DARK.  While things will be drizzly and damp today, watch for a shift tomorrow to clear this system out.  In other dark news, SB 2315 returns in worse form and famed Animal Planet angler Jeremy Wade returns with a new show.  We cover those and more in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo:   Dark woolly buggers…

By Nick Simonson   The North Dakota State High School Clay Target League (ND CTL) continues to grow as the league enters its fourth season in the state.  With over 1,600 shooters and more than 60 teams kicking off the spring league this week, ND CTL Director Joe Courneya cites the alignment of the right…

GET CASTING!  As ice gives way to flowing waters, cautious anglers are headed out checking for the first runs of fish.  We’ve got the low down on what’s up and where we’re at with the spring melt and a preview of spring fishing in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo:  DEO’s Nick Simonson casts for pike…

GUSTS GALORE!  Winds will be up today, blowing in warmer temperatures for the weekend, and a shot at some rain.  It’ll be hit and miss, but for many the conditions won’t dictate outdoors opportunity – only open water, as rivers and streams bust loose. We run the gamut in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: Foot…

SPRING(ISH?)  While today’s cold temps won’t have you thinking hot thoughts, tomorrow’s southern breezes will bring the warm up and the masses of snow geese into the state.  We follow the migration, check out the fishing reports and look ahead in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: With the melt comes early opportunities for trout after…

TWO COOL.  After a squall, today’s wind will keep things chilly, and tomorrow will be calmer but colder.  After that though it’s time to start spring in earnest as temperatures warm into the 50s, 60s and maybe even 70, giving folks a chance to get out and enjoy the outdoors.  We talk about that and…

AWESOME APRIL.  With the turn of the calendar to a new month (and a new licensing season) we welcome spring to the region. We cover those license issues, what’s on tap for the week and some tips for memorable fish in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: Time the Run.  Keep an eye on open water…

THAT’S A WRAP!  We bring the weekend to a close with our final review of the DEO Winter Severity Index and all the cool (and cold) stuff that happened  in North Dakota’s signature season. Featured Photo: Think Spring!  We’re looking forward to green grass, colorful roosters and warm yellow sun, now that our WSI has…

By Nick Simonson While known more as a material for nymphs, the pheasant tail feather fibers have been part of a very successful dry fly in my fly box for years.  Whether it’s brown trout on a faraway mountain stream, or local stocked rainbows acclimating to their new environs on some North Dakota lake, this…

A CUT ABOVE.  We’re racing against the coming spring to get our projects done and be ready for open water.  The weekend will be hit-and-miss for outdoor activities, with today’s cooler but calm conditions being the best for some end-of-season ice fishing.  We cover that and more in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: Beavers have…

FIFTH FRIDAY!  It’s the final Friday of March, a rare five-Friday month, so celebrate the unique day with some time outdoors.  It’ll be a bit breezy, but temps will climb near 50 adding some melt and drying things out with the wind.  We cover some favorite spring topics in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: Put…

By Nick Simonson I nervously touched off the first shell of my ten-shot warm-up round and watched the bottom fall out of the orange dome, sending the remainder of the clay target skyward.  I breathed a sigh of relief but was unable to exhale the nerves which still lingered in my chest as my fellow…

THIRSTY THURSDAY.  Drink in spring as the next few days provide a steady warm-up after a couple of cooler ones.  We talk fishing grades, forecast and fluoro in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo:  Seeing red. Octopus hooks await inclusion on walleye rigs. Simonson Photo.   WEATHER (Bismarck Forecast): Today: Thu 3/28 – Cooler – Hi 40,…

LAST BUGLE!  Today’s the last day to apply for the once-in-a-lifetime big game species lotteries in North Dakota, so get on the web and get it done. We cover that and more in today’s three things. Featured Photo: A bull elk in velvet rests along a stream. Simonson Photo.   WEATHER (Bismarck Forecast): Today: Wed 3/27…

BACK TO IT.  Temperatures rise and things will once again feel like spring, setting the melt back in motion.  We track the impact and look to the skies in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo:  The sun rises through light clouds. Simonson Photo.   WEATHER (Bismarck Forecast): Today: Tue 3/26 – Spring Again! – Hi 48, Lo…

CHILL.  Don’t fret, spring will return this week as nervous anglers start eyeing waters – for flooding and for the first runs of fish.  We cover both topics in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo:  Step Carefully.  Stay focused on current and drops when wade fishing in spring, especially with fluctuating water levels. Simonson Photo.  …

SHOOTING STARS.  If you missed last night’s northern lights show (as much of SW ND did), you still have a chance to catch up on some of the state’s shooting start in both archery and trap as the former season comes to an end and the latter kicks off – we talk about those and…

By Nick Simonson     The growing popularity of trap shooting, particularly with the advancement of the North Dakota State High School Clay Target League to dozens of schools in the state, has happened at a rapid pace.  Where three years ago only a few dozen shooters participated in the new high school sport, it…

FIVE-OH!  We’ll push the boundaries of our young spring today as temps soar on soft southerlies and more snow makes its way to water.  Additionally, an exciting sky display may be in store tonight as the northern lights fire up; we talk about that and more in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: A bull bluegill…

WHAT’S HATCHING?  Warm temperatures continue into the weekend and it’s tough not to think spring.  We look at the NDG&F’s first report on fisheries, along with other spring activities in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: Robins have returned to the region during the recent warm spell.  A sure sign that spring is here. Simonson Photo….

WICKED WARM!  Save for a slight bump in the back half of the weekend, things look warm.  We check that out along with some acronym updates in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: Expect snowy conditions – like those in the southern Missouri River valley pictured here – to subside under the warmth of the near-term…

By Nick Simonson One of spring’s first fish that anglers find schooling up in the shallows, rushing reed beds and staking out structure for spawning is the crappie.  Whether black or white, these fish are synonymous with fast spring fishing, and knowing what to use for them can help heat up any chilly day.  From…

SO LONG WINTER! Welcome to the last day of a season which has challenged outdoorsmen and wildlife alike, we’re glad you made it this far with us.  Spring starts tomorrow, and nothing major is showing up on our mid-term forecasts and the melt looks to be slow and steady, at least for the next week….

By Nick Simonson The average male lifespan in the United States is right around 78 years.  That puts me at about halftime, assuming I have the average game clock allotted to me, and if I have less, this midpoint message is all the more important.  Because, caught up in the madness of March, I’m recharged…

BLAST AWAY!  We’re less than two weeks out from the start of the North Dakota State High School Clay Target League spring season, and all around the state young shooters are getting ready for competition.  We walk through some spring shooting prep in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: Shooters take aim at a new clay…

By Nick Simonson The prototype for the Pheasant Tail Nymph was created by British river keeper Frank Sawyer and combines the weight and flash of copper wire and the bugginess of pheasant tail fibers.  While not as famous as the PTN he would go on to create, the Copper Sawyer is still widely used, particularly…

LIKE A LION.  We review our Winter Severity Index today, focusing on the continued cold and snowy conditions that the back half of winter has brought.  We also turn our eyes to the end of the month and predict whether March will leave like a lamb as wildlife feel the sting of winter at the…

THAT’S ALL FOLKS! The last of the big low has shot out of the region, leaving up to 17 inches of snow in some parts of SE ND.  With it goes what may be the last real dose of winter, as long-range forecasts show a spring-like shift! We get you geared up for the season…

By Nick Simonson A person never knows what’s lurking in various waters.  I’ve seen tiger muskies caught in lakes where they’ve never been stocked and read reports of eels somehow making it hundreds of miles up small rivers and drainage ditches to waters far from their origin point.  Gar have snapped at the orange foam…

BLOWING & SNOWING.  Winds rise in the back half of the day as you (and wildlife) get one more shot of snow tonight before things take on a more springlike feel.  We check out what’s to come, barbless hook tips and more in today’s Three Things. Featured Photo: Keep the angle on fish and manage…