The eastern tributaries of Lake Michigan are home to some of the best steelhead fishing in the great lakes region. This area is home to some fantastic anglers and guides, many of whom have made great contributions to the fishing industry. One of those guides is Kevin Feenstra, a well […]
I firmly believe that there is no single “right way” to fly fish. I’ll happily crawl through a thicket of Russian Olives to position myself for a shot at sight-fishing a large trout. I’ll joyfully cycle through dozens of dry flies on a technical river in an attempt fool a […]
Need some ideas for the fly angler in your life? Check out our Fishwest Fishmas Gear Gift Guide that will spread the holiday cheer everyday they spend out on the water. As always, please reach out to us with any questions that you may have. One of our friendly, professional, […]
Bonito in San Diego, CA It was a sunny Sunday morning in October, when my husband, Dave Smith, and I, met up with two other fly anglers to go chase some tuna. With three pelagic seasoned fly anglers on the boat, I was the noobie and this made me super […]
Editors Note: I have three kids, currently 12, almost 10 and newly 8 years old, and man, have they taught me a lot and they continue to teach me in parenting. Together we have created a deeper love for the outdoors and all things fly fishing. I’d like to say […]
Editors Note: Welcome to the first Fishwest Gear Guide! The goal of this guide is to provide you, the angler, with the recommendations and professional insight from the Fishwest staff in order to make your fishing adventures a success. Each month, we will be exploring different fisheries, species, the tackle […]
Have you heard of Fish Bacon? I doubt you have. I hadn’t either, until I invented the term. I’m not a big “catch and keep” type of guy. It’s not that I’m entirely against the practice—certainly many fisheries would benefit if us fly-flickers kept a few fish—I just usually find […]
Great lakes steelhead are becoming an evermore popular fish to target, especially with the declining returns of west coast fish. They’re accessible just about everywhere throughout the Midwest and Northeastern United States, running into tributaries of all five great lakes. For a long time they’ve been targeted with conventional gear […]
I wouldn’t call myself a fly fishing “purist” by any means, I do it all: euro nymphing, dry dropper, stripping streamers, swinging bugs. I don’t have a favorite technique, I let the water dictate how I’ll catch all the fish that day. So, when I was handed the Echo Dry […]
This week I learned of the passing of one the greatest people I have ever had the pleasure of both fishing with and getting to know. Sadly, Captain Joseph Sands, “Josie” to those who knew him, was taken from his home waters this week when his boat tragically crashed while […]
The Fishwest staff is excited to announce that we will be returning with guests to the Andros South Lodge for our 10th season. Our guests and staff have enjoyed this fishery and its surroundings for many years now and are looking forward to sharing it with you. Our 10th trip […]
Each year it seems the stories get a little more far fetched, and of course, way greasier. This year was no different, as my best friend and I set off down the greasy trails. Our plan was to have two camping spots we would use as staging areas and fan […]