Winter Midge Fishing

Winter may be the most underrated time of year to fly fish for trout. Conditions are rarely pleasant but even the most popular access sites on the river are often completely deserted. On the right day fish can eat a fly like they’ve never seen one before–many of them probably haven’t for some time–and believe it or not some of the midge hatch brings some of the best dry fly fishing our area has to offer. Midges might not bring the fevered excitement of throwing big foam for a shot at a monster like our river’s famed salmonfly hatch, but they do offer some of the most consistent dry fly fishing of the whole season. If you’re an angler who’s passionate about throwing dries (or fly fishing in general) you’re doing yourself a disservice if you sit this hatch out.

While midges do offer an exciting fishing opportunity in the middle of the “off season”, they present a few challenges that many anglers who put most of their effort into summer fishing might not be used to. The cold is definitely the number one hurdle you’ll face fishing in the winter. Preparation with proper layering will make or break your day on the water. Typically this time of year I’ll wear long underwear tops and bottoms, fleece pants, 2 jackets or sweaters that I can take off and on depending on changing conditions and how much I’m moving around, and a hardshell jacket with a hood to block wind and snow. A hat that covers your ears is also a great addition. Wind will chill you far beyond what the air temperature may suggest; on a calm day with the sun out I’ve found myself perfectly comfortable in just a baselayer down into the mid 20’s but those same conditions with a stiff breeze will quickly require all my layers. Skwala is a brand many in the shop prefer for their winter layers. We carry their full product line and can help you find which piece of gear will best fit your needs this time of year. Many anglers also enjoy fishing with nitrile gloves to keep water off of their hands. I personally don’t find it makes much of a difference but it does offer some level of insulation that is still acceptable to handle fish with, unlike wool or fleece gloves. Wet hands can really push your discomfort to an unbearable level so carrying a microfiber towel to dry them off is a great way to extend your fishing.

Your summertime waders and boots can be used just as effectively in the winter with proper layering underneath, though many opt for the added insulation of neoprene waders this time of year. Regardless of what type of waders you use, thick wool socks are a must as your feet are almost always the first part of the body to feel frozen in cold conditions. Note too that felt sole boots, though offering great grip while wading, can be a liability in snowy conditions. Snow and ice will cake on felt soles after just a few steps, especially in wetter snow, you may suddenly find yourself a few inches taller from the snow that’s accumulated on your boots. I personally always find this fun and a bit humorous, but for anglers at greater risk of a fall it is a legitimate safety concern to be aware of. Korkers boots provide a great solution to changing conditions with their interchangeable soles which can facilitate a quick transition between felt, rubber, and studded soles.

Winter Midge Fishing

Snow and ice stick to felt like glue, be very careful wearing felt soles in the winter!

The cold also impacts your rod, reel, and terminal tackle. Be prepared to de-ice guides and line regularly and avoid putting your rod and reel in the water as much as possible. If the fish are in the mood to run, a frozen drag on your reel will result in a lot of snapped-off fish. I periodically turn my reel a few times while fishing to ensure it’s still able to do so, usually at the same interval I break ice from my guides. I find newer, cleaner fly lines tend to have slightly less icing issues than dirtier or more weathered lines, and line cleaners can help keep your line in as good of shape as possible, though a certain level of icing is inevitable regardless.

Once properly prepared for the cold, the first step to midge fishing success is timing. While present year-round on most rivers, midge activity on the Upper Madison is most prolific from late December to mid-March. Midges typically hatch more consistently in the later half of this period but the earlier end can be fantastic as well. The level of midge activity will vary dramatically day to day as well as throughout the day. The hatch is strongest on slightly warmer days–think high 20’s and low 30’s–and will be densest on the water during the warmest window in the middle of the day. If you’re just going out for dry fly action, there isn’t much reason to be on the water earlier than 11 or later than 4 on most days. Fish will certainly eat on top outside of the prime window but opportunities will be more scarce. There is, of course, plenty of nymph fishing to be had outside the heart of the hatch.

Midge tactics differ from other dry flies both in terms of water targeted and gear used. Winter is one of the only times fish pod up heavily on the Madison; there is so much good holding water most of the year that fish tend to disperse all over the river. The consolidation of fish makes Winter some of the most exciting dry fly fishing of the season, not to mention more manageable on a cold day when you don’t feel like post-holing around. While dry fly fishing can be great on the Madison year-round, Winter is one of the only times you’ll see so many noses up in such a concentrated area. These pods will hold in discrete pieces of habitat, primarily slicks and softer runs, about walking pace or slower. On the Madison, slicks are most prevalent behind large boulders and on the downstream side of shelves along the shore. 

Winter Midge Fishing

Head hunting risers in an outstanding slick–great holding water to target when slinging midges at podded up fish this time of year.

The tiny size of adult midges can be a daunting difference between midges and more commonly fished hatches. While you may have a lucky day where midges up to size 18 are flying, more often than not the size of natural insects is deep into the 20s. After freezing conditions, I’d wager the prospect of fishing a dry that small is the number-two reason many avoid midge fishing. Luckily, I often find fishing flies that match single, natural midges is unnecessary. A slightly larger single midge imitation with a highly visible wing like a goober midge in size 18 or 20 is easier to track on the water and keep afloat than a true to size imitation, and the fish typically eat it just as voraciously as the naturals. When that isn’t working, however, a slight downsizing to a more subtle pattern like the hanging midge can usually crack the code. On those occasions when you do have to throw a micro bug, fishing it in tandem behind a larger, more visible dry can seriously help your odds of detecting an eat. Track the larger fly and set the hook on any rises within a certain radius of it (I usually run dual dry rigs with a gap of about 18 inches between flies) and you’ll frequently pick up fish you wouldn’t have known your bug was in the vicinity of. Fishing tandem rigs can be trickier to get good drifts on, but luckily the type of water we are targeting is very slow and easier to manage even with two flies. 

Another good way to get away with larger bugs is by fishing cluster patterns. Naturals frequently form clusters as they hatch and trout are commonly seen mowing piles of them at once. For the angler, midge clustering means we can often get away with much larger imitations than a single natural. My go to cluster pattern is the classic griffith’s gnat but we carry a range of other great clusters like Stalcup’s cluster midge (essentially a parachute version of the griffith’s gnat with some added wings) and Harrop’s CDC midge cluster (a CDC winged griffith’s gnat).

Winter Midge Fishing

A size 18 griffith’s gnat (left) and a size 22 skittering midge (right). Both will get eaten on the right day, but one is much easier to see.

Even with oversized or clustered midges, fishing bugs that small also requires some gear adjustments. First and foremost, your leader and tippet will get lighter. I typically run 4x tippet to bugs larger than size 20 but find 5x is mandatory just to get through the eye on smaller bugs. In flat water conditions where fish are excessively finicky I’ll occasionally even tie on 6x, but situations like this are exceedingly rare on the Madison. Threading tiny tippet through micro eyes can be frustrating to impossible for many of our customers whose eyes aren’t what they once were, and carrying reading glasses like Clics can make fishing small bugs much more accessible. 

I’ll also generally increase the length of my leader with smaller bugs. For most of the year, a 7-9 foot leader is perfectly appropriate for dry fly fishing on the Madison, but I find smaller, less drag resistant bugs present more delicately and effectively on leaders in the 9-11 foot range. Additionally, while you can get away with a do-it-all floating line, longer front tapers for delicate presentations like the Scientific Anglers Trout Standard or Cortland 444 present flies a bit more gently than the more aggressive tapers we favor for turning over larger bugs and cutting through wind.

Rod selection can also make a difference this time of year. Much of the year we’ll run dries and nymphs on 9’ or 9’ 6” 6 weights on the Madison but, as with leader and tippet, slightly lighter or slightly longer rods can shine in the winter. A lighter rod will help you present small flies more delicately and protect light tippets. While I tend to stick with 9’ rods, many anglers find the longer, softer tip of a 9’ 6” or 10’rod helps them protect light tippet when fighting fish and lay down casts more gently than a shorter rod is able.

If you have any other questions about midge fishing, want an up to date report on the river or need to pick up some bugs for your next outing, come by the shop (note our main location is closed for the winter and we’re only open in our Ennis store) or give us a call at (406)-682-7020 anytime. Kelly has also made a couple of great videos on winter midge fishing linked here and here so you can hear it from the man himself. Good luck out there and stay warm!

Winter Midge Fishing

A beautiful midge-eating rainbow from a snowy day. Keeping fish in the water as much as possible and handling them carefully is especially important this time of year, especially on colder days.

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