Ice fishing at Lake Frances can be productive for pike (shown here) and yellow perch. Photo courtesy Valier Area Development Corp. A fearless crew from North 40 will venture onto the ice this Saturday, January 13, for the Valier Area Development Corp’s 2018 Ice Fishing Derby at Lake Frances It looks like a cold front is coming in this week and the projected highs for Saturday are in the single digits. We expect good ice conditions. The derby runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a $15 per person registration fee. Registration on Saturday begins at 6 a.m. at the Fireman’s Pavilion and the One Stop Cenex in Valier. Pike and perch are the targets with 1st, 2nd and 3rd place cash payouts for the biggest fish. Last year the pike and perch winners each netted $1,035.  Setting Up for Ice-Fishing Success With single digit temperatures, we will op...

Missouri River, Montana If you managed to get out last weekend or early this week, you were likely met with some very hungry fish.  There were definitely a few trout spey anglers with big smiles trolling through the shop.  Nymphing reports were strong as well. It looks like a quick cold snap is rolling in, but temps are mild enough for weekend fishing and next week looks great again.  If you can pick your days, you should find some great fishing out there. Winter on the Missouri River Not much will change over the next few months in terms of the fishing conditions. In the coldest weather, fish within a mile or two of Holter Dam.  After a few milder days, you can venture beyond Craig.  Always be aware of drifting shelf ice, especially after sustained cold weather. Fish will be stationed near drop offs and shelves or cruising the deep...

An array of rods may look intimidating, but it shouldn’t. In fact, this is a great time to buy a rod as affordable fly rod options have never been greater. Visit a fly shop and cast a few rods to feel the difference in lengths, weights and actions. An easy way to take the mystery out of fly-fishing is to select the correct fly rod for the type of fishing you plan to do. Fortunately, getting the right rod in your hands is easy, especially if you visit a fly shop and explain what you want out of a rod, and how much you can spend on it. This article should take a lot of the mystery out of buying a rod, whether purchasing for yourself or someone who’s interested in the sport. Here’s more good news: A quality fly rod does not have to cost a fortune and, if carefully selected, can be used while pursuing a variety of fish species, ranging...

If you’ve considered building a small-scale farm and embracing the homesteading mindset—whether that means a few cows on an acre, or merely a couple chicken coops in the backyard—North 40 Outfitters’ Farmstock 2018 is the place to be. That’s because, on March 10, we’re inviting local breeders, ranchers and farmers in to showcase their livestock and offer knowledge and suggestions at every North 40 Outfitters location in Montana, Idaho and Washington. Vendors may advertise their trades or sell their livestock while they teach people how to get started on their new adventure. For those who may have attended previous Farmstock events, this version will set itself apart—we aim to educate and impassion our communities on the homesteading lifestyle, a way to be self-sufficient and actively engaged in raising and growing their own...

Missouri River The New Year dawned in Great Falls, Montana with a deeply frosty temperature of -27 F. Not ideal for open-water fly-fishing, but in Montana temperatures go up and down. Fortunately for the angling obsessed, temps are back into the fishable range this week with some highs topping the freezing mark. Winter on the Missouri River Not much will change over the next few months in terms of the fishing conditions. In the coldest weather, fish within a mile or two of Holter Dam. After a few milder days, you can venture beyond Craig. Fish should be stationed near drop-offs and shelves or cruising the deeper, slower flows. Most days, the action will pick up around 11 a.m. and fall off by 3 or so. Trout Spey Always a great activity during the winter months. Scandi or integrated floating lines and long leaders work great in the slower ...

Clearwater River If you’re like me, and live a few hours away from the river, you’ve probably asked yourself several times this season, Is it worth it for me to travel and fish the Clearwater? I’m asking the same question today because I have an open weekend (never happens!) and am toying with the idea of driving Friday night, fishing all day Saturday, and driving back on Saturday night. Crazy, right? Crazier when I look at the forecast and see, like, a 90 percent chance of rain for Friday and a 100 chance (if that is the correct word) for Saturday. I can stand in the rain, all day, shivering if needed, and not complain. But I don’t want to arrive to a river that’s blow to bits. So, what to do? On Wednesday afternoon I called Jamie Robertson, a fisheries technician for Idaho Department of Fish and Game in Lewiston. She’s the...

Omak Lake Wish I could tell you Omak Lake is doing great, good, ok or even so-so. Alas, I can’t. I haven't been able to get out to the lake lately and I have had no reports from anyone. My guess would be the cold, windy days are keeping most people at home, close to the wood stove. I'm hoping to get out to the lake, possibly this coming weekend. Rufus Woods Lake The good thing about Rufus Woods is I don’t think I have ever been skunked here. Not saying you'll be catching anything real big, but at least you'll be catching some nice fish. I talked to a couple of gentlemen who came in recently and they said they had a nice day on Rufus. Between the two of them they hooked into about a dozen fish, landing five. The largest fish they estimated at about 5 pounds. Balanced Leeches and white bugger patterns seem to be doing the trick. A good...

Coeur d'Alene River Icing up. Will be a while on the Coeur d’Alene. Think steelhead. St. Joe River Icing up here as well. Stay tuned and we will keep you posted on when the Joe is back in shape. Clark Fork River (MT) Flow ice here, too. Will need a good warm-up before she's fishing again. Clearwater Good reports in the last week. Even with a small bump in the flows, anglers are still swinging up a few. When the river bumps, look for slower inside seams and keep your flies down and slow. Go with black Kilowatts, Hickman's Fish Tacos, Mark's Goblins, and Hot Bead Steelhead Stone Nymphs. Snake River(WA)(ID) Fishing well, with two uplifting reports this week. Water is still cold, so run the proper tip to get you down to the fish. Key here is to keep moving down the run and covering water, but keep the flies low and slow. Takes can be gentl...

What's new with North 40 Outfitter's Ranch Rodeo at the Great Falls Expo Park? Well, kids 10 and under (when accompanied by an adult, of course) can get in free. Just come down to your local North 40 in Havre or Great Falls and pick up a coupon for your children to get in and come down to watch this truly classic day event, for free. Read more about the Ranch Rodeo below. When you think of rodeo, you probably think saddle bronc, bulls and barrel racers. But there is another type of rodeo we support at North 40 Outfitters, and that's the ranch rodeo. What is ranch rodeo? It's a rodeo where a team of ranch-hands compete in events based around real ranch work. Events like team branding where two opposing teams are put on the clock with a herd of calves in the ring. One cowboy is horseback and heels a marked calf (only both feet count as a ...