December 2023 - 36

shepherds when keeping sheep was the main
thing to do out there.
Casper's Bill Mixer recalls winter fishing
with a bit of nostalgia. By overloading on
coffee and stuffing a passel of hand warmers
down his waders, Mixer was a regular presence
at Grey Reef for 20 years. He used these quiet
months to hone his skills and experiment
with different fly patterns. When freestone
rivers were frozen, the section below the dam
remained open.
" The Wyoming Fly Casters used to do a
Polar Bear Outing, " Mixer said. " Oh man,
we'd go out to the dam on New Year's Day
and have a blast. The Sunset Bar knew we were
coming. They'd whip up a pot of chili and
we'd go in there after a few hours of casting
and watch a football game or two. "
He doesn't winter fish as much as he used
to, but he described some recent outings with
his daughter when the ice had encroached
to the point they had to pull the boat out at
Cable Hole, not a true boat ramp.
" I remember one day I was out there alone
and the sun was out, but these huge snowflakes
were falling all around me. And there
were midges coming up and trout rising, "
he said.
With low, clear flows, winter is a good time to wade fish. (Photo by Dave Zoby)
UNIQUE EXPERIENCE
When I was new to the West and fly-fishing,
I discovered wintertime was a good time to tie
flies and organize my fly boxes. It's the perfect
time to read a classic novel, one you missed
in your formal education. One or two trips
out to the Miracle Mile on iffy roads, only to
stand in 34-degree water and gradually lose the
feeling in my toes was not for me. Drifting in
a boat all day was out of the question. I made
excuses when people asked me to come along.
But I had to admit, the winter colors, gaudy
waterfowl feeding in secret eddies and the
somnolent vibe of midwinter held a certain
appeal. Loose herds of pronghorn stare you
down. The parking areas are almost always
empty. There is often no boat traffic, and
the only company you can reliably count on
are the human-like figures of stacked stones
that punctuate the horizon. They're called
stone boys, and they were put there by bored
36 | December 2023
WORK ON SKILLS
What are fly anglers supposed to do all winter?
The fly shops are quiet most days. Then
there are events curated to beat the slow time:
rod-building and fly-tying festivals that are
usually buoyed by adult drinks and gear raffles.
People come in from the cold to wiggle a fly
rod in space just for the feel of it.
Blake Jackson, owner of the Ugly Bug Fly
Shop in Casper, looks at the winter as a time
to try other techniques and take advantage of
the low, clear winter flows.
" I love throwing a switch rod or a spey rod
in the dead of winter, " Jackson said. " One, I
can stay a little warmer because I can stay on
the bank versus having to wade out real deep.
Flows are down - you can wade-fish easier.
But it really sets up great for swinging a fly -
much like you would a steelhead fly - there
are so many leeches, and so many other bottom
sources that the trout aren't really chasing
streamers super aggressively, but they love to
eat 'em on the swing. "
Jackson said anglers have to watch the
weather in the winter. He described how
experienced anglers can make the mistake of
misjudging the ice. They see open water at The
Reef, and they launch, unaware that 5 miles
https://uglybugflyshop.crazyrainbow.net/
December 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2023
