Winter Fly Fishing | Brooks, Browns, and Snow

Fly fishing in the winter can be tough. Battling cold fingers, frozen guides, and sluggish trout can be frustrating at times. At the same time however, the winter scenery can be spectacular and having entire stretches of stream to yourself are definitely perks that make the challenges worth it. In this video, we headed up to our camp in Northern PA to do a little bit of fishing on some of the pristine Kettle Creek tributaries. The scenery was spectacular and as an added bonus the fishing wasn't half bad either! Enjoy the video.
Shout out to our friend Matt Doering for letting us use one of his new songs in our video! If you like what you heard, you can check out more of his music at www.mattdoeringmusic.com/ or check him out on Spotify.
Gear Used
• Nymph Rod
• Dry Fly Rod
• Scientific Angler MPX Line - amzn.to/2Gpipli
• Leader Material
o Maxima Chameleon - amzn.to/37setwb
o Amnesia sighter - amzn.to/3aIR7nU
• Cortland Tippet - amzn.to/2Rn5ruM
• Fly Storage
o Dry Fly box - amzn.to/2TRZJme
o Nymph Box - amzn.to/2sWi3Qj
o Streamer Box - amzn.to/2vkXuhe
o Working Fly Box - amzn.to/2RpUhFE
o Extra Fly Storage - amzn.to/2sYSMoC
• Waterproof Camera Bag - amzn.to/38AVEqF
• Wading Staff - amzn.to/2GkBdSP
• Hip Pack - amzn.to/37pXDy5
• Buff - amzn.to/30RUK6x
• Nippers (THE BEST ON THE MARKET!!!) - amzn.to/2Rra8nr
• Desiccant powder - amzn.to/2Rn2ESu
• Floatant - amzn.to/2NWR91L
• Tippet (and other garbage) disposal system - amzn.to/36qW8ON
• Filming gear
o SonyA6000 - amzn.to/2FIBpLw
o GoPro Hero3, Hero3+, Hero4 - amzn.to/2FN712y
o Editing Software - amzn.to/2QNF54X
*These are Amazon Affiliate links
#WinterFlyFishing #KettleCreekWatershedAssociation #DynamicNymphing
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[@reeddoerr1213]

Nice video with the snow and Brook trout! I love those little fish. The colors.....

[@tannercremer]

Blue wing olive and elk hair caddis do great. Love the fall.

[@DavidAlanReece]

My wife asked me "How can you just sit there and watch those guys freeze and try to catch fish?" I replied, "The same way you can watch 10 years of zombies eating people." At least I get experience an area that I might never see or enjoy like you get to do. Keep doing what you love and sharing. Tight lines!

[@BackyardBassin]

Really glad you enjoyed the video! Thanks for watching!

[@AK2HI]

That looks like a great time

[@TheXeniaman]

Great video. That camp you fellas have there is a slice of heaven.

[@BackyardBassin]

We're extremely blessed to have a family camp. I always say that it is the one place on earth that I can TOTALLY relax. Thanks for watching!

[@Paulpoission]

All the best things in life right there.

[@OscarOverlanding]

Thank you.

[@sgt4645]

Wow Awesome Video an Share,,, Thank You, God Bless 👍

[@BackyardBassin]

Glad you enjoyed it! thanks for watching!

[@vikingman0317]

Really well done! Thank you for sharing.

[@BackyardBassin]

Thanks for watching!

[@mountaingoatgreg1691]

Loved the scenery! Glad you boys were able go get into some nice fish even in the cold

[@scottlowe3355]

Great Job! Great video and very cool to show your fishing camp experience as well.

[@FlyFishtheMitt]

Some nice, quiet winter scenery...good fishing too!!

[@BackyardBassin]

Couldn't have asked for better scenery! Had the entire stream to ourselves that day too. :)

[@troutmiester7441]

Nice fish, nice water, nice area! God is great!

[@BackyardBassin]

Absolutely! It is God's country up there!

[@hillbillysportsman5818]

Great video! You guys are Blessed to have a camp in such beautiful country!

[@BackyardBassin]

It truly is a blessing. Thank you for watching!

[@edmiller4149]

Awesome job by Dan catching those fish !!! Really enjoyed the whole story. Life is good......,

[@2daysmedia646]

Great video right here! This is what going to hunting/fishing camp is for. Nice wild brown BTW

[@billknox4121]

Beautiful Pa. stream , trout , and scenery

[@BackyardBassin]

Couldn't have asked for a more beautiful weekend that that one! Thanks for watching!

[@AymanSul]

Beautiful

[@richardferrara86]

Great video as always guys. Looked like a really fun trip. That part of the state is so beautiful.

[@BackyardBassin]

Thank you, Rich! Agreed, we absolutely love it up there.

[@blake6884]

Great video! Has me wanting to travel and chase brookies again..

[@frankieshoenfelt8550]

Great Video Guys... Back drop was Magical!!!!

[@BackyardBassin]

Agreed, Frankie! Couldn't have asked for more gorgeous scenery!

[@mattmchugh9394]

Great video! Gotta love winter hookups!

[@Droptineful]

Beautiful camp up in Gods country!

[@_nickhill_]

What a great weekend on the water, thanks for sharing! This has motivated me to get off the couch and trudge through meters of snow to try my hand at some Japanese trout today. Tight lines!

[@AdventuringthePNW]

That’s some beautiful fish with the snow on the ground. Great video guys. Huge like.

[@BackyardBassin]

Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed

[@rayjupina6719]

Beautiful, makes me want to head up. I've been fly fishing for 45 years but never tried it in the winter. Your video may have pushed me over the top to finally give it a shot. Happy New Year....

[@patricksmith7839]

Great video guys and definitely a beautiful brown at the end. Keep up the good work

[@BackyardBassin]

Thanks Pat! We really appreciate that. Thank you for watching!

[@riverrightoutdoors]

Great vid fellas .. looks super cold and challenging. Those rookies are nice ...

[@zenbooter]

“ Pennsy” sure miss it in winter. Good for yus.

[@curtisblair7618]

Beautiful trip, nice fresh snow is a pretty background for the pictures. Nice fish too. It reminds of a trip I made to Colorado one fall about 20 years ago. We did catch alot of stocked rainbow trout, I missed a big native brown. But the most remarkable catch was a little 8" brook trout in a small farm steam a farmer left us fish. It was so beautiful, and exciting to catch.

[@BackyardBassin]

Sometime the smaller fish can have the bigger impact. Sounds like a great trip you went on. Thank you for watching!

[@kevinamack6]

Beautiful area. I was in the Adirondacks. Looks very similar. Nice vid.

[@williammiller353]

Awesome job, enjoyed watching, my feet got cold watching Dan in the river.

[@BackyardBassin]

Glad you enjoyed the video! The feet definitely needed thawed out! Not to mention our hands after getting them wet!

[@bdickinson6751]

The pleasure is worth the pain!

[@bdickinson6751]

Ya gotta love the exceptional coloration on those wild, stream bred fish, regardless of their size. The environs in which they're found are beautiful as well. ( At least most of the time.)

[@BackyardBassin]

Totally agree! Thanks for watching!

[@garnersflybox2652]

It is always important to keep in mind the water temperature of the stream. When a storm rolls through, generally the trout will be put down due to the colder water temperatures which slows down their metabolism and the need for food. When this happens, they almost enter a hibernation mode, where they sleep till they need enough food to stay alive, then they go back to sitting on the bottom. On the Madison, i have seen browns sideways to a rock, holding in position with the current just pushing them into the rock. Then they need to expend little energy to stay in one place at a time. The smaller trout can't store as much fat, so they feed more often. But all the fish will find the slowest water with access to the best food supply in the stream. Most of the time being the deeper holes on the water. To explain the slow fishing, would just be the storm had already rolled through, causing a drop in water temperature. Turning the fish into hibernation mode. And causing them to not feed as much. If there was run off, and the water temperature rose a few degrees, then more fish would be turned on, due to the increase in water flow, and more bio-mass getting dislodged and flowing down the river or stream

[@troutmiester7441]

Thanks Mr. Expert! Would have never figured out winter fishing without your comments! 🙄 Please tell us more!

[@WesternPaFlyFisher]

Nice video. I don't get up there as much as I should. Keep them coming.

[@SanFengFishing]

Nice scenery

[@sillygooseflyfishing]

that was a stud brown! really nice colors against the snow.

[@BackyardBassin]

Agreed! The backdrop really made the color pop

[@BrookieBum]

Great video guys. Always enjoy them. This might be one if your best yet. Water temp is important, below 40 tmand their metabolism slows way down to conserve energy. Its very hard fishing, looks like yall got er done though.

[@tightliningmd]

Stunning shot for the thumbnail. Such a serene pic. Winter fishing has its pros and cons, but it is a great time of year to be on the water. Nice job capturing it and sharing it. Can't wait for spring. I might actually be able to start fishing and recording. Not to mention buy a new comp and edit. I am so behind and feel left out. This winter has killed me. At least you guys have had amazing success. Congrats on the 10K, well earned and deserved!

[@BackyardBassin]

Thank you Mike! We really appreciate that. Spring should be here before we know it! Starting to get some cabin fever here as well...

[@davidgregg6703]

Nice video, tight lines from Northern Ireland

[@BackyardBassin]

Glad you enjoyed the video! Thanks again, for watching!

[@lisagauvin]

This video was a “kick in the pants”, to get back out there. I love fly fishing in the winter....

[@BackyardBassin]

Glad you enjoyed the video! Thanks for watching!

[@richardharrod378]

Nice brown

[@PaulWooten23]

Here's what I think, per your request. On days like this, best to whip out your tiniest hook, tie on a foot of sewing thread, and head to the tropical fish store. It's a lot warmer inside, the fish are bigger, and the tanks are always stocked to the gills. Can't miss. A single salmon egg is all you need for bait, even a rubber one, with garlic scent. Low cost, no frostbite, and if you hit the bargain 3-for-a-dollar tank, less than 50 'casts' will bring home a decent meal, especially if you like sushi. No cleaning necessary, just swallow them whole!

[@PaulWooten23]

J/K, BTW! Grew up in Caribou Maine, 7 years of 50-feet-a-year snowfall, and zero winter fishing unless you want to drill through 10-15 feet of ice LOL. Sure miss the summer months, though, and lots of great trout fishing. Great video here, subscribed!

[@BackyardBassin]

Thanks for the sub! Got a kick out of your previous comment because it's so true! Lol

[@sweettony9359]

Good stuff. Hate the fact that it is a close season up here in Maine. Never made much sense to me. Keep it up!

[@Osnyfishingadventures]

Those were some beautiful trout! That bigger brown and the snow was just a bonus! Been going up to central PA a lot lately, and it's just the most beautiful place! I live a good 2 hours from Central PA, and the streams where I'm at are nothing compared to the streams up there. Here the streams are filled with mud due to all the agriculture going on. I'm amazed the wild trout here can live when all the rocks are covered in silt LOL! Anyways HAHAHA, awesome video and tight lines as always! Maybe we can link up sometime in the future, have a fly fishing KZbin channel as well.

[@BackyardBassin]

We are super fortunate to have a camp in such a beautiful area! Thanks for watching!

[@Osnyfishingadventures]

Backyard Angling anytime!🎣💦

[@jonmiller6320]

glad i found your channel!!! love camp/hike/flyfishing and love finding little tips from you guys. You did a review recently on 3 rods, i'm really thinking about that Syndicate in 3wt 10'. Also for hiking in would you take that as a primary or go more for the 5wt 9' standard?

[@BackyardBassin]

We find ourselves going more and more with the 10ft 3wt these days to where that has become our primary rod for just about everything. Last year the only time I used my 9ft 5wt was out west on the Missouri river due to high winds. Just our own personal preference though

[@jonmiller6320]

Backyard Angling much appreciated!!! Keep those videos coming!

[@randistrunk2116]

Another quality video fellas, is your camp in potter county

[@BackyardBassin]

Thanks for watching! And it's in Clinton

[@kathywestcott9742]

Wow what a beautiful place with all the snow some gorgeous brook trout, & amazing browns lovely to see, really cold though, thanks for sharing.

[@BackyardBassin]

Glad you enjoyed the video! Thanks for watching!

[@billemshoff9335]

Pardon me for asking a dumb question, but I live in a warm water state. With all of the conservation efforts nowadays, why don't brook trout grow to be 3, 4, or 5 pounds like they did 100 years ago? Do they die off or get eaten or what keeps them small?

[@BackyardBassin]

For alot of reasons brook trout are only able to live in small streams. As a result they aren't able to grow as large

[@kalendrinn]

Tenkara!! Why didn't you use it! :( I love tenkara fishing.

[@balor7]

Beautiful ! Is that a private camp?

[@BackyardBassin]

Yes, it is our family camp. We are very blessed to have it!

[@flyfisherluki]

I have a question guys, are salmonids not in spawning season during winter? In Europe, you are not allowed to fish for trout, grayling, brookies etc. during the whole winter. I wonder why this is not the case in the US. Thanks for your answer :) All the Best from Switzerland

[@garnersflybox2652]

The spawning season for many of the salmanoid species in the US ends by November at the latest, with rainbow or steelhead spawning in the spring. Browns, brookies, grayling spawn in the later months of fall into early winter. But with a lot of the areas in the east, they are stocked, not wild. (except brookies). So in this video, they are post spawn fishing, which a lot of the time is open to the public, unless in a special protected zone by the fish wildlife and parks of that state. In this case, Pennsylvania.

[@BackyardBassin]

That is correct. Although one common misconception is that in PA, the wild fish population, in this case native brook trout and wild browns, actually far exceeds the stocked population. You wouldn't think it but PA has more miles of streams than any state in the lower 48, many of which are class A in the central and northern parts of the state.

[@joeyoh311]

hey to the guy in the plaid, what kind of pack is that?

[@BackyardBassin]

The backpack is a System G waterproof backpack. The lanyard is just a home-made job.

[@joeyoh311]

@@BackyardBassin thanks, love the videos, keep it up!

[@conmartys2749]

Cross Fork?

[@trevorb7645]

Boys..Im happy if I catch one..but for me..its never really been about the catch

[@keiranrooker7981]

I really hate being that guy but you should lift the trout with your rod I don’t care cause your not fishing my stream that’s just something I wouldn’t personally do

[@deeejaaay8518]

Tenkara aka cane pole