Page 176 - North 40 Outfitters

These days, there is often doom and gloom when it comes to wild fish, but read on and I will get to some good stuff. This past Friday, the Missouri River Fly Fishers hosted the F3T. I always get a buzz from watching the films and my itch to fish gets racheted up even higher. We are fortunate to have lots of great water in Montana with healthy fish populations. The Missouri River Fly Fishing Club has dedicated members who have been helping us with access to those waters as well as supporting FWP with funds for habitat projects. Thank you to those who supported the club at the Banquet and the Fly Fishing Film Tour. There were a number of great films this year, but near and dear to my heart was the film Long Live The King. I have had the fortune to live and work for 25 season in Alaska. I have fished alongside a number of the folks featured ...

Protecting our fish, wildlife and the environment is actually good for our economy. Those of us in the industry know this. Montana thrives on dollars that sportsman spend from both residents and those that travel here from throughout the country. All of you who fish and hunt know how important healthy habitats are for your recreation. Its great to see that Washington is noticing. On March 6, 2014 Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) introduced the National Fish Habitat Conservation Act (NFHCA). The bipartisan legislation authorizes the National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP) an unprecedented national partnership effort aimed squarely at protecting, restoring and enhancing the nation's fishery resources and fish habitat. For more info follow this link to the American Sportfishing Association Tight Lines!

Fly Fishing the Missouri River in Great Falls, Montana. Wild Urban Trout I don't wait for fly fishing. I take it whenever I can. The last six weeks, there was little to take. Today it was 42 degrees and raining at noon, but the wind was not blowing. I consider that prime fishing weather and besides, I've got Simms Gore Tex. When I'm working in the shop, I have an hour for lunch. I'd head up toward Craig if I could, but that is not an option. So I go fishing when and where I can, even if its only for a few minutes. Sometimes I just need to cast or pull a new fly through the water. Today, my afternoon in the shop got a whole lot better, thanks to the lunch bite. Tight Lines!

Six days of fly fishing in two parts of Belize! March 29th thru April 6th. Spots still available. Call or stop by the Great Falls Fly Shop for more details. PH (406) 761-7441 Email: gtfflyshop@csww.net March 29 Once in Belize City, transportation will be provided to the regional air carrier for the 15 minute flight to San Pedro. There is a 10 minute taxi ride from the San Pedro airstrip to the Tides Resort. Two anglers per room. An orientation will be given on the town of San Pedro' how to find a store, restaurant, bar etc. Anglers will be briefed on what to expect during the fishing program. March 30, 31, and April 1 in San Pedro Breakfast at 6:30am at the resort. 7am start to your day of guided fly fishing. Two anglers per boat Lunch will be provided by the guide along with water and soft drinks. Dinner will be on your own in town Apr...

A few years ago Sam brought in a new fandangle gadget into a buyers meeting that he wanted our fly shop stores to start carrying. He made his presentation to the group on the overhead projector on a computer with awful audio quality and we were all shown our very first glimpse into the world of GoPro. Despite the Mickey Mouse type audio from computer speakers, GoPro easily made its way into our stores and the rest, as they say is history. These days GoPro is everywhere in the media from its own piece on 20/20, reality TV shows, it's huge success on social, and even winning it's very own 2013 Emmy Award for its ground breaking Hero3 camera technology, GoPro has made it very easy for anyone to capture engaging perspectives that were never before possible. GoPro works hard on developing new mounting accessories and ways for people to wear th...

The following is an informative link by the folks over at Gink & Gasoline on how to best take fish pictures when you're out by yourself. The emphasis of the article, of course, is ensuring the fish survives the photo session and is none the worse for wear when released. In addition to Gink & Gasoline's wisdom & help it's also important to keep in mind a few other details that give your catch a chance to fight another day. Avoid using abrasive nets, instead opt for a quality rubberized material Keep a pair of pliers, hemostats or a release tool handy at all times Avoid using hard jerking motions when removing your hook. I've seen many anglers try to release a fish by quickly jerking or popping the hook out only to have the hook stay and the fish's mandible damaged. If you don't plan to keep your catch for dinner, it makes sen...

Great news for anglers, tragedy narrowly averted again. HELENA & The Montana Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the state's steam access law as it reversed part of a District Court decision and ruled that the public can use a public prescriptive road to gain access to a river. From the Montana Standard, read the full article.

"It's definitely feeling like January out on the river. Water temps haven't breached 35 degrees since the beginning of December and the wind hasn't seemed to let up much either. However, fishing is still quite possible and in the right locations you can even manage to hide from the wind & help for a moment at least. I managed to get out on the river earlier this week and here's what I know: Fishing isn't lights-out, but it's not awful either and you'll have the whole river to yourself. Don't bother getting up early and eat a big breakfast Be mindful of the floating land-masses with bad intentions Fish are eating exactly what you might expect for this time of year and most of them happen to be fished under an indicator. These include but are not limited to: Firebead Sow Bugs, Charles or Scuds Soft Hackle Ray Charles Zebra Midges in ...

If you're planning a trip to Spokane... or if you're a local that's feeling a little bored in your city (that's crazy to us), then you've just stumbled upon a list of 28 things to do that will probably blow your mind (at least once). The list below was curated through a long series of ask-and-answer, personal trial and error and good old fashion snooping. What you find will give you some great options to break the boredom... or plan to do some trip activities that usually only Spokane locals know how to do. If you read through this list and think we've missed something, please, please shoot us an email using the form at the bottom so we can add your "must do," and bump up the number of things to do in Spokane, Washington. Cheers! Take a picture of the Bowl & Pitcher- From the 90, take the Maple Street Bridge exit and turn left on M...

Ahhh... Sandpoint, Sandpoint, home of the submarine-testing depths of Lake Pend Oreille. WHAT? Yep--they test subs in this lake because it's so deep, what's more, there are a whole bunch of things you can do here that you may (or may not) have thought about. That list is below. It was compiled by locals who've been around the block in #idahome, and know a thing or two about the undiscovered portions of Sandpoint. Read through and see if you've done these things--or, if you're planning a trip to the region, enjoy a curated itinerary that's sure to set your visit apart from other people's "trips." If you're a local, or if you think there is a glaring absence in our list--please reach out to us (using the form below) and help us keep this list "real-time." We're only human after all  :) Ski or Snowboard Baldy [Bald Mountain]- A great ski ...

Omak, Washington, a hot tourist destination? You may not think so... but then, you won't have seen the list of things to do that we built, just for you. Below is a "local's only," exclusive itinerary to enjoying your time around Omak. read through and enjoy! If you're a local, or if you think we missed something, please, please reach out so we can update this list and add whatever it is you think we missed. Without further ado, Omak, Washington as guided by the locals... Eat on the banks of Bridgeport- With over a mile and a half of Columbia River Waterfront running through the city, this is a beautiful place to visit. Hike the Chewuch [River] and find a purple flower-This is one of the most scenic hikes you can take in Washington. You won't see these shades of green anywhere else. Ask us about the equipment you'll need, and let us get ...

If you're planning a trip to Moses Lake... or even if you're just going to be driving through, there are so many things that you can do around the city. Below you'll find a list of "local" activities and attractions that will give you an incredible itinerary for exploring the area around Moses Lake. Enjoy! And if you think we might have missed something, please send us a comment using the contact form at the end of this blog--we'd love to hear your take! Fish Connelly [Park]- Open to fisherman and boaters with unrestricted access to boat launch and dock systems. You can picnic here or even reserve sections for special occasions. Be sure to catch the hydroplane races ask an employee about details. Take a picture walking the Drumheller Channels- Basalt butte-and-basin channeled scablands on the Columbia Plateau. A National Natu...