Three Favorite Trout Nymphs for Fishing Stocked Trout Streams in the Winter Blog
In this blog I will discuss my 3 favorite nymphs and why.
- Murray’s Skunk Roadkill Nymph. During the winter many stocked trout streams carry a full water level as a result of melting snow and rain. The Skunk Roadkill Nymph size 8 is ideal for these conditions. It gives the trout a large mouthful and it is easy for them to see in discolored water.
I start right below the riffle and cast across stream. After my Roadkill sinks deeply, I swim it slowly along the stream bottom by stripping it two inches every 5 seconds. I use this same retrieve as I wade and fish my way to the lower end of the pool. If the current is unusually fast I use Scientific Anglers Sink Tip III Fly Line with Sinking Fluorocarbon 6ft 3X Leader.
2. Murray’s Dark Stonefly Nymph. If the streams are flowing at a normal rate, I use a Dark Stonefly Nymph size 12. I wade into the stream 30 feet below the riffle and cast my Stonefly upstream so it lands right below the riffles. I allow this to dead drift back downstream just like a natural nymph washed out of the riffle. In order to help detect the trouts’ strikes I use a Trout Nymph 9ft 4X Leader with two Murray’s Fly Shop Indicators. The slightest hesitation in the drift is my signal to set the hook. This tactic is so effective that I devote an hour to fishing across a stream 100 feet wide.
3. Cress Bug. The third nymph I rely on during the winter is Ed Shenk’s Cress Bug size 14. Large populations of natural cressbugs are found in the streams where there are rich springs flowing into the streams. The rich green weed growth around these springs on the banks and in the streams is your cue to fish for the trout which are feeding on the natural cressbugs. A large spring may hold a good population of cress bugs well over 100 feet downstream from where the spring enter the stream.
If the stream is less than 30 feet wide I enter the stream 150 feet downstream of the spring and fish my Cress Bug upstream dead drift all the way to the spring. This usually takes me over an hour and I may catch a dozen trout. If the stream is more than 30 feet wide I enter the stream on the far side of the spring straight across from it. Staying close to the bank, I wade slowly downstream and cast my Cress Bug across stream so it lands close to the far bank. After it sinks deeply I crawl it slowly along the stream bottom by twitching it lightly every 10 seconds. I usually wade downstream at least 150 feet using this tactic and if I’m catching trout I’ll fish much further.