When you ask that when is fly fishing season, it is very difficult to pinpoint exactly the time in a year when you should go out to fly fish. There are different factors in play that determines whether it’s a good fly fishing season or not. It may vary depending on your current location in the world and the kind of climate that the place has. Since it is impossible to cover every part of the world in a single article, this article focuses on a single country i.e, the USA. Today, we are going to see some of the areas inside the USA where different fly fishing seasons exist and review them in detail. Let us get into it without any worries.
Really!! When Is Fly Fishing Season?
If you are fishing for something like a trout, you don’t need a season, you need water with trout! And yes, you can fish for trout in Winter as well, more on that later. You can use dry flies for trouts with ease. Okay, Switching lanes to the fly fishing season now, we generally like to fish during early fall because the fishing spots are less crowded in this season. The water is clear to fish on and of course, there is plenty of fish in the water!
The fly fishing season peaks when it’s spring and it keeps peaking till the early part of summer. The season is seen decreasing a bit late summer to the early autumn and then it kind of re-emerges in early spring. We like to fish from May to November as this season is perfect for all kinds of fishing. The weather is amazing and fishes can be caught in excess which is always a good experience to have.
Fly Fishing Season in USA
The United States of America (USA) itself is a huge country with many states. So, all the states might not have the same seasons when you can fly fish. Depending on the state, we have classified the fly fishing seasons in America. As you know we cannot cover all 50 states, we have got them down to 4 main states and we will be looking at these states in detail and see what kind of fly fishing seasons they sport.
Fly Fishing Season Colorado
There isn’t a fly fishing season in colorado because it has some of the best tailwater fisheries in the world. A tailwater implies a place where a river runs below a bottom release dam. In winter, the water reservoir freezes only on the surface but inside it, the water remains pretty warm therefore, fishing becomes quite easier.
Even when it’s the middle of January, water runs through the bottom release damn which makes sure the fishing process is easier. There is a misconception in the fishing industry that when the temperature decreases, the trout grows pretty tired and there will be no bugs hatching for the fish to eat, which is pretty wrong.
July to September, however, is a prime time for fly fishing in Colorado. During this time, a lot of fishes are floating over the colorado water. This season has warm afternoons and it’s pretty good for an outdoor lunch and fishing.
Another great time to fish in this water is march time. The Eagle Valley is a pretty good area which has a warmer day this month. The trip itself is a pretty comfortable and an active one. The valley has many tailwater lakes which makes it a really good trip to make. With small creeks, large mountains and an impressive array of the physical landscape, the month of March is one of the best fishing times in colorado.
Fly Fishing Season California
The diverse terrain of the state of California makes it a perfect destination for all kinds of anglers. You will find the places that challenge the experts and you will also get to see some of the best fishes and fishing locations on the planet. The state of California has unique regions that offer its own set of conditions. When it comes to the fishes, the state specializes in fishes such as trout, salmon and the famous steelhead.
California is one of those states that welcomes anglers all year. The state of California can be divided into two parts; Northern Cali and South Cali. There are hatches happening all year and plenty of opportunities are there for fishing every month.
Let us first talk about southern California. As far as the temperature is concerned, it can vary quite a lot. The climate depends on your location in the state. Everything from a subarctic to desert climate can be seen in this state. It even has a climate same to the Middle East which means that winter is very mild in this state. Even in winter, you can fish here. Winters aren’t cold but they are pretty wet though. An umbrella could be pretty useful.
Once you start moving north, the mountain region starts coming up which is pretty cold. The mountain regions have al four seasons there. Since the state of California is pretty diverse, we have to break down the regions down and then see what seasons support what kinds of fishes.
Fly Fishing Season Virginia
If you are fly fishing for trout in the state of Virginia, then you can do it in every month of a year. There are, however, some limits that are set by the state government. One of the most bizarre rules is that you are not allowed to catch more than 6 trouts in a day, a size restriction is also in place that urges you to not catch a trout which has a length of below 7 inches. There is now a low period, though.
Fishing in summer can be a bit challenging though, it is mainly because of the heat. Many people tend to get heat strokes and the water from the low stream flows. It can be very difficult to catch a fish especially trouts. Finding the right spot to fish on is also a big challenge. You need to research for a spot and then be there at the right time. Both experienced and new anglers will find it difficult in the times of summer.
When it comes to temperature, Virginia is balanced. It doesn’t get too hot nor does it get too cold. It’s the right temperature all around. Summers are pretty humid though and the temperature sometimes can reach 90 degrees. Similarly, the temperature drops to 20 degrees in the winter. But this drop in temperature can only be seen in the northern part of the state. It implies that the temperature is going to be pretty solid all year round where you can fish very comfortably. One thing you can do is be familiar with a state’s hatch chart before you pack up your gear. The hatch season in Virginia starts on the month of March and it lasts till the end of October.
Mayflies occur at the March-July time schedule. Similarly, stonefly and caddis fly hatches in April through to July and again in September-October. In a similar way, terrestrials will start from April to October. You should keep in mind that this is just the average hatch chart for the state, Some Areas can be a few weeks early or a few weeks late.
Fly Fishing Season Montana
The fly fishing season in Montana generally starts from the first week of March to the first week of November. These 8 months are the best time for fly fishing in this state. You can definitely fish all year round. Spring is a great time to be around in this part and the days get longer when the temperature starts to warm up. During this time you can clearly see the mayfly and caddies hatch. The fishes will be ready to eat and thus, the anglers can catch a whole lot of fish.
You can spot, stalk and catch fishes from the Baetis, Caddies and March Brown hatches. One of the best spots is the madison river which is the best place to fish in the first two months of our fishing phase. The hatches of the Giant Stonefly begins in late June. Similarly, the widely popular Salmon Fly hatch can be spotted on Montana and Madison rivers. The exact timing of the hatch is pretty ambiguous. A good estimate would be around the last of June to the first 10 days of July.
Ennis, a town is Montana is called the trout town of the USA because of the quality trouts that you can fish. It has beautiful summer weather where the trouts can be baited with dry flies gets this town filled with anglers. The Madison valley gets busy with anglers during this time of the year. Also, 100 miles of a circle around Ennis has more good trout water that you can get your hands in. As the summer winds down and the leaves start to fall, fishing activity starts to change. Brown Trouts start to get aggressive as they spawn and anglers start becoming streamer freaks about this time!
November to March is the off-season in Montana meaning you cannot fly fish in this time. It’s mainly because of the winter that settles into the madison valley. . The winter in Montana can be pretty tough but you can still ice fish if you want to or try some other sports and activities as well. For instance, you can hang your fishing gear and go out to ski during this time in Montana.
Can You Fly Fish in Winter?
Summer and Springs are easier to fish on, even Autumn is a really great season to catch fishes. It is mainly because of the fact that the weather is pretty warm and fishes hatch during this period. Winter, on the other hand, is a completely different ballgame. You need to fly fish between the banks of snow and ice instead of willows which is a real challenge.
The fishes can live in slack holding water during the winter and the water is pretty clearer actually. Catching the fishes during winter mainly boils down to the mindset. It doesn’t have much to do with the skills whatsoever. If you can drop your dry flies rig in vain and hope a trout will eat it then you are pretty mistaken. You need to use your mind and deploy a plan of attack to catch these fishes. Don’t pond the banks with streamers and strip on the swing. You might not pick up the trout in holding water behind rocks and boulders.
Fly fishing during the winter is like a paradigm shift, everything from the weather to the actual way of fishing shifts. For example, fishing in winter is cold ad icing up your guides and reel is very uncomfortable for modern humans. Ice Fishing requires you to have some really warm tents and you might also want to take some alcohol with you for keeping yourself warm.
So, to answer the question, Yes, it is possible to fish during the wintertime but there are major problems, the first being the obviously cold environment, the second is that the fishes don’t hatch during the winter so, the number of fishes is less and finally, you need to have a completely alternative approach to catch the fishes in winter which makes it so tedious, to begin with.
Final Words
Fly Fishing season is not something universal. There are different seasons around the globe, even in the same country there are alternative seasons therefore, it is better to kind of research your destination before heading out.
One takeaway is that it is a bit easier to fish in summer, spring and autumn than in winter. This doesn’t mean that you can’t fish in winter though. There are certain methods and tricks that you can use to locate a good fishing spot in the winter and then fish to your heart’s content.
Even fly fishing is possible in winter if you can think smart. To Conclude, fishing seasons are pretty random in a lot of places. For instance, it can rain during winter in the equatorial regions of the world. So, fishing season is really dependent on the status of your environment.