Snow, snow, snow around here.  I normally take the week off between Christmas and New Years to spend some time with my family and do some winter fishing, however this year a "White Christmas" went a little longer than anticipated.  Actually a lot longer, as in: about 18" of snow with temps hovering around zero most of the week. I was plenty busy pushing my Yo-ho snow shovel around most days. This is the snow shovel you'll want in your arsenal when the work gets serious.  In between snowstorms the boys and I found some time to go play in the snow with an Otter sled and the new GoPro Hero 4 Black. January sees these Otter sleds in our stores mainly for calving and ranch work. These sleds are big and the edges tall, making them ideal downhill sleds that are stable.  Most runs we were coming down the hill faster and went further than...

"It's all about the pounds." This is the idea behind Dectomax Pour-On Solution. People in the Northwest deworm cattle and calves in order to promote weight gain. This is usually after warble season, but you can check with your local vets for the best time to administer for your area. In winter, you'll want to reapply to stop midges and other parasites you can get from barns and close quarters. How do we know? We actually did a year-long study on Dectomax. Read it here. Jennie Ritland runs a commercial cow herd along with the feeders and backgrounded calves out of her Montana outfit: Ritland Feeding Company "I could be a salesman for Dectomax sure it costs more, but we make that money back plus some every year." Why do you Choose Dectomax over other Generics? Why pay 289.99 for 5 quarts of Dectomax , when you can get 5 quarts of generic...

With the New Year comes the rebirth of the spirit and a clearer vision of the next 364 days, but soon jaded reality and frigid temperatures touch the heart and it becomes harder to maintain a positive outlook. This year my resolutions are to find ways to shake off adversity with new vision, and, of course, to do more fishing. Resolutions are like fine china meant to be broken, but not this year (hopefully). With the mercury dropping like an anchor in the Baring Sea, it looked like the prime opportunity to make good on my resolutions. It’s hard to make a good D loop with the Okanogan covered in with ice so the steelhead will have to remain safe for the time being. So what is an avid fly bum to do with ice everywhere? You guessed it: hit the lake. Ice fishing with flies, you ask? That’s right, a new twist on an old subject. Many devo...

The use of Spirit River's new UV2 tying materials makes this pattern even more of a bruiser in the fly tying world. Fred likes to chase King Salmon on the fly in Alaska and when he does, he uses the Bruise. Try these new UV2 materials and see for yourself how they get the attention of the underwater brute you decide to pursue. Recipe 210 black thread Waddington shank 45 mm Uv polar chenille in black Fluro blue strung saddle hackle Uv2 marabou fl. Blue Octopus hook 1/0 Black marabou 20lb maxima

Fred at the Great Falls Shop ties his Foxy Jig Minnow. This Clouser-style, jig pattern utilizes arctic fox fur, a bit of flash, and some UV materials which are great for triggering fish. When tied at the end of a floating line, the eyes allow for convincing movement in the water column. Recipe Daiichi 4660 90Ëš Jig Hook - Size 4 Spirit River Real Eyes Plus - Size 3/16" UTC 140 Ultra Thread - Olive UV Krystal Flash - Pearl UV Large Eye Guinea Feather - Chartreuse Arctic Fox Body - Olive UV Ice Dub - Red

Telleen's Bandit uses Raccoon fur which helps this fly create a sleek profile and great action in the water as it imitates a minnow or sculpin. It can be fished on the swing in the slower water in winter months and actively stripped through the quicker riffles in summer for the more aggressive trout that tend to reside there. Recipe Dai Riki 710 #4 Hook Real Eyes - 7/32" nickel/red Rabbit strips variant gold Chartreuse angel hair raccoon zonker fur brown thread

Fred Telleen ties up his Spring Breaker Ice Out Leech. With a plummeting bead, jig hook and flat head pin combination, this fly is balanced perfectly horizontal when dropped straight down from a float tube or boat. Recipe Daiichi Jig Hook Size 6 Plummeting Tungsten Bead FL Orange Size 3.8mm Simi-Seal Canadian Olive Rusty Brown & Olive Brown Marabou Flat Head Pin

Dustin ties his variation of Coffey's Sparkle Minnow. It is productive anywhere you like throwing big, flashy baitfish. You will need a dubbing brush tool. We're tying this fly in pearl and silver, but you can vary things up by trying gold and pearl, which is ideal for cutthroat. Recipe TMC #300 sz2 Streamer Hook 1/4" Real Eyes in Nickle/Pearl White & Gray Maribou Tan UV Crystal Flash Silver Ice Dub Dubbing Brush Tool .025 Lead Wire

The Sleeze Burger is a fly I came up with when I moved to Great Falls. It competes with the Rapala. Guys were fishing the Fire Tiger Rapala at Holter like it was going out of style and so I figured I could match it in a fly. We have caught bass, carp, walleye, catfish, rainbows and browns all on this fly. It is more of a warm water fly, imitating a perch but works well on trout too. I've netted perch on more than one occasion belly up but still kicking below Craig. Tell me a big brown won't smack that. With the neon colors, it will make them hit out of aggression. Works great in off colored water! I like to tie it on the leader with a loop and a sink tip line when I am fishing it. It makes it juke, dive and flips that belly up to makes it look like it's wounded or it's jolting after small insects. The key to tying this fly and hooking fis...