One of my favorite aspects of saltwater fishing is the unexpected. This may arrive in the form of weather and water conditions (read, lightning strikes, big waves, and scary) or in surprise catches. For instance, on the first day I ever fly fished for tarpon I saw several fish swimming by and decided to throw my Cockroach fly at them, just to see if they would notice. Once the fly landed I gave it a twitch and the last fish in the group peeled off and inhaled it. And what kind of fish was that, you ask? Nothing less than a permit! This came about a half hour after I’d landed a tarpon while cruising out of a cut on the Atlantic side of Marathon, Florida. Needless to say, the luck ran out and it took me eons to catch another tarpon and, to this day, I haven’t had another permit on the line. Catching Different Species on Saltwater Fly Fi...

What's not to like about picking up Methow-area cuttbows on dries? Get in on the action before the season closes August 15. The Chewuch, Twisp and a goldmine of other recently opened Okanogan-area streams are in prime shape and the westslope cutthroats, bull trout, brookies and rainbows that populate these beautiful waters are hitting hard on dries and nymphs. But you better get in on the action quick because most of these Methow River tributaries close early on August 15. And remember, it’s all catch-and-release. Need to gear up ahead of the fall swing? The early closure is in place to protect our anadromous runs, meaning the steelhead and salmon coming up the Columbia that end up in the Methow. During August, I have been startled more than once by spawning salmon as I roamed from bank to bank. Please be alert for redds when wading �...

Plant now for a garden that keeps giving through the holidays. Even with the summer vegetable harvest coming on fast and furious, it’s time to prepare for your fall garden and extend your season for as long as possible. Growing for Fall Harvests is "Easier" Veteran gardeners know that fall is an easy time to grow vegetables. Insects are on the downward slide, weeds are far less of an issue, and the extreme heat has passed. There might even be additional rain to assist in watering. But timing is everything. With limited days before severe cold hits, and with decreasing sunlight, seeds and plants need to be planted with enough time to mature. The window to plant can slip away in the exuberance of a summer harvest, which is why this is the perfect time to pencil out your fall gardening plan and put it on the calendar. Looking for the too...

What's a Soft Hackle when it comes to Tying Flies? The term “soft-hackle” refers to a category of flies that has an extensive history in fly fishing. And, most importantly, these flies are incredibly productive in the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies, which means you are missing out if you don’t carry a heavy supply of these patterns whenever and wherever your fish. These patterns are so effective, in fact, that Yvon Chouinard, founder and owner of Patagonia, only fished a soft-hackle (the Pheasant Tail and Partridge), and no other flies, for a full year. He took bonefish, Atlantic salmon, British Columbia steelhead, and trout on it, in different sizes and colors of course. Gaylen Mercer on Why you should Fish Soft Hackle Patterns Another proponent of soft-hackles is the landscape and sporting artist Gaylen Mercer. Mercer cre...

Some of my greatest childhood fly fishing memories took place on Montana’s Madison River, in a short, fast-water stretch between Three Dollar Bridge and Quake Lake. Last week, I revisited my old stomping grounds and created new memories. Based on the fishing, it might be a good time for you to do the same thing. That’s because, right now, water clarity is excellent on the Madison. Even though I fished more rainy days than sunny ones, the rain didn't influence water clarity at all, and I found a few fish. Air temperatures were in the 80s, and wet wading was the way to go, which is always the case here—you can’t fish from a boat on this stretch although you can use a boat or raft to access the water and float through to lower sections. If you're in the market for a new fly rod... look no further. The primary hatch was brown caddisf...

The Missouri River below Holter Dam is running approximately 4,200 cubic feet a second each day. Water temps have been creeping up to the 64 degree ranges in the mornings and pushing to 68 degrees for a peak below the dam. We are looking good in terms of staying below the Hoot Owl temperature threshold, but water temperature is still a factor to consider. The key for your success, and the survival of your catch, is to fish early, when water temperature is lowest.  Land and release your fish as quickly as possible. If you are fishing the lower river, be aware that the water temps will be higher than those found near the dam, making mortality a bigger issue. A tip to help with successful catch-and-release is to use a net larger than your fish. A larger net makes it easy to get a quick scoop and the bag can hold the fish in the water, allo...

Mid-summer is upon us and some days and weeks are flat-out hot. When temperatures push into the 90's, it's time to rethink your fly-fishing game plan. The Case for Going Early Instead of sleeping in on your day off from work, get up early and go fishing. Then, come home mid-day and take a nap if you need it. That way, you'll still get your extra sleep and you will also feed your soul with the goodness of a morning in the great outdoors. By the afternoon, it will be too hot for prime fishing anyway, and not very comfortable for angling, so you can sleep soundly knowing you’re not missing a thing. By the way, early mornings are awesome. The hour or so before sunrise is my favorite time to be outside. The air is cool, the birds are calling, wildlife sightings abound, the fish are active, and it just feels like a great time to be alive and...

The Brewster Salmon Derby is one of Washington’s hottest summer fishing contests, and it takes place August 4th, 5th and 6th. This is the 12th Brewster Salmon Derby and it becomes more popular each year. You can win $2,000 for catching the biggest fish and reign “King of the Pool” for the year. There are other age-group specific prizes as well, so there’s fun for the whole family. Adult winner gets $1,500 Youth ages 9-14 can win $550 8-and-unders can win $100 This derby is a lot of fun and lots of money is up for grabs. Plus, even if you don’t weigh-in a fish, you still have a good chance to win on raffle prizes—this year there’s over $20,000 in raffle prizes up for grabs. You can register online until July 31st, 2017 by clicking here. The fishing can be tough; the pool always has a good morning bite, but the toughest pa...

As summer wears on most stillwater anglers target area rivers and spend less time on our local lakes. Water temperature is a key factor in this move. That’s because none of us want to harm a fish, and we might do so if we fight them to exhaustion when the water is too warm. That potential harm begins when the water reaches the 70-degree mark. When it does so, we should move on to cooler waters if we want to get our fly-fishing fix. Fly Fishing on Lakes: Go Early That said, the opportunity to get out on your favorite lake is still doable if you’re willing to work a little harder. This means very early mornings and limiting your time on the water. Most lakes will cool down at night and dip below the 70-degree mark. That’s the time to fish these lakes. But, you still have to monitor the situation, making sure that the lake’s surfac...