Last Saturday we got to have fun at our annual Parade of Lights and Christmas tree lighting. After four beautiful floats filled with kids of all ages drove through greater downtown, we listened to the little ones sing Christmas songs. Then the large pine in city park lighted up the night and the nearby mountains. Fun times for all, big and small!

 

This coming week we have the annual Christmas Play performed by our local school kids. The Lake City community looks forward to this annual play every year. We then head to the potluck Christmas dinner held in our Armory after the play. We've got some of the best cooks around and they spread their goodies out for everyone to enjoy. It's great fun with Santa arriving after the dinner. If you're in town, stop by the Armory this Friday. Lake Citians love to have fun in the winter with each other and with you!

 

We can hardly believe that winter is here already, but the fish are in winter mode. Cold nights have dropped the water temperatures, making the fish lethargic. The Lake Fork and other local waters are, however, still fishing. Here are a few tips to make your winter fishing more successful.

 

The first thing you have to do is find some open water. If it is too cold, small streams and some rivers will be iced over. Generally the Lake Fork has open water, but be careful not to walk out on the ice to get to it. Once everything is covered in ice, it's time to focus on tailwaters.

 

The winter fishing can be incredible, however, it is important to pay close attention to the weather. The best time to be on the water is midday. It's always good to know the area you intend to fish, or ask about it at The Sportsman. If it is in the canyon, your window will be short. If it is in the open, you can have a few hours of extra fishing. The middle of the day means the water temperatures have risen, and the fish have become more active. They will not be as active as in the summer, but they might be willing to open their mouths.

 

The beautiful sunny days are sometimes the most difficult during the winter. Insects require a little humidity to survive as adults. This is why some of the best winter blue wing olive (BWO) hatches occur on overcast days. A little snow falling does not hurt either. If it is a beautiful sunny day and you find the fishing is slow, I recommend ignoring the insects that are active and using big nymphs and streamers. I have found that big fish will move for a big meal when they are not actively feeding. When they are feeding, this tactic might work but small midges and BWOs are the most common patterns that are successful in the winter when fish are active.

 

If you decide to try for some big tailwater trout, the same strategies apply. (The closest tailwaters to Lake City is below the Taylor Resevoir dam.) Here are a few extra insights just in case. Several Colorado tailwaters are known for trout that grow big on mysis shrimp. The mysis were introduced to reservoirs with the purpose of making the reservoir trout big, and they occupy a niche at the bottom of the reservoir where the lake fish cannot reach them. Several reservoirs have bottom release dams where the mysis are dumped into the river system and the trout can be very colorful as well as monstrous. Keep your mysis patterns simple. I use a scud hook with white pearl dubbing and a white antron back. I also rib the pattern with 6x fluorocarbon tippet.

 

Mysis shrimp are not the only creatures that live in the reservoir mud. It is often overlooked that large chironomid midges and crawfish can be pouring out of the dam. Some of the biggest fish I have caught have been on a red chironomid on a tailwater. I like to rig a chironomid and a mysis shrimp as the dropper. Use some split shot, take off the strike indicator and start high sticking. Make sure you are right on the bottom of the river. This is where the big fish live.

 

Fishing in the winter can be challenging, but it can also be pretty incredible. Be prepared with layers of warm clothing and a thermos full of something warm. This is a great time to run into the trophy you have been after!

 

Happy fishing,

Zach Lazzari