Northern pike are the apex predator in several of our lakes and rivers here in north Idaho and there are an abundance of opportunities to fish these toothy critters, which we will discuss this Friday, April 27, at 5 p.m., at our North 40 Fly Shop in Ponderay, Idaho. Really, what’s not to love about northerns—they are willing to eat anything that dares to swim nearby (meaning they are aggressive), and the world record holds at 55 pounds (meaning they are large fish). The Idaho state-record pike weighed 40 pounds and another angler caught-and-released a 33-pounder at Hayden Lake just last year. Aggressive and large is a combination that should catch any dedicated angler’s eyes. Fortunately, late spring is one of the best times—if not the best time—to fish northerns so you can get in on the action this coming weekend and beyond. ...

The Mother’s Day caddis is a hatch I love to hate. Half the time it comes off when water conditions are sketchy at best, and other times a fish has no chance of finding my bug on the water when there are, literally, billions of naturals riding the flow. The hatch occurs anytime from late April through the end of May on most Inland Northwest and Rocky Mountain rivers (late on some Yellowstone area streams), just prior to—if you’re lucky—or just after—if you're not—runoff hits in full force. When runoff arrives streams rise and turn clouded, meaning the color of black coffee mixed with two splashes of half-and-half. Place a fish a few inches below the lip of that latte (even if you hold the whip and drizzle), and you might see why fish have trouble finding these bugs in heavy, clouded flows. The Mother’s Day caddis hatch is a...

Durability is a feature some companies don’t believe is important. I’m not sure why. With gobs of information available at the consumer’s fingertips, most customers are educated shoppers these days. A couple of bad reviews on a boot’s durability could mean the end for the boot, or even the company. That’s why I continue to shop with a company that values the customer’s needs. With Simms, you don’t have to worry about getting swindled into buying a boot that fails quickly. My experience with the Freestone, old and new I first bought a pair of Freestone wading boots in May 2015 because my previous pair of boots disintegrated somewhere along Idaho’s Henry’s Fork River. I was in desperate need of durable/affordable boots. I stumbled upon Simms’ Freestone boots in a shop, liked the feel, the look, and the price, so I bough...

One of my favorite summer activities is to sit outside and listen to the garden. When it’s alive with the sound of buzzing, chirping, and singing, I know all is well in our little microcosm. In the end, having an array of insects, along with a healthy number of birds, is the ideal mix for a productive and low-stress garden, not to mention a nice mindset. We all understand the role that honeybees play in the garden, with their hard work flying from flower-to-flower so we don’t have to hand-pollinate our squash and other vegetables. But there are a multitude of other insects that share this task. On top of that, there are a whole band of other insects, as well as birds, that will take care of a lot of your pest problems before they become an issue. The key is creating a suitable landscape for all. Spiders are a great help in the garde...

Spey-fishermen who’ve bucket-listed Washington’s once mighty Skagit River system have reason to rejoice. WDFW has launched a catch and release (C&R) steelhead fishery which opened April 14-15, continues April 18-22, and ends April 25-29. Regional Fish Program Manager, Edward Eleazer, tells me this is the first time this classic, big-water steelhead mecca, has seen a swung fly since 2010. Actually, that’s not entirely true. Skagit spey-lords have tested the waters while swinging for dolly varden for a few months now under a C&R gamefish opener. Additionally, between releasing dollies, anglers have been deputized to slay invasive Atlantic salmon, which made it to the Skagit as the result of an infamous fish farm debacle this past August in Puget Sound. But, now that NOAA has approved a five-year C&R steelhead fishery, it ...

By Brian Kozminski photos by Kevin Jozwiak Anxiety. It's a nervous wrecking ball inside me. Tonight it’s gut-wrenching, and won't allow me to sleep. It's been months since I’ve seen a bug hatch, seen one wriggle free for a trout to eat. There’s still some white stuff on the southern ridges. But the forecast calls for mid-fifties next week and daylight gains each day. Right now, on the cusp of vernal equinox, I can only tie so many more flies, and ready my gear so many times—I need to cast a dry fly. Then I can sleep. Over the past few months I have filled my fly boxes with the essential patterns to get me through the season, starting with those to match the long awaited arrival of the Hendrickson, Ephemerella subvaria, which occurs, typically, in late April or early May. The length and severity of winter predicates when this hat...

There are several words and phrases used to describe the Mop fly. And none of them are admiring. In fact, I’ve heard, “Sinful, abomination, an assault to the senses.” Those are the G-rated expressions. From what I’ve gleaned from the fly-tying community, this fly was created in North Carolina about 10 years ago by Jim Estes. It gained popularity and its reputation when Lance Egan won the U.S. National Fly Fishing Championship back in 2016. Since then, the Mop has been banned from use in several competitions and locations. That resentment comes from people who prefer traditional materials and hold a bias against flies the don’t fit that mainstream mentality. Some would say it’s a fly that you either love or hate. The name, alone, gives you a good idea of what the fly is made of. The microfiber chenille fingers you find on mops...

Ice-out is one of the best times of the year to take a truly large trout. This fish came just after ice-out along Montana's Rocky Mountain Front. Cruise the shorelines during mornings and evenings, when the wind is calm, and you can often sight-fish to these monsters. Take a variety of flies and a floating line, along with an indicator or two. The ice has finally come off some of our favorite lakes and reservoirs, and over the next week or so more lakes will open. Anglers have been chomping at the bit because warming water temperatures make aquatic organisms active and the trout take notice. In many of our lakes, rainbows congregate along shorelines to feed and search out suitable gravel for spawning. This provides great chances—the best of the year in fact—to sight-fish for some big trout, even if you are restricted to fishing from ...

Omak Lake The lake has turned on and the Lahontan cutthroats are cruising closer to shore. Finally, the pods of cutties are moving around and the action shows it. Both ends of the lake are having good action. From what I can tell the water temperature finally warmed up to trigger what we have all come to expect this time of year when fishing Omak Lake. Best times seem to be first light till 11:30 a.m., then again around 3 p.m. on till dark. A power boat will open up waters that the shore anglers can't get to. Those with pontoon boats are doing real good working the drop-off on into the shallows. Just be mindful of the shore anglers that might be there. The Lahontans are running on the average 18" to 22". Double-digit catches are becoming the norm now. One thing some of the new anglers are learning is you don't use tippet smaller the 3X, ...