Small bugs equal big fish on the Yampa River in wintertime. The stretch below Stagecoach Reservoir is fishing well as always, but you’ll have to think small to net something big until the menu changes in late spring.

“Small midges and tiny parachute Adams are going to work for the subsurface bite and the surface bite, should you see heads poking out of the water below Stagecoach,” says Tim Kirkpatrick at Steamboat Fly Fisher (970-879-6552). “The tiny patterns are producing fish to 22 to 23 inches as usual. The flows are low and clear, so light tippets and tiny flies are key. I’d say you’ll need to fish with something size 20 or smaller.