I rigged my rod under a pewter sky. The weather forecast called for a calm and warm day. Warm, let me warn you, is relative when fishing on the Snake River in western Wyoming during February. Warm does not necessarily mean you will not fight icy guides and frozen toes. It might not even mean you made the right decision to fish instead of hitting the slopes. It simply means there are two digits that do not end in “-een”, minimal to no wind, and ideally it is not dumping snow. If you are like me in deciding to ditch the lift lines and the ski boots for a day, it was the whisper of stillness that is the rolling winter river that brought me here. Certainly it was not the warmth.
Winter fishing can feel strange and heavy to the fair-weather angler. Lots of layers, waders and wading boots serve as protection from the elements. While you may feel lethargic under the constrain of your waders, one misstep into the water would not just grant you one moment of cathartic clarity but a very quick trip back to the car. It is important to do this layering part well, very well. Even if your time on the water does not end in a polar plunge, maintaining your warmth to the best of your ability will help you stay out longer.
Where you can fish on the Snake River in the winter becomes subject to what can you access. If convenience is what you are going for you cannot be closer to town than fishing right off Highway 22 at the Wilson Bridge. If you have more time on your hand in addition to a good dose of determination, you can head up to fish below Jackson Lake dam. Fishing in Moose, WY where Teton Park Road crosses over the Snake can be another fair option.
Wherever you choose, there is a good chance the fish will be there holding in deep, slow pools and against cut banks. The summer catch numbers will not be the main attraction. Instead, brace yourself for the joy of finding a winter-holding cutthroat willing enough to eat your fly. The prominent feeding behavior you will run across is sub-surface. Nymphing is the name of the game this time of year. The Snake River proves time after time to be a great midge fishery. Hailing from the Order Diptera or “True Bugs”, Chironomidae is the most abundant genus in the river during the winter months. Do not fret- there are other bugs in the water. A thorough hunt through the sediment and a few good flips of rocks could grant you access to a decent representation of hatches yet to come.
However, the abundance of midges makes it a productive pattern to reach for first when you open your fly box. You are looking for something tapered with a slender and clean silhouette. I usually start with black and plenty of flash. The Espresso Midge is a great go-to. The hit of dubbing around the collar and the epoxy body makes a general enough profile that you can imitate a wide variety of nymphs in the water. Weiss’ Skunk Perdigon has a slightly cleaner silhouette and runs a little lighter if you want to go with a smaller profile sporting a hot, smooth collar.
If you are not getting any hits on black, switch to red. Nymphs with wispier CDC collars can also be a good call. These are your Duracells and close relatives. The key here would be to go smaller, size 16 to 18. On a day with overcast skies or a timid sun, the Oil Slick Perdigon is a fair attractor pattern to trick even the trickiest trout. Also, The Tactical Jig Zonker offers another approach to active nymphing that can be both productive and a needed break from smaller patterns.
Tippet size is an important part of the winter nymphing equation. A lighter tippet can get down through the water column quicker and allow the nymph to move more naturally. A heavier tippet can be easier to turn over and get you a little bit more insurance if you set the hook on an underwater obstacle or better yet a fish.
If you want to learn more about choosing the right tippet, check out this article on our blog.
With a specially curated winter fly box in hand, I left the parking lot headed north along the Snake River. I cut in early towards the river following a favorite summer route. Met by deep snow and brutally slow post-holing, I remembered how humbling winter fishing can be. This world is different covered in snow. I backtracked through my tracks and followed the river back to a defined path towards water that looked better for holding fish.
The days, while shorter in the winter, are already starting to grow longer. As the sun started to fall behind the Tetons, they were doodled with ski tracks down fall lines. One last cast in the dimming light produced an eat. A Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat jumped around in my net. It had energy to spare before it swam off back underneath a cut bank. The river returned to a quiet shade of indigo. The last rays of orange reflected on the water. Coldness creeped back in through the stillness. It was time to work back to the car and warm up. The fingers and toes would be grateful, just as I am grateful for these waters.
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