Page 159 - North 40 Outfitters

Can you dig it? Early February and the temps are like April. Unfortunately, warmer air has a cost. High gusty winds, driving rain squalls and intermittent sunshiny sucker holes, leading you to think it’s actually going to get better. That’s usually how we get our warmest winter weather. What does this do to the fish? Well, they are still wet and they still need to eat. "If" you can get a good dead drift or set up a nice swing through the tempest, they will eat your fly quite readily. At this time of the year, the weather is often more challenging then the fish are. How will I be able to make a fishable cast in this crazy airstream? Often, I laugh out loud at the ridiculousness of it. This is heavyweight kite string weather. Some casts literally fail to launch. Others reach the mark, but are unmanageable on the drift. Sanity might com...

Warmth and wind seem to be the trend for the upcoming weekend. The water has warmed about 1 degree through the week and the discharge from Holter has been restricted to about 4.7K. We’ve had a variety of mixed reports throughout the week. Limited success for some swinging, red hot for others. People have been nymphing piles of fish early mornings and through the middle of the day. Midges are out and active, but no reports of significant feeding on the surface. Now is the time to take advantage of this spring-like weather. Swing by the shop and get set up for a successful weekend outing!

I was privileged to field test a pair of MSR Evo snowshoes last week on an overnight hike to Tiffany Mountain, elevation 8200 in a sub-range at the eastern edge of the North Cascades about 25 linear miles northwest of Omak. I got a ride from Omak and began my walk up the North Fork of Salmon Creek from the mountain hamlet of Conconully. Low clouds and fog which overhung the Okanogan, seemingly for weeks, gave way to sunshine at Conconully, elevation 2300. I changed into a new pair of Merrell snowboots that were on clearance at North 40, and donned the Evo snowshoes at the Tiffany Lake Trail #373 trailhead, elevation 4800, a mile or so beyond Salmon Meadows, at about 2PM. The snow was paltry, maybe two feet, and was very rotten, making for some deep postholing and slow progress. I have snowshoed for about 25 years, usually several times ...

Ok, be honest.  How many fly rods do you have that are gathering dust? One-three, a whole bunch?  Most of us who have been fly fishing for a long times have a closet, den, garage, storage unit or some dark location that is housing unused rods.  They were once prized possessions, but then something else came along. Maybe it was a change in casting style.  Maybe it was a change in brand preference.  Maybe you’ve simply updated to higher quality or picked up the latest and greatest several times over.  The result is that there are good old fly rods living in lonely spaces, marooned like the sad little doll on the Isle of Misfit Toys Take heart.  There just might be a little boy or girl who would cherish your misfit toy.  Your timeworn fly rod, reel or vise might create a spark that will ignite a lifetime of fly fishing passion fo...

With the weather being a little chilly out, there's nothing better to then come into the shop on Friday nights. We’ll be having our fly tying get together every Friday from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm and everyone is invited, from beginners to advanced tyers. Bring your vice, tools and imagination. Luke and I will be here to greet you and join in. If you're a beginner, there is no better way to learn then to hang out with the people that know their stuff. The Blue Star coffee will be hot, and the ideas and conversation will be fresh and exciting. Hope to see you here, Keith

Did you know that the average person will walk anywhere between 70,000 and 120,000 miles in their lifetime? If you do the math, that is almost halfway to the Moon or 4 times around the Equator. That is walking up and down the Empire States building's 1,576 stairs 5 times a day. Better yet, how about a realistic perspective for the everyday working class? In a typical 40-hour work week the average person can put in about 15,000 steps a day which is 75,000 steps or 37.5 miles a week. Most importantly these steps are made on or around hard surfaces such as concrete, blacktop or tile even rooftops with a lot of intermittent standing. Starting to sound familiar? For a visual aid, I ask you to look at your work shoes or boots. I worked as an Assistant Manager in our Moses Lake store from 2009: 2010 and then Manager of our Havre store from 201...

Another Tuesday, another fly brought to you courtesy of the North 40 Fly Shop. It’s Caddis time here in the Montana North 40 Fly Shop.  How can it be caddis time in February?  Our first shipment of Sam’s N40 Caddis have arrived. As you can see, we’ve got a bit of a hatch going on here at the shop.  If you would like to tie your own hatch, we’ve got the stuff.  Gold beads, Tiemco Hooks, Wonder Wrap, Ice Dub, soft hen feathers, and chartreuse thread. Stop on by for a sample or watch Sam’s video below if you’d like to see how to construct your own. It may be February, but it’s never too early to stock your boxes for the summer.

This month: buy-one-get-one-free on SmartWool Arrow top sock. Read the full review below and get into your local North 40 Outfitters to take advantage of this sale. It sure seems like foot comfort impacts the way we feel all over. In the winter months, I have a problem keeping my feet warm. SmartWool socks catch your eye with the stylish designs and they do a great job of keeping my feet warm. Our Sock of the Month selection is the especially comfortable Women's SmartWool Arrow top sock. The comfort of this medium cushion, over-the calf sock is provided by 56% merino blend. If you've never worn merino before, you may hesitate about paying $24 for a pair of socks but wearing them will make you a convert. Folks are becoming more familiar with merino now, as it becomes ever more popular. It comes from a fine knit which is much softer that r...

Winter here in the Northwest is hard on everyone even the birds. If you are an adamant bird watcher, amateur birder or just like to see a little activity outside your window during the deep cold, then you'll know having a bird feeder is a great way to insure you keep a lively line of wildlife flitting through your backyard to break up the bleak winter white. Buy bird seed from us online here, or check out our bird feeders online here. How do birds stay warm? They eat more food to build up fat stores and keep themselves warm. You can help your backyard birds stay warm we've got a few local tips for you to keep your birds fat and happy through the winter months. Five Steps to Get More Birds to the Bird Feeder this Winter Keep your feeders full and stock with high calorie seeds like Black Oil Sunflower or suet cakes as these pack a high ca...

Chick season is here and we're going to help you get ready. We've made a list of chicken varieties that will be available in your area. Available varieties differ by store. Check out your location below to see what chicks your local 40 may have. Please note: this list is not a guarantee. SHIPPING DATES VARY. Due to unforeseen circumstances, shipping dates, or varieties not showing up (due to bad hatches); this list is only meant to act as a helpful guide. You can confirm chick availability and arrival dates by calling your local North 40 Outfitters. We're happy to answer any questions you may have. Great Falls - Montana First due Date 3.8.17 Havre - Montana First due Date 3.1.17 Colville - Washington First due Date 2.9.17 Mead - Washington First due Date 2.23.17 Moses Lake - Washington First due Date 3.3.17 Spokane - Washington First du...

In the spring of 2009, I walked into the local North 40 Outfitters (known as Big R at the time) with a baby on my hip asking the tall, red headed manager for a job. I knew nothing about farm or ranch, but desperately needed a job like many others in our community. I was hired the following week. I quickly began learning vendors, what each product was used for, etc. It was a whole other world for me, but it was fun. Several months after I started, a young dairy farmer walked in. Some of the other girls had already met him, and he invited me to bring my daughter out to see the baby calves... I quickly searched out some "farm attire" for her to wear. I came across Carhartt. I bought several shirts, zip up hoodies and later on someone else bought her a Carhartt coat. You can see the selection of children's clothes North 40 has online here. ...

January’s about over, and it’s been an interesting month.  Following a long stretch of winter weather, we’ve enjoyed a long stretch of mild weather. I mean mild like spring with 50s and even a 60 or two. The snow is gone.  The streets are clear again.  The river clear of ice all the way down through Great Falls. Winter is likely to speak a bit tomorrow, but fishable conditions will still be in play and look to be good even through next week. Have you been out there?  While most days have been windy, there’ve been some calm ones.  We’ve had some happy reports from anglers taking advantage.  Some say they’re simply happy to be out there on a warm winter day.  Others say the rainbows are chomping the nymph and the swing.  Some have even handled a few feisty brown trout. I consider any winter day spent in comfort a great d...