More often than not, the trout sipping midges in the winter are not going to take you into your backing.  But these fish offer a great change of pace from normal cold weather techniques. Instead of bouncing nymphs along the bottoms of the deepest holes in the river and methodically targeting every hole in the river, you can see the fish and see what the fish are eating.

Small insects, in colors like olive, cream, and gray, will hatch throughout the winter. Even when there are feet of snow these little bugs will be buzzing around. All that is needed is a little sun. Depending on the river and the trout population, midges will be a consistent food source for fish.

Here are three things to consider when you see fish sipping something you can’t see in the middle of winter:

Make the Right Cast

Any cast where you can achieve a drag-free drift will do. But I prefer approaching these fish from downstream for two reasons.

Casting upstream works great, as long as you don’t line your fish. I feel like the stillness of winter makes fish more skittish. It might be that there are fewer fish actively feeding on the surface. Or, it could be that the stark shorelines don’t break up shadows and silhouettes as much as they do when there is vegetation. A line, or even a leader, landing on or drifting over a fish can put them down.

My favorite approach with midges is to position myself downstream and to the right of the feeding fish. I cast straight upstream (to the right of the fish). When I’m ready to make my presentation, I over-apply power (push harder) on my foreward cast  before coming to a stop at eye level. Done right, and the fly and leader will curve off to the left. This way the fly and only a little bit of tippet will drift over the fish. Plus, the hook set with the tiny fly has more purchase as it comes back and into the trout’s mouth. This cast is worth practicing!

Use the Right Fly

“Right” doesn’t always mean “perfect imitation.” But sometimes it does. This squishy truth about midge fishing isn’t winter-specific.

First, I always try to match the size perfectly (as perfect as I can figure out if the wet and crushed bug I’m holding is a 24 or a 26). I usually begin with a traditional looking pattern: hackle, body, tail.  If that fly isn’t getting a response, I’ll switch to something that rides in the surface film. Something with a tuft of CDC or tied parachute style. If that doesn’t work, I’ll  go a size larger. Only then will I start to change colors.

There are so many directions one can go. For me, this has been a good year-round fly fishing flow chart.

Keep the Right Mindset

Patience, patience, patience. Just because you’re fishing dry flies doesn’t mean February is going to feel like June.

Midge action isn’t necessarily like a hatch. One trout might sip at a measurable cadence. Another could gorge itself for a minute before dropping out of sight for a time. Some fish patrol eddys and slicks looking for bugs while others stay in one spot with their nose in the film. Observation and game planning is as important as fly selection and casting skill.

Choosing to target these trout breaks up the monotony of typical winter fly fishing tactics. Treat it like a challenging diversion, and you can experience some great dry fly action in the middle of the off season.

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Midging isn’t for everyone, but it can be productive and a lot of fun. Here are two  articles exploring the “how” and the “what”:

Midges: The Big Deal of Fishing Little Flies

Midges: Little Purchases that Help Fishing Little Flies