After seven years of marriage, it was about time I gave my wife a real honeymoon. I tried to talk here into a trip to the Sea of Cortez, to a fishing lodge some friends recommended. When she saw the desolate scenery that surrounded the isolated lodge, she balked. A friend of mine at work had visited Belize a couple of years ago and suggested that we consider a trip to this Central American country. We couldn’t have made a better decision.
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There is an abundance of choice in Eastern Washington when the prospect of ice fishing is considered. There are lakes near and far. Some offer trout, others spiny ray and still others that offer burbot (freshwater ling), but they all offer the same thing: angling during a season that often offers limited options to the ardent angler. You know the type. They just gotta go fishing, and the heck with the conditions outside. read more...
I'll admit that I had fished Blue Lake once before, but it was so long ago I think I was still in college. That makes it ancient history. Very ancient. I didn't know what to expect, but I had some good reasons to give it a try. read more...
When I planned an extended mid-May fishing trip to several waters in North Central Washington, I was sure to include Evergreen Reservoir. The lakes that were included on my list I had either never fished, or fished so long ago I didn't know what to expect. I added Evergreen Reservoir to the number of lakes to visit. Its reputation for producing good numbers of a long list of warmwater species assured me of an interesting day, and I wasn't disappointed. read more...
When winter gets its strangle hold on North Central Washington, snow and ice dominate the landscape and chill the ambitions of even the most hardy of anglers. There is a large fraternity of fly fishers that actually look forward to this season. That's when they know they can find open, running water and the best quality fishing for large rainbow the state has to offer. The coldest time of the year is when the action heats up at Rocky Ford. read more...
It comes at this time every year. It's the season for perch fishing, and my brother Rick just can't help himself. He starts making calls to see if there's ice safe enough to allow fishing for perch at Banks Lake or Fish Lake, anywhere that he knows that these mini-walleye gather for spawning. His friends shake their heads. This is the guy who is legendary for salmon and lake trout fishing on Lake Chelan. He has caught steelhead by the score on Northwest waters. I've seen him battle marlin in Hawaii. But this time of year, if you mention the word perch, his eyes glaze over and just like Homer Simpson he utters, "Uhhmm---purrrhhhrrrch." It's out of control. read more...
Bill McGuire and Buzz Fiorini had each spent careers in the professional fishing and hunting industry that spanned over fifty years. They were both aware of each other’s reputations and accomplishments. They had attended the same outdoor shows and exhibitions at the same time and place over the years, but had never actually met face to face. That finally happened in March of 2000 in Rock Island, Washington, and the outcome was the launch of yet another enterprise by the two fly rod-and-line building experts. They combined their expertise to develop a new fly-casting system that allows novice and physically restricted casters to toss a line 60 to 90 feet with ease. read more...
Ever fish a lake or stream, and tell yourself that you’d go back there sometime? Maybe the fishing wasn’t that great, but you could see the potential and wanted to give it another try. Buffalo Lake on Colville Indian Reservation in North Central Washington was one of these for me, and this year I did something about it. If fished it once, briefly, about three years ago and always planned to go back. I finally made it this year, and if I had known what kind of surprises were waiting for me, I would not have let those years pass without giving Buffalo Lake a visit. read more...
There's something about winter at Rufus Woods Reservoir. On February 23rd of 1998 Robert Halverson landed a 25-pound, .45-ounce triploid rainbow. This beat the old state record that had stood for decades by nearly 3 pounds. This past season, it was broken again. Tim Hill of Twisp landed a 25-pound, 11 ½-ounce brute on January 8th. Yeah, there's something about winter at Rufus Woods. read more...
If you haven’t experienced the thrill of catching a steelhead, you’ll want to give it a try. Here are some basic tackle elements that are used here in North Central Washington for catching these prizes. read more...
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