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Winters in Steamboat offer fun opportunities for both ice fishing and winter fly fishing. The trout still need to eat, even in the winter weather. If you know what fly patterns to throw, you’ll find plenty of trout biting on cold winter days. It’s important to pick the right place to fish and some of the best winter waters are right here in the Yampa Valley.If you want to hit the river, there are great public and private water options for fly fishing right now! We’ve led some great trips loaded with family fun and new experiences. To get the...

There are a few things to note about fly fishing in the winter. Obviously, the change in weather comes into play, but winter is still a great time to do some fishing. Some locations have fairly consistent conditions that allow for an ideal habitat and some great fishing. Whispering Willows, where a private stretch about a mile long of the Yampa River runs through, is a year-round favorite for many. Its section of the river is home to wild Rainbow and Brown Trout and is great for anglers of all abilities. The Angling News board at Straightline Sports is a...

On a recent trip out to the Tailwaters, we did really well using a pheasant tail soft hackle fly. The soft hackle adds movement to the fly allowing it to be fished on the swing as well as dead drifted. Anything small and brown such as a zebra midge or RS2 fly is good for fishing right now. Plus, fishing at the Tailwaters is great because the dam keeps the flow and water temperature consistent for a large portion of the year. It’s a great habitat for trout. The cold water coming from the dam helps keep nutrients flowing to...

The Yampa River was flowing at a healthy 82 cfs this morning and came in at a frigid 37 degrees. The winter storm we received last week really cooled down the conditions for the time being. The water temperatures are rebounding a bit, but looking at nighttime lows, these colder temperature trends are definitely here to stay. There has been a slight boost in flow from the recent precipitation, which as it continues to melt to the next couple days should pump a bit more melt into the system. This is a good thing, as it will provide more appropriate...

The Yampa River is in pretty good shape right now. Things were getting a bit skinny last week with water down in the 70 cfs range. With decently low nighttime temperatures, the bite was not suffering from low dissolved oxygen content, but skinny water tends to yield spooky trout. The release we received from Stagecoach a couple of days ago has helped pump levels up a bit. The 20 to 25 cfs has really improved conditions coming into the fall bite. The real benefit of this little bit of extra water is related to the brown trout spawn. Big wild...