Blog

I’m sure some of you who frequent the more fishy portions of the web have come across an unsavory character who calls himself Roderick Hawg Brown. I was recently interrogated by this toothless, piscine, cartoon effigy of a euro invasive trash fish.  Based on my answers, he provides some fish brained feedback.  First he attempts to grasp the word Mystic as in my business name, Mystic Waters. (For those of you with only primary school... Read more

We just received a new batch of Nautilus FWX Reels. This might just be your next reel.  The FWX 7/8 is my latest reel and I’m seriously thinking of adding the 5/6 model to my arsenal. The FWX series have become the best selling fly reel on the market today. To come close to this quality of workmanship and performance you will likely have to spend twice as much as what these reels cost. Made in USA!  Trout to Bonefish. Fresh Water Light, Salt Water Safe! Well under $300 Read more

  The Spring Chinook are pouring over Boneville Dam on the Columbia River right now.  It takes about 14 days for those fish to enter the Clearwater River in Idaho.  Fishing this year is expected to be great with record runs of Spring Chinook.  To watch the counts visit: http://www.fpc.org/currentdaily/HistFishTwo_7day-ytd_Adults.htm The last dam they are counted over before enterting the Clearwater River is Lower Granite.  Once over Lower Granite it is maybe 2-3 days... Read more

Okanogan County's lakes enjoyed beautiful weather Saturday April 28th for the General Lowlands Lakes opener! Anglers who visited the Big R Fly Shop in Omak carted off plenty of Chironomid/Blood Worm, Leech and Crawfish patterns to local hotspots like Leader, Conconully, Aeneas and Omak Lakes and most reported good fishing for Bass, Trout and even Kokanee! Creel reports from the Department of Fish and Wildlife on the local 'Put and Take' lakes opening day were as follows : Avg. Fish Caught... Read more

The rainstorm Thursday of last week has caused severe damage to the the road straight up from Loomis to Chopaka. The road has not been closed as of yesterday (April 30), but still remains extremely difficult to negotiate. The county should be running a grader within the next few weeks. For updates or more information, contact the Okanogan County Public Works at (509) 422-7300 Read more

Sitting in the shop watching the river flows drop like a rock, I decide to go fishing at lunch.  I love my job and I love where I live.   Read more

I started working in the Big R Fly Shop in Great Falls, MT in late October.  I've known Kris for several years and was not surprised when he took off across the globe to Thailand in January.  For weeks, I'd have to answer the question; "Where is Kris?"  Well I just checked my fly fishing media links today and found that MidCurrent has the answer.  We knew Kris was working with Montana Fly Company, but here is the rest of the story in his words. Read more

From Wall Street Journal: Yvon Chouinard, founder of the outdoor clothing brand Patagonia - gave a talk at a sustainable-fisheries conference in Vancouver. He'd been invited to speak in recognition of Patagonia's longtime commitment to environmental issues and its reputation as a company that manages to churn out profit while minimizing ecological impact. Chouinard delivered his spiel, but he came away frustrated by the surprising ignorance of his audience. "They didn't know what they... Read more

Chalk up another one on the bucket list for me.  I have always wanted to go to the Ponoi River.  After talking with my good friend Barrett, who is a guide over there, I became even more excited.  Here is a video on the Ponoi with some action from Barrett! Read more

Bristol Bay still lives inside of my soul.   I still picture waters alive with millions of salmon and rainbow trout waiting for the annual migration of smolts and spawning fish. It is a truly remarkable place that every fishermen or hunter should visit.  Today begins the largest collaborative effort by sportsmen, to help save Bristol Bay. From: www.savebristolbay.org A large delegation of sportsmen from across the country is meeting with Members of Congress and the... Read more