# Winter Fly Fishing - Big Cottonwood Creek - Dec. 17, 2010



## Wandering Bruce

*Fly Fishing Big Cottonwood Creek - December 17, 2010*
I have experienced a great first year fly fishing especially during the summer. After I figured out that one has to set the hook while you are stripping the line, slipping on mossy rocks, trying not to get caught up in the trees and bushes, etc, I started catching fish. I have been complaining that I have not even got a strike since late October (and I have been out 4 or 5 times) but I received some good advice from "PBH" on the UtahWildlife.net-Fishing Trip Report Forum, which is "to keep it simple". "Pioboy" also reminded me of some things I already knew that helped. I have been over researching this Winter Fishing thing, trying all kinds to new techniques, flies I have never used before, etc. Yesterday (Friday) afternoon my wife, also knowing of my frustration, called me at work about 2:00 PM and asked me why I was not out fishing since it was somewhat sunny and a snow storm was predicted for the weekend. With her encouragement, but with the thought that I would not be successful, I headed for Big Cottonwood Canyon.

I started fishing about 3:00 PM in a pool that I have been eyeing all summer I dropped a #18 Pheasant Tail in with a #20 red Zebra Midge as a dropper and WHAM, started catching fish. Most strikes were very soft and I had a hard time getting them to stay on. I kept one for dinner and as evidence that I actually caught a fish in the Winter, with cold temps, surrounded by snow and ice. By the way the fish were only going after the Pheasant Tail. I pumped the stomach of the fish and found only two somewhat digested insects. As expected they were both nymphs but looked like small (maybe size #18) caddisfly larva or midge larva. The head and thorax areas were dark colored almost black while the rest of the body was light brown. I was fishing below the "S turns" a little over 3 miles from the mouth of the canyon. The fish were all Brown Trout and the one I took was female with eggs. I thought that the Brown Trout spawn was over but I guess not for this female. I have only caught Brown Trout on Big Cottonwood Creek and a few up to 12" in length. The fish I was catching were 8" to 10". The one I took home was 9 ½".

When I was catching fish there was some sun but as soon as the clouds thickened up and the sun started setting the fish activity immediately stopped. I tried other flies but attracted nothing. My discouragement is gone for the moment and I am excited to hit the streams and rivers on the next sunny day.

Links to photos:

Fish in snow along Big Cottonwood Creek -
http://picasaweb.google.com/luvbike/Fly ... 8235919202

Close up of Brown Trout Caught -
http://picasaweb.google.com/luvbike/Fly ... 3597407058

Brown Trout Egg (5 mm - Light Orange) -
http://picasaweb.google.com/luvbike/Fly ... 4406390114

Sorry for using the links. I have not figured out how to post the photos directly to the forum. I hope this encourages someone to get out and fly fish in the Winter.

Wandering Bruce[/b]


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## .45

*Re: Winter Fly Fishing - Big Cottonwood Creek - Dec. 17, 201*

Cool Bruce....sounds like a good day !!


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## poiboy

*Re: Winter Fly Fishing - Big Cottonwood Creek - Dec. 17, 201*

Great to hear of your success. I went and fished the Ogden and got shut down, didn't even get a bite. I didn't use a pheasant tail even though I tied up a couple the night before, guess I should've tried it.


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## cpierce

*Re: Winter Fly Fishing - Big Cottonwood Creek - Dec. 17, 201*

Nice fish and creek. I am jealous that you have some nice open water near you to fly fish! 
It is great to get out even if you don't catch any at all. Big Cottonwood is a beautiful area to enjoy any time of the year!


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## Wandering Bruce

*Re: Winter Fly Fishing - Big Cottonwood Creek - Dec. 17, 201*

cpierce said "I am jealous that you have some nice open water near you to fly fish!" I agree that I am lucky to be only 30 minutes or less to small streams like Mill Creek, Big and Little Cottonwood Creeks. In my book small creeks are the most beautiful area and typically have excellent fishing, although the fish are a little smaller than what I have caught on the Provo or Weber Rivers. Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall, fishing pressure is almost zero.

However I see that you are located in Southeast Idaho. Other than fishing up in Island Park I have not fished in Southeast Idaho however I have ridden my Mountain Bike in a lot of places, such as trails above Pocatello, Lava Hot Springs, etc and I see a lot of small streams just like Big Cottonwood Creek. I am sure they are filled with lots of fish. Let me say that I am jealous of your fishing opportunities that are locate within one hour of most anywhere in Southeast Idaho; a beautiful place to live and play

Thanks for your compliment.
Wandering Bruce


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## cpierce

*Re: Winter Fly Fishing - Big Cottonwood Creek - Dec. 17, 201*

Actually I am within an hour of a number of reservoirs, but they are ice fishing areas right now. I may have to take that up yet.

I love to fly fish the small streams and unfortunately Idaho's streams are closed as of Nov 30, but I think that will change with the new year! F&G is shifting to a year round season on the streams and will just put closures on some of them to protect the spawning, so I am hoping to get out more in a few weeks!


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## Dagwood

*Re: Winter Fly Fishing - Big Cottonwood Creek - Dec. 17, 201*

Thanks for the great report Bruce!

I was up in that same area on Saturday looking for some nice holes. I wound up wondering what the heck I was doing driving for 45 min or more to get to a fishin' hole when I can get to Big Cottonwood in about 15 minutes. Then when I came home, still thinking about it, I read your report. Too cool 8)

While I was up there hiking around I realized that those fish are spooooky! Every hole I approached had fish in there but as soon as I saw them, they saw me, then poof! They are gone. Apparently this little stream requires ninja skills 

Fish on!


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## LOAH

*Re: Winter Fly Fishing - Big Cottonwood Creek - Dec. 17, 201*

Glad you got into a few up there. It's a neat little stream. The higher up the canyon you get, the more brookies you'll run into. There are some pretty good beaver dams up there and a lot of good holes. Probably not the best time of year for them (maybe even under an ice shell), but it's something to keep in mind.

That's a neat looking egg. Yellow?


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## Wandering Bruce

*Re: Winter Fly Fishing - Big Cottonwood Creek - Dec. 17, 201*

Dagwood: As I mentioned earlier I have found that since late October that the fish have been very spooky. It seems like when I put a foot in the stream or river all I see are fish scattering. However the hole that I was working was at least 8 feet deep and about 40 feet long. The water was moving pretty fast across the top and boiling in the middle but seem fairly calm near the bottom. Once I got the fly near the bottom I started catching fish. I had my waders on but I did not bother getting in the water. I was able to stand on the ice at the edge of the pool and cast to the upper end of the pool and let it dead drift to the bottom of the pool. I was using a bead head pheasant tail but in order to get the fly to the bottom of the pool I had to add first one small split shot and then a second split shot.

This summer I fished this pool but didn't catch anything but I did in the pocket water below the pool. Being frustrated with being skunked all November I remembered from reading something about fishing in the Winter that fish tended to hold up at the bottom of deep pools. That is when I remembered this pool. There are a lot of pools similar to this along the steeper portions of the canyon. Now that I have had a positive Winter fishing experience I will start paying attention to similar pools and try them to see if my theory hold true. Maybe I will run into you sometime. Happy fishing and Merry Christmas.


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## cpierce

*Re: Winter Fly Fishing - Big Cottonwood Creek - Dec. 17, 201*

It sounds like you have got things figured out -- deep, slow, and small.

In my opinion, small stream fishing can be some of the most difficult fishing there is. The access is frequently difficult, casting may be next to impossible, and above all you have to be very very sneaky! The water is low and clear, so every slight disturbance, movement, or change in the environment is noted by the fish and they spook. Fish hunting at its BEST! A lake or larger river is much easier, and the fish are usually bigger, but it isn't nearly as much fun! Enjoy the experience.


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## Wandering Bruce

*Re: Winter Fly Fishing - Big Cottonwood Creek - Dec. 17, 201*

cpierce: You are right I had it figured out for one day for 2 hours. More times than not the next time is a new day, different weather, different insects, etc. That is what makes if exciting.


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