Over the past few years, I’ve made winter trips out to Colorado to snowboard. I can’t say I’m not partially guilty of this myself, but winter fishing offers opportunities that most anglers choose to ignore. Larvae of humpbacked flies can develop by feeding on an extremely wide range of moist, decaying organic materials including garbage, dead animal matter, and even some paints. I love the feeling of walking to a prime winter spot after a snow storm and seeing that I am the only set of tracks going to that spot. Mechanically scrub and/or use drain cleaners to remove the bacterial gel coating of plumbing within which this insect breeds. *Colorado State University Extension entomologists and professors, bioagricultural sciences and pest management. Where small fruit flies (vinegar flies) are a concern this often involves either consuming, covering, or storing all susceptible fruit in a refrigerator for at least a week, until the remaining adult flies have died out. Pick your color. In winter “I have noticed an upsurge of flies in my house this winter. The go to flies that you will find in my box this time of year are what are going to be very effective on the rivers of the Rocky Mountains. I started bringing along my fly rod and began fishing in the morning before the resorts opened and skiing for the rest of the day. The flies most likely to bother you in your home this winter are cluster flies, fruit flies, or house flies. Contact your local county Extension office through our County Office List. ©2021, Colorado State University Extension, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523 USA. Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department has some region specific rules for fisherman along the South Platte, so get familiar with them before heading out: - From Cheesman Dam downstream to upper boundary of Wigwam Club - Gold Medal - fishing with artificial flies or lures only; catch and release Some can breed indoors, developing in sites such as overripe fruit (e.g., vinegar/small fruit flies), in soil of houseplants (e.g., fungus gnats), within drains (e.g., moth flies, humpbacked flies), or in moist garbage. ... there are just a handful of patterns that most anglers need during the winter months. Perhaps most widely used are traps to capture small fruit flies, as these traps can be easily and cheaply made. Don’t be intimidated by freezing temperatures and snowy river banks, […] Takes will be more subtle in winter, and yarn is far more sensitive than bubble-style indicators. I believe much of my success depends on the flies I use. When such baits are placed in the bottom of a jar with a paper cone over the top large numbers of small fruit flies can be trapped for disposal. However, unlike cluster flies, Ceroxys latiusculus does not survive indoors through winter and those that do enter buildings usually are all dead by the end of November. Yes, small flies do play a big part (but not every part) in a trout’s winter fare. And that’s the beauty of it all. These “drain flies” also may develop in sites where there are drips or cracks in plumbing or where water may condense and moisten areas behind walls or under floors. Large numbers of the flies can be produced where there is a problem with broken or leaking drain pipes. Overwatering, a common problem during fall and winter, increases fungi and fungus gnat development. Eliminating food sources used by developing flies is an important step to take to limit problems with flies that can breed within a building. The go to flies that you will find in my box this time of year are what are going to be very effective on the rivers of the Rocky Mountains. When full grown, the larvae usually wander a bit away from their breeding site than transform to a different stage, the pupa. Lights that produce wave lengths most attractive to these insects can be used to capture flies on a sticky surface or to electrocute them. Fly traps may supplement control. During the winter, I have caught monstrous fish on streamers in colorado using this exact technique. ... there are just a handful of patterns that most anglers need during the winter months. Pour down drain cleaners, such as lye, and hot water do not do a good job of eliminating this material and kill few, if any, of the flies developing in plumbing. Some of these flies only temporarily use buildings for shelter while other flies may reproduce indoors. Equal Opportunity | Tight fitting screens can prevent indoor access by many flies. Some species of flies, such as face and cluster flies, lay eggs in the cracks and crevasses of a home. Reduce outdoor breeding sites (primarily decaying animal matter and animal waste). Winter Fishing; Search. Removal of household garbage may need to be done as often as every 4 to 5 days during summer to prevent flies from successfully breeding within a home. Flies that use buildings as temporary seasonal shelter, such as cluster flies and bluebottle flies, are best managed by sealing buildings prior to periods when they move to buildings in late summer and early autumn. For example, cluster flies rarely are found indoors until late winter and spring but typically enter buildings during late August and September. Although such occurrences are unpleasant, they are usually short-lived and self-limiting, as the insects are only capable of breeding on freshly killed animals. 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