A blast of winter showed up, the river got a little locked up. But the river opened back up to float Reef to Lusby. The fishing has been pretty good on the Reef. Wintertime fare of worms, leeches, and running little bugs off the big junk. Mayhems are a standard wintertime stand out pattern and great starting point. Zebra midges, and rock worms work as well. Midge patterns and even small mayfly patterns are the look.
This is a great time of year to streamer fish. Slow retrieves in the softer seams and pools. Hard to beat Ditch Witches, Rusty Trombones, and Sparkle Minnow. There are a lot of good streamer patterns to play around with. Half the fun of streamer fishing is seeing what pattern you can feed them, and what color, size, retrieve speed they want today. Cracking that code and hoping a big guy climbs on.
With the milder winter we have been having so far, the Mile might not be a bad option as well. Similar patterns as the Reef. Also, a good time to swing or strip some streamers.
If cabin fever is getting to you, this is a good time to get out. Dress warm and bring hand warmers. Right now, guide trips are off -season price, so grab a buddy, book a trip and get on the river. There are zero crowds and some good fishing to be had.
