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Winter Fishin’
Written By: Chris Wilkes - The Highland Hiker | Issue: 2019/01 - Winter
M
ost people assume that fishing season is over with the first frost.
Not so.
The truth is that you can probably catch more fish near the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau during January, February, and March than you can during June, July, and August. For one thing, trout are more active in cold water and believe you me, the water during these next few months is cold.
First tip: If it’s going to be within a few degrees of freezing, skip it. No need to risk breaking your leg on icy rocks to just spend your day trying to de-ice your eyelets. Fly-fishing when it’s cold is one thing, fly-fishing when it’s frozen is quite another.
Second: make sure your waders are dependable before going out. Compromised waders in the fall are annoying, in the winter they are deadly, so test them out in the tub because it’s better to find out at home. Wear good long underwear and make sure you pack handwarmers.
Though their feeding habits change dramatically from the heyday of October, the fish still need to feed. Since it’s obviously too cold for a hatch, you are going to want to use the stuff that mimics things coming up from the riverbed.
One plus from fishing during this time of year is that you can pretty much bank on being the only angler out there. That’s one good reason to give the wild streams in the area a shot. During the warmer months, rivers are chock full of fishermen, kids, and dogs. This spooks the fish. None of that going on this time of year. Also, keep a watch over temperatures off the mountain. It can be ten degrees warmer at the delayed harvest rivers and when it’s 38 degrees in Highlands, that makes a big difference. Best of luck, and we’ll see you in the Spring!
