The most key ingredient to Tenkara fishing in the Winter, or any type of fishing for that matter is to manage your expectations. Fish act differently in the Winter time. They have less food, colder water, and less moving water. By managing your expectations you will feel successful whether you caught only a few fish, or no fish at all. But here are some of our favorite tips for getting out in the Winter time and catching some fish.

Be happy because there are less people out!

It's no secret that people fish less in the Winter time. Its cold, the days are shorter, and the fishing is less productive. But this also means that you can have spots to yourself that you might otherwise not get. Even the busiest of fishing holes in the Summertime can be completely empty in the Winter.  

Don't worry about your guides or lines freezing.

One of the beauties of Tenkara fishing in the Winter is that you don't have to deal with freezing issues. On a normal fly rod or even with gear fishing you have to deal with lines and guides freezing. And that other hand that you aren't quite sure where to put it in the Summertime now has a nice cozy pocket to hang out in while you are fishing.

Know Before You Go.

Check the weather, the water flows, any relevant fishing reports, and fishing regulations before you head out. This can be extremely helpful in the Winter time because weather can change so quickly. If you watched our Winter Fishing Video then you saw how one day we had great conditions with no wind, and a slightly overcast day. But then the next day it was extremely windy and sunny. We still got lucky with some really nice fish but there have been times Winter fishing where we have got caught in a storm or sketchy roads. So its nice to know what you will be dealing with ahead of time.

Dress Warm and Don't Forget the Riversnacks.

Its also nice to know what the temps will be so that you don't freeze while you are out there. Throw on some baselayers, extra jackets, gloves (yup you can wear gloves while you fish). This helps you get the most out of your day. Pack a thermos with a warm drink and have some yummy Riversnacks ready to get you through the day.

Pack the Right Flies.

When going out Winter fishing you might get lucky with a hatch. The most common hatches we see are BWO or Midge hatches during the Winter so its always nice to bring along some small dry flies and have a few different stages ready. For the times when there isn't a hatch going on, it can be very productive using small nymphs, Tenkara flies, or even streamers. In the video we fished mainly nymphs and Tenkara flies one day, but then on the second day it got too windy for good presentations with those flies so we switched to streamers. And the streamers paid off big time. So its extremely helpful to have a solid variety of flies and pay attention to whats happening around you.

Check out our Flies HERE

Fish The Right Water.

Trout (and people) get sluggish in the Winter. And we typically both act the same when its snack time. We want something easy and delicious. A well presented fly in a slow pool can do the trick for a trout. So don't rush things. In our experience, trout can spook easier in the Winter time, but they can also be a little dumber, so if you put the sneak on and have a good presentation with the right fly you might be successful.

Other Tips

Pay close attention and have a good time because after all, you are fishing! In our video you might have noticed Drew miss some fish because he wasn't paying attention, but at least he was having fun! Another helpful tip is its nice to use a line like the Crossbreed where you can easily detect strikes. When fishing with nymphs its so important to be able to detect strikes and the 2 color 2 material Crossbreed line is super helpful at detecting them for you.

What is this New Rod?

You may have noticed Tuna using a fresh new red rod in the video. And you may have seen this rod in other videos also. Its our new Yari rod, and its not quite available for sale yet. The Yari rod is made in Japan and we have been testing it for about a year now. We think its pretty great because we partnered with one of the best rod manufacturers in the world to produce it. If you are interested in finding out more you can sign up to be notified when we release the video and more information like specs, more photos, etc.