Why fish in the winter? Well, because we can.

Why fish in the winter? Well, because we can.
The author took advantage of a winter thaw to chase brook trout in January 2022. 
Photo by Patrick L. Sullivan

Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean fishing is over.

Winter fishing has a lot going for it, including: snow, ice, frigid winds, general misery, and the very real chance of serious injury from taking a header on the ice.

There is also an excellent chance of developing hypothermia after taking an unscheduled bath.

And of course you could be eaten by wolves.

Hahaha. Just kidding. The wolves aren’t idiots and they sure as heck aren’t tramping around the frozen wastes trying to catch trout that aren’t hungry.

However, fly-fishing is not a sport. It is a mental condition, and argument is futile.

Step One: Dress warmly. I’m not going to go further except to state the obvious: It’s easier to shed layers if you’re too warm than add layers when you’re turning blue.

Step Two: Find some open-ish water. Around here this generally means the Farmington, as the dam releases are warmer than the rest of the river. (In summer the opposite is true.)

Step Three: There is no reason to get up early. The kind of day you want is in the upper 30s, maybe cracking 40, with some sunlight. If the trout wake up at all, it’s going to be after the sun has raised the water temperature a bit, what bugs are around start to move, and the fish take notice.

Step Four: I typically start with big stuff. Wooly Buggers, mop flies, egg patterns, squirmy worms and so on. This is not subtle stuff. I use a short, stout leader and target slow to medium currents with some depth and, for choice, a nice boulder or submerged tree to provide hidey holes.

Step Five: If Step Four is a washout, or you see little speckly things coming off the surface, then re-rig with a longer, finer leader and tie on some microscopic blue wing olive or similar. This exercise is made even more excruciating by the fact you have no feeling in your fingers.

Step Six: Know when to quit. This may well be 15 minutes into it.

One year on the Farmington I trudged for what seemed like hours but was probably 15 minutes or so through snow and bramble, only to find the deep run I was assured would be ice-free to be a skating rink.

That would be a time to call it a day.

On the other frozen hand, I once laid a cast across the ice to an open stretch on the Housatonic, just to see what would happen.

A fat brown immediately gulped my size 6 Stimulator and disappeared under the ice, swimming toward me.

This completely untenable situation did not last long, but it didn’t have to.

I had accomplished the goal, so I packed it in. (After getting the line back, a process that will merit an entire chapter in my memoirs.)

Note that I am not discussing ice fishing here.

Ice fishing, in which the afflicted person voluntarily spends hours at a time standing on a frozen lake or pond staring at a hole in the ice, is just too much.

Depending on the weather, your nearest small stream or creek may be fishable at various times during the winter months.

And with year-round fishing now in in Connecticut and New York, there is no need to remember complex regulations. You do need to renew your licenses though.

The main reason to fish in the winter, frankly, is because it is possible to do so.

Not pleasant, not productive, and probably not all that much fun. But possible.

Latest News

Historic marker dedicated at Amenia Union Cemetery

In anticipation of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution in 2026, new historic markers are appearing at each of the local cemeteries where Revolutionary War veterans are buried. Unveiling the new marker at Amenia Union Cemetery on Saturday, June 21, were left to right, Town Historian Betsy Strauss, Jim Middlebrook representing the regional chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, and Gail Seymour, President of the Union Cemetery Association.

Photo by Leila Hawken

AMENIA — One by one, new historic markers are appearing at local cemeteries where Revolutionary War dead are buried. On Saturday, June 21, community members gathered to see a new marker unveiled at Amenia Union Cemetery on Leedsville Road.

A tent provided welcome shade for the attendees and refreshments as about 30 residents gathered for the unveiling and to share stories of local history with one another.

Keep ReadingShow less
Millbrook Historical Society announces summer Quaker lecture series

The Nine Partners Road Quaker Meetinghouse, built in 1780, will be the site of two summer lectures sponsored by the Millbrook Historical Society.

Photo by Leila Hawken

MILLBROOK — Long in the planning, the Millbrook Historical Society has announced that it is sponsoring two lectures in observance of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Both lectures relating to Quaker history are to be held in the historic Quaker Meeting House on Nine Partners Road.

For the first talk, scheduled for Sunday, June 29, at 2 p.m., the historical society has invited Sarah Gronningsater, Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania, to talk on “Quakers, Anti-slavery, and the American Revolution.” The topic will explore the role that New York’s Quakers, especially in the Hudson Valley, played in the rise of the anti-slavery movement that followed the American Revolution.

Keep ReadingShow less
Millerton voter turnout declines after 2023 peak

Downtown Millerton

Photo by Aly Morrissey

MILLERTON — Voter turnout in the Village of Millerton dropped sharply in 2025, with just 58 ballots cast in this year’s village election — less than a third of the record turnout seen just two years earlier.

The election on June 17 marked a stark contrast to 2023, when signs littered the intersection of Route 22 and Route 44 and 208 voters headed to the polls to decide a competitive mayoral race between incumbent Jenn Najdek and challenger Kelly Kilmer. That year also featured two contested trustee positions and generated the highest turnout in at least five years.

Keep ReadingShow less
Local author to give library book talk on his ‘amusing life’

The Amenia Free Library on Route 343 in Amenia.

Photo by John Coston

AMENIA — Fans of reading will want to attend an upcoming book talk at the Amenia Library on Saturday, June 28, 11:30 a.m., when local author Jorge Sanchez will discuss his short stories based on his own life, finding enough about his life that was amusing and engaging to want to share it with others.

Sanchez will discuss his stories published as Sanchez 5 Inbound: Collection 1 and 2. He also plans to answer questions, discuss the process, and sign copies.

Keep ReadingShow less