Composed by: Kati Rouse, Rouse Fly Fishing
Kati and her other half, Jamie, tossing banners on a bright early winter season afternoon.
Image courtesy Rouse Fly Fishing
Here in the Ozarks, our winter seasons are quite moderate. Unless we remain in the middle of a cold wave, our lows remain around freezing and our highs remain in the upper forties, and in some cases warmer. Thankfully, all of our huge fisheries are tailwaters, which keeps water temperature levels relatively continuous– in the low 50s– throughout winter season. We typically have some rains, which, integrated with the requirement for hydroelectric power, yields greater circulations. The greater circulations and water draining of the creeks brings us to our very first couple flies, patterns that imitate what is getting cleaned off the banks or out of feeder streams:
1. San Juan Worm ( sizes 10-14)
In fleshy pink to fluorescent pink, these worms work all winter season.
2. Pat’s Rubber Legs ( size 8)
In coffee, this is a killer browsing pattern.
3. Egg Patterns( sizes 12-16)
All the rivers see brown trout generating in the fall, and the trout continue to type in on the filthy eggs throughout the winter. Apricot color works finest.
Another cool phenomenon of the season is the “shad kill,” which happens in the tanks where shad come through the dams into the rivers. Banner patterns in threadfin-shad color mixes can be fatal. You can dead-drift or remove these flies, depending upon the day. Some favorites in this classification are:
4. Classic Zonker ( sizes 4-8)
White is a popular color option.
5. Marabou Jig ( sizes 1/64 -1/ 00)
Bump and jerk these under a sign.
6. Rouse’s Poodle ( size 4)
In white, this and other midsize articulated banners mimic threadfin
shad. Smaller sized Video game Changers work fantastic, too.
As we approach early spring, in late February, we begin to see a few of the slow-water drakes, specifically March browns. Big, beadhead Soft Hackles work truly well:
7. Hare’s Ear Soft Hackle ( sizes 8-12)
8. Pheasant Tail Soft Hackle ( sizes 8-12)
Throughout the season, when there aren’t a great deal of other bugs hatching, plant bugs and scuds are great staple patterns. They are constantly present in our rivers:
9. J Dub Sowbug ( sizes 10-16)
10. Scud ( gray, sizes 10-16)
Kati Rouse is co owner of Rouse Fly Fishing in Arkansas with other half and coach, Jamie.
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