Rich’s Ultimate Worm from Rainey’s is a great new fly that takes its influence from the conventional world of bass fishing. Tied on a 1/0 worm style hook, the fly is virtually weedless, and it has plenty of gap to drive the point home. It is constructed of a loose-jointed, tapered chenille that gives the fly an irresistible wiggling action as well as a suggestive tapered profile. The Ultimate Worm is a fly with several applications. It’s no secret that bass love worms. Texas rigged, the weedless design of the worm makes it ideal for stripping through the weeds in search of that next eight-pound largemouth. This fly is also a great fly to bottom bounce in search of walleye. You can also strip it through the crystal-clear waters of British Columbia, with hopes of enticing an elusive bull trout. The Ultimate Worm should...

By Zach Bowhay I am of the opinion that you would be hard pressed to find a more passionate group of hunters than that of archery elk hunters. We constantly pour over maps, evaluate gear, practice our calling until our significant other’s ears bleed and the list goes on and on. We do all this for that one magic month of September that we all love dearly. Most of us do this and only have a limited time to hunt. Due to this, we want to have the most action-packed hunt as possible, where we hear and see all of the sounds of elk country. Meaning there are more hunts planned for the latter part of the season than that of the early part of September. I love the heat of the rut as much as the next guy, but today we are here to talk about the opening weekend of elk season and how to prepare to try and take a bull early in the game before thing...

Clark Fork River (ID) The flows out of Cabinet Gorge dam have been bouncing up and down from 3,000 to 40,000 cubic feet per second daily. For those who enjoy fishing the Clark Fork from shore, your best bet at fishing the river is when flows are below 10,000 cfs. As the river nears 30,000 cfs, it is best accessible from a jet boat. Fishing has been good throughout the day, mornings and evenings being the best time. Caddis, western yellow mayflies, pmds, and midges have all been hatching. Use dries like; a #16 party on top caddis, a #12 light cahill, a #16 pmd extended body, a #16 pmd cripple, a #16 rusty spinner, a #14 purple rocky mountain mint, or a #10 purple chubby Chernobyl will be your best bet. Nymphs are always a great choice for this river as well. You’ll want to use bugs like; a #14 red copper john, a #12 dirty bird, or a #14...

Lochsa River (ID) The flow is 1370 cfs at Lowell. The fishing should be good in the morning and in the evening. Be mindful of the water temperatures when it gets to mid-day. Fishing riffles should make for some productive fishing. Also, use attractor patterns like the royal wulff, renegade, and the royal coachman. North Fork Clearwater River (ID) The flow is 1850 cfs at Canyon Ranger Station. The fishing will be better in the morning and in the evenings. Water temperatures are getting up into the high 60's. So, taking a break from fishing in the afternoon would be the best for the fish. You’ll want to use black caddis, parachute adams, and hopper patterns. Nymphing can be productive as well, Hares Ear and the Pheasant Tail will also be productive. Grande Ronde (WA) The current flow is 607 cfs at Troy, Oregon. If you're looking for trou...

Missouri River The river has dropped. You can go wading again. Summer is officially here.  The best fishing is typically early and late when the weather is hot. Nymphs The Zirdle continues to produce, probably because so many have discovered it and are fishing with confidence.  Caddis pupa are solid as are the fifty or so different patterns of mayfly nymphs we stock. Now is the time to play and have fun.  There are so many options. Dry Flies Trico time is here.  If you need more info, check out my Trico post from last week.  Sometimes, the hatch is stronger on different reaches of the river on any given day, but they are out there and the fish are taking notice. Make sure you’ve got your best caddis patterns ready to roll.  We like low riding CDC patterns like the double duck, party-on-top, hot mess or the TFP hi-vis spent.  You...

Methow River (WA) The Methow is running at 717 cfs as of today and dropping. We are in our hot days of summer now with daytime temperatures of 95 to 100 degrees and nighttime temperatures of about 65 degrees. I took a couple of water temperature reading this morning at 8:00 a.m. One reading was 63 degrees and a few miles south I had a reading of 65 degrees. Talking to a couple of locals that have been on the water after 2:00 p.m., they reported they had readings of 70 degrees. This goes without saying, they cut their day of fishing short for the sake of the health of the trout. First light until about noon will be your best time to be on the water -just keep checking the water temperature. Once it hits 68 degrees, I would recommend calling it a day. Hoppers and foam flies will get the bulk of your action. To increase your c...

Coeur d'Alene River The current flow is 512 cfs at Cataldo.  Fishing is good but, the water is dropping into a normal summer flow.  The water temperature is much warmer so, you may want to consider starting earlier and, or fishing later.  The mid-day fishing can be slower this time of year.  There are currently lots of bugs out including; caddis, pmd's, golden stones, yellow sallies, and hoppers.  Smaller hoppers are kicking out of the taller grass right now so, try using a smaller hopper with a beetle dropper, or a bead head too.  Keep nymphing the faster riffles and pocket water, since the fish like to hide in the faster water during the heat of the day.  Streamer fishing is still okay but there is no need to throw big patterns.  Smaller black and olive sculpins will do the trick.  The evening caddis and pmd fishing is great. ...

With the sun high overhead, I grimaced under the weight of an overloaded pack and began the off-trail grind towards alpine fishing nirvana. Hours later, I pushed through the last patches of stunted timber and broke into the open, right next to the edge of an emerald-green and ice-cold mountain lake, teeming with cutthroat trout. Sore feet and aching back were immediately forgotten at the sight of trout rising to the surface. Within minutes, my hastily strung flyline was zipping through polished eyelets and sailing through the air, sending an artificial insect in the direction of the ruckus just below the surface. Although human error and a fickle wind resulted in less than perfect delivery, the fly barely begun to settle when a brilliantly colored cutthroat struck from below, shattering the mirrored finish of the otherwise serene lake. W...

Clark Fork River (ID) We are starting to see summer flows out of the Clark Fork River below Cabinet Gorge Dam. Flows have been bouncing from 30,000 cfs to 15,000 cfs. Water clarity is good, and temperatures aren’t too hot. The best access for this river will be from a jet boat. Expect to see hatches of western yellow mayflies and caddis. If the trout aren’t eating the natural fly imitations, try attractors like #10 purple Hippie Stomper, or a #12 H&L Variant. Swinging streamers like a #6 CH Krystal Woolly Bugger, or a #8 black Sculpzilla can be deadly at times. Nymphing common flies like a #14 red Copper John, a  #12 Dirty Bird, or a #14 Taylor’s Gut Instinct can be very productive. The best fishing will be from 8:30 p.m. -10 p.m. in the evening. Lake Pend Oreille The lake is shaping up nicely! Water visibility is roughly 5-8 ...