by Scott Carver, onWater CEO and co-founder

‍Recently members of the onWater team took a break from building a world class fishing app and spent a day fishing in winter. Our crew chose to enjoy some of the recent warm weather here in the Rockies to reap some fishing rewards. Normally this time of year many of us would be on the ski slopes, but this was a day to be fly fishing on water…the liquid kind. The day didn’t disappoint.Winter is a magical time to be fly fishing in the mountains. Stream flows are low and clear and mountain peaks are blanketed in snow. Summer-time crowds are gone so many anglers can enjoy a river to themselves.

The onWater Team Features Expert Anglers

I fished Josh and Drew from our Operations Team. These two are professional guides, fly tyers, and industry influencers. They are some of the most accomplished anglers I have been around.Our walk-and-wade fishing had us on a section of river neither of them had ever fished. As we made our way upstream, the two anglers quickly scanned the river and were able to detect subtle holding areas. Their experience, skills, and anglers’ intuition were on full display.Josh stopped and fished a gentle tailout of a long run. He hooked up immediately. Drew wandered further upstream and spotted a long depression. In it, he targeted several large rainbows. Within a few casts, Drew was connected to a jumping rainbow. In these two instances, I got a preview of how the day would unfold.

Learn Something New Every Day

The more we explored and the more I watched Josh and Drew, the more it became a clinic in how to read a river, select the right flies, and make the right presentation. The action was constant, and several 20-inch-plus fish were brought to net. Josh and Drew rocked it on a stream they had never fished. We are thrilled they are part of the team building a world class fishing app from onWater.I was an active participant feeling the passion of this next generation of anglers. We are fortunate to have them play for the onWater team and share their expertise and experience with our members.It was a great day of fishing. As the sunset lit the snowcapped peaks in gold, the three of us—spanning two generations—cracked-open local brews and lamented on the joy of being on the river in winter. The magnificent sunset, the solitude of the day, and exploring new water were not lost.It went unsaid and we all knew it…it was not about how many fish we caught it was about the experience.

Be sure to read onWater fishing blog posts to plan better and fish smarter and help you find places to fish near you.

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