Page 138 - North 40 Outfitters

October 22 I’ve got a pretty good feel for geography and I’ve been across Washington State numerous times, but somewhere west of Spokane, I started to wonder where the heck we were going. We were supposedly heading to the enchanted village of Twisp, Washington, but there was not a towering pine or spruce tree in sight. The Columbia was big and flat and the country was low and dry. When we finally crossed the mouth of the Okanogan River, I was wondering if I had been misled.  Then we turned up the Methow. After a couple river bends I was thinking, oh yeah. Please let me out.  I’d like to swing now. The rest of the trip to Twisp gave me a sore neck. I kept looking out the window at steelhead water. We checked into the Twisp River suites. What a nice place, though I could hardly enjoy it. I needed to get a Washington fishing license ...

There are lots of trout fisherman who are still baffled by all the talk of two handed spey casting applications for trout fishing.  The long rods seem both foreign and too long for small to mid-sized trout waters.  While there are now plenty of two hand rod choices between 10 and 11’, they still seem long. A fly rod is a fly rod.  It does not matter if its 7’6" or 15’.  It is still made to cast your fly line. How you cast it and what type of line you choose to match it with can vary tremendously.  Most anglers fail to realize how much they can benefit from learning to spey cast with their single hand rods.  Your standard 9’ 5wt trout rod with a matching weight forward line can utilize spey casting techniques.  Better yet, with some of the new specialized fly lines available, it can become a terrific spey casting tool. Why ...

As mother nature starts to show signs of winter the Coeur d'Alene river and the surrounding areas tend to change their looks and sounds as well. Over the past week the Coeur d'Alene area received several days of good rains, which means the Coeur d'Alene river received a push of water. Winter fishing on the CDA can be great, or lame, and a lot of this will depend on the weather and flow of the river. Watching the flow of the river on the USGS gauge for Enaville drop for a few days I knew I had to get up there. I grabbed my gear and headed out of the house around noon thirty. I already had my mind made up on where I was going to fish and right away when I arrived I noticed a fish feeding in a foam line that pushed tight up to the willows. Despite seeing action on the top I rigged up my 6wt with a size 6 black and orange pats rubber leg a...

Christmas is just around the corner and now you are under the gun to finalize that list. Maybe you don’t even have a list. Don’t fret. Here are some items sure to make the fly fishing anglers on your list smile big. Fish Pond Nomad Series Nets With models for wading and boating, these things are made for fish. The clear rubber bag is stealthy on the scoop and gentle on the captured. Fly anglers want them. Simms WayPoints Sling Pack I want one. This is a new design and one of the best I’ve ever seen. Did I say that I want one?  Santa- Mens and Womens Simms Rogue Fleece Hoody on sale for $74.96 This is a popular piece for good reason and it’s currently available at a ridiculous price. It’s a soft shell that’s highly water resistant. Perfect by itself or as a layering piece. There are several great color choices. I have one. ...

Fishing on the Spokane river has been good the last few days with nice size Redbands looking for small midges and BWO's in the slack water right tight against the bank and even up in the scrub brush. The down river side of almost every island we came across had fish feeding as well. Size 20 Last Chance BWO's and any small midge or gnat patterns are working. River flows are up so wade fishing could be a little more difficult. If this is your option, proceed with caution. Streamers in black/olive/white/yellow combinations are working the best. Slow strips in all the slack water seems to be the most productive. Our best success came from throwing streamers to the bank on our way down river from a drift boat. When we would come across rising fish, we would have to anchor and fish a delicate presentation or they were quick to spook. I would de...

Almost everyone I come in contact with asks me if I’ve been fishing.  The answer is yes.  I go fishing all the time.  All the time when I am not working in the shop or buried in domestic chores and there is some daylight left.  That unfortunately limits my fishing time, but I use what I get and go fishing whenever I can.  I prefer not to answer no. The same people who ask me if I’ve been fishing, usually respond with a no when I pose the same question to them.  Are they too busy?  Are they afraid of the weather?  Do they not like catching fish from an uncrowded river surrounded by beautiful winter scenery?  I’m sure it is one or all of these excuses  and to be honest, when I’m out there, I don’t mind having it to myself. I’m not going to lie. I really like the Missouri River this way. Looks like Terry needs a Simms...

Fly Fishing Film Release from North 40 Fly Shop: Un-clear-water There comes a point in time that we realize we don’t have all the answers. That although we once thought we had a singular reason in the pursuit of a passion, the time we have been given to reflect on that pursuit has taught us more about what we have actually experienced. And- the realization of how few people actually ever get to understand it. Enjoyment for any experience comes when you realize you are learning, and you gain an appreciation and respect from who you are learning from. Fly Fishing Films: When You Don't Have all the Answers It’s the amount of respect that you allow yourself to give that in turn ingrains your place with those who have taken the time to teach you. When something that you do is so powerful that it changes the way you make decisions, it...

December is the one of the few months where everything seems to be moving. Whether it is elk, trout, or waterfowl, many species are congregating in wintering areas. Drew and I found it necessary to take advantage of the congregating trout and migrating waterfowl with a good old fashion "cast and blast." The destination for this epic day took place on the quiet Clark Fork River. We had heard reports of mallards in decent numbers feeding near a few calmer outlets along the river, so naturally we had to check it out. We brought only a half dozen mallard decoys, and hoped for the best considering we did not scout the day before. It was an extremely rainy/windy day, so all of the ducks had to fly low and slow in order to fight the persistent wind. One aspect I noticed after the first hour of hunting was that the ducks seemed to be flying in w...

I personally don’t fish very many hi-viz patterns because I generally feel they look too unrealistic.  At the same time, a fly that gets eaten that you can’t see isn’t a productive fly either.  With the Hi Viz Spent CDC Caddis I’ve really tried to incorporate the hi-viz into the pattern in a way that will help the angler see it, the fish not see it, and at the same time make the fly float a little bit better. We spent a lot of time fishing this pattern in the late spring and summer on the Missouri this year (a pretty good test lab for caddis patterns), and I can tell you that this version of a spent is worth tying.  It’s also not very difficult to tie, and if caddis is one of your go to hatches where you fish the most, it’s hard to want to tie anything that takes more than a few minutes at the vise because I use a lot of c...

There is no grading on a curve. No study guide. And certainly no cheating. Elk hunting is pass / fail. That's it. Period. 2015 marks my 8th year hunting for elk with my bow. When I first started this sport, I was lucky to make it out 5 or 6 days each season. While that doesn't give a fella very good odds, we were still seeing elk each time we went; we just weren't ever able to put one on the ground. As the predators became more prevalent on the east slope of the Rocky Mountain Front, the elk started to spread out and finding them became increasingly more difficult. Four years ago we decided to try something new. A group of us threw our luck to Montana FWP in hopes of drawing a permit to hunt the CM Russell National Wildlife Refuge on the south side of the Missouri River. We threw the proverbial dart at a map and gave it a go. We've been...

It all began standing over a hole in the ice on the south end of Canyon Ferry Reservoir east of Helena, MT. I was on my first of many ice fishing adventures with my dad (Kit) and my grandpa (Poppy). Although I can't fully remember the entire experience of reeling in my first fish (a big rainbow trout), it somehow instilled a passion into my veins that never left. And when I look at the photo, I can almost remember the feeling I felt..almost. But, what I can remember is having cold toes and a happy heart! Now many years later, my best pal and adventure buddy, Chris Schlenker, and I always take an annual trip to the remote and magical Fort Peck Reservoir. The first few years were a big learning experience being under-geared and uneducated on the massive body of water. Our biggest setback was our old Tecumseh power auger. In fact, it was the...