I fly fish Puerto Peñasco all year long, and I am usually glad to see the end of February. Our winters in Rocky Point are better than most, but the colder temperatures usually cause the fishing to be not as good as the rest of the year. While November is really a good month to fly fish, December, January, and February can be our least productive fly fishing months. While some of our fish leave for warmer water, there are still good numbers of fish that can be caught close to shore with a fly.

One problem with winter fishing, you need to wear more clothing. My summer attire of swim trunks, fishing shirt, hat and sun glasses is a little too light for the winter winds. I find myself bundled in polar fleece, wind breaker, and waders. My routine of fishing from early to late is scrapped for a nice warm sunny afternoon escapade of fishing on a calm day. Getting slapped with a cold wave of water will cause you to adjust your priorities. With all of the inconvenience, Puerto Peñasco winter fly fishing it is still better than many other winter destinations. I have never had to melt the ice out of my guides in Puerto Peñasco.

Fly fishing tip: FISH STRUCTURE. To catch fish you need to find fishy looking places to cast your flies. To a casual observer much of the beach and estuary looks the same. On closer inspection you can find drop offs, tide pools, and coral ledges that have enough structural difference to provide a hiding place for a fish. Sometimes a cut in the sand will be a foot deeper than the sand around it. When you observe some of these places at low tide commit them to memory and fish this structure change when you have 2 or 3 feet of water over the structure.

Yes, we probably complain about the few cold winter days we do have in Peñasco, but by late February we have already started to get some nice springtime days. One can go to the beach without a blanket and ear muffs. Just think about those poor souls who have that last snow storm in May. Egads! Well it’s time to go fishing, and I have a few pictures of favorite flies for Rocky Point fly fishing. The Clouser Minnow can be tied to look like a bait fish, can be fished near the bottom, and with its hook in an up position does not get hooked on the bottom as often. I usually start with a number 4 size hook, and tie my flies 2 to 4 inches long. I will tie a smaller version on a size 6 hook, and a larger one on a size 2. Our fish are generally not picky, but having a nice assortment of small, medium, and large flies in a variety of colors will help you land more fish.

Vince Deadmond “The Fly Fishing Hardware Guy” can be reached at Best Hardware 237 N Apache Trail Apache Junction, AZ vince@ajbest.com and 480 982 7461.