Hi all,

I'm planning on going for a fish in the next couple of days and as I've never fished at this time of the year before, I'm really not sure what the best tactics to use are: I'll be fishing a small stillwater. Any suggestions on what time of day, what flies and how they should be fished, depth etc. would all be of great help.

Seasons greetings,
Jazzman.

There's been a number of threads about this very subject on here over the last few weeks. Do a "search" and see what you come up with.

If you are going to ask for more advice it would be a help to let us know where you are thinking about fishing. You will get different, but still valid, advice depending on whether your target fishery is just outside Inverness or just outside Southampton - purely because of the difference in the winter weather.

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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

On a small stillwater, don't change your tactics too much. fish a little slower, a little deeper (perhaps) and the fish will come. you can still catch on buzzers and daddies, although lures are also useful now. One thing i have found is that black is especially effective in the winter.

Tightlines

Alex

I've been catching recently, during the very cold spell, on blobs "floatfished" around 10ft-12ft deep and a bloodworm on a dropper 2ft above. Try and fish where there's no wind and you can present the Blob without it drifting, giving it an occasional twitch to induce a take.

As the weather's turned milder I've caught on Damsel and Diawl Bach on a dropper around 3ft-5ft deep, fished with a steady figure of eight retrieve.

Generally, the colder it is the slower and deeper you need to fish.

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

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*****©(

Great tactics but watch the fishery rules - some places in the sunny South, as fished by BrownieBasher and me, only allow one fly to be used. Part of the reason for asking Jazzman where he plans to be fishing.

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

I'll be fishing just outside the Glasgow area

Try Any bloodworm pattern,black buzzers and catswiskas use either floating or intermediate lines with slow pulls/tweaks or static and let the wind move them about.
Vary your speed and depths and you should be ok

My advice:

1. Wrap up.
2. Be patient.
3. Fish deeper.
4. Explore the envelope on flies.
5. Enjoy it!

Happy Christmas!