Mid Winter Fly Fishing Or Blue Bird Days Still Water Fishing For Trophy Rainbow Trout & Tiger Trout In Utah

Blue Bird Winter Fishing Days Are Here & I Am Ready

It's 7:09 a.m. Friday February 11th 2011 and I am going fly fishing in a couple of hours with my best Friend and fellow guide Ralf.  Ralf likes to sleep in and fish during bankers hours in the late morning after the sun is well into the almost mid day sky and the black midge hatches are starting to stir the clear open waters of the still waters where we fish for trophy tiger and rainbow trout.  We stay near Salt Lake City & Park City in the lower altitudes where the open waters don't freeze and the tiger and rainbow trout are big and feisty.

Most people write about the great day they have had fishing....to be truthful, I am like a kid on Christmas ever and just couldn't sleep any longer.  So to kill some time before I head out I am writing about some preparation work I've completed to make this day a success.  But just so you don't get too bored I have attached some great pictures taken in the past three weeks of fly fishing in Tooele County Utah at Dove Creek West located on the Hogan Ranch and home to Trophy Trout School.

Roaring Tiger Trout with kipe jaw and huge teeth holding a small chironomid in his lower jaw.

 Get The Equipment Clean

Getting ready took longer than I thought, mainly because I haven't stopped fishing this past summer, fall and winter to clean up my fly boxes and get organized.  So I began by washing the many layers of dirt and mud off my 9 1/2 foot fly rod and and bathing the reel and floating fly line in a warm bathtub of clean water....no I was not in the tub with my equipment.  I had a shower earlier.  Anyway after removing all the line on my reel I opened it up and scoured out he the mud and dust from the past year.  Yes there was mud from falling into some slippery spots on the bank a few times.  I used a clean rag to run the run back onto the reel and does it ever shine.  Now rod and reel are ready for the giant trout the next step is preparing the fishing vest and flies.

Giant Winter Rainbow Trout solid red bars on his side starting to stage for Spring Spawn.

Get Those Flies In Order & Ready To Tie On 

Fishing vest unloaded and sent to the washer, organize all the flies in the 8 double sided floating boxes I always have close by in the trusty vest.  Clean the flies by removing left over tippet that I didn't take time to clear after using them sometime in the past year.  It is a pain to grab just the right fly and find you have to stop and clean the eye before you can tie it on..

Giant Winter Spawning Buck Tiger Trout At Trophy Trout School In Full Orange & Red Colors, Note The Kipe Jaw

Get Your Go To Flies Ready & Check My Hatch Chart

Dry the vest and organize the gear in your pockets so you know where each item is located.  My fly boxes are arranged dries on one side and nymphs on the reverse side located on my right hand outside pocket.  This is my go to side, yes I am right handed.  Left side is streamers, leeches, muddlers, sculpins, chironomids, terrestrials, scuds, sow bugs etc... the secret to winter fly fishing is to be prepared with every fly you may need to have a successful day of catching and not just fishing.  Take a look at my year round hatch chart at. http://sites.google.com/site/trophytroutschool/fly-hatch-chart

Sweet Monster Winter Rainbow Trout On A Cold Day With The Winter Snow Melted At First Thaw 

Ready To Go And All Gear Is At The Door 

This includes boots for the mud, extra drinking water bottles and some snacks to enjoy while I am catching trophy trout.  For more photos check out the website at http://www.trophytroutschool.com/

After The First Winter Thaw The Snows Came Again But What A Perfect Setting For Still Water Fly Fishing

One last parting shot of a buck tiger trout in full winter spawn colors in the net ready to be released.

I will post some current photos of today's fishing along with some videos ....now get out there and do some winter blue bird fishing yourself.