The largest, most active online fly fishing and outdoor community in the Pacific Northwest!

Playing the Stillwater Game from Scratch Pt 1: Gearing Up

The rest of us – let’s start there. You fly fish, but recently picked it up, we’ll say you are somewhere in year one. Or maybe you’re somewhat of a veteran fly fisher, but the allure of lakes never really became a thing for you. Maybe you’ve tried it, maybe you haven’t. Either way, you’re in need of a crash course. For the sake of this article, you’re my audience and I’m here to get you on your way, catching fish and having fun in places where the water doesn’t move much.

Fly tying and fishing flies: The Doppelgänger

There are some universal truths in the world, and one of those is “Big fish eat little fish”. Originally designed with hungry springtime trout and char in mind, the Doppelgänger has been proof of that statement on a whole pile of big angry fish from Alaska trout to Florida snook and every piscivorous species in between.

Rod Review: The New ECHO Trout X

This freshly released new rod series from ECHO just hit the scene in November 2022.  Read this in-depth review to see how it does against some of the top rods on the market!

Fly Fishing for Albacore Tuna

In this three part series, Capt. Nick Clayton breaks down the ins, outs, and sideways of a day on the water targeting albacore on a fly rod.  This fishery off the Washington and Oregon Coast is growing in popularity with fly anglers, but there is still a whole lot you may not know to expect out there.

A Beginners Guide to Alpine Lake Fishing in Washington State

There are more than 1,500 lakes in Washington State above 2,500 feet in elevation. Many of these high lakes are stocked or have natural trout populations. Here’s what you need to know to take advantage of this opportunity.

New to Fly Fishing?

Whether you’re a few trips in or trying to figure out how to even start acquiring the tools to make a first attempt, our community has put together an excellent primer to get you goin!

What’s New

A Beginners Guide to Alpine Lake Fishing in Washington State

A Beginners Guide to Alpine Lake Fishing in Washington State

by Dave Westburg

There are more than 1,500 lakes in Washington State above 2,500 feet in elevation. Many of these high lakes are stocked or have natural trout populations. Here’s what you need to know to take advantage of this opportunity.

New Beanies!

New Beanies!

by PNW Fly Fishing

Beanies have arrived!  Look awesome for the rest of this chilly season!  Several styles and colors available.

Launch of pnwfishing.net!

Launch of pnwfishing.net!

We're expanding!

We’re expanding our brand!  Due to demand from a community of conventional anglers in the PNW, we have launched pnwfishing.net!  If you sometimes pick up non-fly gear, come on over and join us!

Trip Spotlights

Fly Fishing & Trekking in Gabon west Africa

“…..this is Dylan. I don’t suppose you want to got to Africa with me to chase monster tarpon from the beach and then track gorillas in the jungle with pygmy trackers at the end of the month?”

A Little Blue Line to the Salt

As a kid I fished the resident cutthroat population this water offers, but seldom ventured towards the mouth. And thus an afternoon outing before a family get-together turned into a two day obsession working the skinny water into the tidal salt.

2 Weeks in a Row

After a successful first backpacking trip a week ago with our four year old (where she hiked on her own), we got a call from a friend saying they had a permit for a beautiful lake in Central Oregon for the weekend of the 4th.

Getting in to fly fishing and have questions?

So, you're new to fly fishing?

Not long ago I was new to fly fishing myself. It seemed like the thing to get into when I relocated to the Pacific Northwest. I had no clue what to do, not that I know much more now. I started out with a 5wt rod, reel and line combo with a starter video on casting.

"I have this particular rod. What's the best fly line for it?"

I always struggle with the response, because this is a flawed question. As a flawed person, often my response isn’t ideal. But you’re ok to ask it, because you likely don’t know enough at this point to know the right question to ask. And that is ok! Learning is a big part of the fun of this sport!

Catch & Release Fish Handling Techniques

Proper fish handling techniques are simple and can be applied across species. The more techniques you employ increases the likelihood that released fish will survive to spawn (or be caught again). Keeping sportfish populations strong begins with individual fish.

Fly Fishing in Oregon: April, May & June

This is the second entry of what will be a quarterly article on helping you know what fly fishing opportunities are potentially worth checking out. While each state, Oregon especially, has a lot of area to cover, we hope to give you a general idea of fisheries that are worth exploring at the very least.

Ask our community!

Is there anything you’re curious about in your journey to learn this sport?  Our community is eager to help get you dialed in!  Don’t hesitate to ask!

Tasty Eats & Drinks

Smoked Salmon Chowder

We lost all of our non-smoked meat in the 3-day power outage, so it’s time to stretch what we have until the freezers are full again.

So, smoked salmon chowder it is.

Gear Reviews

The New ECHO Trout X

This freshly released new rod series from ECHO just hit the scene in November 2022.  Read this in-depth review to see how it does against some of the top rods on the market!

Fly Tying

The Doppelgänger

There are some universal truths in the world, and one of those is “Big fish eat little fish”. Originally designed with hungry springtime trout and char in mind, the Doppelgänger has been proof of that statement on a whole pile of big angry fish from Alaska trout to Florida snook and every piscivorous species in between.