Page 80 - North 40 Outfitters

Spring is just around the corner and that means we need to get ready to clean up our lawns and gardens. With the DeWalt 20V weed whacker (some people call it a "string-trimmer"), the battle on weeds has never been easier. This product features a patented gear drive design for amplified torque when powering through overgrowth. The bump feed head provides 13" of swath with DEWALT's 0.080" line. The variable speed trigger offers precise power control as well as performance and runtime management with the Hi/Lo speed control switch. Well balanced and only eight and one-half pounds, the string trimmer is easy to maneuver and puts less stress on the user. Watch the video below to learn more.   Ditch the gas cans and the extension cords, and check out the 20-volt DeWalt Lithium Ion XR Stream Trimmer. Powered by a 20-volt max five amp p...

By Dave McCoy Do You Need A Guide to Catch Olympic Peninsula Steelhead Summer trout fishing is on its long gone, and shorter days bring steelhead to mind on a daily basis. This may be the case for you, too. And, if so, I wouldn’t doubt you’re thinking that Washington’s notorious Olympic Peninsula is a worthy destination . . . for many reasons, not the least being a shot at some big, wild steelhead fresh in from the ocean. “Done,” you might be saying right now. “The OP it is.” When Can I Catch Winter Steelhead on the OP If that’s the case, there are several things you need to consider before stringing a rod and starting to huck. First, timing is everything, as this is a rainforest that gets more than a hundred inches of rain a year, guaranteed. In addition, remember that every river here is a freestone—meaning no dams—...

Whether you're a seasoned fly tier or a beginner, our winter fly-tying challenges are the place for you. Bring your own vice or use ours, and have some fun at Mighty MO Brewing Co. We recently held our first Fly Tying Challenge Night at the Mighty Mo Brewing Company in Great Falls, Montana. If you missed out, don’t worry. It was just a warmup. We’ve got four more dates on the calendar counting December 13, January 16, February 20 and March 14. If you can join us for one or all, we guarantee you’ll have a great time and all ages are welcome. What is a fly tying challenge? Basically, the challenge is an excuse to draw some fun people together. While we always enjoy meeting fellow anglers and fly tiers in the store, it’s nice to get into the community and socialize over an adult beverage and some good pizza. Each event offers a fun ...

A steam juicer is an invaluable tool for jelly making. Homemade jams, jellies, or preserves is a heartfelt and delicious gift at Christmas—whether given to yourself, friends, or family. Making these when the weather is cold is equally satisfying as the house fills with a warm, sweet summer fragrance. What’s the difference between jams, jellies and preserves? While these sweet condiments have similar beginnings, the difference is in the final texture. Whether you only use juice or all of the fruit, depends on personal preference. Jellies are the refined version, using fruit juice as the base, which results in a smooth spread. Instead of just using the juice, jams also use the fruit in a mashed capacity. Jams have a chunkier consistency and a heartier texture. Preserves use whole or large pieces of fruit, making it ideal for topping he...

Growing up here in the Northwestern US, we are privileged to have a very established hunting culture. Indeed, in the US in general, we are offered choice meats sourced directly from the land. We have some great wild game recipes up on our Pinterest board: check them out for inspiration. As a great example of the fare we have available to us here in Montana, and added to the fact that I write about food as much as I can, I brought in some elk tamales to work on Tuesday. When I told Jake, our photographer here at North 40 Outfitters, he would be shooting tamales in celebration of the wild game many of us here in the Northwest take for granted, I was astounded to learn he had never had a tamale. What is a Tamale? What is a tamale? The dictionary tells us a tamale is a Mexican dish of seasoned meat wrapped in cornmeal dough and steamed or ba...

When most anglers begin fishing, they just want to catch a fish—any fish, any size. As they progress, however, and begin to find success, all of a sudden they want to catch lots of fish. After catching lots of fish, naturally, they want to catch bigger fish. And then, finally, they are said to achieve a Zen-like state where simply being on the water makes them happy, regardless of the outcome. I’m always happy to spend any day on the water, but I’m not going to lie. I’m especially happy when I’m catching lots of big fish, especially a Trucha Grande. The endorphins released when a super grande lands in the net always puts me in a happy, meditative state. So, why do some anglers seem to catch more big fish than others, you might ask? Do they just want it more than the rest of us? The answer is pretty simple; they fish water where...

Rat Lake No ice yet and fishing has been really good. The bite seems to come and go with each hour. You may be on it for a while then it dies down. But, don’t leave—just wait because it will pick back up shortly. The weather has been pretty pleasant most days. With that said, make sure you bring your raincoat and dress warm. After all it is that time of year when the weather can be quite fickle. Type 3 sinking lines will do the trick on your 5 or 6-weight rods. You can find fish most active between five and 14 feet down. No need for a tapered leader—five to six feet of 3X fluorocarbon is all you need. Any of your leech or bugger patterns, tied on a #8 hook, should work, as long as they are olive in color. Booby flies are working well, too. The Woofta #10 and Chan's Las Vegas #8 in olive are definitely two that I would have with me....

Clark Fork River (ID) This week, the flows have fluctuated daily, from 9,000 cubic feet per second to 28,000 cfs. For the Idaho side of the Clark Fork, this isn’t terrible. The flows are at least semi-predictable for most of the day. Water clarity has been excellent, even with the recent rain and snow. Although the water is clear, keep a good eye upriver for branches, logs, and trees floating on the surface—I was on the river a couple days ago and was surprised by how many logs drifted by. Fishing has been slow. A few fisherman are swinging up hearty cutthroat on black Sculpzillas and olive Woolly Buggers with 10 feet of a fast-sinking sink-tip. Nymphing flies, like a #14 BH Rubberleg Prince, a #18 gray UV2 mayfly, and a #20 silver Tufted Zebra Midge, might be the ticket on a slow afternoon. Right now, this is a good river to ease th...

Missouri River, Montana The Missouri River is like the Energizer Bunny—it’s still gong and it just won’t quit. Neither will some dedicated anglers. Which makes sense—I don’t know what you call it when the air temp cracks 60 degrees in late November. Obviously, it’s too late to call it Indian summer, and ice fishing still needs to come before we could call it spring. I guess you could simply say it’s a great window to go fishing without a jacket, hat and gloves. The first thing I noticed on a recent float, besides the temperature, were the quantity of midges out. Not only were they out, but fish were rising to them. However, the crew I’ve been fishing with lately could care less—the water is still warm enough for streamers, so the midge eaters were safe . . . for now. Streamers The streamer game has been strong enough to...

Clearwater, Grande Ronde and Snake Rivers All of our regional rivers are very large right now. The water is on its way down, so hopefully it will drop to a fishable flow by the weekend. Clarity on the Snake is about a foot and a half. The Clearwater’s clarity is a bit better than the Snake, but high flows on this river means you could be casting in the bushes, which is difficult. The river could drop a couple thousand cubic feet per second by the weekend, allowing for more casting room. We haven’t had any reports from the Grande Ronde. The CFS on the Ronde is really high, and makes for dangerous wading conditions. Be careful if you’re planning to fish this week, take a buddy or let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return. Before you throw in the towel, however, realize that fishing can turn into catching when...

Coeur d'Alene River Fishing has been pretty steady despite the varied weather. We got a good bump in flows with the rain last week, and that will move the fish around a bit. Streamer fishing has been productive as water temp rose and the fish became more active. Your favorite black leech or olive sculpin should do the trick. Concentrate on the slower water and keep your fly low and slow—no need to rip the fly through the water. The fish are still fairly lethargic and slow even with the temperature bump. Tandem nymph rigs work well under an indicator. Pheasant-Tails, Prince Nymphs, red Brassies or Chironomids, San Juan Worms, and small egg patterns are productive under the indicator. Forecast is for a cooler temp late this week, so the flows will come down and the fish may be a bit more sluggish. But hey, no snow and temps in the mid-40...

When catching and releasing rainbow trout and steelhead the goal should be to send a fish away healthy with a strong kick. Catch and release Most anglers who catch-and-release fish (C&R) believe in preserving the fishing resource. And to do so most successfully, there are certain release practices that anglers can implement to increase fish survival rates. If they don’t use these techniques, and they expose an exhausted fish to the air for as little as 30 seconds, that fish stands a good chance of dying. Which caught me by surprise when I devoured some data that Northwest-based fly fisher Heather Hodson recently sent me. Here are the findings from a 1992 study by R.A. Ferguson and B.L. Tufts. This data may surprise and make you consider how many fish we’re actually killing without even knowing it. Guide and Angler &ldq...