Introduction to Winter Fly Fishing on the Taylor River

Outline 

•             1. Introduction to Winter Fly Fishing on the Taylor River 
•             2. Required Gear For Winter Fly Fishing The C and R
•             3. Winter Hatches on the Taylor River 
•             4. Winter Fly Fishing Tactics for The Taylor River
•             5. Night Nymphing on the Taylor River
•             6. Five Effective Nymph Patterns For Winter Fly Fishing
  •          San's Mysis Shrimp
  •          Zebra Midge
  •          Barr's Emerger B.W.O.
  •          Sparkle Midge
  •          Mop Fly 

This winter has been unseasonably warm. For those of us fortunate enough to live in the Gunnison Valley and/or take a vacation here, the weather has created unusually excellent winter fly fishing opportunities. The main location to fly fish in Crested Butte and Gunnison is the catch-and-release section of the Taylor River below Taylor Dam. This is often referred to as the Hog Trough, as fish in excess of 30 inches can be caught here. Rainbow and brown trout in the ten-pound-plus range are a realistic possibility.

The catch-and-release section of the Taylor River is very technical. It receives a ton of angling pressure, so there are particular flies, tactics, and strategies that tend to produce better than others. In this article, I will discuss the finer points of winter fly fishing on the Taylor River’s catch-and-release section.

Required Gear For Winter Fly Fishing the C and R

First and foremost, it is really cold up there in the Taylor River Canyon in the winter. Waders, a shell, and a down jacket are key to being comfortable. Bring a thermos with hot soup or coffee, as this is an excellent strategy to stay comfortable and prolong the day.

Bring gloves and, most importantly, a dry hand towel to keep your hands dry and warm throughout the day. Wet hands during winter fly fishing can be miserable. This is one of the fastest ways to end the day early.

Winter Hatches on The Taylor River

Aquatic insects in the winter are few and far between. Midges, blue-winged olives, and mysis shrimp are going to be the majority of the insects and bugs that you will encounter for winter hatches on the Taylor River. Both brown trout and rainbow trout key into these hatches throughout the day.

Carry a wide variety of fly patterns in nymphs, emergers, and dry fly patterns. Emergers are critical to have in the fly box, as well as cripple patterns. The trout in the catch-and-release section of the Taylor River are the most difficult to catch in the Gunnison River Valley. When they are, oftentimes a well-presented cripple or emerger fished in the surface film can have excellent results.

Introduced into Taylor River Reservoir, mysis shrimp are a staple for the trout in this particular section of the river. They are a high-calorie food source too, and this is why the trout here grow to extra-large proportions. Shrimp are most active at nighttime, so night nymphing can be an extremely effective tactic to fish the C and R.

Winter Fly Fishing Tactics for The Taylor River

While winter fly fishing on the Taylor can be uncomfortably cold, it can also be lonely. This is one of the advantages of winter angling on the Taylor River. The crowds are more than likely almost non-existent. You will have the water to yourself on most days.

If you must fly fish during daylight hours, then a careful approach, a long cast, light tippet, and a small strike indicator to no strike indicator are all musts when fishing the catch-and-release section below Taylor Park Reservoir. When I mention light tippet, 6x and 7x are ideal. Small nymph flies, in sizes #20 to #24, work well in the winter.

Tactical is the name of the game here, and many anglers get their butts kicked on this section of the Taylor River. Sometimes, in the daylight hours, Euro nymphing can be an excellent way to target specific fish.

Euro nymphing allows you to present the fly to specific trout, and it also keeps your nymph flies in constant contact with the bottom of the river. Thus, your flies are in the strike zone the entire length of the drift.

We won’t go into the intricacies of Euro nymphing, but one tactic that works surprisingly well is to fish a huge mop fly. This tactic is similar to bass fishermen fishing giant swimbaits. While everybody is fly fishing with tiny flies, present trout with a 4” to 5” mop fly. Many times, large rainbow and brown trout will move several feet to eat this oversized fly.

Night Nymphing on The Taylor River

One of the most effective fly fishing strategies on the Taylor River is to night nymph. As the sun falls, shrimp become more active, and the trout seem to come alive. This is the best time to catch a giant rainbow trout or brown trout, rhythmically feeding on shrimp.

In my experience, you can catch a few fish on midges, but by and large, the trout at night are eating shrimp patterns. Shrimp stay relatively close to the surface of the river, so fishing unweighted patterns or swinging shrimp to specific fish is the best way to achieve excellent results.

You will need a really good headlamp to spot fish feeding. While they will eat with the light on, locating a feeding fish, turning the light off, and then making precise presentations to them is often the most effective way to target the larger trout.

5 Nymph Patterns for Winter Fly Fishing on the Catch and Release Section of the Taylor River

San’s Epoxy Mysis Shrimp

There are many excellent mysis shrimp patterns on the market. This one is my favorite, and I have found you don’t need a ton of patterns to be successful.

Live epoxy mysis shrimp are almost completely transparent in color. This leaves little for trout to key into when feeding. San’s epoxy mysis shrimp is an almost exact imitation of the real shrimp in the Taylor River.

Because the real crustacean is almost completely clear, the black eyes of the mysis shrimp are critical to giving the trout something to see. This pattern incorporates those eyes exactly, and when fished high in the water column, the results can be spectacular.

Sight cast to specific shrimp in a similar way to how you would if you were Euro nymphing. If you can’t get a fish to commit to the fly, add a small amount of weight and try again.

Zebra Midge

The Zebra Midge is a classic. If you like to tie flies, they are simple, effective, and fast to make on the fly-tying vise. Zebra midges are an excellent all-around fly pattern for searching for trout in the morning and midday. If you are not sure what nymph you should fish, then start with a zebra midge.

Zebra midges are usually fished deep near the bottom of the river under an indicator. I prefer to fish them in a dry-dropper setup in order to target the many trout that hang in the margins of the river in super shallow water. This setup allows me to fish to specific trout and control my presentation better. Also, you might get lucky and get a dry fly eat. Black or red in sizes #20 to #24 are staples.

Barr’s Emerger in B.W.O.

In the daylight hours, blue-wing olives can make an appearance. It is wise to have a few fly patterns in the quiver. The Barr’s Emerger is a classic Colorado fly pattern, and it works well on the C and R.

The Barr’s Emerger can be fished in many different ways. It can be fished deep under an indicator, anywhere from the bottom of the river to just below the meniscus. When trout are taking emergers and porpoising in the surface film, I like to fish the Barr’s Emerger as a trailer fly in a two-fly rig.

Using a classic dry fly as your point fly, tie 18” to 24” of tippet to the bend of the hook. Tie on the Barr’s Emerger and treat it with a tiny bit of Frog’s Fanny dust. This keeps the fly hanging just below the river’s surface. This is a form of extremely shallow nymphing.

Sparkle Midge

When it comes to midday midge hatches, the sparkle midge is one of my favorite emerger fly patterns. The UV wings simulate the formation of air bubbles and a midge pupa making its way to the surface of the river.

This fly is best fished deep under a strike indicator with the addition of a second fly as a point fly. Cast upstream and let the flies sink, and at the conclusion of the drift, let the flies swing vertically through the water column. Hold the flies there for a second or two before making another cast.

The Mop Fly

The mop fly is an extremely effective fly for the Taylor River and the C and R. I like to tie an oversized 4” to 5” mop fly. As I mentioned before, this is best fished directly to a large trout.

The tactic and mindset is to fish this pattern for a once-in-a-lifetime fish. You’re looking for a monster trout of epic proportions. If you have an 11-foot Euro rod, then this is the best setup and approach. A longer fly rod allows you additional leverage over the fly line and leader. It also allows you to maintain a greater distance from the trout. No indicator, a straight connection to the fly, and the fly in the strike zone the entire time is the key to presenting this fly.