What's the best method to use for fishing stocked stillwaters in these cold months?

Deep sinking lines - boobies etc,
Intermediate lines - cats whiskers and the like or
Floating lines with buzzers or similar

My first winter at this caper and still keen to give it a go through till the season starts again.

Cheers Rob

Hi Rob
This is a hard one to answer even for me who fishes throughout the winter on a still water. All of the three methods above can be successful if the weather conditions are right and if one method doesn't work switch to another. I would say when things are really tough with ice, snow, and minus temperatures, the only way I can catch fish is with a Di7 line and an orange booby. In more comfortable conditions the other methods you outline above work well.

Very much depends on water temperature - right now it is still warm and so fish are fairly shallow and active on some water so the inter is working well.

Once it is really cold the boobies are key but also an apps on a long leader and floater or a bung rig will work well.

Charlie

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Sonik Sports Team Pitsford Pirates

Cheers guys

Charlie - I think I know what a bung rig is - floating fly with buzzers or similar hanging beneath it but whats an apps?

Looked it up but just get things for the phone!!!

Rob

No two days are ever the same and the best tactic varies depending on conditions & venue.

As for apps, i think he means bloodworm

Hi

I fish every week all winter .......................

Floating line 12'-14' leader two nymphs and lure on the point , cast out .....................put your hand in your pocket .................let the lure sink till its pulling you floating line under .............. "Then" start a very, very slow figure 8 with the odd full stop.

I was out for 4hrs yesterday , 2 oC light dusting of snow on the ground and a good stiff icy breeze !

Above method took 4 rainbows, lost another belter and got snapped off in the last few minutes



Two of the four of yesterdays bows....................



Just cos its winter doesnt mean they only take lures This guy went nuts two jumps clear out and blistering runs proved to my mate "once again" barbless catches more fish

Personally i think alot of people full into a trap of because its cold the fish are down ........... so i need to use a sinking line !! Wrong !

Time and time again ive seen guys miss fish after fish using sinking lines because they cant fish as "slow" as you can with a floating line.

Often the fish want it "dead slow" in winter during a slow figure 8 i will feel the line getting heavy- like a wet blanket on the end but no movement, weed ? fish ? i keep it going untill i feel "some sort" of movement then lift in more often than not its a fish

Each to his own but it works for me all winter.

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Englander

"Barbless since 2008"

Vision GT Four catapult 9' 6#
Vision GT Four SW 9' 9#
Vision 3 Zone 9' 5#
Vision Cult 9' 3#
Shakespeare Trion 9' 5/6#
Cortland Endurance 9' 6#
Shakespeare Expedition float tube
Vosseler DC3 reel
Okuma Helios 8/9 reel
Greys G series 3/4 reel
Snowbee Geo 3/4 reel

Not actually exactly how we tie them but you will get the general idea :

Tying Instructions for the Apps Bloodworm

needs clear water

Charlie

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Sonik Sports Team Pitsford Pirates

Hi Englander

That looks like a yellow Nomad fritz in the picture on your fly reel.Did you manage to catch on that?

Nice! Gonna try this next trip! Do you vary with nymphs / buzzers or one of each?

Tried floating line on Saturday with dancer, zonker and cats whisker on point with a diawl bach on top dropper and sunken hopper type thing in the middle. Nothing doing but only one person caught so maybe it was just a quiet day?
I got a couple last weekend on floating line with a 'REALLY' slow retrieve , hardly moving it at all.

I take it the lure on point would be quite heavy on the floating line but would it need to be the same on an intermediate?

Just trying to work out if I need to buy a Di7 or not!!!


Rob