Nighttime temperatures are approaching freezing sending water temperatures crashing. As water temperatures cool into the 50's crayfish activity will subside and smallies will transition to alternative prey. In our local lakes and rivers this usually means small fish—think sculpins, sticklebacks, kokanee, and perch. However, don't rule out large aquatic insects, especially in river systems. Smallmouth inhabiting lakes generally move deeper as water temps cool, but we always seem to get a few really warm days even in October. On those warm days they move shallow to target sunfish warming themselves. However, you should primarily focus your energy on deeper water in excess of 15 feet deep. In rivers, fish can be found holding behind structure in current or in slackwater areas adjacent to moving water. Fall is when crankbaits really start ...

Few things can inspire, relax, rejuvenate and humble more than the classic American campsite. In the wild, one's true nature, in all its flaws, is brought to the surface and enveloped in the infinite stillness of the woods. We open ourselves and share our pains, face our fears, and shed the troubles of modern life in a silent exchange between the winds, the trees and, for a lucky few, the big open sky. Here is our wild game processing tools and accessories catalog if you need game gear. Who Uses Wild Game Seasonings? I find myself settled in and relaxing at a campsite in Beaver Creek Park just outside Havre, Montana cooking some Wild Game sausage and enjoying a delightful cup of Twisp, Washington's Blue Star coffee. Prior to living in Montana, I lived in a homestead style house nestled deep in the woods of Okanogan County. My family and ...

By Fred Telleen In Part 1, I provided some details about why an angler should consider a single hand Skagit set up. In Part 2, I am going to put things together. The great thing about this system, is you don’t need anything special in terms of additional rods or reels. If you have a spare spool for your fly reel, you can set up a single hand Skagit system. Instead of a conventional fly line, you will fill your reel with a running line and connect your Skagit head to it. To the Skagit head, you will connect a poly leader or sinking tip. Running Line For single hand Skagit casting, most anglers prefer mono running lines. Mono running lines are slick and shoot farther than coated lines. This is especially notable when fishing with a single hand set up. Mono lines are also less likely to tangle and peel off the water with less tension, inc...

By Greg Thomas I get it. When you walk out the door on these late summer mornings, the last thing you’re thinking about is a 750-fill down jacket with a full, insulated hood. But, the truth is, fall is almost here and in short time you’ll want to keep as warm as possible on the water. Think steelhead, in the rain, and sometimes in the sleet and snow. Think mornings in the 30’s and frost on the ground right when you crawl out of the tent or out of the back of your truck. Even this morning, there seems to be a change in the air. As I write this I’m sitting on my front porch in a light jacket. And the news reported West Yellowstone at 30 degrees. That means frost on the ground. Like it or not, the nights and mornings are going to be cool and by October you know the snow will fly. While we don't stock this jacket, we've got these opt...

—North 40 Lewiston A little more than 10,000 steelhead have made it past Lower Granite Dam since July 1, but more than 6,000 did so last week alone. Fishing hasn’t been the hottest, by any stretch, but I’m hearing that fish are being caught and I’ve had a few hookups this season, too. Don’t expect numbers when you head out—even when times are good steelhead are steelhead and can be tough to find. A customer said that he has caught fish as far upstream as Peck, so the fish are spreading out a bit and some should reach, if they haven’t already, Orofino soon. Seeing that the Clearwater has a low prediction of B-runs, most fish are going to be the smaller A-runners. Those fish hold in the classic runs of the lower river, but stray upriver, too—so, if a run looks fishy, fish it. The river is running low, so sparsely tied flies...

By Fred Telleen I had the pleasure of meeting and fishing with Jerry French this past spring in Montana. We had some great conversations about fish, fly fishing, fly rods, fly lines, fly tying and fly design. Jerry has a keen mind when it comes to understanding what tools are needed to complete a task. When that task is fly fishing, Jerry likes to design his own tools, including fly rods and fly lines, to match his fishing style. At the end of that system, he won’t just throw on any fly—instead, he’ll tie on one he’s constructed with clear intent and purpose. The Steelhead Sculpin is one such fly. Here are the specs. Have fun with the video. Shank 25mm The shank is the platform for building the fly.  Shanks have certain advantages over standard hooks.  The fly can be constructed to any length and then completed with a variety...

—North 40 Great Falls Wader Season is back For those not chasing fur and feathers, the fishing has been stellar most days since our big weather change on September 13. After an extensive drought, we experienced a flash of fall that brought significant moisture, freezing lows and highs in the 40s and 50s. Everything changed in a good way and it’s staying the course. Highs are currently creeping back up to a very comfortable 70-degree range, meaning it could not be more perfect out there right now.The water temps have dropped into the upper 50s and the fish are charged up. Expect great fishing conditions to continue for many weeks as the water remains in the 50s and the trout continue to feed heavily. On Top Flows have now dropped below 4,000 cubic feet a second and there are plenty of bugs that keep the trout looking up and feeding on...

—North 40 Coeur d’ Alene The fishing has improved a lot. The rain and cooler weather has done wonders for the water levels and water temps. Fish are now actively feeding from mid-morning to late afternoon. BWOs and mahogany duns will play well for you. Be prepared to match them. October caddis come off later in the day. More rain is expected this weekend so our fishing should remain solid. Look for those Baetis hatches to be most prevalent and last a little longer on the cold, drizzly days. A #18 thorax BWO with a BWO emerger or cripple as your dropper will be a go-to rig. St. Joe River Fishing amazing. The previous rain did wonders, and with the follow-up of 70-degree, blue-bird weather . . . are you kidding me, that was the best. Streamer fishing and a big orange stimmie with a larger bead head for a dropper will get you going in t...

—North 40 Outfitters Ponderay  Expect the Clark Fork’s flow to fluctuate as water managers draw down Cabinet Gorge Reservoir. Unfortunately, that translates to unpredictable flows. The only trend I see is that flows shoot up, at least once a day, to somewhere between 6,000 cubic feet a second and 18,000 cfs, even on the weekends. Despite these radical flows, fishing is good if you hit the river when the water is low. October caddis should appear soon, but don't count on giant hatches—when I’ve seen the big caddis on the Clark Fork I’ve only seen a few bugs. Dry flies will still work on the Clark Fork. Some top performers are a #10 October Caddis, #14 purple Grumpy Frumpy, #12 red PMX, and a #10 pink Transfoamer. October is when I generally like to nymph or swing 2-to 3-inch long streamers. Small, olive sculpin patterns can sav...