Don't forget about fishing the scuds in the cold months

 

With the colder weather moving in and Old Man Winter is just around the corner, some of us may want to continue bundling up and fishing through winter.  Scuds are crustaceans that dwell in many habitats but are oftentimes in the shallow water areas on aquatic plants, river bottom leaves, and silt of cool tailwaters, springs, lakes, and ponds.  Scuds are highly nutritious and an excellent protein source for the trout. 

Fishing between weed beds can be very productive 
with some careful maneuvering.

Weeds beds are a favorite habitat for scuds, trout will often be grouped up around the weeds and river bottom areas and easily become pushed in the river current.  They are present year-round constantly swimming up and down the water column. 

One of my favorite year-round patterns to fish at
some of our favorite tailwaters.

A great fly pattern to swing by the trout all times of the year including the colder months.  My recipe in tying the scud in tan:

Hook:  Togens 3x heavy hook size 16

Thread:  UNI-Thread 8/0, tan

Back:  Scud back 1/8" clear

Thorax:  Dubbing for Scuds and Sowbugs, tan

Head/tail:  Antron yarn, tan

Segmentation:  UTC Ultra wire, gold extra small

UV:  Solarez Ultra thin, clear

Scuds come in various colors including olive, grey, greens, tans, and orange.  Scuds turn an attractive green at the late part of their lifecycle.  Scuds transform into orange in color when they die, and they can be vital to imitate in tailwaters with fluctuating water flow. When the water level drops, scuds can become stranded in the streambed, and as the water level rises again, the dead scuds are swept into the river and an easy meal for the trout.

The best way to fish a scud is a dead drift just as you would with a nymph.  Fishing within the weeds is complicated, but something you don't want to miss.  Casting into the larger channels between the weeds could hold lots of trout with the occasional hidden beast.  Fish the different parts of the water column as well as the casting into the riffles.  Fooling the trout with a tumbling scud in faster waters can be quite exhilarating!  See you on the river!

A fantastic brownie fooled by a tan scud.