Angling Publications - Index

Angling Publications - Magazine - Index

trip, remember these streams. For more information
contact Buffalo Outfitters fly shop in
Williamsville (716-631-5131).
North Carolina
Delayed harvest streams like the Tuckasegee
and Nantahala are your best bets , between mid
morning and late afternoon. Egg and bead-head
nymph two-fly rigs fished slowly in the big, deep
pools are working best. Most dry-fly action will
be in the warmer part of the day on size-16 to -20
blue-winged olives and black winter stoneflies.
Anglers who fish the park waters should stick to
warmer days due to colder water temperatures
from snow runoff and most streams being on the
north side. For more information contact Lowe
Guide Service and Outfitters in Waynesville
(828-452-0039; www.loweguideservice.com).
North Dakota
Despite the snow and ice, late winter offers a few
fly-fishing opportunities for intrepid North Dakota
anglers. One spot worth checking out is Nelson
Lake near Bismarck. This fishery remains open all
year thanks to a warm-water discharge below the
dam. There you’ll find crappie, bluegill, bass and
the occasional walleye. Target them using streamers,
woolly buggers, or Clousers with a sink-tip line
fished directly in the current outflow. Before the
spring run-off, the Red River is good bet for pike
and carp. For the latest on North Dakota fly-fishing
opportunities and your fly fishing needs see Scott
Stenshoel at Scheels in Fargo (701-298-2918;
www.scheels.com).
Ohio
Winter steelhead are notoriously finicky, but with
a little persistence you can hook into something
big that’s sure to warm you up quickly. Lake
Erie’s south shore tributaries, like the Rocky and
Grand Rivers and Twelve Mile and Elk Creeks,
offer the best early-season opportunities. Water
temperatures, clarity and flow are the key variables
in this game, so always check the latest river
conditions on the Ohio DNR website (www.dnr.
state.oh.us/html) before heading out. Expect fish
to hold in the deepest runs, pockets and slots,
especially when temperatures are coldest. Fish
these spots slowly and methodically using the
lightest tippet possible, and be ready to strike
at anything. Small stoneflies and natural egg
patterns swung deep with a small indicator are
always good bets for winter fish. On warm days
look for visible fish staging in shallow gravel runs
and riffles, and swing natural or brightly colored
streamers to these typically more aggressive fish.
The Backpackers Shop of Ohio in Sheffield
Lake (216-934-5345; www.backpackershop.
com) has everything you’ll need to make the
most of winter fly fishing.
Oklahoma
The Illinois River below Tenkiller Reservoir is
producing good catches of rainbows, according to
the good folks at Backwoods (405-751-7376) in
Oklahoma City. The state stocks fish on a regular
basis, and based on input from anglers, is now
stocking much larger fish. Pin an assortment of
bead-head hare’s ears and pheasant tail nymphs,
red copper Johns, and woolly buggers in your fly
box. Use 5X tippet on size-16 flies, scaling down
to 6X for flies in size-18 or -20. If you like fishing
droppers, Backwoods recommends trailing a zebra
midge behind a parachute Adams.
70
Oregon
The Necanicum River is one of those pristine little
steelhead producers that thrives on anonymity.
Paralleled by Hwy. 26—the Portland to Seaside
highway—the river has a deserved reputation for
February and March steelhead runs, and those
months are also good bets to catch this river low,
clear and fly friendly. Drift boaters favor the section
between the ramp at Klootchie Creek County
Park downriver to either Johnson’s Rock Pit (fee)
or ODFW’s free ramp at Beerman Creek above
the Seaside golf course. Best winter water is the
few miles both directions from Klootchie Creek
County Park. If you’re boatless in Seaside, park
at Klootchie and hike upstream on an old logging
road. Less pressure upriver.
Closer to Portland, the Sandy River is a
winter steelhead workhorse, delivering fish from
November through April. Wild fish are protected,
but they’re a fly-fishing dream to wrestle with,
and the hatchery runs just keep getting better.
There’s lots of bank access from Lusted and
Gordon Creek roads, but if you get a chance to
boat it, grab it. Lots of rocks and pockets, so sinktips
usually work better than full-sinking lines.
I’m starting to see a lot of Spey rods on the river
because of their long reach and confined back
cast benefits. You’ll need both. Check for today’s
hot flies at Stewart Fly Shop (503-666-2471)
in nearby Troutdale.
Pennsylvania
Lefty Kreh, Greg Hoover and I join the staff of The
Masters School of Fly Fishing to instruct a small
number of folks at Spruce Creek, June 20 to 22,
2008. Contact Tom Zacoi for reservations (724-
941-2431; www.mastersschoolofflyfishing.com).
Pennsylvanian Ed Jaworowski has a new book out
that will help you wile away the long winter hours
in front of your tying vise. Essential Saltwater Flies
from Stackpole Books is up there with the best
tying manuals I’ve ever seen. For more info, stop
by your local fly shop or contact Stackpole Books
(800-732-3669; www.stackpolebooks.com). It’s
a beautiful book loaded with recipes and info
on the best fly patterns. For a free Pennsylvania
Wilds Fishing Guide call (800) 577-2029 or see
www.PAwilds.com. The PA Wilds are most of the
northernmost counties in Pennsylvania, home to
some of the best trout and bass fishing around.
Rhode Island
Striped bass do hold over in Rhode Island, and are
found where you might not expect them. Stripers
are present in the Providence River all through
the cold months, and are sometimes seen chasing
menhaden or feeding heavily on worms or shrimp.
The “hotspots” are often around Water Place and
the Manchester Street power station unless there
is too much ice. Warmer water will also allow the
fish to spread out. The biggest difficulty is finding
a place to cast where you can reach the fish. For
more information from someone who understands
winter stripers and has been known to fish for
them, contact Capt. Jim White in Coventry
(401-828-9465; E-mail: whiteghos1@aol.com).
South Carolina
For many anglers, cabin fever has set in, and waiting
for warmer weather to get out on the water seems to
be the norm. Why wait? Winter in the low country
is mild, and it’s a very productive time of year on the
fly, with crystal clear water and tightly schooled-up
reds. Fishing the low tide is the ticket this time of
year when the fish are out of the grass or on the mud
flats with fly patterns such as the Wicked Redfish
Minnow, CG Crafty Shrimp, or Clousers. For more
information, give Capt. Tuck Scott a call at Bay
Street Outfitters (843-524-5250).
South Dakota
Winter fly fishing in South Dakota’s Black Hills
region can be pretty good if you dress for the
conditions and pick your days. As an added bonus,
this pre-run-off period also offers plenty off clean,
flowing water to choose from without the worry of
blown-out rivers. Castle Creek and Spearfish Creek
offer some of the better fishing close to Rapid City,
but there are many others throughout this beautiful
region. Although sporadic hatches may bring winter
trout up top, your most consistent fishing will be
subsurface. Try indicator nymphing slow and deep
with attractors like black stoneflies, copper Johns,
or San Juan worms. Dead-drifting an attractor
dry, like a parachute Adams with a dropper and a
small bead-head nymph or midge pupae, can also
be effective. On warmer days, expect to see a few
early-season hatches like midges, little black stones
and BWOs. For more information and all your
fly fishing needs, call or visit Hans Stephenson at
Dakota Anglers & Outfitters in Rapid City
(605-341-2450; www.flyfishsd.com).
Tennessee
You’ll need several fly boxes on the Hiwassee this
month. Streamers and buggers in black, olive,
and especially white are very productive when the
generators are running. There are still a few shad
coming through the turbines. Afternoons are for
smaller bugs and dry flies. Small blue-winged olives
and tan caddis are starting to show themselves on
calm days. Drift boats and pontoon boats are best
for float fishing. There is also plenty of access for
wading in the national forest. For more info contact
Southeastern Anglers (423-338-7368; www.
southeasternanglers.com).
Texas
Ray Penny, Fishing Manager at Orvis Woodlands,
has been accepted into Officer Candidate School
with the United States Marines. Ray will be stationed
in Virginia for the next year, and is looking forward
to catching his first striper on a fly rod. Everyone at
Fly Fish America is very proud of Ray and sends him
our best wishes.
Banning Collins (banning@classv.net), a Hill
Country fly-fishing guide, is pointing anglers toward
the rainbow fishing on the Guadalupe River
below Canyon Reservoir. Collins suggests fishing
gray and olive WD-40s and RS2s in sizes 20 and 22,
as well as bead-head nymphs beneath indicators.
White River Fly Shop (281-644-2200) in
Katy suggests salty anglers check out Christmas
Bay on the upper Texas coast. Between cold fronts,
bright sunshine warms extremely shallow water
quickly, making the skinny water a favorite hang
out for frigid trout and redfish. Target areas with a
dark-colored bottoms, between 4 and 12 inches in
depth. Chartreuse/white Clousers and copper East
Cut poppers are good for sunning fish.
The Texas Fly Fishers (www.texasflyfishers.
org) will be hosting their 16 th annual Fly Tying
Festival on February 2. The event will feature 40
guest fly tiers.
Utah
Utah is blessed with several winter fishing opportunities.
Less well known than the Provo or