Winter Steelhead Fly Fishing

An addiction to winter steelhead fly fishing is about the only thing that I can imagine that would make a man or woman of sound mind go stand in a freezing river or stream in February in Western Ny. It so happened that on February 6th, 2013 I had a couple hours available after work and the temperature was going to reach a balmy high of 30 degrees farenheit. The sun was out so I convinced myself that it was a pretty good fishing day.

I tossed on some wool socks and put my waders on right over my dress pants that I had worn to work that day. I don’t really recommend dockers as a baselayer for winter steelheading but this was kind of a spur of the moment choice to head out on this particular day. These spur of the moment decisions are also something that I have noticed to be pretty common among those of us afflicted with the winter steelhead itch. I rigged up my 8 WT two hander with a black and chartreuse egg leetch with a four foot long 5 lb maxima tippet.

I headed down the steep icy path with snow crackling under my feet being careful not to take a header into the icy water as that would end my afternoon pretty quick. When I made my way to the edge of the water I realized I was the only one on the river. I looped a cast across the stream in a spot that has been productive for most of the lake run trout season. Looking up at the snow covered tree tops and hearing the frosted quiet I realized what it was that brings me out on days like this and remembered why it didn’t matter that I hadn’t gotten any fish to strike at the streamer on the swing I’d been offering up for the last hour. Forgetting all the irritants of the day I crunched my way over to another of my favorite spots. My toes and fingers were already starting to ache and burn but my big looping spey casts managed to remain relaxing. As I mended my presentation lazily down the current the familiar triple tap of a fish went through my rod tip and pulled down to my left hand that was holding a small loop of fly line. I could see my cold breath mist into the air and and felt a smile cross my face as what looked like a brown trout aggressively splashed out of the water trying to free itself. That smile dissappeared into a flurry of swearing when I went to adjust the loose drag resistance and the face of my reel dropped into the choclate brown water. Still fighting the fish with fly line unspooling in the water rod bent and all the while swearing I made the second decision of the day that I do not reccomend. Without taking off my glove I plunged my hand into the murky water feeling the stabbing cold on my skin as I grasped around the river bottom for my reel. This is not a winter fly fishing tactic you are likely to read about very often. I managed to get a hold of it and the pile of line that was spewing out and toss it all up on the bank. I fought and landed the 6 lb brown trout by stripping line and beaching it.

I released the brown back to the water, my wool gloves stiffened with ice and with frost forming on my waders I decided to quit while I was ahead. No steelies but one nice brown, and maybe a little frost bite made for a pretty awesome winter afternoon on the water.

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