Cold Water Fishing

Just think about all differing conditions we have to put up with when fishing, warm, wet, cold, windy, bright, dismal, flat calms. We have a list of stuff to use as excuses when the going gets tough and fish are hard to come by.
However we must also realise that there are a whole host of conditions that are continually effecting the fish, water temperature, oxygen level, barometric pressure, moon phases and some may say wind direction (hard fishing in an easterly wind?).
Put these 2 lists together and we end up with the real concept of the fishing challenges we face and the key to success is having the knowledge and skill on how we can overcome these adversities.

Cold water fishing is simple to understand. Rainbows generally like cold water and have no tolerance at all for warm water. However when the temperature gets down to around freezing then the fish take action and go down the depths to find water that is more comfortable. Once there they tend to bide their time basically going into a trance like state waiting patiently for things to improve.
Can they be caught when deep? Well yes, fortunately they can but we have to employ the right tactics. Sinking lines are almost compulsory as we need to reach the fish in the depths. We also need to allow the line to sink to the right depth and therefore need a degree of patience.

How long would it take for an "average" intermediate line that sinks let's say an 1" a second to reach 20ft?? Answer 4 minutes!!!
How long would it take an "average" medium sink line that sinks at a rate of 3" per second to reach the same depth, 20ft? Answer =1 min and 20 seconds

Now ask yourself how long do you leave your line to sink?? 10, 20. 30, 40 seconds?? Obviously sink rates will differ from brand to brand and will be subject to the size/weight and pattern of the fly you are using but you see my point - It's so easy to run out of patience in our eagerness to start fishing.
If you do get the fly to the right depth then you are in with a chance but you cannot expect the fish to really attack the fly and a slow retrieve is normally a better method but if you get it right you can be rewarded like these two beauties (the fish not the fly fishers!!!)