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| sefly.com | Saltwater Flyfishing Cold Weather Speckled Trout |
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When the cold wind blows, and last of the Alberts have departed the
nearshore waters of Cape Lookout there are still a few hearty fly angler plying the
coastal waters of North Carolina. Sure there are great schools of striped bass wintering just off the Carolina coast, but the winter seas off Hatteras and Wimble Shoals can be very angry. Windows of opportunity for the small boat angler are often brief and occasionally non-existent for weeks on end. Those who know where to look can find speckled trout that often take properly presented flies all winter. Sudden dramatic cold snaps can briefly put these fish off. Generally only extended periods of overnight temperatures on the coastal plane down in the teens will completely shut down these speckled trout. |
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There are literally hundreds of places in North Carolina
that hold speckled trout during the winter. All the locations that have been the
most productive for me have several characteristics in common. Five to eight foot
deep ledges (or shelf) with a dark bottom that is adjacent to relatively deep water which
has only minimal tidal currents. The key word here is "relatively" deep.
If you are in the middle of thousands of acres with an average depth of 3
foot, then a 10 foot deep hole is a virtual abyss. The dark bottom is important as it absorbs more heat from the winter sun, and an area with minimal current is more likely to retain this heat. With this in mind it should be apparent that during cold weather the best angling opportunities occur between 10 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon. |
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| The western shore of the Pamlico Sound has many prime areas that
hold speckled trout in cold weather. Bay River between Bayboro and Cash Corner is a
traditional fishing ground. The area just east of Raccoon Creek in the vicinity of
daymarker "14" has this classic ledge adjacent to deep water structure and is a
prime trout holding area.
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Fly selection is often a key factor when angling for speckled trout that are operating at
less than optimum temperatures. Speckled trout will take flies in water as
cold as 42 f. Smaller spars and/or translucent flies are a good choice in colder
water . A #2 Clouser in chartreuse/white, olive/white, or gray/white sparsely tied
in bucktail or a translucent synthetic is a good place to start. An intermediate line will work well in
most areas. Leaders should be tapered to 6 lb or less. A six wt will do until
the wind gets up, and then an 8 wt might require less effort to cast. |
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Presentation should slow as the mercury
drops. Remember that if that trout is cold, the minnow he chases will also be
cold. Keep an eye out for other anglers. Do not bypass a group of spinning rod angles even if they appear not to be having any luck. They tend to congregate in the areas where "they were biting yesterday". This is a fishery where a skilled flyroder can show a thing or two to the spinning rod angler. A fly that is slowly and seductively bounced along the bottom will out produce that chunk of lead with the molded rubber tail that many of those spinning rod anglers are using. |
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Harry Hall |
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