One of the best things about coming to the Omak area is the number of lakes that offer great fishing opportunities for the fly angler. For me, it is a real challenge to find the time to fish them all. We all have our favorite lakes to fish, and I am no exception to that. With that said, here in our area, we have several lakes that offer great fishing. There are two fly fishing only lakes and a handful of selective gear lakes. Plus, the big bonus is a handful of what I would call quality lakes within the boundaries of the Colville Confederated Tribes’ Lands. When it comes to what type of trout we have in the area, we have a pretty good mix of them. Rainbows being the primary in most lakes but, you can also find brown, brook, tiger, cutthroats, and one of the big ones: Lahontan cutthroats. If your game is bass, we have them too. Large an...

Green Butt Skunk The Green Butt Skunk has been a classic summer and fall steelhead pattern amongst most anglers who swing flies. Dan Callaghan originally created this pattern to fish for summer runs on the North Umpqua River. The fly is very simple to tie up and is a very effective fly. Talking with people like Keith Stonebraker, he will mention that he has taken multiple fish on a Green Butt. From Snake River fish to Clearwater River fish, they like it in all drainages. Material List: Hook: Daiichi 2051 #7 Thread: UTC Red 140 Tail: Strung Saddle Hackle Red Rib: Veevus French Tinsel Medium THREAD6 Butt: Hareline STS Trilobal Dub Fl. Chartreuse Body: Hareline STS Trilobal Dub Black Hackle: Strung Saddle Hackle Black Wing: Fish Hunter Calf Tail White Video Transcription Intro to the Balanced Minnow Leech Hello everybody...

Water, water everywhere, but not a place to fish.  That’s not true, but the options are more limited after the rain and snowmelt came roaring down over Memorial weekend.  The Dearborn, Sun and anything off the Rocky Mountain Front will come down quickly but are definitely off the table for now.  Folks trying to get to some of the lakes on the front got shut off from Hwy 287 west of Augusta and Hwy 21 coming up from Simms.  Elk Creek flooded again.  Hopefully, roads will be open by the weekend. On the Little Belt side, waters only came up a little. So, streams to the east are going to be in shape much faster.  There have been some pretty good reports.  Waters are high, and mobility is limited, but fishing is good. Current Conditions Missouri River below Holter Dam - The flows have bumped back to 8K. Little Prickly Pear and the D...

Hard to believe June is just a few days away already. Make sure you bring your sunscreen this week because it's going to be sunny with summertime temperatures. If you fish with a four-legged buddy, make sure to provide them with some shade in the boat. Current Conditions Chopaka Lake (WA)  – With the weather forecast calling for sunny and warm days, your best bet will be mornings and late afternoon. If there is any wind that puts chop on the water, this will help extend your fishing time. With the weekend pressure that this lake has, try hitting the lake during mid-week. Omak Lake (WA) – This is one lake where bright overhead sunny days can shut things down quickly. With the spawn ending, the fish are going back into a strong feed mode. There are still a few visible shore cruisers, but they are not giving much notice to what's...

So, with the Memorial Day weekend now behind us, it's time to settle into summer mode.  The Coeur d' Alene River is in incredible shape and giving it up in spades!  The dry fly fishing up the CdA is great now.  Next, the St. Joe is still a bit high and looking like a couple of weeks out yet before it's in wadeable shape.  Plus, right now, the Clark Fork, too, is a few weeks out yet.  And, the local lakes are fishing great.  If you are looking for a great bass, pike, or crappie fix, now is your time.  From Hayden to Lake CdA or Fernan, they are all fishing well. Current Conditions Coeur d'Alene River  - The Coeur d'Alene is really in great shape and just getting better.  Flows barely bumped with the rain over the weekend   The dry fly fishing has been off the charts good.  Big golden stones are out, and fish are chomping them...

It looks like summer is finally here to stay. This week we can expect some 80-degree days sticking throughout next week. This will help finish off any snow and keep flows steadily moving forward. Trout fishing should be off the wall on your favorite streams, especially mid-morning and in the evenings. The bass bite on Lake Pend Oreille will be hot this week, and now’s the time to hit em’ on the fly. Current Conditions Lake Pend Oreille - The lake is warming again and is about two feet from full pool. The warmer water has triggered bass into the shallows and along shoreline structure for the spawn. Pre-spawn fish will feed heavy as they transition from deeper water. Spawning fish won’t move as far for a fly, but post-spawn bass will be looking for food. Flies like an RJ’s jiggy worm, creek crawler, drunk & disorderly, or swin...

Going to Alaska in early October can be a bit of a gamble.  Will it be dry but frigidly cold?  Will it be wet with freezing rain and snow?  Will a Pacific typhoon be sputtering out against the coast sending 30-40 mph winds and driving rain inward?  Or, will it be perfect? Last year, we had nearly perfect.  We still had a little rain and a little wind, but we were able to fish in mild temperatures and even enjoyed some beautiful dead calm windows with warm sunshine.  It was more like late August weather and when we arrived, the fall colors were still at peak glow. I was privileged to host a group of anglers from Montana’s North 40 Fly Shop with Mystic Waters Fly Fishing in Cooper Landing, Alaska.  I started Mystic Waters in 1999 and was soon joined by my good friend, Stacy Corbin.  After the 2014 guide season, I decided to make...

Balanced Minnow Leech It has been about a year and a half since I first tied this bug. Ever since balanced leeches came onto the scene, I have been a fan of them. I tie and use a lot of different patterns in both stillwater and stream fishing. I’m also a big fan of minnow patterns, so it only seemed right to marry the 2 designs. That, and I needed a minnow pattern that I could use without stripping it but that still gave me good action to attract a bigger fish. The first one I tied up I used it for Lahaontan cutthroat out at Omak Lake. After some trial and error, I was getting the reactions I was looking for. I have used this pattern at a number of the waters in the area and have caught trout of different colors and both small and large mouth bass and panfish. It is a useful fly to have in your box. Material List: Thread: Ultra Thread ...

You sure can tell it's going to be a big weekend. All I have to do is step outside and watch the number of campers and trucks going by with pontoon boats on top of them. We may have gotten off to a mixed opening, but the area lakes are coming into shape fast now.  With so much water to fish, it's hard to know where to go. Current Conditions Chopaka Lake (WA) - Weather for this coming weekend looks interesting. You have a 50/50 chance of rain and thunderstorms. Highs will be in the low 70s and the lows will be in the mid-50s. So, be mindful of the weather around you. The water temperature has been right around the 60-degree mark. Omak Lake (WA) - Just when you think it’s done for a while it pulls you back in. With all the attention towards all the other lakes in the area, Omak Lake has taken a bit of a back seat. The Lahontan cutth...