Things are warming up, and runoff will be winding down very soon in the Panhandle area. Things are looking good moving forward. The local lakes and Lake Pend Oreille are alive and rich with many opportunities for quality fly fishing – here’s what you need to know. Current Conditions Lake Pend Oreille - The big lake is great right now for bass fishing. Smallmouth on the shoreline make it easy for a fly to be presented to an aggressive fish. The water temperature varies where you are on the lake, but look for water above 55 degrees and you’ll find smallmouth near shoreline structure. Crawfish style flies like a creek crawler or RJ’s jiggy worm will land you fish. Also, try Murdich minnows and Kreelex’s as well, close to structure. Look for pike and largemouth hanging around weedy areas and sloughs. For largies, throw some jig s...

The spring is shaping up nicely here in Coeur d’Alene.  The weather is going to get warmer here by the weekend and this should make for lots of happy campers.  Hatches are kicking off nicely and the trout are being cooperative as well.  Not all the rivers are perfectly in shape but will be in a couple of weeks. The shop has been buzzing with customers getting ready for the great season ahead.  Don't miss out on our big Memorial Day sale this weekend, great savings and a perfect way to start the weekend out. Current Conditions Coeur d'Alene River - Flows are dropping into summer levels as we speak. This is a superb flow and will shape up nicely for this coming Memorial Day weekend.  The dry fly fishing is getting really good now. St. Joe River - The river is good/ decent and shaping up nicely for the weekend.  Looking at ...

Carp have made a name for themselves over these last couple of decades to become a very popular, do I dare say, “game fish”??  The origination of targeting carp on a fly may never have been pinpointed to one particular angler, but it is known that a lot of pioneers have been located in Colorado. Now anglers all over the world are opening up their eyes to this hard fighting, tricky to catch species of fish.   My first experience with carp was above the Yellowtail Dam on Bighorn Lake with Ron Meek from Sweetwater Travel Company. Ron was guiding me into these carp. He had mentioned to me on the ride up there that these fish can spook easily, and we have to go in with a slow, stealthy approach. We launched the jet boat and headed to one of the bays where he had, had success time after time. He instructed that we are looking for the...

Chuck Kraft designed this fly some years ago and it has been a true fish-catching machine. This is another one of those flies that is tied with simplicity in mind. The first one was tied in a silver and gold combination. Freshwater or saltwater, it didn’t matter—the Kraft's Kreelex championed both. The first time I used the Kreelex Fly I was fishing a multi-species lake. By days end I’d caught, largemouth bass, yellow perch, bluegill, crappie and rainbow trout—all on the same gold and brown/copper Kreelex Fly. Want to fool a fish on a fly you've created? Learn fly tying recipes here. Essentially, the Kreelex is a streamer that is all flash. It’s tied with dumbbell eyes in a way that allows the hook to ride up, thereby reducing the potential to snag on bottom when fishing this fly. The Kreelex flash material comes in a number of...

Flash N’ Grab Intruder I’m a big fan of using flashabou in my trout, salmon, and steelhead flies. Beyond the flash, flashabou has great movement in the water and does not bleach out or get torn off the fly like marabou. During the years I was guiding in Alaska, I found that the Flash N’ Grab Intruder fly would hold up through lots and lots of fish. When the hook wears out, it can be replaced. Most flies last through several hook changes. When you don’t want a bright flashy fly; blue, black and purple are the perfect colors to focus on. They flash, but not too much. They also show up really well in stained or clearer water, so you can rely on them in varied conditions. When you deliver these colors with the pulsating movement of flashabou in front of all but the stalest of fish, you can expect a grab. Material List: Thread: 140 UT...

Runoff is Happening The snowpack is coming down, but so has the Missouri River. How does that work?  Apparently, the water managers ran water out early and are now gradually filling up Canyon Ferry.  That means the Mo should remain an excellent option going forward. After some warmth, rain and cooler temperatures are happening again.  The rain will likely continue melting snow and add to the stream flows.  The Sun, Smith, Belt, Highwood and other smaller streams are going to be pushed up for a while. Ponds and Reservoirs If runoff has you in a funk, get out on some flat water.  Fish are coming off the spawn and beginning to feed.  Chironomids (midges) have been effective and callibaetis (mayflies) should be popping off the latter half of May.  As always, balanced leeches and a variety of nymphs can be effective.  Try a purple boa...

Chopaka Lake (WA) Right now, Chopaka Lake is the number one lake I get questions asked about daily. I just got off the phone with a gentleman from Alaska that was going to be in the area for a few days and had not fished it in over twenty years. A little has changed since then, mainly the average size of the fish. Don’t get me wrong, you will catch some rainbows over 20 inches but not a lot of them. The average size is going to be around 16 inches but, they are nice scrappy fighters. Like fishing anywhere there are good days and some not so good. The way I look at it is if you are out on the water fishing, it’s already a good day. What you catch and how many is just the bonus. I have yet to be told that no one was not able to find a place to camp, so that’s a plus. The diehard chironomid anglers are doing really well with a fe...

Coeur d'Alene River Looks like we are going to get a break in the high flows for a bit.  This morning the CdA is on the drop and is flowing at 4,770 cfs.  Now, this is still fairly high but fishable.  The water clarity is good and improving.  However, in about a week from now the Northwest River forecast is saying we are going to get another good bump in flows.  This is spring in Idaho for you.  Up and down, up and down.  We did get some good reports from over the weekend that fishing was steady and that there was good bug activity, with lots of March browns, rusty spinners, a few pmds, caddis, and lots of stoneflies, plus, both golden stones and salmon flies.  I suspect that we will see some yellow sallies soon too.  Nymphing and streamer fishing has been solid as well.  So, stay in tune with the flows as we should get a break...

Lake Pend Orielle The lake has been fishing well, and the smallmouth are on fire! Pre-spawn is here and fish are moving up. Check out rocky flats that are in 10-15 feet of water, perfect for targeting fish with a fly. As the month continues, we will see the fish move even shallower and it will be perfect for both top-water and subsurface action. Baitfish patterns, as well as crawfish patterns on intermediate tips (1.5 – 2 ips), will catch fish. Swim flies like a drunk & disorderly or swingin’ d will crush with a sink tip setup (Type III to V, or 3-6 ips), causing the flies to dive and swim sporadically. Sunnyside, Oden Bay, Fisherman’s Island, and the Pend Orielle Bay Trail are great places for smallmouth action. Pike are still being caught in sloughs, as well as largemouth. Pitter patter! Clark Fork River (ID) Not much happeni...