Optimistic Optimist

With yet another cold snap in the forecast, the rivers have been low and clear, making for some difficult fishing conditions. Luckily there seems to be a fair amount of fish in the local and coastal tributaries, and some chrome bright ones at that! Water temps have been fairly stable, which has allowed the fish to acclimate and become more willing to eat a swung fly if you’re able to get it in front of one.

You will want to focus on the deeper buckets with the low water levels and slower flows. Getting your fly low as quickly as possible before engaging your swing will also be a beneficial tactic when targeting these winter fish with our current conditions. Don’t overlook the “choppy” water with boulders or any other structure in it. It is not uncommon to have a fish take your fly in a riffle with current breaks and soft seams; it’s also a very exciting and usually aggressive take as they move from their resting place to grab your fly.

There is little rain in our future, and even colder weather is predicted after the weekend. Hopefully, it won’t impact any fresh fish making their way back or deter them from pushing into the rivers. Darker flies and smaller profiles with a slow swing are going to be more productive than the normal big and bright flies until we can get some color and another bump in the water levels. Let’s hope we have a good number of B-run fish coming our way and a strong Springer season to follow!