter will affect the shootability of sunken lines, and the buoyancy of floaters. A wipe through a damp towel and a touch of Whizz Lube and you’ll be casting like the wizard you tell your mates you are.

MIKE DAVIS | HUNTING & FISHING ROTORUA | ROTORUA & BAY OF PLENTY

When fishing over the winter months, if you manage to get to a pool or run before anyone else first thing in the morning make sure your first casts are right up in the shallows! Always fish your feet first as the fish will move up into the shallows overnight.

This should allow the angler to get a few easier fish before they’re pushed out towards the main current as the sun rises.

 

KIYOSHI NAKAGAWA | HUNTING & FISHING NORTH SHORE | ROTORUA & BAY OF PLENTY

Yoshi Nakagawa NZ

The number one winter fly fishing tip from me is put on some warm clothes and gloves, I hate winter! My top fishing tip will be get those nymphs deep as you need to get down to the right level. Make good indicators and don’t hammer the same place for too long. These fish are moving so cover lots water!

 

ADAM PRIEST | TNT GUIDING | TARANAKI

Adam Priest TNT Guiding NZ

My top winter fly fishing tip is to be very observant with the weather and fish the Taupo fisheries after rain, some colour in the water is now a good thing. Make sure your nymphs are on the riverbed, or just be smart and go tropical in Australia! Make sure you stock up on the right flies and gear from Manic, and follow their blog for the latest of happenings.

 

KARL SAWYER | FISHING PEST | CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND

Karl Sawyer Fly Fishing NZ

For me it’s all about being prepared for different situations. I always carry two set ups - my Primal RAW 7 weight for nymphing and the 4 weight Primal RUN two hander. That way I am able to cover different pools and runs across a section of river and not have to worry about only fishing the one method or having to completely change spools or rigs between swinging flies and nymphing.

 

ROB VAZ | ROBFISH FLY FISHING | CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND

Rob Vaz | Robfish Fly Fishing Guide

My top tip for winter is to fish light and not so brightly coloured indicators. Consider when water is clear fishing brown or white fluff. Fish can grow weary of bright coloured budgies hitting the water.

 

ANDREW HARDING | TROUTBOY NZ | CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND

Master the mend! So many anglers throw huge mends - and in the process move their indicator - the fish won't touch the flies with this movement so throw lots of micro stack mends at your indicator, learn to reach mend as soon as you cast when in opposing currents and try and keep the line as straight as possible through the drift so as to aid the hook set when the indicator dips under.

 

MARTIN LANGLANDS | TROUTLANDS FLY FISHING | CANTERBURY

Martin Langlands | Troutlands Fly Fishing NZ

Focus on stream mouths. Approach these in a quiet manner as trout will often be in close to shore until they get disturbed. With this in mind I often use a large indicator with two nymphs on a long dropper, casting these out and let them either sit still or drift out with the current.

This method eliminates disturbance caused by excess casting and trout often respond better to a dead drift as they get to see a lot of moving stuff like streamer, spinners and soft plastic lure. The art here is getting the depth from indicator to nymphs to suit the water you’re fishing and to keep playing about with nymph combos. i.e. some bright options like eggs, and some dull, more natural, small #16-14 nymphs.

If in doubt think soft hackles or green caddis. Be sure to use a large very visible indicator, not a dry fly.

 

PAUL MACANDREW | ASPIRING FLY FISHING | WANAKA

Paul Macandrew - Aspiring Fly Fishing Wanaka

Use the right density lines. I faffed about with all varying weights of sink tips today but took all my fish on an Airflo Clear Intermediate Polyleader with 6 ft of tippet. Fish were all in about knee deep water and not in a mood to chase anything so you just had to get your fly across their nose for the eat.

Once I’d fished all the deeper stuff I was about to pack it in but fished the same water with the lighter rig and landed six more fish in a quick fire, half hour window.

Using the correct lines in the right situations is the key, not being lazy just trying to make it work, when swapping spools or reels with the right density of line can be a day changer.

 

PHIL ANDREWS | HUNTING & FISHING QUEENSTOWN | SOUTHLAND & CENTRAL OTAGO

Insulate. Wear the best garments and accessories possible for warmth and comfort. You will fish better for longer, and enjoy more success if you are well layered.