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Angling Publications - Index

Angling Publications - Magazine - Index

may present opportunities to take fish on poppers.
Slow retrieves are necessary, so be patient.
Look for bass suspending near structure and in
deeper water near points. Crappie and bream are
likely to be near partially submerged structure
and deeper water. For more information call Big
Buck Sports at (800) 235-5887.
Missouri
Each arctic cold front increases the thickness of
ice on local farm ponds until spring decides to
intervene. Until then, River Run Outfitter
(417-332-0460) in Branson recommends checking
out the tailwater of Lake Taneycomo. The shop
suggests packing an assortment of size-18 and
smaller midges, soft hackles, and copper Johns,
as well as size-14 and smaller sowbugs and scuds.
Due to the extremely clear water, pack spools of
6X and 7X tippet material. The best fishing is on
days when the dam isn’t releasing water. Call the
shop for up-to-date conditions.
Montana
Montana and winter don’t seem like a good mix,
but there are some spots that offer good fishing on
a warm day. The most famous is the tailwater of
the Bighorn River at Fort Smith. A drift boat with
a propane heater will make fishing more pleasant.
The fish will be found in slower deep water, so go
deep with nymphs, and set at the slightest twitch
of the indicator. Takes are often subtle in this cold
winter water. Try a bead-head pheasant tail below a
red San Juan worm. You’ll often find midging fish
up in slack backwaters, so try a Griffith’s gnat with
a midge emerger behind it. There are lots of big
trout here so expect to hook into one of 18 inches
or more. You can hire a guide or rent a boat from
Bighorn Fly & Tackle Shop (406-666-2253;
www.bighornfly.com) for the float from the dam
down to the 3-mile takeout.
Nebraska
Although Nebraska’s winter fly-fishing is limited,
longer days and warming trends will see walleye
and pike moving shallow to spawn and feed.
You can target these species with a sink-tip line
and weed-less Clouser minnow or woolly bugger
fished slowly along the bottom in shallow spawning
bays, and over rock bars and other structure.
Lake Ogallala west of North Platte offers a variety
of early-season opportunities, including brown
trout and hard-fighting wipers (striper/white bass
hybrid). Use baitfish- or crayfish-imitating streamers
like deceivers or weighted Clousers fished on
a sink-tip line. For the latest fishing reports and
your fly fishing needs, stop by Backwoods in
Omaha (402-345-0303; www.backwoods.com).
This full service fly shop also offers Tuesday night
fly-fishing clinics on various topics including gear,
casting, tying and more.
Nevada
Pyramid Lake is starting to produce big fish in the
shallows. Native Lahonton cutthroats, the largest in
the country, are congregating near shore in the area
of the hatchery off Sutcliff Drive. Expect trout in
the 18- to 24-inch range, with the chance to catch
one of the real lunkers. Several fish over 10 pounds
are caught each year. Olive or purple woolly buggers
stripped very slowly on a sinking line will usually do
the trick. Alternatively, try an indicator and two small
nymphs suspended near the bottom. Most people
wade waist deep or stand on a ladder and cast out.
You need a tribal permit (available at the shop on
the lake), but not a Nevada license. The Gillie
can provide flies and information (775-358-6113).
New Hampshire
If you’re looking for bigger fish and a great winter
outlet, head for the Merrimack and Pemigewasset
Rivers where brood-stock Atlantic salmon are
waiting in the currents. The season runs yearround,
but is catch and release from October
through March, requiring a license and a salmon
stamp. The fish are slated for the Franklin-Bristol
area, so target the Ayers Island Dam in Bristol,
the Profile Falls Recreation Area, the Smith River
confluence, and below the Eastman Falls Dam in
Franklin. For more information call Stone River
Outfitters in Bedford (603-472-3191; www.
stoneriveroutfitters.com).
New Jersey
The waters of the Atlantic coast can produce
good winter fly fishing for various species. Check
with you local fly shops for conditions and take
their recommendations; they know what’s going
on in their areas. And sign up for tying classes at
the shop nearest you. Plan now for early spring
striped bass fishing with Capt. Chris Gatley at
the Ardent Angler in Milford (267-253-5290;
www.ardentangler.com). He’ll begin the year in
the Delaware River. The Fly Hatch in Shrewsbury
(888-FLY-HATCH; www.flyhatch.com) is a
full-service fly shop that offers instruction in tying
and fishing, and guides on fresh and saltwater.
They also have a cool online store. Contact them
for classes or winter fishing information. For those
who didn’t know, the Ramsey Outdoor stores
are now Authorized Orvis Dealers. Check out the
shops in Paramus (201-261-5000), Ramsey (201-
327-8141), and Ledgewood (973-584-7799), or
see www.ramseyoutdoor.com
New Mexico
Low overcast skies were spitting snow as a flock of
Canada geese flew overhead. My indicator bounced
down with the current, then dipped slightly. I set
the hook and was greeted with a mad rush downstream.
Slowly I regained line and finally netted a
beautiful rainbow. I was fishing at the Cable Hole
on the San Juan just below Navaho Dam, my favorite
winter fishing location. In addition to deep
nymphing in the main current, trout are rising
to midges or small BWOs in shallow backwater
areas. Fishing pressure is heavy, so trout are wise to
almost any fly. Dave Eaves of Sportsman Guide
Service (505-632-3271; www.thesportsmanonline.com)
has adopted a change-up philosophy
that often works well on these educated trout. He
suggests that you change flies frequently until you
find what works. For example, a chamois leach
may take trout after trout in the middle of a heavy
midge hatch. You just never know, so be prepared
to experiment.
New York
When water conditions are high enough to “blow
out” other rivers, it’s a good time to visit the Sandy
Creeks. These are small waterways, averaging 20
to 60 feet across. Little Sandy is the smallest of
the three and is best known for steelhead, but it
does have some browns and salmon like South and
North Sandy. These streams are 20 to 30 minutes
from the Salmon River, and may be devoid of fish
until rains make them viable. They are at their
best when dropping and a little off color. If the
weather gives you a difficult time on your next
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