This is really some of the best fishing of the year folks.  All of the rivers are now in shape and some still have a little ways to go for better wading, but all are fishable now.  The Clark Fork is now good to go for floating.  The St. Joe is much better for wading but a touch high still for all spots to wade.  It is perfect for floating, however.  The Coeur d'Alene is now into summer mode with the entire river wadeable.  The mid-river is floatable but fairly bony in spots. The lower river is still good to go through the fall.  Hatches are great right now too with many different bugs being players.  With the warmer weather, it is time to start thinking about terrestrials. Beetles, ants, and hoppers will all get attention now.  Looks like we will be getting a cool front moving in this week.  This is great news as the cooler we...

The local rivers are coming into shape a little quicker than in years past. Some of our trout stillwaters are starting to slow down with the increasing heat. Topwater action for bass in the morning and evenings at our area warm water lakes is where you want to be. Steph Avena, from our shop, was able to get out and fish some of our area waters. He was kind enough to give us some updated reports. Thanks, Steph! Current Conditions Chopaka Lake - Chopaka Lake - It was tough fishing in a windy heatwave was the theme this week at Chopaka. The mayfly hatch was over and done, and it was even too hot for happy damsel fishing. Mid-lake jiggers anchored and raking the bottom with chironomids were doing well. The consensus was that fish had moved deep. One frustrated angler in the next camp wandered over ...

The weather throughout the weekend looks like a toss-up, but trust me, it can potentially make things great. Cooler temperatures and precipitation will help a lot of bugs pop on local waters. Hatches of bwos, pmds, and caddis before and after each passing front should be happening this week and weekend. The cool weather will stall the water temperatures from rising too quickly as well, so we can expect a small extension of the cooler flows. When it comes to the lakes in the region, the overcast days ahead will improve activity around structure as fish loosen their grip on shaded areas. Bass are locked in spawn, but you can pull lots of smallmouth off the docks and structure on the shorelines of Lake Pend Oreille and the Pend Oreille River. Pike and largies are in the bays and sloughs. There are options everywhere right now. Current Con...

  Mahogany Thorax Dun Another classic here. My twist on this one is the Hungarian partridge wing. Classically, this one is tied with a turkey flats wing or possibly mallard. These work great, but I really like the look of the Partridge. It is mottled and really has a realistic mayfly wing. Whether you are trying to mimic a blue wing olive, pmd, or maybe a green drake, this format is a killer. Remember to trim the bottom hackle off and you’ll find out how well this fly sits in the water. It almost always lands on the water properly. Throwing a killer silhouette for the fish to see. Material List: Hook: Size 12 Umpqua U Series U002 Dry Fly Hook Wing: Hungarian Partridge Hackle: Whiting Brown Saddle Body: Nature's Spirit Mahogany Fine and Dry Tail: Umpqua Med Dun Tailing Fibers Thread: Uni 6/0 Wine Video Tra...

My freezers are overflowing with the summer's bounty of salmon, kokanee, and trout. Vacuum sealed and packed away, the fillets will provide delicious meals through the long, cold winter that is just around the corner. With the leaves falling off the trees and nights getting cold, it's time to continue a long-held fall tradition of firing up the smoker. I love smoked fish. Nothing beats fresh smoked salmon and I usually end up with a stomachache from overindulgence after the first batch of the year leaves the smoker. The rest I vacuum pack, as it provides a great snack during winter fishing trips or mixed with cream cheese, herbs, and Tobasco and served with crackers at social gatherings. Remember, the person bringing the smoked fish to any party is usually popular. The process of smoking fish isn't all that difficult. The one thing it do...

The Camp Chef 2 Burner stove is by far our best selling camp stove for people setting up wall tents, glampers, RV'rs and family campers. While certainly not light and fast you have most all of the convenience of your stove at home. This stove is a true outdoor appliance with strong performance capabilities. It has a 3-Sided Windscreen to shield some of the breezes coming your way and just one twenty-pound tank will keep your stove going for 15 hours. Cook up a meal for you and some friends or family and enjoy the outdoors with a Camp Chef Explorer 2 Burner Stove. 2- 30,000 BTU Cast Aluminum Burners system for total cooking power of 60,000 BTU 448 sq. in. cooking area with 3 sided windscreen and appliance style knobs Comes with regulator and 3 foot hose for use with bulk propane tank Cooking area 14" x 32" fits 14" Blue Flame Accessorie...

Half & Half The Half & Half is a blast to tie. It has a simple format that is easily tweaked by changing the colors and sometimes the materials that you use. Part Lefty’s Deceiver, and part Clouser Minnow, these are great flies to have for the avid smallmouth fisherman’s fly box. Fished on a sinking tip or intermediate line around structure, you can fool bass and trout alike. My favorite color combos are firetiger, yellow/brown and chartreuse/white. Material List: Hook: Gamakatsu B10S 2/0 Thread: Veevus Power Thread 240, Black Tail: 2 x Orange/Grizzly Saddle Hackles Flash: Gold Flashabou Eyes: MFC Painted Lead Eyes, Yellow Belly: Hareline Large Northern Yellow Bucktail Underwing: Hareline Large Northern Orange Bucktail Back/Overwing: Hareline Large Northern Chartreuse Bucktail Video Transcription Intro to the Half & Ha...

If you are still waiting to go fishing, you are missing it.  Area creeks and rivers have come into shape and the Missouri River is fishing well from Holter Dam to Cascade. The bugs are out. It’s dry fly season. Current Conditions Missouri River below Holter Dam - Flows on the Mo have been fairly stable for the past week and running in the lower 6K range. Little Prickly Pear and the Dearborn have come down considerably and are not influencing where anglers fish the MO. Morning sessions with the Nymphing rig are strong and PMD hatches are bringing fish to the top. Caddis hatches are also building and the weather has been awesome. Creeks and Smaller Rivers, Belt Creek near Monarch, MT - Everything to the east of Great Falls is in great shape. Waters off the rocky mountain front are falling and starting to provide more options. Streams ...

Current Conditions Another stellar spring week last week and looks like we are in for a good one again. Weather is going to be great this week and through the weekend. All the rivers are fishable and some more than others. The Clark fork on the Montana side is now coming into shape and should be good to go this week. It's been a long time coming for the Clark Fork with a 25% or better snowpack than over here in the Coeur d'Alene drainage. The St. Joe and Coeur d'Alene rivers are both fishing great with the Joe being a touch high still for wading but not bad and getting better. Hatches on all the rivers are good and steadily improving. The lake fishing is fantastic as well. Hayden Lake, Coeur d'Alene, Fernan and all of the local lakes are doing well. From smallmouth, largemouth, panfish, pike and trout are all active. Cocolalla Lake, Roun...