When it comes to seeding grass, there are things you should do... and things you shouldn't. These following 5 things will help you better prepare your lawns for the spring. Don't be caught with a patchy lawn... read our N40 eMag:Lawn & Garden Edition here. 1.  Soil temperature must be 51 degrees to maximize germination. The seed bed should be worked up, leveled and then rolled or harrowed prior to planting to firm up the seed bed. 2.   All broadcasted seed must be raked in or harrowed in at a depth no greater than ¼ inch. Seed to soil contact is very critical... as we have said before, "The Secret is in the Soil." 3. Grass seed must be watered on a regular basis to insure proper germination. Keep the ground moist until seed has germinated, then decrease the frequency and increase the time of watering. After fully established you s...

A beautiful coast sea-run cutthroat trout. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST TIME FISHING FOR COASTAL CUTTHROAT LIKE? Bob Triggs: When I came here (from New England in 2000) I was keen to learn as much about these wild fish as I could. And before I ever caught one I had it in mind that they are a precious thing. I went down to a local beach on the bay with a five-weight trout rod and a few old-time cutthroat flies. I tied on a Knudsen's Spider, and began fishing the tidal currents as though I were fishing a river. It was an outgoing tide, maybe half way out, and the sun was low in the afternoon sky. I had only fished for a brief time when I caught that first fish. It was a very bright little trout, maybe 12 inches long, and I was amazed at how hard it fought. This fish is unforgettable for me. Up until that moment I had certainly caught thousands of f...

Individual tolerances for weather conditions vary, but in general the Missouri River is fishable for 12 months of the year. I’m one of those crazy people who still fly-fishes during the frigid days of January. Maybe that is why I appreciate spring so much. Winter fishing is good, but prolific hatches that make the Missouri River a famous destination don’t really get going until April. Spring can be an ephemeral thing in Montana. A few warm days can be broken by a blizzard, followed soon after by a heat wave reminiscent of a mid-summer day. In the fish’s world, what really defines spring are water temperatures and bug hatches. I consider spring on the Mo to start when water temps climb between 40 and 60 degrees. Early Spring BWOs In the chill waters of February and March, midges are the hatch. By April however, water temps climb abo...

No matter where you fish around the country, you always recognize the sound of a fishing blowing up on the surface.  Bass, Pike, and Muskie are reaction hunters and will attack just about anything that comes near or creates a commotion on the surface.  The Savage Gear 3D Bat is the first of its kind: a 3D scanned, hard body, surface-walking bat bait. Learn more about this bait below, or buy the Savage Gear 3D Bat here. Hi, I'm Mike Bennett, Product Manager at Savage Gear USA. I wanna show you our new Savage Gear 3D Bat. Comes in a four inch and a five inch. This is considered a metal wing crawler. They've been very popular in the musky markets for decades. You see them a lot in the Japanese bass market and they're starting to cross into the U.S. It's just a real simple, straight wind top water bait. You fire it out as far you can. The ...

The Little Green Machine has become one of the staples of tailwater fisheries where Baetis, also called blue-winged olives, are prevalent. Originally tied and designed by Vince Wilcox, and commercially produced by Umpqua, the Little Green Machine offers a very thin profile for a mayfly nymph. That’s important when fishing in clear water to choosy fish because the bodies of the naturals are also very thin. The fish see that similarity, figure your fly is an actual insect, and make the mistake.The Machine’s body is tied with a thin tubing material called micro-tubing. This material allows for that thin profile, which is this fly’s secret to success. The Machine’s thorax is flashy, a combination of ice dub encased by tinsel, with white wings jutting out on either side. We start fishing this fly during spring, as soon as we see midge...

Vegetables and spices with deep, natural hues create surprisingly beautiful colored eggs for any time of the year. But, spring is known for coloring eggs and, like us, you probably spend a night or two before Easter creating these beautiful items. Most people head to the grocery to secure dyes for their eggs, but you have the tools for beautiful egg decorations right in your cupboard. A different way of looking at dyeing Dyeing eggs with commercial products is quick and easy. Simply drop a tablet in a vinegar-water solution and away you go. But we live in the Northwest where individualism reigns, so why wouldn’t we do something slightly unique? Using items from the garden and spice cabinet undoubtedly takes longer to prepare, but that’s part of the fun of dying and coloring your Easter eggs and is one of the reasons the end results a...

Step up your camping game with these bomb tacos. To make these great tacos you need a camp stove. One we suggest is the Camp Chef Rainier Campers Combo Camp Stove. This stove is the your next best camping investment. Featuring everything you'd look for in a stove like two burners, non-stick grill, and coated aluminum griddle - this compact stove is both convenient and portable. Check it out below as we make camp tacos.

The Green Drake Quigley Cripple is one of the most productive emerger/dry flies of all time and right now is the season tie some. The green drake comes off in late June and through July on north Idaho waters and the fish pay attention. If you can’t match this hatch when it comes off you’ll forever regret your decision not to tie or buy some imitations. The trout simply kill these bugs when they get the chance, especially on cold days when these insects struggle to dry their wings and spend a good amount of time floating on the surface. On warm or hot days these bugs don’t come off in big numbers. Those that hit the surface don’t spend long there—their wings dry quickly and they fly away often before a trout can reach them. This pattern can be tied in many formats, meaning pale morning dun, blue-winged olive, grey drake, etc. It...

The Clearwater River Blown out Lochsa River (ID) The Idaho Fish and Game Conservation Officer Pat Hylton, told our conventional lead Caleb, that people are starting to pick up fish using nymphs. I did not get a report on what nymph was working. I would imagine that Pheasant Tails, Hare's Ear, Pat's Rubberlegs, and other stonefly patterns will work. The Cubic Feet per Second is 2040 at the Lowell gauge, with the weather predicted for this upcoming weekend, there is potential for it to go high again. Be careful while wading this system. Grande Ronde River (WA) Blown out Snake River (WA) High water with lots of debris. I have been hearing conventional anglers are starting to catch bass on the system. If I were to go out and target them, I would be trying to get a crayfish pattern or heavy streamer deep on a current seam. Read past reports f...