Fishing the Animas in December! - Animas river in Colorado - McFly Angler Episode 39

In most parts of the United States, fishing in the winter is something that is not possible. Either snow covers the ground, or fishing is not very productive. But not so in southern Colorado or northern New Mexico. Around here, you can practically fish year round. Granted there are a few days out of the year you probably would not want to be on the water, however there isnt really a specific season where fishing dies down.

So in December I only got to go fishing once, and that was on the Animas river. During the winter, the fish are more lethargic and therefor streamers are not quite the best bet for fishing. They dont want to chase swinging streamers. So nymphing is probably your best bet. Caddis pupae tend to be one of the more effective patterns to use during this time. And that is the fly I caught all my fish on. Other patterns to use are going to be copper johns, prince nymphs, and the various baetis nymphs as well. You want to fish slow, and relatively deep, as the fish are deep in holes just conserving energy. While some people are randomly productive with some dry flies, you really cannot guaranty fish on dry this time of year. You kinda have to be at the right place at the right time. So bring those dries along with you, but dont be disappointed if you never get to use them. Your best bet for catching will be on the nymph. At least that is my experience.

The fly I caught the most amount of fish on was called the GTI caddis. Here is a video on how to tie that. https://youtu.be/-lszOLv1gbQ

Per request from many subscribers, I am listing the gear I used on this trip, with links to where you can purchase them.