December can be the best time to fish NC trout waters.
December is an overlooked month to trout fish. During this time of year the crowds have dwindled and the fishing is just as good if not better than it was in the fall. The trout are keyed in on blue wing olives, midges, and early black stones. We will discuss how to rig your flies for success below, but first let’s talk about water and weather conditions during the winter.
Water Conditions in the Winter
We can see water temperatures range anywhere from the upper 30’s to the low 50’s in December. This means anglers must be willing to change their tactics according to whatever weather is present on the day you are fishing. If the water temperatures are hovering 40 degrees you want to downsize your flies because trout won’t be chasing a bunch and will be eating smaller offerings. This is a great time to throw midges. Small flies are a must have in every Angler’s fly box in the wintertime. The water this time of the year is normally crystal clear so put away the 4 and 5x tippet. Break out the 6 and 7x tippet because more subtle presentations are key. Throwing smaller flies on heavy tippet doesn’t work either. In order to get size 16-22 flies down you need to be throwing tippet that is smaller in diameter. I will also lengthen my leaders this time of year because the longer the leader the farther away you can present your flies to flies without getting on top of them. This is especially important when nymphing from the boat. I am normally running a 12 foot leader on all float trips down the Catawba because a shorter leader just won’t cut it. One of my favorite offerings this time of year is running a heavy point fly like a stone or an egg pattern then have some sort of an blue wing olive emerger pattern two feet above it. This set up has proven itself year over year on NC trout waters. This time of year I try to schedule my trips around the time the water temperature begins to rise. This means starting later than usual. The best fishing in the wintertime is going to be from 10am to 2pm.
Weather Conditions in the Winter
Our winters here in the foothills of the North Carolina mountains are generally mild. This is the time of year to fish those lower elevation trout streams instead of those higher blue line wild trout streams. The reason is that the higher elevations are much colder and the water temperatures are usually below 40 degrees which makes for shorter windows to fish except for the warmest part of the day. The lower elevation streams and rivers are normally consistent all day. Big swings in the weather doesn’t slow down fishing as long as the angler adjusts his tactics. For instance, if we have had 60 degree days for a week straight then all of a sudden it drops to a high of only 40 for the day, the fish might adjust to what they are willing to eat. The egg patterns they were chomping might not be the best offering. Be flexible and fish weather and water conditions. Every day is going to be different.
What should we wear?
When fishing in the winter time it’s important to dress in layers. It’s better to have more clothes on than not have enough. A ski cap or tobaggan is priceless on those windy, cold days. Gloves can be beneficial as long as they stay dry which is hard to do when you are wade fishing and catching fish, but many clients love having them on fishing from the boat this time of year.
Dry Fly Fishing in December
When we think of hatches we think of the Caddis in the Spring or the Sulphurs in the Summer, but what about the BLue Wing Olives in the Winter? Some of the best dry fly fishing of the year can be available on the colder days of winter. We were recently fishing the Catawba River and we came up on a long flat section right before some white water and we saw multiple fish feeding on BWO’s. This is always a treat for clients because we will anchor upstream of the fish and drift small dries to these active fish. A lot of times I will tie on two dry flies at a time. One being a sighter fly and the other being a very small offering. A lot of times the fly can be so small that you are setting the hook when a fish eats within the general area of your presentation. One fly that I have recently had success on is the “Trusty Rusty”. The trusty rusty is a spent mayfly pattern which means after a mayfly is done mating it’s upright wings will fall flat to the water. The best patterns are going to be tied in gray because that is the color of Blue Wing Olives.
Streamer Fishing in the Winter
Big flies entice big fish. When you are streamer fishing you aren’t going after a lot of numbers. Streamers catch the bigger, dominant trout in the river because bigger fish are looking for that one big meal. Just think how many midges a trout would have to eat to get the same calories as eating a minnow. We throw a lot of leech patterns, and minnow patterns on the NC tailwaters in the winter. This type of fish can be very fun instead of watching an indicator all day. On our guided trips in the winter expect to throw multiple flies which can include anything from a dry fly to the kitchen sink depending on what the fish are biting.
Recent Catches in December 2021
Thank you for reading. If you are interested in hearing the most up to date fishing conditions give us a call at 828-460-2390. We look forward to seeing you on the water.
