Page 17 - North 40 Outfitters

No matter where you go, there’s plenty to do and fishing has been good all around. Increased recreational pressure on local lakes means it’s time to take a hike and hit some water that has barely been touched. Current Conditions Lake Pend Oreille - Hexagenias – Big. Yellow. Tasty. Trout, bass, and walleye will eat hexes at night and in the late evening chasing their emerging nymphs to the surface. A foam hex and a Mohican mayfly in sizes 6 to 10 will have you covered on top. For hex nymphs, a Baer’s hex or even a tan zirdle will do the trick for trout, bass, and walleye that are keying in on this important hatch. Locate a nice muddy flat and wait for the magic to happen. There will still be some fish on dock and rip-rap structure throughout the summer. Back sloughs and bays will have pike and largemouth in them. Froggin’ with...

We have been getting pounded almost daily by thunderstorms lately.  There have been some great dry fly sessions before and after the storms for those brave souls willing to be out there.  Caddis get really active after the rain quits.  This coming week, we are heating up and drying out.  Expect some great opportunities. Current Conditions Missouri River below Holter Dam - The Missouri River is above 5K again.  We really like the current flows, but it would be nice if they could keep the river consistent for a while.  Pmds and caddis are hatching daily along with yellow sally’s, callibaetis, and a few other mayflies.  Fishing before sunrise or after sunset can yield great results.  During the day, pmd spinner falls, hatching pmds and hatching caddis can bring some fish to the top.  They are spooky right now, so make your appr...

During the summer, the river is alive with lots of feeding fish and lots of food choices. Anglers are often confounded by what flies to fish.  The fish are always eating.  What they are eating and how to present our flies, is the endless question.  Caddis, pmds, yellow sallies and callibaetis mayflies are out in June and well into July.  Trico’s come out as the pmds begin to fade. As August rolls around, terrestrials including hoppers, ants, and beetles come into play.  Caddis keep rolling out along with a few other smaller batch mayflies.  Later in the summer, the tiny pseudo (baetis) mayflies can come out in huge numbers.  Midges, scuds, sow bugs, and annelid worms are mainstays for grazing trout. Sculpin, crayfish, various minnows, juvenile trout, suckers, and whitefish are options for predatory hunters. You Need to Become a ...

There are so many fly fishing packs out on the market now.  I see quite a few people struggle with the decision of what to buy -seasoned anglers and new folks alike.  From vests with a pocket for everything under the sun to waterproof waist packs and sling pack options, it can be confusing to downright annoying to try and figure out which is the best fly fishing pack for yourself.  Honestly, I think there isn't one perfect pack for everything.  I believe choosing a pack should depend on where you live and how you fish.  For example, if you travel and fish different species and different parts of the world, you will quickly figure out that you will need a few pack options.  Saltwater, steelheading, and trout fishing all have different needs and demands on what and how to organize. Getting out of town? 8 ...

The perfect burger starts before the fire, not on it. These are four things you need to know if you want to graduate from decent burger chef to Transcendental burger chef with the cast iron. Step 1 for Burgers on Cast Iron: Meat Preparation I'm guilty, you are. Don't try to deny it. You stuff all kinds of stuff into your burgers blue cheese, bread crumbs, eggs- you basically make individual meatloaf and put it on a bun. Stop that. Instead, let the meat be the main course build your patties with good quality hamburger meat (Jason recommends 85/15 burger) and don't handle them so much. Adding ingredients to the meat changes the way it cooks (and these extra additions are typically used to help retain moisture, which will no longer be a problem cooking on cast iron). Pro-tip: Watch the video below to learn the "plate trick" and make perfect...

You could say there is a love-hate attitude about bass around here. Smallmouth and largemouth bass are not what would be called a native species to our area. How they got here or who brought them here and if they are a good or bad thing is a Pandora's box I’m not going to open right now. All I know is they are fun to catch and like the saying goes, “when given lemons make lemonade.” Once our area trout stillwaters start to warm up above 65 degrees it’s time to give the trout a break and switch to chasing bass. Here in Okanogan County, we have several bodies of water that house some great bass fishing. For me, smallmouth is my favorite of the two. Pound for pound a smallie will give you a hard fight. Below is a brief break down of our area waters to try for bass. What are the best strategies for catching summertime bass? Read this....

Dirty Monkey The Dirty Monkey is a carp or bass fly. It can replicate grub or some bigger aquatic insects. With it having rubber legs and marabou as a tail, it has ample movement. The rubber legs will get the mud moving, acting as a bug coming out to see the light. Carp like when the bug is in the mud moving around. Bass will like this fly being stripped or dead drifted through their column. Material List Hook: Gamakatsu SL11-3H #8 Thread: UTC Ultra Thread 210 Black Tail: MFC Marabou Olive/Bared Black Body: Cascade Crest New Age Chenille Fools Gold Rubberlegs: Hareline Grizzly Barred Rubber Legs Medium Yellow Throat: MFC Marabou Olive/Bared Black (see above) Eyes: Hareline Brass Eyes Medium, Gold Video Transcription Intro to the Pale Morning Dun Bunny Dun Fly Hello everybody. Dylan here at the North 40 Fly Shop and ...

Not much has changed, but the fishing is staying consistent out on the big lake and a few streams in the area. The July 4th week and weekend will bring some pressure to the area and the weather will be prime to get out and explore some lesser-known waters. Current Conditions Lake Pend Oreille - The big lake is steadily fishing for quite a few species. Bass are an easy target on the fly. Backwaters off sloughs and bays can produce some great largemouth bass action, especially on topwater. Deer hair bass bugs and poppers will do the trick. Stay weedless if possible, it makes things less frustrating.  Sink tips are something good to have now. As for flies, sticking to your baitfish patterns like Clouser Minnows, Murdich Minnows, and Lowfat Minnows and craw patterns like Creek Crawlers, Bassmasters, and Grim Reapers will do the...

Nothing short of greatness in our area!  There are so many good reports from all of our fisheries of late.  Now is really a tough time to decide where to go.  Everything is in shape and good to go. Whether wading or floating is your gig, there are tons of options right now.  It’s looking like warmer temperatures are coming up this week in the high 70s and low 80s. This is perfect weather for the week of the 4th!  Our town is bustling with energy and people looking to go fishing.  The shop has been very busy with lots of happy fishermen and women.  Hope you guys and gals have a great week on the river with your families and enjoy the 4th! Current Conditions Coeur d'Alene River  - The fishing here has been solid.  Big fish are still being caught but you'll need to bring your A...

We have had a few thunderstorms move through the area on and off along with some light rains so look at the sky now and then. That being said, the weather has actually been quite pleasant for this time of year.   Current Conditions Chopaka Lake - The water temperatures are still okay in the morning but, by mid-day, they may be a little too warm. There is not much by way of fish catching that is happening at the south end of the lake. The north end is a little cooler and deeper and is where the best fishing is right now. Leech patterns in the #12 and #10 range are having the best results. With this being technically the 4th of July weekend, camping spots will be hit and miss.  Blackpine Lake - With the lake being at a little higher elevation water temperatures should be okay. Pumpkin and re...

If you’ve been waiting for the waters to drop, wait no more.  All local streams and rivers are fishable, and the Missouri River is in great shape. Happy 4th of July! Current Conditions Missouri River below Holter Dam - The Missouri River is below 5K cfs and lots of wading opportunities are available.  Pmds and caddis are hatching daily along with yellow sally’s, callibaetis, and a few brown drakes.  Nymphing remains best in the morning.  Pmd spinner falls also bring fish to the top in the morning.  Afternoons are generally best with dries or dry dropper rigs.  If you fish to rising fish, respect their wary natures.  They will not suffer poor casts or splashing anchors and oars. Creeks and Smaller Rivers, Belt Creek near Monarch, MT - The hardest thing about the current con...