BUCK THE TREND.  Bucktail is a favorite streamer material when tying up flies for everything from trout to bass to pike.  Its hollow hairs keep it just under the surface when unweighted and its subtle shimmy in the water gives a life-like appearance.  We lay out at trio of our favorite bucktail streamer patterns in…

By Nick Simonson For a break from drab nymphs and complex dry flies, no set of simple, fun and brightly colored fly compares to egg patterns.  Usually in bright pinks, oranges or yellows, these spawn-imitating flies are quick and enjoyable ties that brighten up any fly box. What follows are three favorite egg flies that…

GOOD MORNING CAMPERS!  Another Groundhog Day dawns and spring is just around the corner, regardless of the conditions. But, for sport, we’ll see what the good rodent has to say today.  Phil isn’t the only animal that predicts spring (and other things) and we talk about those other inclined wildlife in today’s Three Things. (Featured…

By Nick Simonson In the heart of winter, while all of Hollywood’s brightest stars make their way down the red carpet in an endless array of award shows, dressed in the latest fashions from the world’s top designers, it’s not unusual to find a die-hard lure maker deep into the night dressing up his or…

HALFWAY HOME.  With the turn of the calendar to February, we’re not out of the woods, but we’re partly there in a winter which has spared much of its wrath in the first half.  Now we wait for tomorrow and old Punxsutawney Phil and his prognosticating pals to let us know what’s coming for the…

UP EARLY.  We’re watching the Lunar Eclipse this morning, as the “super blue blood moon” makes its way toward the western horizon under mostly clear skies.  Beyond lunar lore, we talk about some crazy turnouts for CTL and a CWD update in today’s three things. (Featured Photo: The earth’s shadow begins to creep across the…

NDG&F Press Release A whitetail buck and a mule deer doe, taken during the 2017 deer gun season from unit 3F2 in southwestern North Dakota, have tested positive for chronic wasting disease, according to Dr. Dan Grove, wildlife veterinarian for the state Game and Fish Department. Since 2009, the total now stands at 11 deer…

READY, SET, MOON!  We’re jazzed up for tonight as the blue moon rises and hits full just before sunrise tomorrow, falling into earth’s shadow for a lunar eclipse.  We talk about that and more, in today’s Three Things. (Featured Photo: A group of pheasants forage in the clear areas of a hillside in north Bismarck….

By Nick Simonson With the increase in both the size and popularity of the North Dakota State High School Clay Target League (ND CTL) in the last two years, a new grant program through the North Dakota Game & Fish Department (NDG&F) is helping communities connect with and accommodate the increased number of high school…

UP & DOWN AGAIN.  The rollercoaster of winter continues as we warm to near 40 tomorrow night, and drop off hard at the end of the work week.  In the meantime, we talk about the system driving that pattern, shed antlers and what used to dominate the plains of North Dakota in today’s Three Things….

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept. While I’m no longer a game warden, that’s how I started my career with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. Though my career transitioned from warden to biologist, the experience and background work is invaluable in my current position. Over the years…

HOLE IN ONE.  Looking ahead, midweek brings a warm spike and a hole in an otherwise cool stretch. In the meantime, we’re filling the gaps in our fly boxes and lures by tying up a bunch of new offerings during the still-chilly evenings.  We talk about blade options on spinners in today’s Three Things. (Featured…

SPLASH OF SUMMER.  We know you need a shot of color, especially as white gives way to…beige. Just think, six months from now it’ll be the dog days of summer; deep in July with heat, humidity and mosquitoes.  Admit it, you miss it! We look at the past warm weather season and how it impacted…

By Nick Simonson   The beauty of the Teeny leech is in its simplicity.  Designed by renowned fly angler Jim Teeny for trout, panfish and everything in between, this two-material fly, which is about 90 percent pheasant tail (PT) fibers, pulses with each twitch of the rod and falls slowly through the water column like…

NDG&F Press Release The North Dakota National Archery in the Schools Program state tournament is scheduled for March 23-24 at the State Fair Center in Minot. The tournament will feature team and individual categories in elementary, middle school and high school, including awards and prizes, and up to $20,000 in college scholarships available to the…

WHAT WAS & WHAT IS.  The receding snow on the prairie hillsides is down to just a few deeper stretches after this span of above-freezing highs.  While today may be the last trip above freezing for a while, no significant snow is forecast – but winds will be back, so watch out for those flying…

NDG&F Press Release The North Dakota Game and Fish Department reminds ice anglers that caution is always advised when traveling on frozen waters, even though recent ice conditions may appear safe. Education coordinator Brian Schaffer said extreme cold temperatures have created much better ice conditions in most of the state, but driving or fishing near…

By Nick Simonson With a click and plop, the gray splitshot tugged at the payload of three mousies on the tiny red hook which spun haphazardly on its way down into the clear waters of the impoundment.  In the moment it took to put the bail back in position and watch the yellow foam bobber…

CALM & COOL.  Overnight temps will be in single-digit territory, but the warm-up comes on quickly after daybreak as light southerlies keep the above-average temperatures flowing into the region.   We talk about archery excitement in ND, on ice safety and a rare find in today’s Three Things. (Photo: Cool start.  Watch for cold temps to…

NDG&F Press Release The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is offering 5,655 wild turkey licenses for the spring hunting season, 30 fewer than last year. Four of the 22 hunting units have more spring licenses than in 2017, eight have fewer and nine remain the same. Unit 21 (Hettinger and Adams counties) is again…

THINKING SPRING ALREADY?  It sure seems like it these days as above-average temps dominate the forecast.  With the warm up continuing today and tomorrow you might already be thinking about getting out the big rods, and there may be some opportunities across the area to explore stretches of open water on smaller rivers, where dams…

STAY FROSTY.  Dense fog and cooler temps set up an amazing display of hoarfrost across the region, as trees, bushes, fences and nearly everything stationary was covered in a tracing of white up to a quarter-inch thick in some places. Temps near freezing, clearing skies and growing breezes will take that coating off today. We…

WHAT’S THAT WORM?  While nightcrawlers are the dominant summer worm bait for fish from sunnies to walleyes, they’re tough to find in the winter and not nearly as effective because the cold water restricts their wiggly action.  We talk about three of our on-ice favorites that can be subbed in for the same species in…

By Nick Simonson This stretch of year is game time.  Not only with the teams to square off in the Super Bowl yet to be decided, but also due to a stock of harvested birds and big game from the field in the freezer ready to hit the table in many tasty dishes to warm…

ROLLING!  The back half of the weekend is nearly ideal, with low winds and highs right around 30, providing yet another great opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy winter.  No face-ripping cold spells are forecast in the near future, so these chances seem to be on the increase as we enter the last 10 days…

By Doug Leier, NDG&F Dept. Historically, winter feeding of wildlife – big game animals, game birds and songbirds – was once embraced by many wildlife professionals across the country. Today, the components needed to sustain wildlife through a harsh Midwest winter haven’t changed. Food, water, shelter and space are all still required. For concerned humans,…

EYE IT UP.  Warm conditions, light winds and a developing bite on area lakes from this stable stretch might make THIS weekend January’s best.  Get out there, bait up your rod, flag-down your tip-up and get in on the action!  We talk sage brush habitat and more in today’s Three Things. (Photo: Friend of the…

By Nick Simonson Fish, and trout in particular, can be very picky about what they eat.  Whether it is wild brown trout in a stream in the driftless area of Minnesota, or stocked rainbow trout in the lakes of North Dakota, this selectivity is due in part to what’s going on in the world around…

CAUGHT…AND RELEASED.  That’s right, if you aren’t starting your weekend early, you’re thinking about it…and we caught you! But don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone.  Heck, we’ll cover for you!  Get out there today and tomorrow, as above average temps and calm winds will make this a weekend to remember on the ice!  We’ve got…