Page 103 - North 40 Outfitters

Its golden hairs bristled with light as its powerful muscles drove 4" claws into the soil digging up a variety of insect larva to feed on. The Grizzly Bear turned to gaze upon the onlookers who had pulled alongside the roadway to look upon one of North America's largest predators. For many of the visitors to Yellowstone National Park that joined me along the roadside, the Grizzly Bear was nothing but a hulking brown blob moving in a field of golden flowers. However, for me, all the intricate details in the variation of its fur color and behavior were revealed simply because I had brought along a pair of quality binoculars. In fact, having optics had significantly improved the quality of my experience in the park allowing me to pick out wolves moving alongside vast herds of bison in the Lamar Valley, brilliant Western Tanagers flitting in...

On a recent trip to Isla Holbox Mexico, our group fished a couple of Airflo Fly Lines.  Here is a recap of what we discovered. Want to know what it's like to land Tarpon in Isla Holbox? Read this. Airflo Tropical Punch All the guys on our trip have fished saltwater before, but we all primarily fish for trout.  Casting 8, 9 and 10 weights are not the norm and usually only happens on destination trips like this one.  The Tropical Punch line was developed for anglers who can use a little help getting their fly to the target in conditions outside their daily norm.  With a compact front taper and a long rear taper, the line excels at quick casting to close targets.  The 40 ft. head makes it easy to load the rod for standard length casts. I’m not going to lie. I strongly encouraged everyone on the trip to pick up a new fly line, and I s...

Walk softly but carry a big -. net? In the multifaceted market of fly fishing nets, bigger is not necessarily better unless of course, it is- Such was the case, as I vaguely recall on March 2, 2017 at exactly 10:14 AM, when Capt. Shanks dropped anchor and lunged for his long-handled boat net. You see, a rare and timid 20# 'steely-saurus’ had just flipped his wig for the last ten minutes and finally seemed ready for the net. Knotless, custom made and sporting a 38" inch hoop, Shanks’ net had dwarfed many a fish but not this one- After the third try, Capt. Shanks, now out of the raft, knee deep and straining against the current, was about to thank his 38" inch hoop. It was fourth down and on the last try, the deal was sealed. Taping at just over 40" and thick to boot, (21" girth), bigger had indeed been better for this buck. We were l...

By Johnny Ewald The fishing report on the Missouri River has been good to great and will continue trending upward as the water temperatures rise. Right now anything pink, fire beady, black, brown, olive and slender in the nymph category will get fish to eat subsurface. Slow and deep is key, but don’t be afraid to find water a bit faster than walking pace speed. Rainbow trout are in that staging period before they spawn and will move into some of the faster moving buffet lines to bulk up. Swingers with their two hander of choice are still getting trout to grab on small leechy patterns. The balanced leech trumps most others we carry in the shop, they have been red hot and will continue to produce on stillwaters during ice out. We just received a variety from one of our fly vendors: Fulling Mill. Come into the shop today and grab a handf...

What is it about this color that drives everything from tarpon to trout crazy? I don't know, but I'm not complaining. Growing up in Maine, I spent many hours trolling for landlocked salmon and brook trout with my family. Several of the flies we used, like the Magog Smelt, incorporated purple bucktail to mimic the color of the smelt that inhabit these lakes. Want to get some purple in your vise game? Check out these materials.  My first steelhead was caught on a purple egg-sucking leech after someone told me, "It doesn't matter what color you use as long it's purple." Fifteen years later, the predominant color in my steelhead box is still  purple. In recent years, more trout fishermen have been catching on to the purple craze too. Patterns like the Lightning Bug and Chubby Chernobyl were among the first to don the Barney suit, but it d...

Now that the Omak lake road is back up and running, people are finding it easier to get to Rufus Woods Lake. For the anglers using flies, the word is that it's been great. I would recommend fishing up river of the net pens. In the last few weeks, Colville Tribes has released about 15,000 two pound triploid rainbows in and around the pens. If you are looking for something a little beefier, go up stream. Your fly won't be mobbed by the smaller released fish. Fish the seam waters just off any current. This type of water is real suited for swinging streamers. Need to stock up on flies? Check out our fly selection here Since we did not have a steelhead season in the area, this will help you get your local fix for the spey rod. Depending on depth and speed of the water, a T8 to a T11 MOW tip will do just fine. Also, a Polyleader in the Fas...

If you didn't know, you do now. Also, be sure to show up this Saturday at the Panida Theater in Sandpoint, Idaho for the F3T-Fly Fishing Film Tour. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. Don't know what F3T is? Check this out.   

The vast majority of the ice has disappeared since my last report and Amber Lake is fishing well. Bloodworms, balanced leeches, and chironomids will be effective along the shoreline for anglers itching to stare at a bobber. Damsel nymphs and leeches slowly retrieved on an intermediate line should get it done for those not willing to stay in one place for too long. Temperatures are supposed to be in the fifties, the sun doesn’t set until 7:00, and it's officially spring! What else do you need to end cabin fever and get out there with your family? Gooooooo!!!!! Need to stock up on gear before you go? Gear up with the North 40 Flyshop here

Medical Lake is still pretty iced over. The good news is that, with each passing day, more ice is melting. This gives anglers who don't mind fishing from shore, the chance to catch their first brown trout of the season. Curious how the rivers are doing? Check out North 40 Fly Shop Fishing Reports here. Give it another week and the lake should be wide open for those of you looking to get out in your float tube. Have you seen the new North 40 Fly Shop website? Browse it here.

Since 1979, Loop Tackle has stood as an innovative, forward-thinking company, always striving to educate anglers as well as provide them with quality gear. With their outside-the-box perspective, Loop was able to create the first ever large arbor reel seen in fly fishing. Since then, large arbor reels are in every fly shop around the world, and used widely from trout to tarpon. At North 40 Fly Shop, we're a proud dealer of Loop rods and reels... we also get out with new gear and put it to the test. Here's our "Top 3 Reels from Loop Tackle," overview. Read through and see which reel you think would fit your style--if you have any questions, contact us here. A Review of the Loop Multi Reel  Loop had their work cut out for them when they decided to offer a bomb proof diecast reel for an affordable price. After using the Multi, I can confi...

While we can’t exactly proclaim that Spring has sprung here in the Upper Pacific Northwest, winters long hold on us seems to be slipping away more and more each day. Have you seen the new North 40 Fly Shop website? Browse it here. Even in days where the snow is falling, it's melting away from below faster than it can accumulate. This has been a long hard winter and it has definitely pushed spring run off a few weeks back compared to the previous few years. This certainly hasn't helped to ease this itch that so many of us are developing this time of year. The days are getting longer though and fish are finally starting to get active and actually hunt for food. I went up on the Clark Fork River in Montana this past weekend in hopes of finding some of these feeding fish. Unfortunately, we were met by howling winds at our first stop so be...

Developed in Alaska and tested in the northwest and Montana, Jerry's Summer Sculpin is a great fly to add to your quiver.  Great profile, lot's of movement and subtle flash combine to make this fly one that trout can't ignore. Materials 25mm Shank  Small Dumbbell Eyes Loop #50 Braid (You can use this Intruder Wire) Micro Rabbit or Trimmed (Thinned) Zonker Strip Red Polar Chenille Grizzly Flutter Legs Peacock Ice Dub Green Barred Predator Wrap Senyo’s Laser Dub Tools Regal Fly tying Vice Loon Outdoors Gator Grip Fly Tying Dubbing Spinner Loon Head Cement Need an introduction to Jerry French? Here it is: "Hi, I'm Jerry French. I was born and raised on the West coast, where I developed a love of fly fishing early on. At the age of 16, I loaded up my Volkswagen Beetle and chased trout all over Washington, Oregon, and BC. My trout addicti...