With Washington’s general lakes opener coming up this weekend, we’ve put together a list of best spots to go for your Central, WA fly fishing itinerary this weekend. Based on our own eyeball reports and the many anglers strolling through the shop, this roundup includes waters that are free of ice, accessible now and may contain large fish! Bad news first. Some Roads Closed: Here’s How to Travel We have also had some weather-related road issues throughout the county so be aware of the roads as you travel on them. Highway 20 from Twisp to Okanogan remains closed due to a couple of washouts. So, to get from there to here or here to there you will have to travel south on Highway 97 on the Okanogan side and connect with Highway 153 going up the Methow Valley or visa versa from Twisp to Okanogan. Chopaka Lake: Probably Closed The one lak...

April fly fishing results can be sporadic, like the hatches and the weather. Lots of midges are finally coming off, but there has been little surface feeding in the main river. Some pockets and channels will bulge with some eats if you know where to look, but the big time dry fly fishing has not been happening yet. Maybe today? BWO’s are popping off in bursts in some stretches of the river. If you are on the right run at the right time, you can find some great emerger action. A good old size 20 Pheasant Tail can get lots of attention in the early afternoon. If the sun is shining or the wind is blowing hard, you won’t find many risers or any once the hatch is underway. Clouds and modest wind are the ticket. Everything is conditional and sporadic. One of these days it will be really good. I hope I’m out there, but if not, I know I’l...

When I left work on Saturday, I somehow took a left onto I-90 east instead of going west. Instead of turning around, I took a 90-mile detour to get home and went about 30 miles up the Coeur d'Alene River. Maybe it was some of the reports coming into the shop over the past week, but more than likely it was newborn-induced sleep deprivation that caused me to make the wrong turn. As soon I started to make my way up the river, I could see some mayflies dancing in the sunlight along the riverbank. Clarity is good and the fish are rising even though the river remains above 5,000 cfs. Find a soft seam along the bank and you'll catch some fish. Curious how the river is doing? Check out flows here.  Fishing during the middle part of the day will bring the most dry fly action, with Skwalas, BWOs, and March Browns all on the menu. I was using a Skw...

After being cooped up in a plane for half of the day, I had the urge to get on a boat and fish no matter the weather. As I was driving by Lake Cocolalla, I noticed the lake was complete glass. That was all the convincing I needed to fish the lake. I launched at around 3:30 pm and fished until 7:15 pm. The weather was always overcast, with off and on showers throughout the evening. The water clarity was strange. The water wasn't muddy, but a dark brown. Hopefully that coloration will clear up soon. The bite started off pretty slow. I'm not sure if it was due to the rain, or the time of day, but it took an hour for it to really pick up. My fly of choice was a #2 Olive Woolly Bugger, and I was fishing with my Rio Hover Line. The Hover line is ideal for this lake. It sinks my fly within that 2 foot range, which seems to be where the trout w...

Multi-colored and articulated, the Kraken is made to catch pike and muskie. Its creator is 15-year-old Kelson Hickman. Kelson won the 1st ever Might Mo Fly Tying Challenge with the Kraken. Want to know how he did it? Check out the video.     Materials Needed to Tie this Fly Chartreuse and Pink Bucktail Chartreuse Plastic Twister Tail Chartreuse 210 Thread 20 mm Shank B10S 1/0 Gamakatsu Stinger Hook Flashabou Pink Legs Fluorescent Pink or Shell Pink 140 Thread Chartreuse or Pink Soft Hackle Chartreuse Chenille Chartreuse and Pink Craft Fur Super Glue or Epoxy Loon Outdoors UV Glue Thick 5/16" Chartreuse Eyes Black Sharpie

Stillwater fishing is continuing to pick up here in the Northwest, and with general lake opener happening next weekend in Washington even more anglers will be getting out to try their luck. Here are six more suggestions that'll hopefully get you into some fish this spring. Start shallow Both fish and aquatic insects aren't particularly fond of cold water, so focus your attention on along the shoreline. More specifically pay attention to where the sunlight is hitting the lake throughout the day. Bugs like chironomids, callibaetis, and damsels will all be more active in these areas throughout the day because of the warmer water temps. The fish know this and now you do too! Go Small Right after ice out all of the insects tend to be small. Chironomids that typically hatch on local lakes early in the season tend to be in the size 16-18 range....

We hear it time and time again when the uninitiated walk through the fly shop.  "Wow, those fly rods are really long.  What do you use those for?"  The short answer is, "Fly fishing with a two handed cast known as a spey cast." At that point, some people wander on, but others are interested in more details. Our Montana Trout Spey Clave was born to provide those details for those who want to know everything they can about spey as it pertains to the trout world.  Two handed casting and longer rods are not just for salmon and steelhead.  The techniques used in spey casting cross over to almost all aspects of fly fishing. In recent years, fly line systems have been developed to provide anglers with the ability to spey cast with their single hand rods.  There are no longer any limits to hold anglers back from taking advantage of spey c...

When I arrived at the lake on Sunday morning there was a fairly stout breeze blowing making the 32 degree air temp feel even colder.  The wind continued to pick up throughout the morning, which made holding my float tube in position very challenging. Along with the challenging weather conditions, water clarity has been an issue on Medical Lake as well lately. Two weeks ago there was about two feet of visibility and as of Sunday there was about five feet. Luckily the fish didn't seem to mind the cloudy water. Medical Lake has ample shore access for those that don't have a boat or float tube, so don't let that deter you from getting out! In fact more guys fishing from the shoreline will have as much success as the guys in boats early in the season. Check out the flies we have online if you need to fill those holes in your box. Size 14 Jo...

All systems go. It’s coming up on mid-April. While the fishing is not always red hot, the conditions are good for the season. The water has eclipsed the magic 42 degree mark. Flows are near normal. Scuds and Sow Bugs are a mainstay as the water rises and they get stirred about. The river bottom is a veritable smorgasbord and many fish literally make their living gobbling the little amphipods and isopods all day long. Tailwater Sows, Rainbow Czech Nymphs, Pink Amex and Mini Mo Czechs fit the bill. Create the perfect spread of nymphs you need to slay. Shop online here. BWO’s are starting to pop. It’s time to fish those #18 and #20 BWO nymphs daily. Whatever flavor you like of Pheasant Tail, JuJu, Radiation, Magic Fly, Hogan’s, Crust Nymph and Little Green Machine should be in favor. If you get on the risers in the afternoon, youâ€...