The season is winding down, but you may get one more round of “gulpers.” By Greg Thomas As summer winds down you may still find a few Callibaetis mayflies on the water, whether fishing lakes and reservoirs that are famous for that bug—Chopaka Lake, Hebgen Reservoir, Ennis Lake, Quake Lake—or some other obscure water. So, you need to be prepared for this hatch whether it actually comes off or not. Play your cards wrong and you might be rowing through a wad of risers with nothing to offer. This hatch begins as early as July on many waters and extends into September on most. Action can begin early in the day when Callibaetis nymphs rise through the water column and try to take flight. While sitting on the surface, waiting for their wings to dry, many are taken under by the subtle rises from trout. Even big fish may leave a tiny dimp...

I’m looking forward to wearing waders again. Don’t get me wrong; I love warm summer days and wading in with my flip flops or Rip Rap wading shoes just as much as the next guy. And, back in June I was way into it. But now the sandy, scratchy, muddy, pokey, prickly feelings that often accompany the wet wading process are getting old. My Gore-Tex is calling. I don’t know about you, but fall has always been my favorite time for fly fishing. As summer closes and winter looms, every day becomes sacred. Here in Montana, the air will be clean and fresh after the summer smoke and haze is scrubbed away by fall rains. The light will change as the angle of the sun lowers and casts long shadows in the canyons. The water will pick up a golden cast from colored leaves. In the heat of summer, you need to be out very early or very late to hit prime...

Despite the continuing hot weather streak, the Clark Fork is fishing well. Water clarity is excellent, and water temperatures aren't too warm. Air temperatures are in the low 80s, but the strong, consistent 10 to15 mph breeze makes that 80 feel like 65. I got out yesterday and it was blue skies and sunny for the most part. A few clouds made an appearance around 1 p.m. and graciously dropped about 15 raindrops. I appreciate the weather trying to keep me on the water, but I wouldn't mind a good rainstorm. Even though the wind was doing its best to send me home empty-handed, I still managed to find a few chunky trout willing to eat my flies. It took me a couple hours to figure out what the trout were looking for. I threw big purple dries, small red nymphs, and every stage of caddis into the river. I even swung my trusty olive Woolly Bugge...

If you have some family time this weekend check out the fourth annual Trout and About Festival in Sandpoint, Idaho. The festival begins at 11 a.m. on Sunday with live music by the Whizpops and the Ginstrings beginning at noon. This festival is co-sponsored by Avista, the Panhandle Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. The goal is for everyone to have fun and to educate and promote clean water in our rivers and lakes, with a focus on efforts to educate and protect threatened bull trout in our region. Expect raffles, giveaways, and educational booths to check out. For more info check out this link. The event takes place at 503 Oak Street at Evans Brothers Coffee, which is also known as the “granary.” Cost: $3 donation; kids enter for free. Bring chairs and bla...

Where did those big bass go? I hear this question from our customer's routinely now. That’s because spring and early summer are exciting times for the bass angler, with the pre-spawn concentrating bass in shallow water where they are actively feeding and relatively easy to find in preparation for the breeding season. However, once the post-spawn and heat of summer sets in anglers struggle to find quality fish in shallow water. Where did they go? The answer is simple . . . deep. Let’s face it: There is no more challenging time to catch bass, outside of winter, than late summer. During late summer the fish spread out, with some fish hanging in shallow water haunts while others go deep. This makes fish more difficult to locate. And, the urgency to feed in preparation for fall isn't quite there yet. This creates a situation where the fis...

Walking into a fly shop and confronting a wall of tippet material can be intimidating, especially when there are different varieties available in all sorts of strengths. That is probably the case when people see conventional nylon tippet and fluorocarbon tippet on the same wall. What’s the difference, they might ask. Here’s your answer: Fluorocarbon is generally two to three times more expensive than nylon. Often people make their decision between the two, simply based on price, without considering what properties each material offers and what benefits those properties might have on their fishing success. Nylon leader and tippet material has long been the standard. Nylon is strong, flexible and it generally floats. Conversely, fluorocarbon is a slightly stiffer material with a little less stretch. It’s also a little less visible in...

After a long night of discussions with our buying team, and an all-day scavenger hunt for the very best new products coming in 2018, we settled on these 12 items aimed at the country lifestyle. For those of you who missed our review of the “Top 13 Products from Day 1,” the Mid-States show is the largest farm, ranch, and home show in the United States and is only open to 41 of the best farm and ranch retailers in North America. North 40 Outfitters is grateful to be one of those 41 companies. Muck Arctic Ice Boots This item is unbelievable.  When Kayla McAnally, our footwear buyer, dragged us over to the Muck Boot booth to see this item, I have to admit I was more than skeptical about the “cool factor” of a new Muck Boot release.  However, this new sole they are using has been developed by Vibram and IS the ANSWER to footwear trac...

As we pulled up to the boat launch, I looked across the lake and saw one-to two foot waves cresting with whitecaps. I turned to Steph and said, "It's a little windy, but still very fishable." That may have been a stretch. The truth was, I had worked all day at the shop, and had ingrained the thought of fishing Coco into my head. Luckily as the evening went on, the wind died down, and the lake’s surface turned into glass. The water clarity wasn't great. It seemed a little green, but that didn't seem to effect the fishing. For the most part, we were looking for trout. Armed with two dry-fly rods, and two fast-sinking rods, we were ready to reach the fish at any depth. We started along the southwestern shoreline in hopes of finding a couple deep browns willing to eat our streamers. I have found rust colored flies work very well in this l...

By Dillon Given Every region has its own collection of "go-to flies" that always seem to work when nothing else does. North Idaho is no exception. Here are a couple patterns—what I consider to be the two best flies for north Idaho trout—that you need on the water the next time you’re out. #12 Purple Hippie Stomper When the color purple first came onto the fly-fishing scene, it made a splash. Like everything new, there were skeptics and believers. It was easy to tell the difference between these people because the believers were out-fishing the skeptics three-to-one. Here we are a few years later, and almost everyone is a believer. The Hippie Stomper is just another pattern that provides the necessity of having a selection of purple flies in your box. From April to October, this fly produces on trout of all sizes. I recommend the Hi...