Glacier Anglers based in West Glacier, Mont., has scheduled  Fun on the Fly! Youth Fly Fishing Day Camps on June 9 and June 30.

The sessions run from 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. for kids ages 12-16 at the Glacier Outdoor Center for a fun day of fly fishing and casting at stocked fishing ponds with the Glacier Anglers pro staff. 

Kids will learn the basics of casting, knots, fly selection and entomology while practicing catch and release methods in Glacier Anglers’ stocked ponds. Each day will end with a friendly casting competition and awards ceremony with great prizes.

While kids are participating in Fun on the Fly! Youth Fly Fishing Day Camp, their parents or guardians can spectate or enjoy a discounted half-day raft trip for $32.

 Info and registration: (800) 235-6781.

FISHING — Coeur d’Alene attorney Denny Davis will share photos and stories from his trip to Russia starting at 7 p.m. May 16 at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave.

Davis’ free program, “Moscow and Fishing in the Russian Far East,” is one in a series of Novel Destinations programs sponsored by the Library Foundation as an opportunity for area residents to share photos from unique places around the world.

FLY FISHING — Looking to upgrade your fly rod or reel, but you can't justify your purchase to your significant other?

Want the latest and greatest from your favorite rod company, but need some money to help purchase it?

Wanna get your cheap buddy into the sport?

These reasons and more will be prompting area anglers to sell and buy used gear at the annual Fly Fishing Gear Swap Event sponsored by Silver Bow Fly Shop, 13210 E. Indiana Ave., in Spokane Valley.

Read on for details on selling and buying.

FLY FISHING — The upper reaches of the St. Joe River Road are still plugged with snow, but Sean Visintainer of Silver Bow Fly Shop found decent fishing in the lower river.  The river was clear and dropping and fish were keying on Brown Drakes, a hatch that's usually a bust for fly fishers because of runoff.

Still, he said the he caught the most fish fast-stripping streamers.

Click here for Sean's full report.

In case you didn't notice, the cutthroat he'spreparing to release on Sunday stretches from his forefinger to his elbow. 

FLY FISHING — The Spokane Fly Fishers are finished with their fall through early spring series of monthly programs. It's time for them to focus on fishing, and this is where the club members kick into another gear.

The wise students who enrolled in the club's extensive fly fishing course during the winter not only have the knowledge and skills to pursue fish with authority this season — they also have a group to help lead them to fishing action that would take considerable time to acquire on their own.

Although there's plenty of private outtings underway and on the schedule this season, anglers who have been fishing this region for a long time mapped out the following schedule for the club's group outings.

Read on for the dates and waters.

FLY FISHING — Fly fishers will find plenty of action in Ellensburg this weekend, and the won't have to put on their waders.

FLY FISHING —  Swede’s Fly Shop, 1611 N. Ash St. in Spokane, is joining the Orvis Co. in a free series of basic fly fishing and fly tying clinics.

Fly Fishing 101 classes will be offered 10 a.m.-noon on the first Saturday of each month starting May 5 through Oct. 6, said shop owner Allen Peterson

Basic fly-tying sessions will be offered on the same days, noon-4 p.m.

The 101 course involves rigging rods and casting instruction.

Discount coupons and free membership into fly fishing groups also are offered. Info: 323-0500.

OTHER FLY-FISHING ACTIVITIES

Steve Moran Custom Rods is offering personal rod-building classes

Silver Bow Fly Shop in Spokane Valley has a list of fishing technique classes for beginners as well as accomplished fly fishers for April and May. Fees range $20-$30.

Click “continue reading” to see the details on the Silver Bow offerings.

FISHING — The 2012 Fly Fishing Film Tour, which has been traveling across the country and revving up enthusiastic audiences since February, is coming back to the Inland Northwest.

Portions of 11 films are compiled into a 2-hour show set for April 20 starting at 7 p.m. at the Panida Theater in Sandpoint.

See an interview with details about one of the most compelling films on the tour.

FISHING – The April 1 fishing season opener at many lakes in the Columbia Basin indicates that anglers are still paying a price for the long, cold, wet spring of 2011.

That’s not to say this year has been much better, so far.

The number of anglers out for the opener was down throughout the Basin, with NO anglers observed at the Pillar-Wideon chain of lakes near Potholes Reservoir.

March 1 was the opener for most selective fishery waters in Eastern Washington. Most Spokane area lowland trout production lakes open for fishing on April 28.

At Dry Falls Lake, a spring favorite for fly fishermen, rain followed by high winds kept all by the most dedicated opening day anglers off the water.

Those who persisisted for three-five hours caught and released an average of five fish, said Chad Jackson, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife District biologist.  Trout size ranged from 10-20 inches.

Yearling trout, however, showed signs of last year’s shorter growing season, Jackson said.

”Yearlings should easily; be 12-14 inches by the opener instead of 10-12 inches,” he said.  ” Smaller yearling trout size has been observed in other lakes in the Basin this year.  Over the next couple months these trout should grow to a nicer size.”

FISHING – The annual spring fishing closure to protect spawners in the Spokane River begins tomorrow (March 16).

Fishing won’t resume until June 1 below Monroe Street Dam.

The fishing season will reopen on the river from the stateline downstream to Upriver Dam on June 2.

Check the fishing regulations closely.

FISHING — Fly fisher Dustin Bise shares these few seconds of action to show anglers what they're missing if they haven't been out to sample the early season at Amber Lake near Cheney.

FISHING — A thin crust of ice still covered the boat launch area at Coffeepot Lake on Wednesday evening, but that didn't stop a fly fisher from launching his aluminum pram to fish the fingers of open water at the east end of the lake.

Coffeepot Lake, on BLM land west of Harrington, Wash., is a selective fishery, which means bait fishing is prohibited. The lake holds nice rainbow trout plus too many perch.

The main part of the lake was ice-free Wednesday.

The entire lake should be free of ice in the next day or two.

FLY FISHING — Weather put a chill on the Yakima skwala hatch today.

Scored with Pat's Rubberlegs under an indicator, though.

Dry flies ready… and waiting for a week, more likely two.

Patience.

From grizzly bears to fly fishing, several interesting outdoors related programs are scheduled tonight in Spokane, plus one biggie for anglers in Sandpoint.

It's too bad people have to choose just one to attend.  Here's a sampling of the lineup:

• Fly fishing film helps anglers “Connect” with steelhead.
• 'Grizzly Manifesto” author to speak at Gonzaga.
• Bhutan trekking slide show funds opposition to Mt. Spokane ski area expansion.
• Lake Pend Oreille “state of the lake” fisheries presentation tonight.

Doc Of The Drakes, Short from Silver Creek Outfitters on Vimeo.

ANGLING — The annual Fly Fishing Film Tour presented last night to a nearly full house at the Bing Crosby Theater soared beyond expectations. The films were beautifully photographed and brilliantly edited, capturing moods ranging from kick-ass action to admiration and emotion.

The audience, which I would describe as severely male, relished fishing for tarpon, bonefish, huge arctic char and a day of bull-trout fishing with Beckie Clarke (left) a Fernie, British Columbia, guide who led a filmmaker on a hike into a stretch of stream in the Elk River Valley.

The crowd last night gave rousing appreciation for the film Doc of the Drakes (see clip above) and the persistence of a guide and a man with Parkinson's disease determined to hook a trout in the peak of brown drake hatch on Idaho's Silver Creek.

Click here for details about the show and all the films.

Click here for a film clip and my profile of a Missouri River guide who idled his rod to photograph other guides relishing the dry fly action near Craig, Mont.  The film generated loud applause at the Bing.

The Fly Fishing Film Tour will be returning to the Inland Northwest on April 20 in Sandpoint.

PUBLIC LANDS — Here's another wake up call for anyone contemplating a summer Forest Service cabin or lookout rental.

The Idaho Panhandle National Forests St. Joe Ranger District is accepting applications through February for a lottery to select reservation rental dates for the popular Red Ives Cabin.

The rental season for the former ranger home along the St. Joe River is Memorial Day weekend through September.

Most federal lands cabin and fire lookout rentals as well as camping reservations are handled online or by phone through Recreation.gov, the national first-come-first served reservations system.

For example, the Surveyor's Ridge Lookout rental in the mountains high above the St. Joe is handled by the national system, allowing reservations to be made up to 180 days in advance.

However, the Red Ives Cabin, which includes a former ranger home, is handled locally in a lottery drawing.

More than 400 applications were submitted for 50 reservations last year, said District Ranger Wade Sims.

Click here for a previous post on renting the popular Kelly Creek Cabin and other sites on the Clearwater National Forest.

Read on for details on applying for the Red Ives Cabin, Surveyor's Lookout and the Clarkia Bunkhouse. 

OUTDOOR PROGRAMS — Here's a few outdoor programs to consider catching this week:

Fly fishing – “Match the Hatch Simplified,” free program by Oregon fly-fishing author Dave Hughes, 7 p.m., Wednesday (Feb. 8) at St. Francis School, 1104 W. Heroy, hosted by the Spokane Fly Fishers.

Map and compass – Free seminar on basics of reading a map and applying a compass for navigation, 7 p.m., Thursday (Feb. 9), at REI. Pre-register here to assure a spot.

Wetlands – The Pullman chapter of Ducks Unlimited will hold its annual fund-raising banquet for wetlands conservation on Feb. 12 at the Paradise Creek Brewery in Pullman. Tickets: Joe Ford (509) 872-3030.

“Reverb” Trailer from RT on Vimeo.

FISHING — The annual Fly Fishing Film Tour has been scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 8 at the Bing Crosby Theater in Spokane. 

The show will be returning to the Inland Northwest on April 20 in Sandpoint.

The tour has been a full-house attraction in recent years in Spokane, featuring an evening of edited versions of about eight fishing flicks. More coming as details are released.

RIVER RUNNING — Applications for permits to float Montana's popular Smith River this spring and summer are available starting today.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks will accept applications for permits to float the Smith River State Park and River Corridor through Feb. 15, and Smith River Super Permit lottery chances will also be available starting today, with chances sold through March 15.

Here's a more detailed story on the applications from The Billings Gazette.

Here's a link on floating the Smith River from the Montana FWP website.

Here are photos and the story I wrote after floating and fishing the river — an experience that should be on every floater-flyfisher's bucket list.