Winter fishing in WNY

After a what has seemed like an eternity, I have found my way back to the stream. Not that I was lost mind you, but rather, I have finally found some time to chase trout.

I have been able to get into trout at both an inland trout stream and a LO tributary. The tributaries have provided me with both a brown trout and a steelhead that averaged somewhere around 4-5 lbs., while the inland streams have given me practice in my light line and small fly fishing.

The trout that have come from the tributaries have been caught while using large streamers. And in both cases the flies were fished low and slow, giving the fish plenty of opportunity to catch up to the fly and eat it in very cold weather.

The inland stream has been fishing really well with plenty of action coming on small midge larvae and scuds. And when the fish have been pressured, I have been able to show them something different and still catch fish. And that fly has been a #10 silver BH gray woolly worm.

I have also witnessed fish starting to spawn on the inland stream, which is a wonderful sight because it does not get stocked and is completely dependent on the successful spawning of it's wild trout. And even thought they are smaller than there lake run brethren, I would consider them just as beautiful, if not more so.

So our cold winter continues with plenty of snow and frozen streams, lakes and ponds. But that doesn't mean the fishing has to be put on hold. In fact it may be one the best times to find your own piece of water, before the hordes descend down onto your favorite water in another month or two.