It’s getting to be that time of year again. People are dusting off their fly rods and airing up rafts all in preparation for their one week float date on the Smith River. With limited access to the stretch between Camp Baker and Eden Bridge there have been few reports yet on what’s happening. It’s sort of a shot in the dark as to what flies and techniques will and will not be working. With warm temps recently, things have been picking up and the fish are eating. I was fortunate enough to get up and fish in the Castle Bar Canyon area. With runoff just kicking in, the river was showing about two to three feet of visibility. It was better than I expected for this time of year. Throughout the day there were small midge hatches, but only a splashy rise every once in a while. I did find one adult Skwala stonefly crawling on a...

No es bueno I just returned from a Tarpon fishing trip to Isla Holbox. Coming back to snow and ten degrees was no es bueno, but I can’t complain about the great time we had. Isla Holbox is at the top of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.  It’s basically a fishing village with a laid back international beach vibe. Pirates and Mayans mingled long ago to develop a unique culture.  Today the island is in the Yum Balm Biosphere Reserve, protecting the flora, fauna and marine life.  The streets are unpaved and vehicles other than bikes and golf carts are only allowed for special uses. Everyone on the trip landed tarpon I was joined by a great party of five anglers from North 40 Fly Shop Great Falls, along with partners from Nebraska and Alaska.  Everyone on the trip landed tarpon along with a mixed bag of barracuda, jacks, snook and snappe...

The lake is completely open, and ready to be fished! Most of the trout are cruising close to shore, looking for perch, nymphs, and washed up worms. The trout that have keyed in on the worms are fat and sassy, while the trout eating nymphs are long and skinny. However, the trout are willing to eat an Olive Baby Gonga, #6 Olive Woolly Bugger, #6 Brown Woolly Bugger, and a #6 Black Balanced Leech.  If you need to stock up on these flies, then this is the spot.  Stripping flies slowly with intermediate line seems to work best. A few fish are rising, but not enough to throw a dry fly. Water clarity is excellent except for inlets, and common runoff drainage. I haven't seen any boats on the water yet, but I'm sure a few fishermen have already made the trip.  Still no word on the bass fishing for this lake, but I am guessing they are sluggis...

I made it out to Amber Lake for a few hours on Sunday morning before having to head back to attend my wife's baby shower that afternoon. Little did my wife and I know that our baby would be born the next day and two weeks ahead of schedule! Anyway, enough about me and lets get back to the report... When Patrick and I arrived at Amber Lake the wind was calm, but that didn't last long with a steady breeze coming out of the west. Fishing was slow until about 9:00 but after that the bite was steady until we got off the water at 11:30. Check out our selection of accessories online here.  We tried a variety of flies and techniques, but chironomids and balanced leeches were the hot ticket. Most of the fish caught were taking flies fished 3-4 feet under the indicator. Water boatmen retrieved with short quick strips will also pick up fish this t...

I’m always excited for new creative fly tying materials.  One company that continues to put out great stuff is the Flymen Fishing Company.  Many fly tiers are familiar with Fish Skulls, Fish Masks and Sculpin Helmets.  Recently, we got in their new tapered, synthetic Faux Bucktail.  From Clousers to big articulated Pike flies to standard trout flies, the new Faux Bucktail is making a big splash with fly tiers. Do you know how to rig for pike? Bucktail has been a standard fly tying material for years.  There are some challenges with it however.  It can be difficult to get consistent quality, length and color.  Each natural bucktail has a limited quantity of usable fibers. Bucktail is hollow, trapping air and making it difficult to sink flies.  The hollow fibers also flare when tied, causing issues with fly profiles. By contrast, ...

The crazy thing about April is that lots of people suddenly get interested in fly fishing again, but the fishing can be kind of spotty. Waters have finally warmed a few degrees and many of the fish have moved from their winter haunts.  Conditions are in flux as temps and flows can be erratic with tributaries running clear one day and muddy the next.  Mature rainbows are on their way to spawning areas or are already engaged in active spawning, taking many out of the picture. I’ve heard a number of reports from anglers who have floated and drawn a blank or only boated a handful of fish. I’ve also heard reports from wading anglers who caught a pile.  The takeaway is that the fish are not spread evenly throughout the river. As the water temps move upward to 42, things will get interesting in a hurry.  Sometimes it seems that the fish...

Want to have a longer growing season? Sick of waiting to plant your seeds? Then you've come to the right spot. Read on, and germinate successfully. With a wide array of season extending techniques, the revered "last frost date" is practically irrelevant. Although soil temperature will dictate, at least to some degree, when you can plant certain varieties, the season is much longer even for cold-climate gardeners who simply can't wait to put seeds and plants in the ground when you use these handy tools. And if you need actual garden tools? Then you'll want to see this.  No matter what time of the spring, the key to a successful early season garden is warm soil. For instance, greens typically germinate at a minimum temperature range of 35 to 38 degrees F. Theoretically, you could plant in March, but they won't grow until the soil reaches ...

The action has really started to pick up The weather is getting nicer and nicer. It's starting to really feel like springtime now -warmer days with the sun. It has also brought in more anglers into the shop before they head out to Omak Lake. From the reports I've been getting, the action has really started to pick up. About the only thing that has caused a slow down for people at times, is the spring winds that can pop up. This year the Lahontans have not quite been cruising in close to the shoreline like they have in the past.  A lot of it may be due to the water temperature. The lake is still holding a temperature of about 42 degrees toward the surface and in the shallows. A lot of the fish seem to be holding in a little deeper water, from 10' to 20'. There is still a lot of runoff coming into the lake, which I feel is a big contrib...