December 29th 2025: Nice End to a Rough Year (for trout)
The end of the year has been delightful for anglers in New Jersey. Some weather brought the levels up coinciding with our winter stocking event: “Bubba” is in the South Branch and several hundred fish have accompanied this year’s prized brown trout. 2025 was a drought year so let’s appreciate all the water and time out there we can get! Thank you to everyone who donated in memory of Jim Holland.
Tumultuous changes in the weather, some days reaching near fifty degrees quickly followed by precipitous drops into the 20s, is not a deterrent. With time off last week, I had some productive days in the TCAs - both Ken Lockwood and Point Mountain. From my experience, the fish have been taking Jeff’s Black Beauty #22 and Top Secret #22, WD40 and Zebra midges #18 - #24, beadhead hare’s ear nymphs in #14, and small streamers or wooly buggers fished like baitfish. Egg sucking leeches and eggs have worked for folks I keep up with and both the morning bite and warmest (ten am to one pm) part of the day are good times. I do notice there is a lull in the action between eight and ten am. John Collins' sculpins are deadly, too, when all else is not getting it done. We have some in the shop while supplies last.
If you fish under an indicator, try swinging your nymph, flymph, or wet fly without one. Adjusting the number of split shot can help, too. We are still very much in a drought and flows are not where we want them to be. Traditional flies with a bead can be enough, but for deeper holes one AB or BB about 14 inches above the lead fly can change your day. Putting flies in their face is important when the water is cold and the fish won’t expend energy unless it is worth it. Slow your drift with mends or put that indicator back on and ensure the fly is in the lead or directly below your tip. Focus on rocks and other structure; look for darker patches among the sandy sections.
On certain days, when the water warms, there could be a burst of chironomid activity and they, like caddis or mayflies, can have a hatch. Shout out to Ken H. for letting me know about this podcast featuring Tom Rosenbauer’s conversation on chironomids and why they are essential for winter anglers (and how to pronounce chironomid correctly). More on them specifically in January.
The few remaining days in the year look good. There should be more water entering the rivers after another bump up in temps and rain on Monday night. Don’t forget to renew your licenses and fly lines; Air Flo lines are 50% off while supplies last. If the holidays were good to you (or it's time to be good to yourself!) come in for some new waders or rod and reel. Gear up with garments from Patagonia making wading in thirty-degree water more comfortable. Choose from several options to optimize layers and your time on the water.
Fly Tying 101 and tying events around the area continue in 2026! Remember, Thursday night is an open tying night in the shop. Groups like Ridge and Valley TU and the New Jersey Tyers Guild host tying events, so ask around or look for them on the interwebs.
Thank you to everyone who donated for Don’s hip surgery. As a young angler in the days before the internet, Don was instrumental in helping myself and countless others select the right flies and find likely spots. Once, probably 20 years ago, he loaned me a pair of waders, on the honor system, when my brand new Dan Bailey’s sprung a leak and had to be fixed. He must have seen the utter dejection on my face and took great pity on me. I’ll also never forget when he suggested I try the bubble wing Iso, leading to a fantastic day on the South Branch. There is still time to help out at Donate for Don.
Finally, I am thankful to each and every one of you for reading this report. I am grateful for your taking the time and for Lindsey, Marcia, and Abraham who post it. Happy New Year and tight lines in ‘26.
See you out there,
Roy B.
