Back in 2004, Idaho Fish and Game decided to allow year-round fishing on the South Fork of the Snake. (It was previously open from Memorial Day through November.) This change not only helped to protect native cutthroat populations—by . . .
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Pro Tips: How and When to Use “The Swing” While Nymphing
Most how-to articles about technical nymphing stress the importance of achieving a drag-free drift. Ensuring that your nymphs move at the same speed as the surrounding current is indeed good advice under most circumstances, but certain conditions . . .
Read MorePro Tips: How to Deal with Runoff
Trying to fish high and off-color water during the spring runoff in May or June can be a frustrating experience that drives a lot of anglers off the river. While conditions during these months are often less than ideal, there are. . .
Read More5 Dry Flies for Spring Fishing on the Deschutes River
Beginning high in the Cascades, the Deschutes river winds through a varied landscape of high desert, pine forest, and basalt-lined canyons before joining the mighty Columbia more than 200 miles downstream. Its cold, rich. . .
Read MoreDiscovering the Benefits of 10-Foot 4-Weight Rods
After moving back home to Colorado a few years ago, I knew my technical trout game would need some improvement, so I bought a couple new fly rods and started practicing. One was a standard 9-foot 5-weight, but for the other. . .
Read MorePro Tips: What’s a Sheefish and How Do You Catch One?
If you’ve never heard of a Sheefish–also known locally here in Alaska as Inconnu–you’re not alone. Most anglers come up here to chase salmonids of one variety or another, so this relatively obscure species has continued to fly under. . .
Read MorePro Tips: Use Sinking Lines for Spring Streamer Success
March comes in like a lion and leaves like a lamb, leading to warmer days–and warmer water temps–that seem to set the fish into motion. Living up here in the cold climate of Vermont for the past 25 years, April makes me itch to get. . .
Read MoreTop 5 Flies for Spring Fishing in Eastern Oregon
The next three months–from April through the end of June–can offer some of the most exciting trout fishing in Eastern Oregon. Many of our rivers have excellent hatches of golden stoneflies, salmon flies, and Skwala. . .
Read MorePro Tips: What Makes a Good Fly for Taimen?
Taimen may technically belong to the trout family, but they certainly don’t act like it. You won’t find these fish lazily sitting on the bottom waiting for a caddis to roll by, or daintily sipping size 22 Tricos from the surface film. . .
Read MorePro Tips: Spring Tactics on the Gunpowder River
The Gunpowder river comes alive during spring, as warming daytime temperatures boost insect activity, motivating wild browns to stir from their winter slumber and begin packing on the pounds. By the time the frogs are. . .
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