South Fork 01/10

Jimmy went to the river yesterday afternoon to take a drive and have a look at the river. Despite the wind, making it almost impossible to fish the river looked very good. As of right now you can put a boat in at Wolf Flats and take out at Byington. The road is very muddy. Expect to get your boat and vehicle dirty. Also these boat ramps could close at any time, it all depends on the weather and how much more snow we get. The boat ramps do not receive snow removal in the winter.

We have had a few customers ask why we don’t update the winter fishing report as often as we do in the spring, summer, and fall. The short answer is the fishing doesn’t really change that much. Now the long answer. During the majority of the winter most days can be too cold to fish. What is too cold? We consider below freezing to be too cold. This doesn’t mean that you can’t fish, it just means that the fishing is going to be tougher and not optimal. Many people love to fish in the winter and that is great! When you decide to fish in the winter choosing your day is key to your success. Warm days in the afternoon will give you the best chance to catch fish. Nymphing is usually the best technique to catch fish. Use a size 8 rubberleg, with a zebra midge. You can also use a small mayfly nymph size 18 or 20.If you see fish rising they will be eating dry fly midges.

Always be prepared when fishing in the winter. Don’t take your safety lightly. Accidents happen and problems can become emergancies very quickly in the winter time. Use caution and common sense.