Page 156 - North 40 Outfitters

We only had a few minutes on the way back from visiting Coeur d'Alene and Sandpoint Idaho locations this week for breakfast. After an early morning watching the sun come up over Pend O'reille Lake and a coffee on the porch of the Edgewater by City Beach, we cruised east, back to Montana.  BUT we were hungry, and Yelp provided our answer at exit 15 near Coeur d'Alene, ID. Here's another local restaurant you guys should check out if you are in the area. I'm not into finding the quickest and easiest chain to stop and eat at; we've been after the local eats that have big props and respect from locals for a long time now. That's what we strive for in our retail business, and so I find it really interesting to find out more about the culture and immerse myself in it as much as possible in all our markets.  I like the people, the geography, b...

Yesterday I held a free Spey Class in Sandpoint. I had three new spey casters that all have fishing experience, especially fly fishing experience. Two of them are former Alaska fishing guides. Whenever I bring new people into the realm of spey casting, I almost always notice a trend that holds true among different groups of people. Here are a few things to expect if you are thinking of picking up a spey rod. Normally, the better fly caster you are, the harder it is going to be for you to pick up spey casting... initially. Most new casters over power the rod throughout the entire cast. Practicing the proper set up helps casters much quicker than going through the entire cast. If they can get the set up correct, the rest is a piece of cake. All new spey casters set the hook on fish, resulting in fish that are never landed. All new cast...

The Tailwater Sow Bug is an extremely effective nymph for the Missouri River that produces year round. I have been tinkering with TW Sow variations and my favorite variation has become an unweighted version with a red thread base. When I started tying these bugs, I struggled with getting them to look like they belong in a shop fly bin. I could never get the wings full, always having gaps in the dubbing. Below are some tips to help you perfect the Tailwater Sow Bug. 1: PREP YOUR DUBBING Prior to putting the dubbing into the loop, select a small bit (light shade rainbow scud dub in this case) and draw the fibers away from each other by pulling at either end, and restacking. Continue this step until you are left with a neat bit of dubbing with most of the fibers parallel to each other. Give the dubbing clean edges with your best pair of ...

In appreciation for National Ag Day, we are proud to highlight our involvement with two great programs that foster the future of agriculture, 4-H and FFA. "My time in 4-H was invaluable. I have always had horses and been active in many types of equestrian sports endurance racing, roping, and trail. I was on a cattle drive with my dad, I must have been about nine at the time, when I found my first calf. He had been stepped on in the herd and had a broken leg the trail boss gave him to me of course, but my dad only allowed me to keep if I promised to go through the local 4-H livestock program. I named him Norman and went through the program. I learned valuable lessons about beef cattle and best-practices for animal husbandry. I am happy to have the opportunity to announce that North 40 Outfitters will be continuing to offer a discount to...

When I came into work today, I wondered what I could possibly post related to St. Patrick’s Day and fly fishing.  Then I remembered a particular fish who fit the profile perfectly.  Meet the Irish Lord. My buddy Stacy and I were enjoying a crystal clear June afternoon off the mouth of a coastal Alaskan stream.  We were hopeful the incoming tide would eventually deliver a pulse of fresh King Salmon.  Not one to waste valuable fishing time, I began to probe the tideline for whatever might be lurking off the mouth. I tried several baitfish patterns to no avail.  Then I deployed a blue and chartreuse Reverse Marabou Spey Tube fly tied by my friend Tom Larimer. That’s when I stumbled on an Irish Lord feeding frenzy.  King Salmon were soon forgotten.  The water began to froth with the maws of giant Irish Lord’s. I don’t think To...

With today’s river level, I'm sorry to say it looks like the steelhead season may be over. I looked at the river this morning, and it's high and dirty. Normal river level for this time of the year should be around 450cfs. As of this morning: 2700cfs. So unless it drops fast in the next few days, I'm afraid we won’t make much difference about the March 31st closing date. This year has been one with a lot of ups and downs for water quality on the Methow. Let’s hope the new seasons brings a new beginning with it. Keith

While today may be considered by many to be the unluckiest day on the calendar, I’d definitely go fishing if I was not holding down the fly shop. I’m not superstitious in the least, though some people consider the fishing phobia against bananas to be superstitious. It’s not. That’s reality folks. A lot has changed in the past week. Ice has come off most of the reservoirs and some of the lakes. The Smith, Sun and Belt Creek are ice free again. On March 6th, the temperature gauge for the Sun at Simms read 32. Yesterday afternoon, it was 47 degrees. That’s a huge change. Anglers are reporting some success in Holter and Upper Holter. Word has been trickling down from some of the lakes up north. The reservoirs on the front have been clearing fast. Warm weather and strong winds will do that. The Missouri River is still hovering aro...

As winter begins to loosen its grip in the northwest, the faint sounds of springs are steadily increasing at all North 40 Outfitters locations. Spring sounds indoors? Yes, spring arrives with the welcoming sounds of baby chicks as we get them settled into their temporary homes. Here's the selection of Nutrena NatureWise feeds we carry online. The peep, peep, peeps will gradually increase over the next few weeks as we reach the peak of Chick Days intermingled with laughter from kids and adults alike. It's a great way to welcome the new growing season, and one that we strive to work hard at, keeping our feathered friends at their best health so they can ultimately make it home to be successful egg layers and meat birds. Chickens have always been part of our culture for as long as I can remember (which is about 20 years). Taking care of c...

The Balanced Blood Leech is designed to fish under an indicator. It is a great early season "Ice Out" fly choice in a popular Stillwater color scheme. Suspend the Balanced Blood Leech at the depth fish are traveling, often 3’ to 5’ deep. Find a traveling lane where fish are moving and cast upwind. If it is windy, just let your leech travel/swim/drift along downwind. In calmer weather, retrieve slowly with frequent pauses. Let the fly do the work. It will call them in.

As I step back and look at my flies that I have been creating over the last few months, a trend begins to emerge. The large, intruder style, streamers that I have been tying, all have one thing in common. Most of the material and parts that go into them have the name "Senyo" attached to the packaging. Senyo's Laser Dub Senyo's Articulated Shank Senyo's Intruder Trailer Hook Wire I have been extremely pleased with the performance of these products that Greg Senyo has decided to stamp his name on. Recently I have been adding Senyo's Laser Dub to the head of my flies and it really helps out with the profile when swimming. It also adds a little subtle flash that seems to grab the fish's attention. You can buy the Laser Dub per individual pack, or grab the dispenser that has 12 different colors in it. Good luck fishing out there! Bring...

While the Midwest and East are still held tight in the clutches of yet another record winter, we here in North Central Washington have been given a reprieve.  It seems that spring has come and is here to stay.  With the river flows being less ideal for all chasing steelhead; it’s the time to shake off a little cold and hit the trail. Generally, most lake fisheries in Washington don’t open until April, but there are a few Gems’ that get an early start. Dusty Lake outside of Quincy, Washington is just such an opportunity.  It could be considered a portion of what some call the "Quincy Lakes," but is a little more removed with walk/bike/ride in access only.  The ride in access is what drew my attention to this unique opportunity.  The west access to Dusty lake is about a 4.5 mile is a mostly flat trail meandering through high des...

After a quick visit to our store in Omak, we headed east to the small town of Twisp. As we drove further into the Methow Valley towards the Cascades, the Okanogan landscape progressively changed from sagebrush laden ground to what resembled East Glacier to a native Montanan. Learn about things to do in Moses Lake, Washington. Shortly after we encountered a bobcat, we arrived in Twisp at dusk in search of our hotel. We were given classic, small town directions (like turn right at the Dairy Queen, left at the pool) and told our hotel was located right behind the local pub. As we neared the end of town, we began questioning whether or not we should flip on the GPS just as the pub sign came into sight. We parked outside the Twisp River Suites and sorted through the waves of gear falling out of the trunk like an over stuffed cupboard. Beh...