Many people pair the word warmth with wool, however when it comes to Merino Wool there is a lot more to the equation then warmth. The women's Floral Scroll sock is a perfect example of how warmth and breathability come together to complement one another and regulate the temperature of your feet. Being that it's spring, it is important to have a sock that not only keeps your feet warm but also keeps them cool and dry. These socks are made in the United States and are constructed with merino wool, nylon, and elastane blends. These socks aren't your typical outdoor sock. With a fun floral design, this lightweight sock is bound to meet your needs. PLUS if for any reason your Smartwool product does not preform to your satisfaction, you may return it for a replacement, which makes for a carefree buying experience. With this sock being only $9...

The Missouri is prime right now. Huge blue wing olive and midges hatches are coming off and fish are keyed in on them. I fished last night, hopping road spots from Wolf Creek Bridge down to about Stickney. There were lots of rising fish pods in every spot. Make sure that you have some stealthy BWO patterns, CDC and low riding are important if it’s in calm water. You can get away with a post and more hackle in the riffles but in the slicks they were choosy last night. If you can’t see a low riding or CDC style BWO pattern then put a visible one out front and have an emerger hanging 18 inches behind it with 4.5-5x tippet. It was really fun last night, and if dry fly fishing is your thing, you better go this week. We have a huge selection of BWO patterns in the shop to get you going.\ I actually had trouble getting takes with a white fo...

Many anglers are familiar with the F3T and IF4 film tours.  This is something new and homegrown.   The Montana Fishing Film Fest is an event created by serious Montana Fishermen, for serious Montana Fishermen.  Fly Fishing teaser "Mf3 2015" from Matt Devlin on Vimeo. While it is certainly fun to be entertained by anglers fishing in remote locations throughout the world, we’ve got plenty of great fishing here in Montana and throughout the Northwest. Come catch the Montana Fly Fishing Film Festival. Join us on Friday May 8th to celebrate Montana fly fishing at the The Do Bar in Great Falls. The show room will be open by 6:30.  Grab a beverage and share some fishing reports with friends before the films start at 7:30.  You can stop into the North 40 Fly Shop and pick up a ticket for $10.  Hope to see you there.

Got some interesting news from Wade up in Cut Bank.  If you are planning to fish anywhere on Blackfoot Nation Waters with a float tube or any other type of watercraft, you must first get an inspection. The word is that the inspection station is open from 9am to 7pm.  Permits are issued for 7 days.  Lakes are posted with this sign, so pleading ignorance will not keep you from being ticketed if you don’t have a permit.  This is going to add a major logistic challenge to your fishing trips. For more information you can contact Blackfeet Nation Fish and Wildlife at PO Box 850 Browning, Montana 59417 406-338-7207 - 406-338-4751 Fax or visit the website. Plan ahead and good luck.

After playing with a Nexus 5 weight demo rod back in October, I was pretty sure anglers were going to like it.  We knew we had to have them in the shop for this season. While the Nexus is not inexpensive, it is a reasonably priced premium fly rod.  The deep black, light weight, fast action Nexus has been a big hit.  Just ask Tony Onitsuka-- His buddy clearly cut him off to get this beauty of a brown trout in the frame.  You can see Tony’s Nexus carefully placed in the corner.  When I asked Tony if he likes his new Nexus, I got a big smile.  That’s really all I needed, but I probed a bit further.  "Is it accurate for casting dries?" "Yes!"  "Do you like the action?" "Yes!"  "Is it more fun to fish with than your old rod?"  "Yes!" I love selling fly rods, because I love casting and fishing with fly rods.  I especially love s...

I spoke with the guys down in Belize last night.  The spirits are high and they haven't seen this many permit down there before.  Everyone is having a great time.  I told Joe, the young gun in the group he better party it up down there and he is so focused he simply says, "I'm not going to catch Permit doing that"... Makes me proud! Here is what Paul and Denver had to say from Day 3... Ray O’Brien fishing superstar. Ray completed his trip GRAND SLAM in three days after landing a nice baby tarpon this afternoon. He caught a small permit yesterday and has caught numerous bonefish over the three days. His secret? It’s hard to say, but a cool demeanor under pressure doesn’t hurt. Right time, right place, great guides and the right fly are also part of his winning recipe. Ray has been given some much deserved congrats, but also taken...

The anticipated black carpenter ant hatch has started here in Northern Idaho.  We have had three days of 65+ degree temps and the ants are really popping out this afternoon.  Our parking lot here at the fly shop is full of them.  The fish should really be keying in on these over the next week or so. Hopefully we will get another day of warm weather to really get them going followed by some overcast conditions to keep the fish on top.  We plan on going out in full force Thursday armed with 7 weights, 2x leaders, and 2.5" floating black ant patterns to try and achieve hooking a large Lake Pend Oreille rainbow on a fly rod and dry fly.

Here is what anglers are seeing on the Missouri River Right Now. BWO’s are popping out. Midges are thick. Some Skwalas are still around.  March Browns are already showing in places.  Even a few caddis have been seen low on the Mo.  Current flows are 3690 cfs and 45.5 degrees below Holter.  It’s happening fast this year folks.  We are selling lots of dry flies right now. I hope you're enjoying the Mo whiles it's bugging out!

If you've been lucky enough to live during spring in the Northwest, then wherever you go you know how to look for those flashes of bright green and red, to listen for the hovering buzz barely heard over the breeze. What's the best practice for keeping these moveable colors at your feeders year round? Find out below. Get Prepped Early Expect the hummingbirds to come back to us here in the Northwest from mid-April to mid-May. Have your hummingbird feeders set up and ready for the return of the birds so they know early on where they can get the goods (this being nectar in the Stokes Select® hummingbird feeder, of course). In Washington you might even get lucky and keep Anna's Hummingbird through the winter. Here is a starter kit feeder you might use to bring you more hummingbirds. Double Down on Attraction Set up your Stokes Select® hummi...