Page 54 - North 40 Outfitters

Pretty intriguing, isn’t it? When fly fishermen think of a species-rich environment, saltwater is always the first to come to mind. Although the coast is home to ferocious, hard fighting water dwellers, we have a unique fishery here in northern Idaho that will prove just as challenging. Here is a list of fish that can be caught on the fly within a 50-mile radius of Sandpoint, Idaho, and where to catch them. Trout Rainbow The panhandle is home to a few blue-ribbon rainbow trout streams, my favorite being the Kootenai River. This river is full of acrobatic rainbows that display an unmistakable deep red slash along their sides that simply cannot be found in stocker trout. These trout range from inches to 10+ pounds depending on what stretch of the river you decide to fish. The best time to fish for these beauties is during the summer. The...

Grillos' Hippie Stomper from Umpqua is a guaranteed killer on the water. Works as an attractor fly or with a hopper-dropper setup. The Hippie Stomper's name is sort of a homage to the tier's friend and guiding mentor, Chris Mortimer. "Mort spent over 20 years guiding in the Gunnison Gorge and has hands-down more experience in the Gunnison Gorge and Black Canyon than anyone." And that type of trout trickery works well here in the Northwest. Believe that. The Hippie Stomper is a go-to fly for me for cutthroat trout on any stream.  The super buggy profile and long legs drives hungry fish nuts as it drifts by.  This fly can be skittered across the surface or fished in a dead drift.  I really like the purple one and so does my wife. To purchase your Hippie Stomper Fly, click here.

Clark Fork River (ID) Flows are currently 47,000 cubic feet per second, and the river is running tan. (Imagine coffee with lots of creamer tan.) Looks like it is going to be another couple of weeks. Lake Pend Oreille As summer wears on, the lake is clearing up more and more each day. Surface water temps are ranging from 63-68°F. The week of the 4th is always one of the lake’s busiest weeks, so be careful while boating. Stick to mornings and evenings, if you are looking to avoid the recreational boaters. Pike fishing has been hit or miss, depending on where you are going. Some bays and sloughs are being choked out by weeds. However, big northerns will still linger in the same bays, or shorelines adjacent to their spring spawning grounds. You’ll want to fish; weedlines, boulders, fallen trees, stumps, and depressions. Pike will cling ...

Methow River (WA) Each day the Methow River continues to improve as the flows drop. Currently, it is running at 1940 cfs and dropping. Wade fishing is somewhat limited but doable in places. The important thing to remember is wade within your own limits. If you’re fishing out of a boat, floats are really good for that right now and you would be able to cover more area. It will allow you to hit a lot of good seem water where a lot of the fish are holding right now. Barring any heavy weather this weekend, you shouldn’t have any problem floating from Winthrop to Twisp, Twisp to Carlton, or even from Carlton to further south to McFarland Creek. Only a couple of places might require you to be a little more attentive. Such as; the mouth of Gold Creek and the other being at the Hwy 153 bridge -at the south end of the Gold Cre...

Missouri River, Montana I believe our high water “runoff” season has finally peaked and water should begin falling into fine fishing shape. Many locals and some tourists have been afraid of the Mighty Mo as it rolled along at higher flows. Guides from around the state unable to fish many of Montana’s other famous waters have been clogging the Mo with traffic.  Now, they are spreading out again.  From here on out, the Missouri River will resume normal operations.  Get ready for July.  It should be awesome.  It’s go fishing time. Nymphs Some anglers are fishing deep.  Others are fishing short and tight to the banks.  Fish are also suspended in the frothy seams. As the water levels change, the fish keep moving. When you find the formula for the day, you can catch lots.  If you are not catching fish, change your depth or the ...

Coeur d'Alene River Flow 871 cfs and dropping at Cataldo.  Flows are now about at normal summer flows.  What a great spring we have had with plenty of water and great fishing!  It is now coming into summer and our styles of fishing will be changing.  The May fly activity will now have the trout's attention every day.  So, the Pale Morning Dun hatches are more solid and consistent.  Starting to see a few Grass Hoppers out and plenty of ants and beetles too.  These will get more and more prevalent as it warms up and the grasses dry out.  Many more caddis out too.  The evening hatches with Rusty spinners, Pale evening duns and Caddis will be the players in the afternoons and evenings.  The streamer fishing and nymphing is still good and you should be running nymphs and streamers if you are not seeing any surface activity.  Runnin...

We had almost finished up with the Standlee Forage company after reviewing a number of new products at the 2018 spring Mid-States Rendezvous show in Minneapolis, MN when Denise Schneider, the website manager for North 40 spoke up, “Hey Sam did you see these?” Standlee has developed a new horse pill carrier made from alfalfa with a pocket in the middle to put your horse treat in. At the bottom of the carrier, there is a drop of cranberry gel to keep the pill stuck inside the pocket. It is a crunchy low carb treat for the horse and a much simpler way to get a horse to swallow a pill for the horse owner. Watch the video below to learn more or click here to check out at all of our Standlee and equine products.  Hi, this is Colleen with Standlee Premium Western Forage. We have another new product coming out later this year to show you...

Most of our rivers in northern Idaho at this time are blown out with no sign of relenting any time soon. The Clark Fork (Idaho side) alone is running at 107,000 cubic feet per second with maybe six inches of clarity. I see this as a flashing red sign with sirens and bold print screaming, “FISH FOR SMALLMOUTH”. Not only is spring the time of year when fisherman catch 20 lb. bags, but it also isn’t uncommon to land 15-20 bass in a couple of hours. I’ll happily fish for smallies while I wait for the rivers to come down. In order to successfully chase bronze backs, you will need a selection of proven flies. Over the years, I have compiled these top five smallmouth flies for Lake Pend Oreille smallmouth. Not every one of these flies will work every day, but very rarely do I find a day where the bass won’t eat at least one. Rich’s ...

The Yeti Hopper Two is a soft portable cooler that's built for larger hauls and longer days, now with a wider opening and easier access. Yeti has extended the cold-holding power on this leakproof, portable, ultra-durable, soft-sided cooler with a tapered body that’s more comfortable on longer hauls and an exterior shell designed to take some serious field abuse. With the Hopper Two, Yeti has also made loading (and unloading) easier and increased the visibility with the new zipper replacement. The Yeti Hopper Two is loaded up with features to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your soft cooler. Read them below. Dryhide Shell: The Hopper’s high-density fabric is waterproof and resistant to mildew, punctures, and UV rays. The liner is made from an FDA-approved food-grade material. Coldcell Insualtion: ...

The new Curado K is the new version of the well known Curado 200 I. The new features include Micro module Gear system and the Stable Spool design, providing a more efficient gear train with a smoother, more positive feel. The combination of CI4+ body and the aluminum frame makes the Curado 200 K very tough but still lightweight. The SVS infinity braking system controls spool speed for precision casting, making it also possible to cast lighter lures while fishing for bass. This reel is designed to fit the needs of freshwater predator fisherman but is also able to withstand the tough saltwater conditions due to the 4 Shielded A-RB + 2 Shielded Stainless Steel ball bearings. The 6.2:1 provides the most power and is the best choice when fishing big lures with a lot of water resistance which his the best choice for fishing where fast response...

Here is a fly that is arguably one of the greatest PMD emerger/cripple patterns available today. Tied by the great Bob Quigley for places like the Fall River, Bob uses advanced techniques with the hackle and post to display realistic fly vulnerability. By doing so, Bob created an irresistible look no trout can turn down in the heat of a late morning PMD hatch. Bob truly paved the way for fly tiers before he passed away in June 2012 from prostate cancer. His innovative techniques altered the way we think of tying flies and improved what we carry in our fly boxes. The fly is tied on an emerger style hook. The lower half hangs below the surface, while the upper half rides the film, perceiving a defenseless PMD struggling to emerge away from the shuck. All trout will eat it when the time is right, but I have noticed Westslope Cutthroat find ...

Like many ranch kids, my favorite time of the year is spring. That’s because the newness of the world never ceases to amaze me. Montana has some of the harshest winters found anywhere, but when that snow melts away and you can see the first blades of green grass, the possibility of a good year is high. And, with each healthy calf that makes its way into the world, your hopes grow stronger. If you're like me, you rarely lack a smile on your face as you watch the calves learning to navigate this world, bucking across a pasture with pure glee. However, like everything in agriculture, those smiles are hard won. Spring days are not always so sweet. Sometimes a spring day on the ranch means you’re absolutely chilled to the bone. But you can’t quit until the calves are safe and warm or you’ll lose them. Sometimes you may think your perm...