The Spokane River has dropped by almost 2,000 cfs since my last report and all stretches are fishing well. December weather is definitely here with cold temps and snow in the forecast for the rest of the week. Curious how the river is doing? Check out the current river flows here As the water gets colder, the fish will become more lethargic, so try using attractor-style nymphs and streamers. A brightly colored Copper John fished under a size 10 Prince Nymph will draw strikes, as will flashy streamers like a size 4 Lil' Kim. Don't worry about getting up at dawn either. You'll find these fish most active during the warmest part of the day. If you're lucky, there may even be some fish rising to BWOs in the back eddies too. Need some new flies? Check out our fly selection here. Winter is also the time when people start venturing over to Rock...

Whether you reek of fish, or are new to fly fishing, research is one of the most important steps when choosing the best pair of waders for you. I'm here to make your selection process a little simpler. This is a review of North 40 Flyshop's current inventory of waders... Waders for Men 1.) Hodgman H3 Stockingfoot ($99) This wader is made of a breathable three layer waterproof shell, features a mesh zipper mesh pocket with micro fleece lined hand warmer, internal storage pocket, standard gravel guard, and a has a D-ring on the back to hold a net. This wader was specifically designed for the fisherman that only finds time to hit the river a handful of times a year. It is also perfect for someone just starting to fly fish and needs to get that extra 10 feet off shore. If you are new to the sport or have a tight budget, this is the perfe...

The first time my dad showed it to me, I turned my nose up like I had smelled a long dead piece of roadkill. No way would I fish that, I thought to myself. The fly was all wrong, constructed completely backwards to traditional intruder style flies that we fish on our steelhead rivers when the water temperatures drop and a sink tip presentation is needed. Apparently, steelhead don’t have the same opinion. Fay Mills, my father, is known mostly by his nickname, "Old Man River." OMR for short. He’s a guy who just exudes fishy juju and has a tendency to be a bit of a fish vacuum on the river. If at all possible, don’t fish behind him because watching him hook and land fish will get old pretty quick. I’ve seen it happen way, way too much. Like I said before, his bug, dubbed "OMR’s Dancing Lady," was all wrong. Imagine a typical sin...

To be frank, I cannot really take credit for designing this fly. As you can very well see, it has many similar parts and colors from other summer steelhead flies that have been created across the Pacific Northwest. Basically, I have combined the flossy "green butt" with the summer fly pink and purple body. The fly pictured here leans more towards fully dressed, but could easily be minimized into a low water dressing if desired. The Pro Sportfisher American Possum wing has great natural iridescence in the water and swims nicely as well. All of these colors are usually intended for days when the sun shines, so that the light highlights them in the water to attract the fish. I hope you enjoy! This article is from our free North 40 Fly Shop eMag, to access the full 2016 October issue, click here. Tying Steps: Attach your thread. I like to...

The time of year has officially come. Dry flies on the Clark Fork River are almost non existent (with the exception of midges), and our cutthroat go back into the hat to disappear. The only tactics that seem to produce a few fish are nymphing and swinging dark streamers. Curious how the river is doing? Check out the current river flows here. My go-to patterns right now are #14 Copper John, #18 Tufted Zebra Midge Chartreuse, #20 Drowned Midge, TFP Copperhead and Baby Gonga Black. The morning bite is key! As rough as it sounds, you want to setting up in the dark, and walking to the river in the first 5 minutes of light. Make sure to bring your Stanley (North 40 Flyshop) Thermos to keep your body temp up. The slower eddies where Kokanee stack up are fishing better than the faster water. Need to stock up on flies? Check out our fly selecti...

Fewer and fewer people are fishing.  Many are shifting into fly tying mode.  Some are shopping for gifts.  Fly fishing gifts are awesome.  An assortment of flies, a Tacky Fly Box, a Simms Sling Pack, a Rep Your Water trucker hat with a Montana Logo, a gift certificate to one of our classes, a Yeti Colster, a Simms Beanie, some warm socks, some new fold over mitts and on and on.  For those really worthy, a new fly rod is pretty special. If you need help picking something out, we love to make fly anglers happy on Christmas morning right here. For those of you still considering some water time, the prospects remain good.  Think midges and scuds or scud on scud. Fish are starting to shift into their winter lies and the prime fishing window has moved toward the middle to the latter part of the day, unless you are right up by the dam.  ...

I spent a couple hours on the North Fork this morning before coming to work in hopes of washing the Spokane River skunk off me. The drive over to Kingston was beautiful with plenty of bald eagles flying around Lake Coeur d'Alene looking for spawning Kokanee. As usual, there wasn't another soul on the river, but there were plenty of deer, grouse and even a cow moose to keep me company as I wandered up Coeur d'Alene River Road. By the time I donned my waders, the snow began to lightly fall. There is just something special about fishing when it's snowing. I love how peaceful everything around you becomes. There wasn't anything hatching this morning, but I bet there will be midges and BWOs coming off for those who get to fish the middle part of the day. While the water is much higher than normal, there are still plenty of spots to fish. Nymp...

My friend Erik and I kept our Thanksgiving tradition alive and ventured out for a couple hours last Thursday. We were not going to be deterred by a little high water. There were a few BWOs and midges flying around. We even saw a couple of fish rise, but not enough for us to take our nymph rigs off. I tried swinging a streamer too. Nothing. At least the taste of skunk was dulled a bit by beautiful weather. Need to stock up on your favorite flies? Check out our fly selection here. If you decide to go please wade carefully because one misstep could be very costly this time of year. Curious how the river is doing? Check out current river flows here. Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is the Spokane River to drop by a few thousand cubic feet per second. Oh, and maybe a new Sage X too!

There are many things I am thankful for in life, but having a passion for fish is what I most grateful for. There is no place in the world where my worries melt away faster than on the water in pursuit of fish. Normally I am not all that thankful for the inaccuracy of meteorological forecasts, but the predicted winter storm and its associated winds never materialized. Temperatures hovered around 36 F as I slipped the kayak in the water and strapped in two of glass rod setups, including my Echo 5 wt glass combo and an old 4 wt Eagle Claw Featherlight with a old 45 D.A.M Quick reel made in West Germany and gifted to me. Want to stock up on your favorite flies? Check out our fly selection here. Slow stripping and trolling streamers produced very little action in the morning for the first couple hours, but once the sun broke out, the fishing...