Page 129 - North 40 Outfitters

I've been wanting to get out to Omak Lake for the last couple of days, but every time I get ready to go something detours me. So, on the way into the shop the last two mornings, I turned right instead of heading north on the highway. A short drive found me at Omak Lake. With the bright sunny mornings, I was amazed at how green the water was. Once I parked, I found myself in no hurry to get to the water, but instead I just took my time getting waders on and rod rigged up. Not sure if it’s an age thing, but I find it more relaxing if I just breathe in moments like these. I was there to fish, so off I headed to lake shore. The first morning when I got down to the lake, I did not see any of the Lahontans cruising close in, like the reports I have been receiving at the shop of late said. Two casts later and the first fish was on. Nice 18" f...

I am not really sure why, but there are a few things I like about this fly. Gold beads work. That’s been proven over the last 30 years on about a billion patterns, so nothing original there, but I do think that makes it work. The fly uses MFC Wonderwrap, which I have to argue is one of the best caddis body patterns you can use. I like the duck neck feathers as a collar because the feathers are short and therefore you get the soft marabou bottom of the feather as well as the partridge like mottled top of the feather in two wraps, which keeps the fly sparse. Then of course Ice Dub (we literally carry every color at the shop) which is also not original but the stuff works. The fly also sports a small chartreuse butt section on this fly to emulate the color of a shucked caddis, and no, I’m not dumb, I do realize by the time the caddis i...

Sock of the Month: Darn Tough Over-the-calf Work Socks Hello out there to all my fellow North 40 shoppers (and others). I've been asked to "test" sock of the month, and so I thought, "Why not?" These socks were designed to be worn with western boots, so they are over the calf and well built. A little background on me- I was born and raised down around Billings, Montana and managed a ranch out there until the late 70's. After that I was a bootmaker here in the Northwest, so I know about the anatomy of a foot, and the "hotspots" you sometimes get when you get into leather work boots. After many years in leather work and boot fabrication, I opted for a change and went into furniture repair. I have seen everything you can think of in my line of work, and this job takes me everywhere in and around Montana. I am on my feet all day, so comfort...

With the recent week of warm weather, fisherman are beginning to gear up for the upcoming fishing season. Most anglers don't have a specific species in mind, they just want to feel the tug of a fish on the other end. I decided it was time to put together an updated list of where a few of our resident warm water species are in comparison to where they will be mid-summer. I am basing this list mostly from Lake Pend O'reille and other neighboring small lakes/reservoirs within 30 miles. Smallmouth & Largemouth Bass - Bass are the #1 targeted fish in our region for most summer anglers. Many early anglers are hitting the lake in hopes of having a great day of fishing in 70 degree weather. The truth is that Lake Pend O'reille's water temperatures are still between 42-46 degrees. The bass are sluggish for the most part, and will remain sluggis...

Angling Omak farmboys might feel like 'fish outta water’ in the land of mossy cedar, dime-bright fish and totem poles. Unless, those farmboys saddle up with Capt. Andy Shanks and his cadre of steelhead-crazed guides. As Tom Petty moaned: "the waiting is the hardest part"- boy that’s the truth when you’ve had a trip on the calendar for a while. Rain causing flooding and road damage plagued the Olympic Peninsula almost all of late winter. Then, Capt. Shanks called. Finally, the skies had parted and it was game on. A word to you DIY guys and gals: floating with an experienced guide basically keeps you alive. These brawling rivers are filled with downed snags called 'garbage’, braids leading to 'dead’ ends and rock gardens only a billy goat would run. An experienced guide also keeps you fishing productive water not easy to find whe...

Dry Fly season has officially begun! BWO's are beginning to hatch in swarms on cloudy days when temperatures are between 40-50 degrees Fahrenheit. If your only chance to hit the river is on a calm sunny day, nymph a #16 olive Military Mayfly, or a # 16 UV2 brown nymph. Keep in mind that midges are still active, so a #18 zebra midge may just be the ticket for those days when nothing seems to be working. Olive and brown woolly bugger continue to be my favorite bugger to swing for hungry cuts and rainbows. If you are looking to target chunky browns, strip and swing a rust baby gonga through deep runs. Flows have been steady at 20,000 cfs for the past four days, so the river is crystal clear and the time to fish is now!

The spring of 2015 started out like any other spring in the Northwest: unpredictable. A new line of beekeeping equipment was keeping things equally unpredictable at the stores. Until now, we'd never sold anything like this and knew very little about what it took to become a backyard beekeeper. As a company, we take great pride in the fact that we have people in our stores that truly know our products and can help you make the right decision when making a purchase. On the same hand, if we honestly don't know about something, we aren't afraid to admit it, but will work hard to find you an answer from someone who does. In the case of bees, we knew very little, so we set out on a mission to get information. This is the story of Homestead Honey. Most people get into a hobby slowly by researching, tagging along with someone who has "been there...

Put-ins or Other Good River Access in Northern Idaho Any navigable water is considered a public corridor in Idaho (check the Idaho regulations), so there is actually plenty of access the official verbiage is as follows: "Navigable streams are defines as any stream which, in its natural high-water condition, will float logs or any other commercial or floatable commodity, or is capable of being navigated by oar or motor propelled small craft for pleasure or commercial purposes." So what’s that mean for us as "fisher people?" It means wherever a bridge crosses a stream or river, you have public right of way to that "navigable corridor" plus, if there is any blockage or area that is impassable, you can go around the high-water mark with the shortest route possible to get back to the corridor. Put-ins by Species Want a list of some of our f...

We first viewed the Nautilus X Frame Fly Reel in July of 2015 where it was an IFTD/AFFTA Best of Show Winner. Since then, we have eagerly been awaiting arrival of the X Frame in our shops. It’s been a long wait, but they are finally here. The X Frame design is a bit radical. The open frame is incredibly light, but maintains its strength. The design makes sense and looks really unique. The X Frame also features a sealed Teflon and carbon fiber disc drag system. Light, beautiful, strong and functional. The X Frame series is available in three frame sizes. The little XS is 3.25" in diameter. The XM is 3.5" and perfect for a 4/5 weight line. The XL features a 4" diameter spool with the XL Giga arbor 6/7 spool or Max Giga arbor 8/9 spool choice. From small streams to light saltwater, the X Frame is born to fish and it won’t weigh you dow...

As soon as we got off work, we went to the Coeur d'Alene River to fish for rainbows. After quite a bit of walking and searching, we found fish..... just not the ones we were looking for. This time of year, the more predatory fish like the bigger cuts and bows are searching and hunting sculpin, so we mainly fished streamers in the olive black and brown patterns to no avail. Hmm... what would the next option be? I wanted to fish a dry or two, but since there wasn't a single rise, I decided to go for a deep down nymph. Two drifts later... BAM!! I hooked up to a small cutty in the 13-14 inch range. Next cast was followed by another hit that I wasn't able to lock into. Then that fast, the hole was barren. After working our way down through a few more holes, we tried everything I could think of and again,  I was back to a nymph and indicator.Â...

By Sam Wike North 40 Fly Shop: In The Beginning Some of our Great Falls friends might remember when we first started carrying a little bit of fly fishing stuff. I was in high school, Paul Considine, who is now our buyer worked in the store part time as well. I can’t remember who took the phone call, but somehow, Dad and I got in touch with the daughter of the previous owner of Shadow Cast Outfitters, which was the fly shop in Great Falls, Montana prior to Boyd Wolverton’s Fly Shop. Anyhow, she had a basement loaded with inventory she didn’t know what she was going to do with, and asked if we could consider buying it. Although I loved fly fishing at the time, and didn’t realize it then, I was a beginner in business and fishing. I talked Dad in to letting us purchase the inventory from the basement, and he let us know we had bette...

Changes in the digestive efficiency of the older horses require specific nutritional needs. As the digestive system ages, the ability to digest and absorb nutrients is more of a challenge than in earlier years--plus it's even harder for older horses to chew their food, which is step one in the digestive process for most mammals.   Most feed stores will have a wide range of options for older horses, so let's brush up on a couple mainstays that you need to be aware of when making your initial selection. Check out this extensive piece we did on selecting feed here. When you have an older horse, mare or gelding, there are some key factors you want to look at when making your selection of feeds: probiotics/prebiotics, fiber and more complex nutrients like amino acids/vitamins. Hoof care, while not immediately tied to selecting a feed, c...