Missouri River Nymphs The Zirdle has become a very popular fly and it continues to produce when drifted along under an indicator. In high-water years, Missouri River trout eat a lot of crayfish.  Snapping Craws, Kory’s Crayfish and Clouser’s Crayfish are also solid drifters. With ample caddis about, pupa patterns such as Bloom’s Tung dart can provide great action, especially in the morning.  All the usual mayfly patterns from #14-#18 such as; Tung Jig Hares Ears, Split Case PMDs, Two Bit Hookers and Radiation Baetis can get you into the game.  Sow bugs are a great fall back if you want to keep it simple, or can’t figure out the fly de jour. Dry Flies The PMD’s are not heavy but I would not venture forth without an emerger, cripple and a spinner or two.  The TFP PMD Cripple happens to be our fly of the week. There are also a...

IFTD is considered the largest fly tackle dealer show in the world. If it’s relevant to fly fishing, you’ll find it here. This year’s IFTD didn’t showcase as many vendors as it had in previous years -even some of the biggest names were atypically absent. It’s likely, that more vendors will participate in next year’s show when it moves to Denver, Colorado That being said, IFTD still had plenty to offer us. What it lacked this year in size, it made up for in all the cool, new things we saw. Here are our top five favorites.   1. Rio In Touch Big Nasty Sink Tip Made to cast large and heavy flies, the Rio In Touch Big Nasty Sink Tip is a multiple density sink tip line, which has a nice, steady drop to give you a tight line to your fly. Designed with an ultra-low stretch core, the Big Nasty delivers maximum sensitivity and per...

Chewuch River (WA) The Chewuch River is finally starting to come into shape with the river running at approximately 300 cfs. The Chewuch has both westslope cutthroat and rainbow trout. The average size trout will be right around 12 inches with a fair number above that. Plus, every now and then a nice fat 18 incher will make a surprise appearance. If the river keeps dropping like it is, you should have no problem wading most of the open waters. Dry flies are the name of the game now. A selection of your favorite surface flies is a must. Some of the normal hatches are coming such as; stone flies, caddis and a mix of mayflies. This is not to say to, don’t bring along your nymph box. We all know that a good nymph will, most of the time, end in good results. Some of the dry flies that have had good results are the; #12 black, royal or red H...

A couple of hours working up 2,000 feet of switchbacks takes me from the valley floor to Alpine Lake, nestled in its cirque below Packrat Peak, and the smaller “frog ponds” just beyond. But it’s not until I climb the final mile, up to the crest of the ridge itself—well above 9,000 feet—and peer into the Baron Lakes Basin, that the scope of the rugged Sawtooth Mountains hits home. The imposing summits of Monte Verita, Warbonnet and Tohobit dominate the massif, rising above Baron Lakes, while Decker Peak looms across the valley to the south, and Braxon and Horstman fill the eastern horizon. From my ridge-top vantage, the wild beauty of the landscape offers mute if irrefutable evidence why the cognescenti, those mountain lovers lucky enough to know the Sawtooths, speak of them with frank awe. The cluster of 10,000-foot peaks in ...

ICAST for the uninitiated is like walking onto the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. It’s a thrilling feeling that hits you with a ton of energy. It’s the place you want to be if you want to be on the cutting edge of the fishing industry. People attend because they expect to see to the newest technology in fishing tackle. And, they expect to get a feel for where the sport is going. For those already familiar with ICAST, this year’s show seemed more grounded compared to last year’s show. It was our impression that vendors really listened to anglers and then developed products that built upon existing technologies. Of all that we saw, here is the best of ICAST 2018 we think you should know about.   Shimano Curado DC Baitcasting Reel We first saw this reel in our ICAST: A First Look. Because we think it is a game changer, i...

ICAST is the greatest sportfishing industry event in the world. There is a lot to take in and it can be overwhelming. We thought this year’s ICAST first look preview was innovative with a lot of diversity in game fishing tackle. Eager to showcase their newest selection, vendors did not disappoint us. In fact, here are our top ten picks, with an honorable mention.   1. Shimano Curado DC Baitcasting Reel A game changer, the Shimano Curado DC Baitcasting Reel lets you say goodbye to backlashes. Featuring a braking system that utilizes a microcomputer to monitor spool speed, the Curado DC applies the perfect amount of brake to prevent backlash and optimize distance.   2. LIVETARGET Hollow Body Crawfish Natural looking, this hollow body craw delivers lively action with claws and a skirt designed to get down to where deep water sma...

Trico’s Reliable and sometimes heavy hatches of the diminutive Trico mayfly bring many trout to the surface.  In key areas, large pods of sipping trout will form. It can be an awesome sight.  It can also lead to major angling frustrations.  Trout feeding on Trico’s are generally very selective. Trout begin feeding on hatching female duns in the early morning, eventually switching to the male spinners after the daily mating swarms occur.  Later in the day, they might focus on female spinners. Sometimes, they only want a male or female sunken spinner. Anglers must selectively match a very tiny fly and dead drift it very close to their target.  Basically, right on the fish’s nose.  Casts that are not precise and delicate will blow it, putting a fish or an entire pod on alert.  Then it will get really difficult.  Some anglers a...

McDougal is all smiles behind his 71-inch Wyoming buck taken on public land with the help of his self-crafted cardboard decoy. Photo by Rebecca McDougal I peered through the tiny viewing hole in my homemade cardboard decoy, fully expecting to see the pronghorns’ white rumps amidst clouds of dust. However, the three-goat group—two does and a massive buck—lingered and stared curiously at my cardboard cutout. One doe soon ambled directly away, while the other approached inquisitively with the buck in tow. I leaned out just far enough to range the goats as they advanced my way. When they stopped at nearly 60 yards, I knew they weren’t coming any closer; it was now or never. I slowly drew my bow and leaned out, and when my pin floated on his ribs, I touched the trigger. My arrow arched across the prairie, hitting slightly higher than ...

There are few baits more effective at enticing a fish to strike than a jerkbait. Effective in cold water they can wake a lethargic bass from its slumber, or entice ferocious strikes during prime feeding season. Of course, jerkbaits aren't limited to bass fishing and are an effective means of targeting a wide variety of gamefish including big stripers and are deadly in the salt for snook, mackerel, and redfish. The Big Brother The success of the 3.5", size 9, RipStop begged Rapala to build a bigger version. Like the smaller version, the new RipStop 12 has the same unique lip on the tail that results in hard stops after fast rips all on a 4.5" body. This lure can be worked strongly in a tight spot to pull fish out of nearby cover. Fine scaling details, holographics, and a diversity of bait fish and vibrant color schemes are enough to stimu...