Rainbows in cold weather

[pout-king]

will rainbows take in cold weather and if so what will they take

[spill]

Yes, althought there won't be as much insect life about to imitate.

It doesn't get too cold where I am, but I remember last November at Bank House fishery, Lancaster, I was struggling to land a fish because my landing net had frozen to the wooden platform that I was fishing off. There were lots of fish caught that day.

[ron bell]

You can catch more rainbows on cooler or cold days than those days when it hot or sunny.
On cold days I find its best using an intermediate or sinking line.
A sinking line with a lure such as a Cat's Whisker will usually produce.
I've taken a lot of rainbows lately on an intermediate line with a small bloodworm fished about 2 feet under the surface.
Hope this helps.

RonB

[Wrassemaster]

Sinking line and any dark coloured nymph.
Fish it slow and close to the bottom.

[Goosey]

Agree with colder being better. Rainbows will be more active in cold water - witness many fisheries closing during August as the fish become uninterested in food (despite rampant invertebrate/insect life). My best days fishing have bothe been in the snow! A couple of years ago at White House Mill in Wales, I caught 7 rainbows on bloodworm and buzzers. Just a few weeks ago at Easter I was fishing in the middle of Bewl (Kent, 777 acres) when it started snowing. Caught a 5lb rainbow on an orange fritz and my girlfriend then caught two 2lbers. Another boat got their limit (8 fish) on that otherwise very unlikely day.

Long live fishing when it's cold!

[Bin]

The standard cold weather method in these parts is to cast out the fastest sinking line, a shortish leader( 3 or 4 feet) and leave it on the bottom until a fish swims by and takes it.
However if you want to do this you might as well go worming, and the fish are usually deep hooked, not good for catch and release.
I usually carry on sea fishing and wait for the weather to warm up.

Bin

[Damian_Mc]

had this beauty on the 2nd day of the season at bewl easter saturday when it was about -5c snowing and blowing and absolute hooligan. had 8 fish each this one the biggest for me at 8lb 6oz on black fry

my mate had the one on boat 9lb 3oz also on fry but a rainbow fry

[dulldai]

well done m8:victory:

[Shropfisher]

Sinking line and any dark coloured nymph.
Fish it slow and close to the bottom.

Sorry mate must disagree, the number of times I walk past guys fishing sinkiers in the cold and nothing to show for it.

I agree that a floater may not always be the answer ( tho 90% of the time it is ) a slime line or wet cell 2 should be as deep as you go. Trout have never read the mags or books saying, cold water, winter fishing stay on the bottom and wait for the food tocome to me !

Best days fishing at Brenig was in a snow storm, had to break the ice in the boat to get in, most fish came to a floating line. Opening day this year at Clwedog ( Mid March ) ice all over the bank, bXXXy freezing day, slime line for the first few hours, then floater with dries, over 30 fish taken that day ( they do have a catch and release policy ) Those using sinkers went home empty.

Moral is, fish the water not the weather. Trout look up for their food not down.

[Scrottocks]

had this beauty on the 2nd day of the season at bewl easter saturday when it was about -5c snowing and blowing and absolute hooligan. had 8 fish each this one the biggest for me at 8lb 6oz on black fry

my mate had the one on boat 9lb 3oz also on fry but a rainbow fry

Well done, Damian_Mc.

Bewl is my Nemesis. I can catch anywhere but always struggle there (usually) in spite of using every technique that's 'sure fire' at the time. :oops: Have had some limit bags there but rare as hens's teeth.

I live up just the other side of Redhill (Coulsdon) and wouldn't mind meeting up to fish at Bewl if you need a boat partner one day. :fishing:

Going up to Grafham on Saturday so feeling optimistic.

Tight lines!

Arthur

[Damian_Mc]

my best mate is fishing graffham this sat too.
always looking for a boat partner, in my little gang there is 3 of us so there is always an odd number which means for comps someone always gets left out

[gareth1234]

i fished the local fishery (cefn mably) last week, some very experienced fly fishermen there and they all are struggling, all blaming warmer weather. they can't wait for November. the only successes were to orange sinkers, retrieved slowly, rivers should be better.

[Damian_Mc]

i find that this time of year on the smaller still waters that any type of damsel fished sub surface is killer and daddies in the evening.. just getting my stuff together for a day out tommorrow.. will let you know how i get on

[penn2]

Just remember,no matter what the weather there is always some feeding fish.The art of fishing is to find them and pit your skills against them..Whats the fun and skill in throwing out any old fly into some of these over stocked waters knowing its only a matter of time before it gets taken.
It amazes me when fishing gets hard on these stocked waters that people start moaning that the place is crap,not that there skill is lacking in locating the feeding fish, expecting evertime they go, they should be filling there boots with them.
Yes colder weather can make the fish more active,but there again warmer weather increases fly life and hatch rates producing more food.In nature when this happens fish tend to take advantage of this and get pre occuppied with feeding on these making it seem there not feeding,but your flies,immatations aren't close enough to the real thing.
I cast a dry to a rainbow once which was about 2ft down in clear water just hovering there on a baking hot day.It sat there for 3-4 mins just looking at the fly not moving an inch,then it shot straight up and nailed it.
That day small black buzzers were coming off,and all i can think is out of all the naturals what were about this trout was making up its mind if this was the real thing.If there were only the odd one about it would of probably took it more or less straight away.
when you've say won a prize and you have a choice, say of 20 designer watches and one copy you don't pick the copy do you.