Page 130 - North 40 Outfitters

My friends tell me that bow hunting is the fly fishing of hunting. I can see the analogy, but to me bow hunting occurs at exactly the same time when B-run steelhead eat swung flies in Idaho. I've been interested in it a long time, and I like hunting, I just don't like hunting enough to let it take me off a river in the fall for any extended amount of time. Now that I am a father, a husband, have a small manufacturing side business and have a very full time job where missing it is much worse than playing hooky- which makes my days on the river more limited. It seems like a terrible time to add archery to my list of pursuits. However, with another baby on the way in early summer, this year I decided to throw rational thought out the window and just do whatever I can fit in to 365 24 hour windows. I got a bow. And we got archery selections ...

The Missouri River has been making anglers happy for weeks now. Nymphing is strong. Swinging streamers is still producing fish, but warming waters are also getting the fish primed for the chase. The water below Holter Dam is 39ish right now. It’s been hitting 41 degrees further downstream. Fish metabolism is beginning to crank up. If you want to fish the big streamer, they are working. White steamers have been great. Olive streamers have been great. If in doubt, fish Olive over White. Don’t be afraid to throw a big articulated job. Fish are hungry right now. Jake was getting them to eat his white streamer. Every kid and his dog was out enjoying the river this past weekend. It was really nice out there. I saw people in shorts and sandals. Of course, it’s snowed this week, but that’s to be expected during a Montana Spring. We will ...

Mountain Hardwear is a great company with a selection of gear that's ready to take on the craziest of adventures. They've got gear and equipment for everything from skiing to hiking to mountain climbing to camping. And all of it is top notch. They put their best into everything they make to provide the best gear out there for all you crazy adventurers. But that's not all that they do. While they are a top-line outdoor gear company, Mountain Hardwear is also very involved with the community. They support and are a part of a number of outdoor associations to better the communities they serve, seeking to help everyone from the climber to the nature lover. Just to name a few of their associations, they support the US Forest Service, donate to the American Alpine Club (AAC) as well as fund one of their explore grant, and are a member of the A...

That's right: Farmstock is free to vendors. It's our way of helping to build a better community and saying thank you. It's been mentioned before, but it's important to mention again. Farmstock is about giving our customers a place to "come full circle with us." Perhaps you bought chicks in the spring and found yourself with too many eggs (is there such a thing?), or perhaps you got a little overzealous with the number of tomato plants your put in the garden. Maybe you bought some horse shoes or used rope for a crafting project and made one too many wreaths. Where can you sell your wares or produce to like-minded people? Farmstock was our solution! So what is Farmstock? Chances are you've been to at least one farmer's market in your life. Last year at North 40, we hosted our version of the farmer's market, called Farmstock- we're doing...

Struggling to climb the stairs or jumping on or off the couch? Has he been sluggish and not active during the day? You've probably noticed these things about him, but haven't paid much attention to it until he physically can't climb the stairs or jump onto the couch anymore. It's time to admit it: Otis is overweight. You don't know how it happened, but you suppose, over time, the constant feeding and lack of exercise probably has something to do with it. Otis was a good boy, always wagging his tail and happy to see you, so you might have been slipping him that extra treat or two as well. And before you knew it, Otis went from that happy little puppy to that large ball of fluff that can't get off the couch. Now, what do you do? Do you just let it be? Starve him? Drag him around for "exercise"? To be perfectly honest, you have no idea wher...

Thumbing through some old fish pictures, I found myself wondering: what was it like back in the good, old days? When were the good, old days? How bad were the rivers when they were at their worst? When did they start to shape up again? So, I began to do some research, and after a while, I found what shaped up to be a little history lesson on the Westslope Cutthroat Trout (WCT) in our area. 1858: Captain Mullen describes Lake Coeur d’Alene as a noble sheet of water filled with an abundance of delicious salmon trout a.k.a. westslope cutthroat trout. (Ellis 1932) 1885: The Bunker Hill Strike occurs, and very soon, the large abundance of cutthroat trout from Lake Coeur d’Alene is being harvested and transported to the mining camps to help feed the influx of miners. Late 1800's: A severe mine pollution totally takes out the South Fork ...

Fishpond Thunderhead Large Submersible Duffel has the world's most technical and watertight construction as an insurance policy for your valuable gear in the most demanding environments around the world. This bag has one job: to keep you high and dry with confidence no matter where your travels take you. Watch the video below to learn more or purchase the Fishpond Thunderhead Duffel Bag here.

The Polar Minnow is a simple pattern I worked out several years’ back that relies on UV Polar Chenille for the body and the tail. It is easily customizable and I’ve tried numerous color schemes. On our original video, I used UV pearl and permanent markers to color it up.  While that pattern is still in play, I’ve gotten more positive feedback from customers using the gold UV Chenille version that is available from Yellowstone Fly Goods. A couple local tiers have been building their own Gold UV Polar Minnows and fishing them with great success on the Missouri River. The power of Gold UV Polar Chenille is hard to beat. Some days, trout can’t leave it alone. Here is an updated Polar Minnow in gold. The head is finished off with claret and tan Ice Dub. The addition of some claret behind the tan adds a little attraction and bling.  G...

Fishing over at Rocky Ford this week has been very enjoyable for many anglers. With warmer temps, the bug activity seems to be picking up. There has been some solid dry fly action on very small midges and bwo's. Scuds in olive definitely seemed to work the best. A double scud set up under an indicator will produce good results. Streamers were getting some good chases, but not a lot of grabs. If your headed over there, make sure to bring your knee high boots or waders as most of the mud has thawed and makes for some slippery/muddy walking. I definitely slipped a few times in the mud, finishing the day a complete muddy mess.  Although it didn't matter because the fish were hungry and my buddies got a good laugh out of it. What are friends for right... If your looking for a fun day of fishing, head over to Rocky Ford and enjoy a day of...

After hearing a couple good reports of the fishing on Lake Cocolalla, I decided it was time to investigate. I loaded up my 8ft red kayak, and hit the water hoping for the best. The weather was partly cloudy with a steady South 7mph wind, gusting up to 12mph at times. Temperatures were in the low to mid 30s. Lets just say my hands were a little cold that morning. The lake is beautiful, and currently at summer levels. I expected the fish to hang around 10 feet of water, but to my surprise, I caught all of my trout within casting distance from shore. My fly of choice was the ever-so faithful #8 olive woolly bugger, and it proved itself once again. The fishing was never hot and heavy. They seemed to be casually feeding throughout the 4 hours I was fishing. The fish I caught were all healthy browns between 18-19 inches with one reaching ...

We can feel the excitement when customers come into our shop because they know we’re on the cusp of another great fishing season in the northwest. Five layers of clothing will give way to a single base layer and fleece crew. Midges will soon take the backseat to March Browns and Skwalas on the river buffet lines. I can almost feel the sunshine as I’m typing! We’re here at 7:00 AM Monday: Saturday and 9:00 AM on Sunday, which means we can get you caffeinated (free coffee), up-to-date fishing reports, and supplies for a fun day on the river long before the hatch comes off.

Winter for most of us here in the Northwest is spent buried under snow those of us who compete are on the offseason, and the hunting and pack season is over. The sliders are off, the borium is off and it's time to take a little break and enjoy the hard work of the previous year. There really isn't any reason to keep full shoes on your animal if your paddock or turnout isn't too rocky or exposed to rocky areas. Some owner's might prefer half shoes in areas where the turnout has varied terrain, or their horses are still used for trail rides or off season trainings. However, those of us lucky enough to have a decent turnout should take full advantage of the offseason to let our horses go barefoot and schedule regular trims. Good diet and regular hoof care is the best way to keep your horse's feet healthy. Tips for Spring and schedule your ...