Page 175 - North 40 Outfitters

Just let me preface this "Gone Logging, Montana" blog post: Sam owes Jake and me dinner. And not a Tombstone pizza from the gas station either. I mean a real dinner or a Howard's pizza at the office. Here's how this whole project started. Monday afternoon, 4 pm, the Great Falls office: Sam walks in and says: "Jake, Cutter. I have an idea." I've only been working here for two months, but I believe these words will come to strike a note of trepidation, perhaps even full-blown anxiety into my heart if what follows them is anything like what happened after I heard these words first voiced. 90% of the time I am thinking about food (like the time we had to "field test" Wheat Montana cookies in the office), so my first thought was, "Are we leaving before or after lunch?" But no one could tell me a definite time, and Jake (who's worked here fo...

This No Spill gas can is the ticket to spill-less dispensation of gas. You can use it on any size tank, whether you can see a fill-line or not (we discovered this neat little trick while logging in Monarch, Montana link to Gone Loggin' blog). Without further ado: Welcome to our own rendition of the 1980's favorite, "No Spill Jill, the Demo." Here is how it works: when you depress the fill button (it's literally a button, no more inserting Crazy Straws and securing threads and getting gas all over your hands circa 1990) you just tip and press. Tip. And. Press. When the gas in the tank reaches the nozzle, it trips the built-in vent and the little white button you see there will pop up and hit your finger. If you're interested in procuring your own No Spill Gas Can, click here to order yours today. You can see the value of this if you imagi...

Pawtriotic treats. What's so special about these anyway? Well beside the fact that they're made in America, besides the fact that North 40 Outfitters is running a ridiculous sale on them, besides the fact that they offer a healthy choice for your dog, besides the fact that they come in a wide array of flavors (Bonnie's favorite being cranberry that's right, cranberry), besides the fact that well you get the picture. First let me premise this blog with an explication of the whole "price" thing 16oz of dog treats, American made for 1.99 that's a real deal. I won't go so far as to say, "It's a FOURTH OF JULY EXTRAVAGANZA!!!!!!!" (insert car-salesman-esque echoes) but again. I could. We've been stocking these at our locations for a while now but I think they deserve a shout-out as it IS the Fourth of July (almost), and these are made in Am...

Westfield Camp Rocker & Sprecher Root Beer Combo or, "The Westy and Sprech" This picture titled, "True Vision," features our very own Daryl Moats from the Great Falls location. You can probably tell this Westfield Rocker and Sprecher Root beer is a killer combo to "kick up and chill" on or off the job. Work or play, the Sprecher line is a connoisseur's dream. We have a full range of flavors at our store, each with its own sell points, but for this one, let me tell you about the root beer. This old fashioned soda has a unique flavor you can only get from using pure Wisconsin honey direct from the combs. The Sprecher extracts are prepared at the brewery in a hand-made, gas-fired brew kettle, by combining honey, pure vanilla and a host of aromatic botanicals. Here is one of the suppliers Sprecher uses when making this root...

The Jaylow Yakima Kayak Rack is an automotive accessory you can use to haul your kayaks. It might seem intimidating to install some type of "rack" onto your car, but this Jaylow Yakima Kayak Rack is as easy as ordering pizza. Well almost. To demo this one, Jake and I went out with Denise (who agreed to demo this product as she owns it and uses it whenever she goes out around GF). In the pictures you will notice she's the one who did all the heavy lifting this go-round. She started kayaking recently and almost has me talked into taking the plunge (pun absolutely intended). This rack is ultra-reliable, heavy-duty and really easy to install. You can move it around your car's roof rack which means you can center it and take one kayak, or pair it up and take two. It comes with everything you need to secure your rig including bow and stern ti...

Too many people put chickens in a box. Either they're useful for providing eggs or to fill the freezer in a short amount of time, but gardeners need to realize the useful tools they have walking around the chicken yard. Gardening with chickens-- the perfect mixture for your "chicken run" for the best compost. By utilizing these industrious helpers, it's possible to make the chickens do the hard gardening work for you. Use Chickens to Turn your Compost Let's face it, outside of a handful of dedicated compost makers, most gardeners tend to neglect the important aspect of turning the compost pile for its proper creation. It's easy to forget, especially during the height of the summer when there are so many other tasks that need attention. But when compost creation is turned over to the chickens, they make quick and efficient work of the pr...

One problem established fly tiers face is getting stuck tying the same old patterns. With as many fly tying materials on the shelves today, tying plain Jane flies should never be the case... unless your fly is called, "Plain Jane." When I find myself in a creative jam, I often turn to these materials to add life. Lifelike Material List #1: Senyos Laser Dub This dubbing has become a shop favorite. We like to tie a lot of streamers up here in northern Idaho, and Senyo’s is my go-to material. With a large variety of colors on the shelves, this fine dubbing has made creating streamer heads easy. I like to think of laser dub as a synthetic substitute for ram’s wool. If you are a believer of UV, each package is blended with thin UV fibers. However, this dubbing isn’t only for streamers. Laser dub also makes a buggy dubbing for any nymph ...

When I moved to Seattle from Maine in 2003, I was leaving an entire state that had just over a million people to a city with nearly half that amount. Culture shock and traffic definitely took its toll on me the first few months. When I left Maine, I also left behind the saltwater fishing that I enjoyed so much. No longer was I able to hit the salt on an early morning tide before work, or so I thought. You can imagine my excitement when I discovered the sea-run cutthroat fishery after visiting one of the local fly shops. Not only was I able to escape the city to a more serene setting, I was also able to fish where the tide often dictates your success. Fly Fishing in Seattle: The Personalities & the Public Access While living in Seattle, I was fortunate enough to meet people like Les Johnson, Mike Kinney and Dan Lemaich, who played a l...

Who is the YETI cooler NOT for? Me. Full disclosure: I don't own a Yeti cooler, probably for the same reason a lot of people don't... the price tag. But check out their marketing (the video below)--it's incredible, and I watch all of their new short film releases regularly. So why don't I own a Yeti? Yeti coolers are designed for serious outdoor enthusiasts, guides, backpacking families and just all-around outdoors people... and while I'd like to consider myself "a serious Montana outdoors-man," the truth is--I have two kids, one is just turning 6 and one is recently 3. Our "outdoor trips" consist of single day outings to accessible, fishy water where my kids can wear their life jackets, throw some flies around... and I can sneak down river a few hundred yards and try desperately to catch fish before my youngest comes and throws tiny,...

Finally, spring appears to be here. We are seeing the hints of green and all the low elevation snow is gone. We are still dealing with lower than average temperatures, but they are a welcome change considering the fire ravaged summers of the past few years. A cool wet spring and a pleasant summer make getting out to our favorite fishing spots a whole lot more comfortable, even if it does slow the fishing a bit. We are lucky to have some early opening local lake fisheries in North Central Washington. My favorites include Dusty, in the Quincy Lakes area, and Spectacle, south of Loomis. This year my plan was to fish Spectacle with my friend, Scott from Tonasket and see how the Rainbow population made it through the winter. Fishing with balanced flies can help bridge "the seasons" We launched our personal watercraft in the early afternoon a...

The start of trout fishing season always involves getting out your gear for a quick inventory and thorough cleaning. If you're like me, then your fly line might have had a few encounters with sharp rocks, tree branches, mud, and the sun. These elements can take a toll on fly lines, which are a critical component of dry fly fishing. I have learned over the years that new, modern line can be the difference between being in fish all day and struggling to get a good drift. When I saw the new line from Scientific Anglers (SA) arrive in the shop I was pretty stoked to get last year's line on the backup rod and line my old Sage DS with a new treat. In year's past, Sharkskin line has dominated the field for mending and shooting capability. The idea of a ridged line provides less surface contact with the guides which results in less friction. The...

First off, although nearly every species of fish can be caught on a fly, I’m going to answer this assuming we are asking what flies should I buy to get started fly fishing for trout. I’ve got this question a lot over the years, and if you want to understand fly fishing for trout at all- pay attention. The first, truest, and most frustrating answer is, "It depends." It’s necessary to know where you are fishing, on what type of water, and what time of year to answer this question at any one point in time.  If you go to a local fly shop in your area, you'll get the best information if you can give the shop employees an idea of where you will be fishing, and when you plan on going. If you're in Montana, Idaho or Washington, or you plan on visiting, you can get our latest fishing reports here, to give you an idea.  However, again, Iâ€...