Because there were so many fish underneath the boat, the fish-finder couldn’t differentiate between that mass and actual bottom, some 60 feet below. This didn’t arrive as a major surprise—when whitefish arrive on their spawning grounds, they arrive en masse. In fact, in many Inland Northwest lakes, whitefish are the dominant fish when measured in simple biomass. If you want in on the action, you can target these fish on many lakes spread through Washington, Idaho and Montana starting in December and extending to March. The major exception to this rule is Montana’s Flathead Lake where a thriving summer fishery takes place. Through their native Great Lakes range, whitefish are revered for their delicate, clean white meat. But, in the West, this tasty fish is often regarded as trash. That reputation, however, is undeserved because t...

Getting a fish in the net is the final piece of your fly-fishing puzzle. Without a net a wild fish might break your tippet at the boat or near the bank. A net diminishes the risk of losing a great catch. Many times, while rigging up my rod at the truck, I’ve thought, “Ah, I won’t need the net today.” Then I trot down to the river expecting to catch some dinky fish, and out of nowhere Walter (code word for really, really big fish) shows up… probably because I didn’t bring the net. I know, I know. You think this is a personal problem. And that may be true. But, if you’re a dedicated angler, I bet this has happened to you, too. So hear me out—if you don’t carry a net to the water, you’re just begging for that once-in-a-lifetime fish—Walter—to swim into your life and ruin your day. However, if you have the right net, ...

Ditch the upstream mend and get those trout flies moving. Steelheaders are usually a step ahead of the average trout guy when it comes to understanding and applying the principles of spey-casting. Unfortunately, steelhead tradition often holds them back when it comes to tempting trout on swung flies. Conventional wisdom says that steelhead like the fly served up slow and deliberately. Steelhead may take up temporary residence in a run, but their primary objective is migration to spawning areas. They are not hunting for your fly. They don’t have to eat. Most “steelhead” casts are angled downstream, followed with an upstream mend. This results in slowing the fly and provides a butt-first profile. The steelhead needs to see the fly and have time to decide whether to move to it or not. If the fly appears and disappears too quickly, more...

Clark Fork River (ID) Flows are rising and dropping from 6,000 to 18,000 cubic feet per second daily. But, as of late, the river has held at 6,000 cfs for most of the day. That means the lake has reached its resting level for winter. The water continues to stay crystal clear, and it should’t begin to muddy up until spring. By now, this river is in full swing (lame pun intended). There isn’t much in terms of hatches, so most fisherman are turning to sink-tips and streamers. I have heard of a couple nice cutthroat caught on flies like a silver #4 Skiddish Smolt and on a #8 Sculpzilla. Warm afternoons have fished best. I wouldn’t bother waking up early unless you really need to get away from the in-laws. Lake Cocolalla Fishing has been good, but it won’t last long. Freezing temperatures are coming, and the hard-water fisherman will ...

Coeur d'Alene River Fishing has been slower. The weather has turned to winter-like the last couple of weeks, so it will take a much warmer day to get the fish fired up on the Coeur d’Alene . . . which may or may not happen for a while. Fish can be caught, and the sub-surface game is where it's at. Nymphing and streamer fishing will be the go-to tactics. Smaller beadheads, Copper Johns, choronomids, Pheasant Tails, and Prince Nymphs under an indicator, with the appropriate length of leader and weight, will get you down and bring up some fish. Slower pools and deeper runs are where you should cast. Stay warm out there. St. Joe River No reports of late. But like the Coeur d'Alene, it will be pretty slow. I'd pick your days here, guys, the days are shorter and shorter now and the Joe will not see a lot of sunlight in most parts of the cany...

Clearwater River A few of us fished the Clearwater last week and didn’t find any fish willing to play. Some locals have come into the shop and reported fish being caught on traditional Scandi and Skagit lines. Flies to use are the classics—Hobo Spey, Bunny Leech, and other Intruders. There really isn’t one area to focus on; fish are still moving in from the Snake and they are spread thorough the entire Clearwater system. Fishing the slower runs, and presenting the fly as slow as possible should improve your chances. Grande Ronde River Fishing around Boggans can be very productive this time of year. The swing bite is not over. Skagit lines with sink-tips should make the fish eat. Our favorite fly this time of year is a leech. It is effective throughout the system. Throw bigger flies and give them a slow swing so the fish can conside...

Omak Lake With the temperatures going down, fishing at Omak Lake is heating up. Hungry Lahontan cutthroat in the 16-to 22-inch range are on the hunt, prowling the shore for bait fish. For that reason, fishing from shore has been quite productive. The normal three shore areas are Nicholson (Beer Can) Beach, Mission Beach and the south end of Cowpie Beach. Break out the 6-weight rod and use either an intermediate line or Type 3 sinking line. Flies of choice: #6 Downey’s Red Death, #8 Sculpzilla, #8 Near Nuff Sculpin in tan or olive, #8 TFP Balanced Squirrel Leech in purple or black. Morning will be you best time to target these hungry cruisers. Rat Lake The reports are driving me nuts because I haven’t been able to get out there. Multiple fish are being reported in the 14-to 18-inch class with a couple now and then above the 20-inch ma...

Missouri River, Montana The cold-to mild winter yo-yo pattern has begun and we are currently holding at the top of the string. The daily temps are above freezing and while it’s not like summer, hardcore anglers with the proper gear are still getting after it. The yo-yo will drop soon, so don’t wait if you want another shot at late-fall conditions. In central Montana, the Missouri River is the place to be right now. The swing game is on with great reports coming in from those working the Balanced Leech. Black is king, but brown and olive are also worth trying. Light MOW tips are perfect for dropping those leeches into the bite zone. The water temp is still hovering above 40 degrees. I recently got a good shot at a bunch of happy heads munching mayflies. They were up and steadily eating from 1:30 to 3 p.m. I had a #14 purple ant tied o...

By Marty Sheppard When I swing flies for steelhead, I always expect to find a fish. Catching one is my goal. And some years, even when the fish are just arriving and overall numbers are very low, I’ve enjoyed some amazing success. At other times, in the best years, when steelhead fill our rivers and I know every run holds dozens of fish, I’ve seen fishless days. Go figure. So, even though the Columbia River steelhead run is forecast at a 50-year low, anglers will still enjoy some magical moments this fall and that makes it worthwhile to fish. But, because there are so few fish, will I change my tactics? Not really. My techniques to find and hook steelhead, for the most part, stay the same—I want to fish good water, and I want to fish it well. But there are some things to consider this year. For instance, when a pool or particular s...