Hi, everyone! Are you still fishing or have you already decided to wait for the spring? In the Nordic countries the temperature is quite low by now. While the Australian fishermen have a temperature of around 25 degrees, we have around 5 here in Southern Sweden. Up North it is way colder.
So, what fly should you tie on the leader if you want to go for the dry fly this time of the year? With freezing cold fingers, I try to avoid fishing with feather mosquito imitations, it can be very effective but also a bit boring if you ask me. If I had to pick only one fly to use during this slow season, it would be an ant-imitation. Why not try the JFF Ant? I have caught hell of a lot of fish on this pattern, if you excuse my language.
It is not too difficult to tie and very easy to fish with. If you fish in still waters, try to make short casts in places you think look good, for example bays surrounded with trees, step rocks where slow and almost frozen insects will fall into the water, edges between windy surfaces and flat calm water…
Make a cast, stretch the leader and wait…. wait… stretch the line so that the fly moves a little bit… wait… wait… stretch the line… wait… STRIKE!!
If you fish in a river or similar, use a long leader and let the fly drift dead
How to tie the JFF Ant
By the way, do not go under 0.18 leader – this fly attracts big fish… /F
I love ants for fall and winter fishing here in Virginia! I’ve had hungry brook trout fighting over a chance at my ant imitation. You’ve got a beautiful fly there!! The underwater profile is perfect!
Nice ant imitation! I have to make a couple of these myself too and give them a shot here in Central Finland.
Thanks guys! Central Finland and brook trout in Virginia sounds very tempting!
Thanks for the mention! It’s exactly 25 in Canberra, Australian capital, today and I’m going fishing, been getting great fish this season with the drought breaking over the previous couple of years, hope to se you fellas down here soon!
Now that’s a nice ant there!