During the winter months I find myself drawn to the fly vice rather than standing by a Stillwater in the rain, however, the lure of Stillwater rainbows will from time to time raise me from my sofa and off into the countryside I go.

Fly fishing in the winter becomes less of a visual sport and more of a plumbing the depths exercise on many small lakes, as the fish choose the warmer depths to the surface layers.

We change our line from a floating line to an intermediate or sinking line, so we can easily obtain the right depth. Although I must confess that often I will carry a floating line on my 2nd rod or in my pocket just in case I spot a patrolling fish in the margins, or working a weed bed.

The majority of fish can be found deeper down. It is here that I often call upon my knowledge of the lakes from the summer months as often I will recall seeing dark patches of water where there are deeper valleys or a hole. It is here where I will find the Rainbow Trout all huddled together in a shoal, often-large areas of the lake will be devoid of fish or just a single trout will be patrolling.

Once you have located a likely area you need to consider your fly options, many will favour a booby pattern; this is fished with a sinking line and a short leader, sometimes as little as six inches, but can be as long as 3 – 4 feet, short is better. This pattern has normally two foam eyes and should be cast out once the line hits the bottom of the lake.

The fly will then try to float in the water tethered by the line, short sharp retrieve will force the fly to dip in the water, and time should be given to let it rise again before the next retrieve. This method fished correctly can be extremely effective as the fish seem to take with confidence and the fly is often taken towards the back of the mouth.

Another method is to fish a lure such as a Damsel, quickly through the water, this forces the fish to make a decision very quickly and snatch at the fly. It should be said they will sometimes miss and the retrieve should be continued, as a second attack can often happen as the fish will turn and make another lunge.

The exception to the rule is when you think the fish are plucking at the tail or slapping into the lure, at this time the fish are trying to stun the prey, and stalling the fly by non retrieval will often create a successful take. When retrieving a lure try to put as much movement into it as possible by varying the speed of retrieval and movement of your rod tip.

The final option is to fish a weighted nymph slowly past the shoal; I still love the Montana variations although many find these impossible, so another pattern to consider is the Walkers Mayfly nymph. The most important thing with this method is to allow the nymph to sink to the correct depth first and to keep it there as long as possible.

Hot winter colours for winter flies are: - Black, White, Orange, Lime Green.