Page 102 - North 40 Outfitters

I’m always excited for new creative fly tying materials.  One company that continues to put out great stuff is the Flymen Fishing Company.  Many fly tiers are familiar with Fish Skulls, Fish Masks and Sculpin Helmets.  Recently, we got in their new tapered, synthetic Faux Bucktail.  From Clousers to big articulated Pike flies to standard trout flies, the new Faux Bucktail is making a big splash with fly tiers. Do you know how to rig for pike? Bucktail has been a standard fly tying material for years.  There are some challenges with it however.  It can be difficult to get consistent quality, length and color.  Each natural bucktail has a limited quantity of usable fibers. Bucktail is hollow, trapping air and making it difficult to sink flies.  The hollow fibers also flare when tied, causing issues with fly profiles. By contrast, ...

The crazy thing about April is that lots of people suddenly get interested in fly fishing again, but the fishing can be kind of spotty. Waters have finally warmed a few degrees and many of the fish have moved from their winter haunts.  Conditions are in flux as temps and flows can be erratic with tributaries running clear one day and muddy the next.  Mature rainbows are on their way to spawning areas or are already engaged in active spawning, taking many out of the picture. I’ve heard a number of reports from anglers who have floated and drawn a blank or only boated a handful of fish. I’ve also heard reports from wading anglers who caught a pile.  The takeaway is that the fish are not spread evenly throughout the river. As the water temps move upward to 42, things will get interesting in a hurry.  Sometimes it seems that the fish...

Want to have a longer growing season? Sick of waiting to plant your seeds? Then you've come to the right spot. Read on, and germinate successfully. With a wide array of season extending techniques, the revered "last frost date" is practically irrelevant. Although soil temperature will dictate, at least to some degree, when you can plant certain varieties, the season is much longer even for cold-climate gardeners who simply can't wait to put seeds and plants in the ground when you use these handy tools. And if you need actual garden tools? Then you'll want to see this.  No matter what time of the spring, the key to a successful early season garden is warm soil. For instance, greens typically germinate at a minimum temperature range of 35 to 38 degrees F. Theoretically, you could plant in March, but they won't grow until the soil reaches ...

The action has really started to pick up The weather is getting nicer and nicer. It's starting to really feel like springtime now -warmer days with the sun. It has also brought in more anglers into the shop before they head out to Omak Lake. From the reports I've been getting, the action has really started to pick up. About the only thing that has caused a slow down for people at times, is the spring winds that can pop up. This year the Lahontans have not quite been cruising in close to the shoreline like they have in the past.  A lot of it may be due to the water temperature. The lake is still holding a temperature of about 42 degrees toward the surface and in the shallows. A lot of the fish seem to be holding in a little deeper water, from 10' to 20'. There is still a lot of runoff coming into the lake, which I feel is a big contrib...

  Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending the Lake Pend O'reille State of the Lake meeting put on by Idaho Fish and Game. This public meeting is held annually at the Ponderay Events Center to show all progression made on the lake by IDFG. I greatly encourage anyone interested in the Lake Pend O'reille fishery to attend these greatly beneficial meetings. This blog is meant to re-cap most of the important topics discussed for those who either missed the meeting, or didn't know about it. Kokanee were first introduced in the 1930's, and historically supported the most popular fishery in Idaho. These Kokanee are an ideal source of food for most water dwelling predators. Gerrard rainbows ( a.k.a. Kamloop) were introduced in 1941 and are a top predator for Kokanee. Since then, our fishery has battled its share of "fishery declining" fac...

  Ice out has begun! Half of the lake is open, while the other half is still slushy rotten ice. The lake is currently kayak access only because the public boat launch is surrounded by ice. However, the fishing is great! Browns, Cutthroat, and Rainbows are hungry and willing to hit a #6 Thin Mint, #6 Olive Woolly Bugger, and a #6 Olive Balanced leech. I tend to fish olive or brown in this lake because the lake is loaded with small perch, a perfect trout treat. Looking for the perfect trout treat? Check these out. With the surrounding shores completely saturated from the recent rain, some trout have keyed in on the large nightcrawlers washing into the lake. Because of this, the trout are cruising feet from the shore in 2-8 feet of water. All of the trout were skinny except... Water clarity is pretty good, but heavy rain could change...

One of my customers sent me a report from his recent trip to the Sun Lakes Area. He was able to get some fishing in on a couple of the open waters down there. Plus, it answers the question about if Dry Falls lake would be ice free for the April 1st opener. Also, it looks like Lake Lenore is starting to fish well now that the ice is gone. Here is Ryan's report: Since I’m still waiting for many of the local lakes to thaw out after a long winter, I decided to take a short trip last week out to the Sun Lakes area between Ephrata and Banks Lake. This is a beautiful part of the state with many fishing opportunities and fascinating geological landscapes. My first stop was the Dry Falls Visitor Center near Coulee City, where I got a clear view of not only the ancient geology of Dry Falls, but also of the lake at the bottom. Dry Falls Lake is ...

It's pouring right now... Well, as of right now (Wednesday Afternoon) the CDA is holding at 8210 cfs at Enaville. We're getting a few scattered reports of people braving the high flows and coincidentally getting a few fish. The bad news is that it's pouring right now and more rain is expected through Friday, so we'll see how the flows will react. Need to know how the river is doing? Check out current river flows here. It's hard to beat a pink worm If you do decide to venture out be prepared for risers in the slack water with BWOs and midge patterns. It's hard to beat a pink worm under a stonefly nymph during the spring. Sculpin patterns will get the job done if you're into swinging some meat. I love this time of year... Read up on nymphs here. Looks pretty tasty Mason Sorenson, North 40 employee, and an all-around good guy was fishing t...

With winter finally loosening its grip on the Pacific Northwest, many of us are starting to venture out onto our favorite trout lakes. Unlike last year at this time, we'll be contending with some really cold water temperatures. There are few things to keep in mind while getting ready for your first outing of the season. Make a gear list before you go It's been a long winter and the last thing you want to do is forget something like your net, or even worse float tube fins on your first trip. Trust me, I've done it more than once! How are your fly lines looking? Do they need to be cleaned or replaced? Check for cracked coatings and other damage caused by fishing, or not fishing enough. Make sure fly line maintenance is first on your mind. Check your float tube or pontoon boat for leaks It's better to do this at home than find out that yo...

The buzz is starting. The phone is ringing. Fly bins are being pillaged. Balanced Leeches are flying out the door. Is it time yet? Oh yes. Ice out is here. All the major bodies of water we like to fish in the spring are open and the big players are cruising. Whether you choose Holter, Hauser, Canyon Ferry or the lakes scattered up the front, now is the time. Many people will often ask, are they spawning yet? In most cases, not quite. Now is when you want to catch them. Right now, they are biting and are in good shape. Pre-spawn is the best time to get after them. When the wind is blowing, as it typically is, using an indicator for depth control is a great way to go. Tie on two flies and let the waves do your jigging. If you get your flies to the right level, the fishing can be epic. Our favorite flies to fish during ice out are the balan...

It's been a long dreadful winter -with an anticipation to go out and fish out of my kayak. I'm trying to make some modifications to make my time on the water more efficient. Lately, I have been working to get my fish finder installed, so that I can fish areas that have a higher percentage of catching fish. The fish finder I use is the Piranha max DI for kayaks or small boats. I don't think there is anything better. Looking for the right fish finder? Check out our selection here. I began rigging everything up the night before my March 15th adventure. One set up that I am very confident in -is my 7'1" Medium Heavy Mojo Bass rod by St. Croix, paired with the Lew's Speed Spool. At the end of my line on this reel, I have a 1/2 oz. football head jig. My other set ups are; a 7' Medium Abu Garcia Veritas, with a black max reel, and a St. Croix ...

For those of us that live and fish in Washington state, it's time to get your new fishing license for 2017 as the 2016 license will expire on March 31st. And, if you had bought a Colville Tribe Non-Member fishing license, that expires on the 31st of this month as well. The state fishing license can be purchased here at our store or online. The CCT Non-Member license can be purchased here at the store. Please note that they do not have online sales. Therefore, I made a call to the Colville Tribe office and they said we should have the new license in store sometime this week. Also, don't forget to mail in your Catch Record card. The information on this card is used to help monitor the catch rate of the species reported and helps in setting future seasons. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us here at the Omak store.