So I don't normally fish after November and have been struggling to get fish to bite this winter. I have noticed that when they are visibly feeding it's usually sipping bugs and it's usually small fish, probably sunfish. In the past I have had good luck catching sunfish with a tiny black fly I used to have, so I tried to find a replacement. Not being a fly fisherman I can't really identify different flies but I found some little Griffith’s Gnats on ebay that look a little bit like the black fly I used to have. Anyways, is a tiny (size 18), black fly good for winter fishing? Unfortunately I won't have them for a week or two, but am eager to try them out. I tried a larger, tan fly a few times this winter and the fish weren't interested, so I'm hoping tiny and black will do the trick.

Well, I wish you would have piped up sooner I would have sent you some for free, all my smallish flies are collecting dust and taking up room. Yes, sunfish and a myriad of other species will take small bugs off the top. #18 ain't too tiny either; I have tied flies down to #28 for trout in other states. Do you have a fly rod? If so, there are many on here that can help you out. One thing I would point out is if you are trying to target surface feeders you will need some kind of floatant for your flies such as gink (a silicone gel) or Frogs fanny (a powdered silicone-based desiccant). If you don't treat your flies with this they just sink which often enough is not such a bad thing. Most feeding occurs below the surface.

Also, if you have a fly rod the white bass runs are fixing to bust loose and a clouser minnow is absolutely deadly on them. Google some of the stuff I have mentioned so you get an idea of what I'm referencing and you could be well on your way to a new fishing addiction.

Howdy CarlB,

Those should work fine to catch aggressive fish that are actively feeding on the surface. Another good fly you can purchase for top water fishing are the Betts Fancy Poppers. I don't have much luck catching bluegill on top water flies in the winter. I will usually add a dropper fly a foot to 2 foot below the popper; or just fish subsurface flies.

But, I'm like Bones, once the white bass start hitting the creeks I get very preoccupied and catch bluegill by accident

I don't have a fly rod, I just occasionally fish a fly on a spinning reel with a bobber. As for sinking, I found that it actually works pretty good for bluegills to let the fly sink about a foot below the bobber, but that was in spring and fall.