Page 110 - North 40 Outfitters

Whether you reek of fish, or are new to fly fishing, research is one of the most important steps when choosing the best pair of waders for you. I'm here to make your selection process a little simpler. This is a review of North 40 Flyshop's current inventory of waders... Waders for Men 1.) Hodgman H3 Stockingfoot ($99) This wader is made of a breathable three layer waterproof shell, features a mesh zipper mesh pocket with micro fleece lined hand warmer, internal storage pocket, standard gravel guard, and a has a D-ring on the back to hold a net. This wader was specifically designed for the fisherman that only finds time to hit the river a handful of times a year. It is also perfect for someone just starting to fly fish and needs to get that extra 10 feet off shore. If you are new to the sport or have a tight budget, this is the perfe...

The first time my dad showed it to me, I turned my nose up like I had smelled a long dead piece of roadkill. No way would I fish that, I thought to myself. The fly was all wrong, constructed completely backwards to traditional intruder style flies that we fish on our steelhead rivers when the water temperatures drop and a sink tip presentation is needed. Apparently, steelhead don’t have the same opinion. Fay Mills, my father, is known mostly by his nickname, "Old Man River." OMR for short. He’s a guy who just exudes fishy juju and has a tendency to be a bit of a fish vacuum on the river. If at all possible, don’t fish behind him because watching him hook and land fish will get old pretty quick. I’ve seen it happen way, way too much. Like I said before, his bug, dubbed "OMR’s Dancing Lady," was all wrong. Imagine a typical sin...

To be frank, I cannot really take credit for designing this fly. As you can very well see, it has many similar parts and colors from other summer steelhead flies that have been created across the Pacific Northwest. Basically, I have combined the flossy "green butt" with the summer fly pink and purple body. The fly pictured here leans more towards fully dressed, but could easily be minimized into a low water dressing if desired. The Pro Sportfisher American Possum wing has great natural iridescence in the water and swims nicely as well. All of these colors are usually intended for days when the sun shines, so that the light highlights them in the water to attract the fish. I hope you enjoy! This article is from our free North 40 Fly Shop eMag, to access the full 2016 October issue, click here. Tying Steps: Attach your thread. I like to...

The time of year has officially come. Dry flies on the Clark Fork River are almost non existent (with the exception of midges), and our cutthroat go back into the hat to disappear. The only tactics that seem to produce a few fish are nymphing and swinging dark streamers. Curious how the river is doing? Check out the current river flows here. My go-to patterns right now are #14 Copper John, #18 Tufted Zebra Midge Chartreuse, #20 Drowned Midge, TFP Copperhead and Baby Gonga Black. The morning bite is key! As rough as it sounds, you want to setting up in the dark, and walking to the river in the first 5 minutes of light. Make sure to bring your Stanley (North 40 Flyshop) Thermos to keep your body temp up. The slower eddies where Kokanee stack up are fishing better than the faster water. Need to stock up on flies? Check out our fly selecti...

Fewer and fewer people are fishing.  Many are shifting into fly tying mode.  Some are shopping for gifts.  Fly fishing gifts are awesome.  An assortment of flies, a Tacky Fly Box, a Simms Sling Pack, a Rep Your Water trucker hat with a Montana Logo, a gift certificate to one of our classes, a Yeti Colster, a Simms Beanie, some warm socks, some new fold over mitts and on and on.  For those really worthy, a new fly rod is pretty special. If you need help picking something out, we love to make fly anglers happy on Christmas morning right here. For those of you still considering some water time, the prospects remain good.  Think midges and scuds or scud on scud. Fish are starting to shift into their winter lies and the prime fishing window has moved toward the middle to the latter part of the day, unless you are right up by the dam.  ...

I spent a couple hours on the North Fork this morning before coming to work in hopes of washing the Spokane River skunk off me. The drive over to Kingston was beautiful with plenty of bald eagles flying around Lake Coeur d'Alene looking for spawning Kokanee. As usual, there wasn't another soul on the river, but there were plenty of deer, grouse and even a cow moose to keep me company as I wandered up Coeur d'Alene River Road. By the time I donned my waders, the snow began to lightly fall. There is just something special about fishing when it's snowing. I love how peaceful everything around you becomes. There wasn't anything hatching this morning, but I bet there will be midges and BWOs coming off for those who get to fish the middle part of the day. While the water is much higher than normal, there are still plenty of spots to fish. Nymp...

My friend Erik and I kept our Thanksgiving tradition alive and ventured out for a couple hours last Thursday. We were not going to be deterred by a little high water. There were a few BWOs and midges flying around. We even saw a couple of fish rise, but not enough for us to take our nymph rigs off. I tried swinging a streamer too. Nothing. At least the taste of skunk was dulled a bit by beautiful weather. Need to stock up on your favorite flies? Check out our fly selection here. If you decide to go please wade carefully because one misstep could be very costly this time of year. Curious how the river is doing? Check out current river flows here. Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is the Spokane River to drop by a few thousand cubic feet per second. Oh, and maybe a new Sage X too!

There are many things I am thankful for in life, but having a passion for fish is what I most grateful for. There is no place in the world where my worries melt away faster than on the water in pursuit of fish. Normally I am not all that thankful for the inaccuracy of meteorological forecasts, but the predicted winter storm and its associated winds never materialized. Temperatures hovered around 36 F as I slipped the kayak in the water and strapped in two of glass rod setups, including my Echo 5 wt glass combo and an old 4 wt Eagle Claw Featherlight with a old 45 D.A.M Quick reel made in West Germany and gifted to me. Want to stock up on your favorite flies? Check out our fly selection here. Slow stripping and trolling streamers produced very little action in the morning for the first couple hours, but once the sun broke out, the fishing...

I’m thankful that I live in a place and at a time when I can travel minutes from my house and immerse myself in the Missouri River and go fly fishing.  Or I can travel less than an hour in either direction and find a myriad of opportunities. It is truly a blessing and not something I take for granted. If you find yourself with a few moments to spare over the Thanksgiving holiday period, the fishing report is still pretty good out there.  The mild fall weather is keeping the water temps up and the fish are still eating steadily. Nymphing with scuds and sows followed by a tiny mayfly or zebra midge will keep you in the game. Tailwater Sows, Czechs and Rays are all in favor.  You can also try the Mini Mo Czech with a Tufted Zebra for a fresh look. Want to see the nymphs you need for hooking up on the Mo this Thanksgiving break? Then cl...

Jake and Mason were out earlier in the week and had some luck throwing streamers and double nymph rigs. As of 6:00 a.m. the North Fork was at 2,750 CFS and dropping, which is good news for anyone looking to get out this weekend. Want to know how the river is doing? Check out current river flows here. BWOs and midges will continue to bring fish to the surface. Go small, like size 20 smaller if you're getting refusals. A Strolis Shimmer Stone and BWO Crust Nymph will get their attention under a bobber. Need to stock up on flies? Check out our fly selection here. If you're interested in trying a new streamer pattern, then you're in luck! We just received a fresh batch of Smoke n' Mirrors from Dan at Dirty Water Fly Company. If you haven't seen these flies in action yet, come into the shop and check one out in the swim tank. You'll see why ...

With the recent bump in flows on the Spokane River, finding spots to fish might be a bit challenging this weekend, but trust me it can be done. Focus your attention to the soft seams and back eddies along the bank. The inside bends along the river will hold fish as well, so get on Google maps and start studying! Curious how the river is doing? Check out current river flows here Stan from our shop was on the river earlier this week and hooked into some absolute beasts! He sent me a picture of a picture via text and I thought he was pulling a fast one on me. It's honestly one of the largest rainbows that I've seen caught on the Spokane. I might be a bit jealous... Heavily weighted nymphs and streamers will help you pick up more fish during times of high, cold water. BWOs and midges will be hatching as well, look for risers during the middl...

As deer season nears closer and closer to the peak of the rut, finding time to fish (and not hunt) is harder than finding an albino Sasquatch. However, my inner fisherman was getting tired of being pushed aside this November, so I finally took him fishing. The Pend O'reille River was the destination this go around, with hopes of hooking into a few smallies, and the occasional brown trout. Earlier in the week, I heard a couple good reports of browns showing up in the Pend O'reille River near tributaries. I brought my trusty Sage 8 weight with fast sinking line for deeper fish, and my TFO rigged with intermediate line for those close to the surface. Need to stock up on flies? Check out our fly selection here   The skies were blue, water clear, no wind,  and temperatures in the mid 40s. There isn't much better conditions you can ask ...