Welcome to ThinkVail – shop our list of the best winter flies for trout featuring dry flies, nymphs, emergers, midges and streamers for successful winter fly-fishing in Colorado.
Winter fly-fishing can be challenging and rewarding, especially if you use these best winter flies to catch those finicky trout waiting down below. These flies are all recommended by local river guides and have been tested time and time again to entice even the most lethargic of winter trout. Make sure these are in your fly box for a successful day on the river this winter.
Winter fly-fishing means that the food source is more limited than during the rest of the year. Focus on Nymphs (wet flies), Dry Flies and Streamers during this time of year to insure success.
Designed to look just like the immature insects that live underwater for a short period; an “emerger” is a unique type of nymph that looks just like a maturing bug that’s moving to the surface of the water. A nymph fly is one of the best ways to fly fish because during the cold winter months, most feeding occurs under the water. Nymphs are the bread and butter of winter fly-fishing and are a great way to land trout at this time of year.
Dry flies float on the surface of the water and look just like mature insects such as midges, caddis flies and mayflies. These flies work best on rising fish so wait till later in the day to use them, when water temps have warmed because a cold, lethargic fish won’t rise, they will be looking for easier meals.
Larger lures that work their magic below the surface of the water. They are specifically designed to look like leeches, minnows or other small bait fish. Keep in mind that streamers can be challenging and learning how to cast and retrieve a streamer can be difficult, so you may need some practice to really get the hang of it.
See Also: Winter Fly-Fishing in Colorado
The Copper John is a heavy attractor nymph that really entices cold water fish because it imitate a trout’s #1 winter food source, nymphs.
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This is an amazing fly that consistently ranks in the Top 25 dry flies of all time. It is so successful because it is one of the best Midge patterns ever invented and fish love to eat Midge flies.
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Midge and emerger fly patterns are specifically designed to look like small subsurface and emerging insects in rivers, lakes and streams. They are designed to imitate the early stage of life for flies that lay eggs in the water.
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The Disco Midge is a Nymph (wet fly) that look like an immature insect that live underwater for a short time. Midges are a great option for trout, because they’ll take them regardless of season or hatch.
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The Juju Baetis should always be in your fly box. This nymph at a size 22 is recommended for winter fishing on Colorado rivers.
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A challenging fly to fish, Wooly Buggers are designed to imitate all minnows, bait fish, large swimming insects, and leeches. Because it is so versatile it is a very important and effective fly patterns to have.
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The Psycho Prince offers a unique combination colors and materials that fish seem to find irresistible.
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This simple but effective nymph fly is a good winter choice because stonefly nymphs are a very reliable source of food for trout year-round.
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The RS2 s another Mayfly emerger fly pattern designed to imitate the small subsurface and emerging insects that live in the rivers. This is an effective emerger, but as Orvis says” it shouldn’t be treated as a traditional emerger. Fish it as a nymph for best results. Present at the holding level of the fish underwater, instead of a traditional emerger presentation.”
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When you can’t or don’t want to decide on just one fly, then try the Midge Fly Collection, it has some of the most popular, most effective nymph and emerger flies all in one convenient collection. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up for successful winter fly-fishing in Colorado.
Midge Fly Collection – 12 Trout Flies + Fly Box
#22 Olive Flashback WD40
#20 RS2 Grey
#20 RS2 Olive
#20 Beadhead Rubberleg Brassie
#22 Black Beauty
#22 Pheasant Tail
#20 Beadhead Flashback Pheasant Tail
#20 Brown Frostbite Chironomid
#20 Flashback Skinny Nelson
#20 CDC Midge Beadhead Emerger Olive
#20 Red Blood Midge
#20 Griffith’s Gnat
plus a Fly Box
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See Also: The Year’s Top Rated Fly Rods
When heading out to go fly-fishing in the winter make sure you stop by your local fly shop to get the skinny on the types, patterns and sizes recommended for your stretch of water for that day. These local guides live and breathe fishing and they know exactly what is going on every day and up-to-the-minute.
If you are planning on fishing the Eagle River, Gore Creek or the Colorado River near Vail, Colorado check in with these local guides to get information and any items you may have forgotten.
These local outfitters have been fishing these local waters for years and really know their stuff.
See Also: The Year’s Best Fly Rods
We hope you found this article about the best winter flies for Trout-on Colorado rivers helpful. What do think are the best winter flies for catching trout. Do you winter fly-fish in Colorado or someplace else? What are the biggest differences you see between winter flies and fly-fishing in the summer months? We would love to know your thoughts, comments and stories about winter fly-fishing.
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This is exactly what I was looking for. I am just getting into fly fishing and went about 4 times this summer. I would like to go this winter but am a little intimidated by the cold and just not knowing what I need. This article was a perfect primer about the flies to use for winter fishing. I'm wondering if you were to take just 3 of these out with you, which would be your top picks that would be good to match all occasions? Do you have any other tips for a brand new angler?
Hi Bryan, Thanks for your kind comments and your great question about winter flies. Unfortunately, you cannot just choose 3 flies for any occasion. What the fish are biting on is always changing and those trout, especially in winter, are stubborn and finicky. Check out the banks of the river you are fishing to see what hatches are releasing and try to match your fly to the size and color of the insects you see there. It is also useful to duck into a nearby fly shop and pick their brains about what flies and techniques are working that day. Fly-fishing guides love to geek out about fishing (in a very good way) and they will have a ton of tips, and equipment advice for you. For more information and advice check out the post Best Winter Fly-Fishing Gear to Stay Warm and the post Winter Fly Fishing in Colorado both will give you more information and guidance!
Great article about the best winter flies to catch trout. I agree with your list but I would like to add some flies that I also think are great at catching trout in the winter in Colorado and should be in every angler's fly box. I love Egan’s Rainbow Warrior, Eggs, (I know a lot of people hate these, but they are awesome at catching fish!) Brassie and Pheasant Tail. I really liked your list I just wanted to add my 2 cents!
Thanks so much for the comment and I am happy to hear that you liked the fly suggestions on the Best Winter Flies to Catch Trout post. I also loved the additions you made and feel like they would fit right in line with the other winter flies on this list. Thanks so much for adding your 2 cents, we appreciate it and will benefit from it.
Hi great article about winter flies, I plan to fill up my fly box with some of your fly suggestions. I just moved to the Vail area in the fall. I use to fly fish all the time back in Massachusetts but haven't done it for years, and I never did it in the winter. I never knew you could fly fish in the winter here either, so I am kind of excited to give it a go. My question is, do you know any local fly fishing shops or outfitters that I could go to to try on gear, and get information and instruction from?
Hello Kenichi, welcome to the neighborhood. Hopefully you are loving all the fresh snow we are getting this winter, especially since it's your first! I am glad you found the post about the best winter flies to catch trout useful.
Yes there are some wonderful fly fishing shops in the area. And this is a great time to contact them because they are not nearly as busy as they are in the summer, so they can give you a lot of attention and answer all of your questions. Here are the four that cover the Vail valley.
Gore Creek Outfitters http://www.gorecreekflyfisherman.com
Minturn Anglers http://www.minturnanglers.com
Vail Valley Anglers http://www.vailvalleyanglers.com
Fly Fishing Outfitters http://www.flyfishingoutfitters.net
This flies are really looking awesome, and thanks for the info on which flies work the best for catching trout during the winter. I am not against buying winter flies when I need them, but I really want to learn how to tie my own fies. Do you have any advice for tying flies? I am particularly interested in learning to tie midges, R2s and Griffith's Gnats. Thanks for any info you can offer.
Hi Muhiyb,
Good luck in tying your own flies, it is a very challenging and very rewarding endeavor to undertake. I would suggest that you checkout the Orvis video series on tying flies, they are very detailed and complete and they make it look so easy. Have fun and I hope your flies catch you a lot of trout. Here is the link to the Orvis video series: https://howtoflyfish.orvis.com
How can you tell which is the best product from the list on this site?
Hi Bill,
Thanks so much for reading the post about the best winter flies for trout and for your question. There is no single "BEST" fly for winter fly fishing, instead, all of these flies offer the best chance for a successful day on the river during the winter when trout can be sluggish and picky eaters. Which fly will work best, depends on the type of water you are fishing, the type of fish, any hatches that may be coinciding on the day you are fishing and unfortunately, countless other things. The best thing to do is to stock your tackle box with a good variety of flies and keep changing them up until the fish start striking. However, my favorite flies that I have the most luck with are the Griffith's Gnat and the Pat's Rubber Leg but really, they are all good choices for cold Colorado rivers.