Top 5 Bozeman Area Winter Flies

Posted by:

Date: 01/01/2025

With Slush and ice blocking fishing opportunities in many rivers and creeks in the Bozeman area fishable waters are somewhat limited. However, when one finds some open water fishing this time of year can be exceptional for a few reasons. First, a fly fisher will see fewer people on the water. The ski hills see the majority of outdoor recreational traffic so rivers receive a lot less crowds than the summer. Second, fish crowd into their winter holding spots. If an angler gets an eat in one of those deep slow moving holes it is very likely they can find several other fish in the same pool. Lastly, fish still have to eat but they will wait until the warmest part of the day to do so. This means during a short period of time fish will be eating ferociously making them less difficult to trick with a fly. Here are the 5 favorite winter flies from your Bozeman Fly Shop.

Black Wooly Bugger – This is a great pattern year round but can make for a really great winter fly. A big ol’ black leech will leech looks pretty appealing to trout in the winter. Usually fished in a dead drift or slight twitches this time of year.

Pink San Juan Worm – worms are not limited to only pink in the winter but I have found a fair amount of success using this color. Again, this is a good meal for a hungry winter trout that they usually cannot pass up.

Pink Ray Charles – with a munch of scuds and sow bugs swimming around this tail water fly is also prevalent in the Bozeman area Spring creeks and a quick easy snack for hungry trout. Also works in a gray and orange

Olive Jujubee Flash Midge – Midges are an excellent energy source for trout. They are one of the only insects that actually have a pretty solid winter hatch. I prefer to fish olive in the winter because of the significant luck I have on natural colors.

Bead Head Hares Ear – A very generic fly but it’s natural color and buggy appearance make it an excellent winter choice for tricking trout.