Page 99 - North 40 Outfitters

Most anglers consider Spey casting and two handed angling techniques to be winter or at least late fall and early spring focused. While that may indeed be true in Montana that does not mean that Spey instruction needs to take place on a frigid winter’s day. How about working on Spey casting on a comfortable day in the early summer, say June 3rd? Spey Casting on the Missouri River in June? Introducing Zack Williams Guess what? Instructor Zack Williams is coming to do a class for us on June 3. Zack is a full time Spey guide and casting instructor, international Spey casting competitor (4th in the world at the 2016 Spey O Rama world championship), and editor of Swing the Fly magazine. See more at www.swingthefly.com & www.pnwspey.com I met Zack for the first time at our Trout Spey Clave this past April. Zack came to represent Swing th...

Got water? Yep, we got water. Too much water? Nope. Water is good and so is the fishing. We are fortunate that the Missouri River is tempered by the dams and remains a great fishery, even as the flows increase. While the flows were raised some more this past weekend, the fish are eating and the bugs are hatching. Reports of good fish being caught are still rolling in. You can check out our gear for hopper dropper rigs, including dry flies, right here. Last Friday, I decided to nymph like I really meant it. I put on a pink indicator and never looked back. My streamer rod and dry fly rod stayed in the truck all day. I’ll admit to taking the indicator off for 30 minutes to try and swing some fish on soft hackles. So many caddis were out, it was maddening, but the fish wanted nothing to do with a fly that was not drifting near the bottom. ...

  The Miller Time in baby brown streamer- this is an easy fly to tie and it catches fish. It’s simple and solid. Watch the video above to learn to tie this fly, and get your materials to follow along below. Gamakatsu B10 Stinger Hook 2 Spirit River Dumbbell Eyes Brown Barred Rabbit Strips - Ginger Pearl Core Braid - Pearl White Ice Dub Pearl + Orange Flashabou - Copper

In my desire to break up the monotony of fishing Amber or Medical Lake again, I decided to make my way to Fish Lake just outside of Cheney, WA last week. Fish Lake is a popular spot for local anglers looking to get a quick fix without burning a tank of gas. As you can see from the photos it wasn't exactly a bluebird day when I went, but luckily the trout didn't seem to mind. Even with the torrential downpours, fish were rising to a solid hatch of chironomids coming off in the evening. Catching rising trout on a lake can be a challenge at times due their erratic behavior. One simple way to solve this is to fish a soft hackle just beneath the surface. Leaders & tippet-- all of the little things you need, you can order right here. Strip in the fly with a short, quick retrieve and keep stripping after the strike until the fish starts pu...

Too often fisherman get caught up in chasing the biggest and baddest fish. Don't get me wrong, I would rather catch a Steelhead, than a Yellow Perch any day of the week. However, occasionally I like to have fun taking a break from the chase, and enjoying a day on our local sunfish lake. Bluegill need educating, too. Yesterday was that day. We packed a cooler full of "sodas," loaded up the boat with light tackle, and hit the lake. For those with a busy family that love to fish, Shepard Lake should be your next outing. Bring your canoe, kayak, or jon boat with an electric Minn Kota trolling motor. If you don't have a boat, fish off the dock. The fish are abundant all around the dock. If you don't like fishing, but love being outside, Shepard lake has a well-kept campground. Kid Friendly Fish Action At Its Best Build a nice campfire, and ro...

All week I had been checking the weather to see what was in store for me on my days off. Wouldn't you know it 67 degrees and sunny, I'm going to chase pike. As I drove over the Klakken Road Bridge, I saw over 100 full sized trees floating down the swift moving reservoir.... My timing could not have been worse. Do you know the best way to rig for pike? However, a good fisherman always has a plan B. Noxon reservoir it was! So I meandered on down to the North East side of Noxon Reservoir, and what do I see? "Boat Launch Temporarily Closed." The fishing gods were not doing me any favors today. With all this bad luck, you would think someone had stuck a banana in my boat. Anyway, on to plan C, Bull Lake. As I drove back over the Klakken Road Bridge, I noticed almost all of the trees had been pushed down the reservoir. I gathered a little cou...

Fishing season is fully here and the Missouri River is where many fly fishers want to be. To the west, south and east, many streams and rivers are experiencing runoff. While the Mo is slightly affected by some tributary inflows, it is a very reliable fishery. There may be a little more water this year, but the fish still need to eat. More water moves more food and produces stronger healthier trout. That’s a good thing. Nymphing Nymphing is the go to method to put a bend in the rod. You can stick with a worm and a sow bug or Czech nymph, but the reality is that many options are on the table. There are lots of midges out there and the zebra varieties catch fish. Little Mayfly (18-#20 BWO’s) and big Mayfly (#12-#14 March Brown) nymphs are also solid choices in certain places. Caddis are now in the mix, so fishing a pupa is a reasonable ...

  This highly versatile streamer can be tied in pretty much whatever color of rabbit strips you want, but if you’re going for the original, olive with the red collar is the most common. Material List: Daiichi Size 6 Intruder Hook (this Gamakatsu Octopus hook in red works well) Senyo's Thin Intruder Wire Gamakatsu SL12S Size 2 Saltwater Hook Hareline Frostip Black/White Rabbit Strip Hareline UV Dark Olive Ice Dub Nature Spirit Fl. Blue Guinea Hackle Black Marabou Plume Spirit River Cross Eyed 1/4" Black Dumbbell Cone (these work as well)

Our weather this season has been almost entirely unlike last year. On the same date in 2016, the flow on the Missouri river from Holter was 4140 CFS and the water temp was hitting 50 degrees. Currently, we have flows at 7510 CFS and water temps around 45. Four of the last five trips I’ve made to the river have required raingear. This is not a bad thing. Maybe our current dry fly fishing will be a little off by comparison, but our summer prospects look good. Water for fish is a good thing. Cloudy and wet springs also prolong snowpack at higher elevations. The current snowpack in the upper basin is very strong. Nymphing #16-#10 Scuds, sows and worms: Firebead Soft Hackles (Tan, Gray, Pink), Rainbow Czech, Pink Amex, Tailwater Sow, Rainbow Weight Fly, Mini Mo Czech, Dorsey’s UV Scud and Pink Crush #18-#22 Midges - Zebra, Tuffted Zebra, J...

ABOUT: River Camp is a unique program that will offer kids the opportunity to learn fly fishing, and outdoor skills while floating the beautiful John Day River in Central Oregon. River Camp will foster an appreciation and understanding of rivers and the environment by encouraging an ethic of stewardship with hands-on activities. Most important, River Camp is fun and run by Mia Sheppard, one of the foremost fly fishers in the industry. Children aged 9-14 are welcome to attend. Activities will include fly-fishing, outdoor camping skills, such as setting up tents and practicing Leave No Trace, how to row a boat or paddle a stand up paddle board, river safety, geology, and interpretive history with art projects, swimming, and making new friends! Students will increase their knowledge of ecosystems and gain skills to becoming an angler and ste...

I have been thinking of fly fishing for pike every since the new year hit. Yesterday, the day finally came. Conditions were very nice. Temperatures were in the high 50's, and the weather was partly cloudy with the occasional light rainstorm. Water clarity was excellent in the main stem of the reservoir. The eddies and flats that were not impacted by the current had 3 feet of visibility. This made trying to spot shallow pike impossible. Do you know how to rig for pike? Find out. The pike I found were holding at the mouths of sloughs, and off small points in the current that created eddies. The magical depth seemed to be 5-10 feet. I spent way too much time trying to find them in the big open flats. Next time, I am running straight for the bigger moving water. Check out our selection of flies online, and get ready for the season. Whenev...

Yes, the flows are still higher than average, but that shouldn't stop you from venturing over to the Coeur d'Alene River. The river has that beautiful green color we all love, and the trout are gorging themselves on a buffet line of bugs right now. What kind of bugs you ask? Everything from tiny stoneflies like the one in the photo to the mother of all stoneflies, the salmonfly. I spotted my first salmonfly while fishing the Coeur d'Alene on April 22nd and we've been getting more reports of these giant orange bugs making an appearance recently. Looking to imitate that bug? Then check these out. This is the time of year where you need to be prepared for anything because of erratic weather and hatches. Your dry fly box should include drakes, skwalas, salmonflies, golden stones, March Browns, BWOs and maybe a few ants thrown in for good me...