FISHING -- Although fish managers and anglers are a puckered about this year's low snowpack and how that will play out for our trout fisheries through the summer, conditions are generally GREAT for the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

In the 37 years I've written about the prospects for Memorial Day, I recall that the norm for most years was to report that area rivers were too high for good fishing.

Not this year.

Sean Visintainer of Silver Bow Fly Shop in Spokane Valley has been on all the area rivers recently and he agrees.  Here are some tidbits from his full blog post on the holiday weekend fishing forecast:

• North Fork Coeur d'Alene -- "Wow, looks like late June or July up here!"   River's in great shape for this weekend. Many riffles are already skinny -- wade fishing or pontoons will be best options, since drift boats and larger rafts would have to be dragged in many cases. Recommended patterns: PMD's, caddis, March browns, yellow sallies and brown drakes. Expect to have company on the river.
• St. Joe River -- In great shape for Memorial Day weekend, but avoid the river downstream from Calder, where fishing will and access within 50 feet of the river will be prohibited Saturday and Sunday for the Race the Joe! jet boat races.  Above Calder, the river is at a late June level and great for wading or floating. "The river near Spruce Tree Campground is on the colder side; fish are there, but will be lethargic in the morning. Best fishing will be below Gold Creek. Recommended patterns: Stoneflies, brown drakes, March Browns, caddis, PMD's and yellow sallies.
• Spokane River -- Closed until June.
• Clark Fork -- "Big, but on the drop." Clarity already is good enough to fish. If it stays course, flows should be a suitable for fishing, although the possibility of rain could change that. Recommended patterns: Skwala with a drake or March brown should get fish up, but also consider a San Juan dropper.
• Local Lakes -- Fishing has been good overall, and competition is light now that most anglers are heading to streams. Amber, Medical, West Medical are all good options now. Recommended patterns: Damselfly nymphs or similar patterns fished on intermediate or sink-tips; Chironomid and callibaetis nymphs for still fishing well in less than 15 feet of water; balanced leech.