The cold weather this week has made the water temps drop on the river, and we are now seeing them in the 48-54 degree range at the Farad gauge. This will certainly begin to move the fish into slower water and make them more active in the afternoons. The great thing about this time of year is we have the luxury of sleeping in, and still hitting the prime window of fishing. As the fish move around, the use of indicators will allow you to effectively fish more water types then just the fast stuff. For the time being the euro nymph set-up continues to shine in pocket water and at the tops of the run. The streamer bite is continuing to improve as more fish move into the middle of the runs and tail outs. This is the type of water where traditional streamer fishing will be at its most effective. Don’t be afraid to go big on streamers right now. The stormy days ahead will also help the cause when chucking a streamer. As for indicator fishing, we’re doing well using unweighted flies with a moderate amount of split shot, and the technique is particularly effective when fishing the upper sections of the river, upstream of the confluence. With the brown trout now in mid-spawn, the use of egg patterns has been very effective, and pairing these with a small baetis nymph in a size 18-20 will be a great combination this week. stoneflies and October caddis pupa in sizes 8-10 have been working as well and will be good alternatives if you’re looking to fish bugs. Midges are also very much in play and will continue to be on the menu all the way through late spring. Be sure to keep these on hand in the coming months. 

If you would like to go fishing with us please check out our website Trout Creek Outfitters.com or call (530) 563-5119.