Rocky Ford River Report 1.25.2017

Looking to get away from the vise?

Rocky Ford is always a popular destination for fly fishermen looking to get away from their vise or television during the winter months. My friends Patrick and Erik made the trip to Ephrata, WA without me on Sunday, but at least I was there in spirit in the form of the flies I gave them.

Foul weather has been keeping crowds to a minimum thus far and according to Patrick they were all by their lonesome on Sunday morning until 11:00. Fishing was steady all day, with most of their fish being caught on size 14 olive scuds.

Need flies of your own? Check out our selection here.

Scuds and subsurface midge patterns fished under an indicator is typically the most productive technique on the Ford. Try attaching your flies with a loop knot to give your bugs more action in the water while using an indicator. You'll definitely notice an increase in strikes as the wind typically picks up later in the morning and gives your flies more action in the water.

Another little tip...

If you want to fish streamers, try using more subtle patterns with only a couple strands of flash. Olive, white, and black are typically the colors I use, but don't hesitate to throw something bright and flashy at them because you never know what they'll be in the mood for. Another little tip is to attach a clear floating or intermediate PolyLeader to your floating fly line when fishing streamers. These fish see a lot of flies come by them on a daily basis, so the stealthier your setup is the more fish you'll catch!

Have more questions? Come into the shop, we have answers.

If you have any questions on this fun winter fishery, we'll get you setup with all the knowledge and supplies you need to make your next trip to Rocky Ford a success!

Want to read a little more? Check out the latest North 40 Fly Shop eMag.