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It is winter and I'm getting itchy

2K views 29 replies 22 participants last post by  ceviche 
#1 ·
I want to fish but most trout water is closed, there's plenty of snow around the passes, the good lakes are frozen or too cold, and apparently steelhead don't exist any more. What do you do? Do you go to an open river to get cold and probably get skunked again? Or do you stay home and tie flies and stop whining so much?

And its not even December yet!
 
#15 ·
lol Fred.
If you ever watch Bill Dance's show, isn't it curious you never see another boat in any of his bass fishing episodes?

About winter.
Regardless of what side of the Cascades you live on, if you can't find a place to wet a line in the winter you aren't trying very hard......
Yes, you may need to drive a bit but that might be too much for some as well.
SF
 
#30 ·
Don't underestimate squidding. One of the best catch & keep fisheries around.

Clean them up, use a cake decorating funnel to stuff them with pesto and ricotta. Chill in the refrigerator before cooking in a spicy puttanesca tomato pasta sauce (or the squid mantle will burst). Cook it all in a cast iron skillet. The metal will add this boss wall to the spicy flavor of the tomato sauce.
 
#11 · (Edited)
1)Tie flys
2)Daydream about the big trout I'll catch next spring.
3)Tie more flys.
4)Read about fishing
5)Fulfill my fishing addiction vicariously through WFF while being warm.
6)Bug @Stonefish about what line I should get for beach fishing
7) Bug @Buzzy about the latest hot fishing in central Washington.
8) Drive around and look at fishing spots past and present remembering the good old days.
9)Go fishing if it's not too dang cold.
 
#13 ·
Here on the frozen tundra........

November-nothing-everything closed

December-everything closed and frozen

January-plow snow and try to notice if the days are getting longer

February-get help plowing snow so UPS can get to the house

March-hope springs eternal-try to identify 3 potentially windless days in the basin and drive west to fish central Washington (also known as eastern Washington to the coasties)
 
#20 ·
AHHH. Montana. I can pretty much fish anyplace here in Montana, all year around. In the summertime most water is flowing freely. In the winter time most is covered with ice. But a few rivers do have open water to fish. No, the Big Hole is ice from bank to bank. But the Beaverhead is open and flowing most of the time. And
 
#16 ·
Several profit-motivated conversations have occurred amongst highly powerful individuals with money to burn regarding the installation of several indoor fishing facilities in warehouses where ya get a spot to stand for a high hourly fee. Kind of like a bowling alley or batting cage type deal with a large circular river featuring the fish.
 
#23 ·
They stole my idea!

My wife doesn't know it yet but our plan to "downsize" to a smaller house on acreage includes warehouse-sized pole barn with a saltwater Olympic swimming pool. No lanes, just a gently sloping flat with live mangroves on one side and a seriously-deep, deep-end. Bonefish, snook, baby tarpon, and some kind of trevally and small tuna would keep me occupied all winter. Shouldn't cost more than $20M or so. ;)
 
#21 ·
I skied for many years, and when racing triathlon and bikes I'd run 2 hr or ride 5 this time of year. Now I just put on all the warm gear, grab a rod, and go play in the river for my exercise. I enjoy being out, and I find winter a beautiful season to be on the water, anywhere. My wife's from Florida, then SoCal. She hates the cold so the tie fly option inside would be her choice.
 
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#22 ·
Some of us who've aged out of the work force may have the means to travel far to find relief. The entire Southern Hemisphere is entering summer. I'm far from affluent, but I have enough airline miles waiting on my Capital One credit card to fly to Christmas Island or Patagonia by way of Mars. Guides and fishing resorts are pricy in New Zealand, but campgrounds are bargains, and recreational vehicle rentals are reasonable. Free your imagination; expand your horizons...
 
#29 ·
I got skunked, for the first time this winter, today. I was exploring a new part of a western WA river and threw everything I had at them, but didn't get a single bite. I saw some midges flying around, but they were roughly size 20s and size 18 was the smallest I had. I'm going to tie up a bunch of 20s and 22s and hopefully redeem myself next weekend. Does anyone have any go-to patterns they can recommend? I never really got into midge fishing.
 
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