Pulling lures isn't particularly my thing - ideally I'd fish dries, then nymphs or buzzers - but my experience of nosing in the small stillwater catch returns in the cooler months of the year is that often lure fishing is the way to avoid a blank. Could just be that I'm not good enough at the alternatives when the going gets tough but that's the way it seems. So, it's a string I would like to add to my bow.

I'm thinking of small, relatively shallow stillwaters here, not fishing Farmoor with fast sinkers - I notice that some anglers fish lures with various speeds of sinking line while others prefer a floater with a long leader. Clearly that will lead to both differences in the depth fished and differences in presentation - do people have strong preferences there, or is it a "whatever works on the day" thing?

I'm going to tie up some lures - damsels, tadpoles, cat's whiskers seem to be the go-to lures for more people, in blacks, whites, greens and olives; what would be in your essential lures flybox?

Damsels, tadpoles and Cat's Whiskers would do it for me.

My own first choice throughout winter is a black Woolly Bu99er, with a Diawl Bach on a dropper, fished slow and deep on an intermediate line.

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How poor a thing, sometimes I find,
Will captivate a greedy mind - Isaac Walton.

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For the application you describe, I would say Cats Whisker, Viva, Dawson's Olive in particular. I've had a lot of success with Green Nuggetts too, the tail is the same type/ colour as commonly found on a Viva. I also find that a Yellow Dancer and olive Damsels work well.

Particularly with the Viva and Green Nuggett, in cold weather I fish these more like a nymph than with a mad fast stripping retrieve, with some success. Fished with a floating line and long leader, although I have seen sink tips used to good effect.

Me too. Realistic damsels, all green and Dawson's Olive goldheads, and nomads in black / green and white / green, would be my choice for this method.

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"In wine there is wisdom. In beer there is strength. In water there is bacteria." - German proverb
JH based near Southampton

Thanks chaps, all good information. The black/white/green theme seems to be unanimous!

One other thing Steve. Even in the cold, don't automatically assume trout are ironing the lake bed with their pectoral fins in Wessex smallwater fisheries. Fishing midwater may be a better bet...ultra deep styles with the booby or Farmoor style hyper long leaders is more a reservoir and gravel pit technique. Stopwatch and progressive countdown is the way to go. Also, be prepared for fish to be feeding, you may spoon small damsels and buzzers, bloodworms, corixa, cased caddis, daphnia and phantom larvae from winter caught fish. It's your choice then whether to stay with your lure, or give a nymph a swim.

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"In wine there is wisdom. In beer there is strength. In water there is bacteria." - German proverb
JH based near Southampton

Thanks John - the waters round here are gravel pits, so perhaps around 15 feet deep, and as you say fish can be caught at all depths even in the cold.

Takes "on the drop" are also a feature - either that or very early into the retrieve.

I have found the same, and isn't it great when the fly line just tightens up as you are counting down the depth ?

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"In wine there is wisdom. In beer there is strength. In water there is bacteria." - German proverb
JH based near Southampton

It is - a highly efficient way of conserving energy on cold days.....