Friday Fishing Report

Just fantastic weather and fantastic fishing on Montana’s Missouri River.

This is the busiest time of the year so if you do not like fishing near others, this may not be the environment for you. Unless you explore and understand the intricate, mundane yet predictable, movements and rhythms of fly flickers.

Think about your approach and execute.

PMD’s, Trico’s, Caddis, Sally’s, a bundle of other tiny mayflies, midges, and hatching daily here on the Missouri. Top to bottom. Dam and locales further north.

The flow will do this according to the knob handlers at the dam(s). Mother Nature really dictates what happens. Many like to blame the dam water predictors…you try to predict the future. I have been critical in the past about the Ouija Board Water Management of our waters but no longer harbor hard feeling for those responsible for the decisions made on our behalf. It has gotta be damn hard to work in that capacity trying to enable happiness from many many water factions.

GENERAL COMMENTS:

Inflows into Canyon Ferry are declining while releases continue to evacuate storage out of the exclusive flood pool. To balance the rate of evacuation and flow reductions, the following operation change is required at Canyon Ferry Dam and Powerplant.

CANYON FERRY RELEASES AND OPERATIONS: Times are Mountain Daylight Savings Time (MDST)

At 0900 hour on Friday, July 11, 2014:

Decrease releases through the river outlet gates to 930 cfs.
Maintain releases through the spillway gates at 0 cfs.
Maintain turbine release at ≈ 4,900 cfs (≈ 1,303 MW-Hrs/day using 90.2 cfs/mw).
Maintain release for Helena Valley Project at 670 cfs (340 cfs pumped to Helena Valley and 330 cfs discharged to the Missouri River).
Decrease release to the Missouri River to 6,160 cfs.
Decrease total release from Canyon Ferry to 6,500 cfs.

At 0900 hour on Saturday, July 12, 2014:

Decrease releases through the river outlet gates to 430 cfs.
Maintain releases through the spillway gates at 0 cfs.
Maintain turbine release at ≈ 4,900 cfs (≈ 1,303 MW-Hrs/day using 90.2 cfs/mw).
Maintain release for Helena Valley Project at 670 cfs (340 cfs pumped to Helena Valley and 330 cfs discharged to the Missouri River).
Decrease release to the Missouri River to 5,660 cfs.
Decrease total release from Canyon Ferry to 6,000 cfs.

At 09 : 00 hour on Sunday, July 13, 2014

Decrease releases through the river outlet gates to 0 cfs.
Maintain releases through the spillway gates at 0 cfs.
Decrease turbine release to ≈ 4,830 cfs (≈ 1,303 MW-Hrs/day using 90.2 cfs/mw).
Maintain release for Helena Valley Project at 670 cfs (340 cfs pumped to Helena Valley and 330 cfs discharged to the Missouri River).
Decrease release to the Missouri River to 5,160 cfs.
Decrease total release from Canyon Ferry to 5,500 cfs. (continue on next page)

At 0100 hour on Monday, July 14, 2014:

Maintain releases through the river outlet gates at 0 cfs.
Maintain releases through the spillway gates at 0 cfs.
Decrease turbine release to ≈ 4,330 cfs (≈ 1,303 MW-Hrs/day using 90.2 cfs/mw).
Maintain release for Helena Valley Project at 670 cfs (340 cfs pumped to Helena Valley and 330 cfs discharged to the Missouri River).
Decrease release to the Missouri River to 4,660 cfs.
Decrease total release from Canyon Ferry to 5,000 cfs

 

So that is the latest. The water temps will do? Sometimes they rise, sometimes they fall. Let us know how we can help while staying and fishing the Missouri River.

We are open daily from 630am and open late for any shuttles you may need, the best in flies, friendly sage advice, casting help, new fly lines, lodging, and guided fishing trips. Headhunters is the place to make your Missouri River experience fulfilling.

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