For those who enjoy the sport of fly fishing, don't put your rods away just because it's winter! The Tahoe area is quite fortunate when it comes to year-round fly fishing! We are within an hour or two of some of the best winter trout fishing in the world. All you have to do to enjoy it is to drive a bit and be prepared with proper clothing and away you go.

With the proper fly selection and a little patience, Brown Trout, Rainbows and an occasional Steelhead can be caught throughout the entire winter. The size of the fish will range from small to quite large if in the right spot at the right time, with the correct drift and holding your mouth just right!

There are two types of winter fly fishing. One is when the temperatures are very cold and the weather is not cooperating (one of my favorite times because everyone stays home and the fishing can still be great).
The other is when Mother Nature is treating us to our usual high desert winter weather (sunny, in the 50's to 60's and snowing in Tahoe). The latter is when I suggest most of you give it a try. There is nothing worst than trying to fly fish when you can't hang onto your rod and the eyes on the rod are freezing solid and you cannot cast.

If you prepare yourself for all the conditions that winter can bring, you will have a better chance of catching fish. One of the most important items you must have is a proper pair of winter gloves. This single item can make or break an experience. Other clothing items that will help you enjoy some winter fly fishing are quality long johns, breathable waders, wicking style socks, Gore-Tex or similar waterproof jacket and a nice warm hat. These are all items that most of you have if you are here in town for skiing or are a local.
Another item that will come in handy is Ice Off Paste. This will help keep the ice from forming on the eyes of the rod and allow the fly line to cast freely.

And now for the places you might want to try this Winter Fly Fishing. One of my favorites is the East Walker River in Nevada. There are quite a few miles of fishable water starting 14 miles down stream from the town of Bridgeport, 2 miles below the Nevada State line. Low flows during the winter create a great fishery when flowing in the 50-150 CFS level. Usually the hatches go off midday and consist of Baetis or midges. Nymphing is probably the best method for producing quality fish. The West Walker River can be good as well. Wilson Canyon and Hoye Canyon on either side of Smith Valley, Nevada, have public access and can produce some large trout.

The Truckee River, either in the Verdi area or down stream of Reno, are also good winter fisheries as well. All of these waters are within a few hours drive of Tahoe and have a decent population of fish. Swinging emergers or indicator nymphing will produce the best results. Pyramid Lake is another winter spot worth a try. Cutthroats are the prizes in this fishery. They can run as big as you can imagine and fight well. The normal method used to catch these large fish is to use shooting heads and fish streamers along the bottom. Most anglers will use a ladder to stand on, out in about 3-4 feet of water. Try light and dark colored streamers in combination. These are only a few of the winter opportunities for fly fishing in Nevada and California. With a little research and a willingness to fight the weather, winter fly fishing can be better than summer fly fishing with a lot less crowding. Good luck and give it a try; I think you will be glad you did.

There are other aspects of the sport, which can be done in the winter, for those who choose not to adventure out into the cold. There are a lot of ways to live vicariously throughout the winter months; watching fly fishing videos, reading novels about fly fishing or reading up on subjects that pertain to fly fishing. There are numerous books that can teach you all the things that we choose not to worry about in the summer when the fishing is non-stop. Pick up a good book and sit by the fire and learn something new this winter that will improve your fishing in the spring.

Some of the books I might suggest are Dave Whitlock's Guide to Aquatic Trout.... This book is filled with information about what trout eat and how to imitate the food source with a fly. This is one book that can really help you improve your entomology skills. Another book I have found useful is Practical Fishing Knots by Lefty Kreh and Mark Sosin. Practicing knot tying during the winter will greatly improve your skills when the spring season comes around. You can sit in front of the TV or tie a few during your break at work. The more you tie them the better you get! Fly-casting is probably the number one part of fly fishing. If you can cast well you will usually catch more fish. Mel Krieger has a book and video series called The Essence of Flycasting. This book and video is filled with helpful ways to learn the proper ways to cast a fly rod from short distances to long casts. These are just a few of the books available that can help pass the winter by. Even if you read just one of these or all of them, your fly fishing techniques will improve.

For those who would like to learn a new craft, fly tying is probably the most popular way to pass the cold days away. Fly tying is an art and a craft that takes time to master. It isn't always a way to save money on flies but a great way to increase the challenge of fly fishing. When you can tie your own fly and catch a fish with the fly you just tied, it adds a whole new meaning to the sport of fishing. One of the best ways to get started is to join a fly tying class that teaches you all of the basics. You can learn to tie a Wooly Bugger, an Adams, a Caddis as well as a Hare's Ear Nymph and a Pheasant Tail Nymph. Once you have learned the basics, the rest of the patterns can be learned from these first 5 patterns. Most people start here and then work there way along by reading books about tying or watching videos. There are quite a few books on tying flies. Some of my favorites are by Randall Kaufman: Tying Dry Flies (Third Edition), Tying Nymphs (Flyfishing Reference) and Flypatterns of Umpqua Feather Merchants. A great video to start with would be Learning to Tie Flies by Jack Dennis. This video covers most of the basic aspects of fly tying and is easy to follow. If you are looking for something new to try in the world of fly fishing, try learning to tie flies. I am sure you will enjoy it.

Tahoe Fly Fishing Outfitters offers Winter Guided Fly Fishing. We have private waters available for an additional fee. We also offer Cast and Blast adventures. A little fly fishing and a little clay bird shooting in the same day. For those who like to shoot waterfowl we are offering guided waterfowl hunts throughout the season. For further information on winter fly fishing or waterfowling, contact Victor at Tahoe Fly Fishing Outfitters. We are located at 3433 Lake Tahoe Blvd. Next to the Timbercove Lodge and across from Safeway in South Lake Tahoe. Phone number is 530-541-8208. Please remember to Catch and Release all of YOUR Wild Trout!