Winter Fly Fishing

   Winter……. To some, just the thought of the word makes them cringe.  To others, it means grab the skis and snowboards and snowshoes and head to the mountains.  But to us Fly Fisherman, it means a chance to fish in solitude, to fish that aren’t being harassed day in and day out.

Jetty Fly Fishing in the Pacific Northwest

When most fly fishermen think of the Pacific Northwest, it conjures up imagery of winter steelhead in pouring rain or coastal cutthroat on a rocky beach. There is, however, another vibrant fishery hidden in plain sight on the fringes of the region. At the openings of many harbors in the Pacific Northwest are artificial jetties and each of these structures offers access to a unique and underrated opportunity in fly fishing. These jetties are home to different types of pacific bottomfish such as lingcod, greenling, and countless species of rockfish. Most fishermen associate these species with offshore fishing using heavy conventional gear, but they visit the shallow, nearshore zones more often than many anglers realize and are very willing to take a properly presented fly.

Western Native Trout

The Western Native Trout Initiative decided to put on a challenge to celebrate these magnificent fish in their native habitat.  There are 12 participating states with a cast of twenty native trout and char.  There are three levels of completion, Expert Caster, Advanced Caster and Master Caster.  To qualify for the first, level Expert Caster the angler must catch six species across four different states.

So… 2020… after all we as humans have been through this year here comes a big flash of excitement and energy. Pyramid Lake Nevada is opening to fishing on November 2nd. Normally this place opens its season on October 1st with enormous cutthroat trout chasing down huge bait balls of Chub mimicking days out on the ocean chasing boiling yellowtail or bonito. Better late than never so here we go. 

Balanced leeches have been one of the hottest flies for trout, bass and even in our bays in the last couple of years. The one thing is that they can be a little tricking to tie your first time. Hopefully the Balanced Leech 101 will get you pointed in the right direction.