Page 78 - North 40 Outfitters

Now that old man winter has officially arrived, there won’t be much change in the fishing until spring arrives. For that reason, this will be my final fishing report until the weather warms and the bugs start hatching in February or March. Clark Fork River ID Currently flows are bouncing between 6,000 and 28,000 cubic feet per second, once or twice a day. I would expect this to be an everyday occurrence. This year (2017), we had a push of runoff in mid-to late March. This could happen again in 2018, but it is too early to tell. Once the mountains start puking chocolate milk, flows will hold steady at anywhere from 30,000 to 60,000 cfs. The fishing will remain slow/fair until we see warmer weather. When I fish this river in winter, I hope to catch one or two trout over the period of a few hours. The only hatch we’ll see is the occasio...

Fly-fishers often demand odd/innovative tools in order to pursue their passion. And sometimes people wonder if all those gadgets hanging off anglers and their gear are needed. I hear it in the shop all the time. “Do you really need forceps with a curved head? What is wrong with the bulk forceps that sell for $1.99? And do I really need a pair of nippers. I mean, some of these cost 50 bucks! Can’t I just bite off my tippet?” Outsiders often believe these tools are some kind of gimmick, just another way for fly shops to make a sale. The truth is, oddball tools make life a whole lot easier when waist deep in a swift moving river, attempting to roll-cast to a nose on the opposite bank. Those “useless” fishing utensils suddenly come in handy, and might just save you a trip to shore. A simple 20-foot trek to dry land can be an excruc...

It’s that time when sniffles and sneezes are the chorus of the season. When I feel under the weather, the first thing I reach for is a fresh clove of garlic and the jar of honey. Because of their antimicrobial properties, the combination of minced garlic and its sweet counterpart help my body fight the latest bug. Plus, I figure if I eat enough of it, no one will want to stand next to me, which is probably one of the best ways to prevent the cold in the first place. All kidding aside, our parents and grandparents often had an arsenal of remedies in their gardens and kitchen cupboards, ready to make us feel better with these old-fashioned concoctions. While eating garlic to treat a cold (or any illness) is far from being recognized or approved by the FDA, there’s a reason these remedies have been around for centuries, or even thousands...

The Yuk bug is one of my go-to flies and I can fish it throughout the year. During early spring I'll dead-drift it under an indicator, with a beadhead dropper behind it. Or I may fish it alone, as a streamer, and rip it off the banks. By mid-summer I’ll fish it as a true crayfish imitation. That’s because crayfish molt and move to shallow water a few times a year. The fish follow them into the shallows—often into water so shallow you would not expect a large fish to hold there. These fish are willing to expose themselves in the shallows because crayfish are a huge protein source. Sometimes I’ll find these fish in just inches of water, places where I am surprised to see them. When imitating crayfish, I strip this fly very fast, just as a natural fleeing crayfish would move. When fishing the Yuk Bug I favor large sizes, meaning size...

Clearwater River The river is running at 7,730 cubic feet per second as of noon Wednesday. It started to climb around the 18th of December and has yet to plateau. This has yet again made me believe that the fishing won't be that great. With the flows being cut on the 15th and now on the rise, the fish won't be very active. They are shocked by the difference of flows and water temperatures. Yet again the best chances are going to be on the Snake River. Grande Ronde River I ran up to the Ronde this morning and swung a run. Fortunately, the fishing was good, but the catching wasn't. It’s flowing at 1,350 cfs. We only had a short window of time, so if you had all day to fish I believe that you could still catch them. We did see fish rolling, they just weren't willing to play with us. Leeches, Hoh-Bo Spey, and big marabou flies should be th...

Clark Fork River (ID) Flows are between 6,000 and 28,000 cubic feet per second. Water clarity is excellent, and temperatures are pretty damn cold. Either wait for a sunny day, or bundle up. Fishing has been slow, so if you decide to sleep in, you aren’t missing much. Slowly swinging a #6 Montana Mini Intruder or a #6 olive Stinging Smolt might wake them up. Try nymphing a #14 BH Rubberleg Prince and a #20 silver Tufted Zebra Midge. Kootenai River (MT) Flows are  17,300 cfs coming out of Libby Dam. Fishing can be good on sunny afternoons running a double nymph rig, or casting to noses with midges. For a dry, I would use a #20 Hatching Midge, with a #22 red Disco Midge as a dropper. A great fly to swing is a #4 silver Sparkle Minnow. The big boys still gotta eat, even when air temperatures are below freezing. See past reports from the S...

Missouri River It’s hard to believe fall is over. Weather wise, it hung on for a long time. Now, we’ve reached the winter solstice. The forecast is snow and ice, for who knows how long. The seasonal slowdown has arrived. Despite the coldest and snowiest weather to come, the earth is already turning back toward the sun. Even with the depths of winter approaching, we are marching toward spring. But you don’t have to wait to fish: Trout spey swing season is on and we are fanatics . . . so you’ll see us on the water. If you want to know why, check out "Two Handing for Trout in Winter". Be sure to check out all the great gear we offer for trout spey, including the Echo TR Trout rod and the Loop Opti NXT rod. Nymphs The fish are beginning to tank up and over the next week or so, they will settle into their winter environs. Catching the...

If I were stuck on a desert island and my life depended on one lure I would want a Kastmaster spoon in my survival kit. Few lures approach the Kastmaster's ability to target a wide array of species. And this spoon’s versatility is unmatched—it can be cast and retrieved, jigged or trolled. Fished in any fashion, the Kastmaster is simple, timeless, and deadly effective.  Sussing Fish Out The Kastmaster is the perfect searching lure. For their size, these spoons pack considerable weight. Their slim profile combined with mass makes for long casts that easily cut through wind. This allows you to quickly cover a lot of water without moving. Because of that weight you can also quickly sink the lure to a desired depth and vary retrieval speeds, which allows you to cover the entire water column. Doing so, you’ll likely...

By Dylan McGregor I recently tested Echo’s new Swing spey rod on Washington’s Grande Ronde River and the results were exactly what I was hoping for—this rod flexes all the way to the butt, which allows for super controlled casting, and I got the stink off early by landing a beautifully colored steelhead on the first day of testing. Can’t beat that. I would have fallen for this rod just on that history, but there are several other considerations that make me want to fish this rod again. First, this rod is made overseas, which allows Echo to do what it does best—build quality and affordable rods that come with one of the best industry warranties available. For $249.99 you can own the four-piece 7130 Swing (a 13-foot long 7-weight) and it comes with a lifetime warranty that promises to replace a damaged or defective rod for the or...

Fly lines for every application, spooled, labeled and ready to roll. In conventional fishing, the weight of a lure carries the line. But in fly-fishing, the weight of the line casts and delivers the fly. So, in order to go fly-fishing—no matter if you’re after freshwater or saltwater species, and no matter the fly—you’ll need a fly line to get your offering to a fish.  What does the fly line do? The basic purpose of a fly line is to carry the fly when it is cast or propelled with the aid of the fly rod. In general, flies do not have enough mass to be cast like lures. The fly line is what carries the fly when a cast is performed. That’s what makes it fly-fishing. What weight fly line do I need? A fly line’s weight always corresponds to a fly rod’s weight. So, in order to balance a fly rod you’ll need a fly line that matc...

  Clearwater River We fished the Clearwater Tuesday and had no sniffs. It’s currently running at 9,070 cubic feet a second. I have no idea how to catch fish at this current rate of water and if you aren’t schooled in high-water tactics this river may not be worth your time until it drops. Realize, many guides cancel trips when the water is up, as the fish are just much more difficult to come by. So, if you want good conditions my suggestion is to wait. Clearwater River [UPDATED]  3 p.m. 12/15/17 The Army Corp of Engineers has shut the water off at Dworshak Dam near Orofino. I have been watching the river gauge and flows have dropped 3,000 CFS in the last three hours to a current rate of 6,190 cfs. The water temperature has dropped as well to 39 degrees. This dramatic drop should shut the fishing off. The fish are going to be v...

Clearwater River (ID) Our area waters are in their winter mode and fishing could be challenging for the foreseeable future. We’ll skip the regulars this week and revisit them again soon. For a little adventure you might want to head south to the steelhead grounds where fishing is reported as decent, despite lower numbers this year. We’ve received many good and encouraging reports lately. Even some good fly rod reports too. The river came back down after a good rain event a couple weeks ago, but things are cold now so the fish will be parking in their normal winter holds. And the water remains high, so choosing to fish the river this weekend means high water tactics. The river will get better as the water drops, but if you want at it this weekend you’ll want to swing heavy tips and articulated leeches, Prom Dresses and larger Hot Be...