Update: All the info for CRAIG FISHING ACCESS SITE DRAFT ENVIRONMENT ASSESSMENT

FWP ACCEPTING COMMENTS ON CRAIG FISHING ACCESS SITE DRAFT ENVIRONMENT ASSESSMENT NEW CONTENT: See Image! Here is the Environmental Assessment I forgot to add! Read on. Recent news from the FWP office in Helena. Some movement in the Craig area with an opportunity for you to comment. Jan 28, 2021 12:00 AM Montana Fish, Wildlife … Read more

#TBT 2008 Snow Fly Shop

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] #TBT 2008 Snow Fly Shop The first year. 2008. It snowed then too. This image from the first week open. It may be the first day open April 4th 2008. Snowed heavily that week. Bluebirds were traveling through. The BWO’s were popping. Midge too. A lot has changed since the early days. We have … Read more

Snow Days Sunday, Monday, Tuesday...?

Snow Days. Bitter Cold. CLOSED Sunday, Monday, Tuesday…?

Snow Days. Bitter Cold. CLOSED Sunday, Monday, Tuesday…? First real storm of the true winter. Had some snow back in September and October. Then not much to speak about for the next three months. Until this weekend. Looks pretty good for fishing Friday and Saturday with snow and air temps amenable to both the swing … Read more

Izaak's Opening Thursday March 24th

Izaak’s Hiring Summer Staff 2021

Izaak’s Hiring Summer Staff 2021 Chef John Winders is hiring Summer Staff 2021. Give him a call at 406-235-3456 to start the process today! John needs all staffing positions to fill out the returning 2020 staff. Want to play in Craig all summer long? Why not nail down a job at Izaak’s and fish your … Read more

February Fishing Forecast 2021

Missouri River February Fishing Forecast 2021

Missouri River February Fishing Forecast 2021 Welcome to February. Football is over, baseball is coming. We are getting nearer to spring ’21 everyday and we for one are damn excited about 2021. We bring you the Missouri River February Fishing Forecast 2021. We hope to continue to stack up the snow in the higher elevations. … Read more

From several years back…

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From several years back…

This was the precursor for the Classic Scumliner HH Flick Somewhere Out West.

Sunday in Craig Montana.

The weather while not much for snowmaking or water generation for the summer, has provided a great period for winter fishing.

We will certainly need more snow for a good Drift Boat Sledding Session this winter…

Do your snow dance, safely inside your house, hidden from your children, to encourage snow this winter. Do it for our rivers!

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Last Call! Headhunters Fly Shop Hiring Shop Staff 2021

If you want to submit your resumer you better get on it. Closing Resume acceptance Friday. We’d love to hear from you. Submit today. By the way, no more shitty resumes, or cover letters without capitalization of proper names. All names are capitalized. And, Headhunters, is one word. Just like on all of our media, … Read more

Tuesday Trout Spey

Tuesday Trout Spey

Tuesday Trout Spey Starting off with 10F and light snow this morning. Not a good day for tossing the Trout Spey. You may get a couple casts off between breaking ice from the guides. Maybe. The good news is the weather is breaking for the weekend ahead. Daily air temps will be resting int he … Read more

Seasons of the Mo

Seasons of the Mo We love the winter season. A slower pace of life. Time moves slower. Winter can do that to a feller. Time to think about… …the Seasons of Fishing. How different they are. How enjoyable the summer hatches are. How cleansing the Spey Casts of winter can be. …the Seasons of Nature. … Read more

Saturday January 23rd Missouri River Fishing Report

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Saturday January 23rd Missouri River Fishing Report Still kinda winter here in central Montana. Cool this morning as well as yesterday with air temps dipping into the single digits. Not much snow, if any accumulations int he last couple months. Mild air temps for the most part with afternoons a solid option. More spring … Read more

Explore.org

Explore.org

Explore.org Winter time requires some background visuals as SOL works at the house. And Explore.org is one of the media outlets most entertaining. What a way to travel from the comfort of your at home work space. A couple to get you started below. I commonly have Pipeline in the background… Sea Jelly Tank Pipeline … Read more

Squeekys Top 5

Squeeky’s Top 5 Missouri River Winter Fly Fishing Tips

Top 5 Missouri River Winter Fishing Tips from Squeeky today on the Headhunters Fly Fishing Blog. The 5 tips do not center around actual rigging techniques, but more about the approach to winter fly fishing. Winter Fishing is different, a different pace than the frenetical summer pace. The winter fishing weather has been really quite … Read more

RIO SlickCast Test Video

RIO SlickCast Test Video

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RIO SlickCast Test Video

Slippery fly lines use RIO SlickCast!

The new line of RIO Fly Lines utilizing this technology and an improved core make the new series of RIO Elite Fly Lines something to behold.

Come by the shop and check them out today.

Winter is a great time to re-line some reels for the upcoming season.[/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https://vimeo.com/385365319″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

TAKF

TAKF

TAKF Why not bring your kid fishing this year. Or the neighbor kid. Or your nephew, or niece. Take a Kid Fishing.  

Open 8-5 Daily

Open 8-5 Daily Too much like spring for us to stay away any longer. Now open 8-5 daily. That 8-1 game just does not make sense anymore this winter. Open yes. Masks yes. Shuttles yes. Guide trips yes. Casting lessons yes. Cabins yes. Trout Spey HQ yes. All yes here in downtown Craig Montana.  Spring … Read more

Squeeky's Winter Bobber Set-Up

Squeeky’s Winter Bobber Set-Up

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Squeeky’s Winter Bobber Set-Up Looks like most of you will be either be swinging flies on your Trout Spey rod or nymphing for the next several months. I too will be engaging in both of these winter disciplines until we see a few fish getting closer to the surface hopefully in late February 2021. … Read more

Saturday Zep Nobody’s Fault But Mine

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Saturday Zep Nobody’s Fault But Mine

Second reminder this young year to practice casting if you are a dry fly expert. Or wanna be DFO angler.

Casting accuracy is damn important if you like to put yourself in the right place, zone, state of mind.

If the trout does not see the fly, the trout does not eat the fly  –SOL Proverb

Today I thought that this tune could motivate us for the 2021 dry fly season. Or remind us that it is not anybody’s fault but yours, if you do not get bit. To me the pattern is a secondary issue. If the fly pattern is not presented perfectly, the fish will not eat it. EVER. Meaning the Mighty Mo. The perfect fly, that drags, even slightly, across the nose of your target, does not get bit.

So the fly is a secondary issue. Once again. The drift is king. And placement is secondary as well. Drift is the primary.

But today’s blog is about accuracy and placement. You can only  practice drift, on the water. The winter months do not give us as much opportunity to practice the crucial dry fly drift. I do understand practicing this crucial aspect, the most important component of the dry fly equation, can really only be done on the river. Or a stream with similar qualities of this river.

And that is why you should come twice this year. Or stay a week. Or both.

It is in fact the best time of year to practice that cast of yours. 25′-50′ casts catch a ton of fish on the Mo. That time is now. Most fly lines are designed to cast efficiently and accurately in this range. The Headhunter Fly Line, our proprietary dry fly specific line is made for exactly the distances mentioned above. 25′-50′ casts are the most common dry fly distances here on this famous dry fly tailwater.

Practice Casters are great for building the necessary skill set. They produce astonishingly similar feel and timing to the 30′ cast. Cast short, cast long, and do it inside your house! No need to stand int he driving snow. Nope.

Building muscle memory. Teaching your brain and arm and wrist and hand to cooperate. To communicate. You will not progress without this primary element of your casting game. Achieving that desirable muscle memory is so damn important in the game too. Your brain and body need to communicate to complete the repetitive electric transmission.

And it is Saturday. Go practice between NFL games. Because if you cannot get the fly to the right spot this dry fly season…you will sing out loud “Nobody’s Fault but Mine!”

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Redfish with Capt. Jeff Arnold in Louisiana

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Redfish with Capt. Jeff Arnold in Louisiana

Fished a bundle with Capt. Jeff Arnold over the years. To say that he lives to be on the water is an understatement. Fishing courses through his veins. Jeff is one fishy dude. And that is something I do not say without reason. Capt. Jeff is fishy!

Jeff spent a few years here on the Mighty Mo guiding for one of our neighbors. He spent a couple years in Belize wandering and working on the water in the late 90’s. He lived and worked in the FLA KEYS fishing with our friend Capt. Scott Yetter of Sightfish Charters. There he met Capt. Mike Gorton of Goodnews River Lodge in AK. Capt. Jeff will be spending his 16th year as Lead Guide on the Goodnews this coming summer.

But here we are talking about Arnold’s Guide Service in Hopedale LA.

Get yourself a vacation this winter with Capt. Jeff. Redfish are a great saltwater species that are catchable. So many saltwater environs can be too difficult for many anglers. Fishing in brackish water in the Biloxi Marsh will allow you to learn, and catch some great fish too.

I always recommend you start with Redfish as a novice saltwater angler. A fantastic starting point. And did I mention, that you can catch some too.

Redfish are my personal favorite saltwater target. I like catching fish. Capt. Jeff can get you there.

Call him up and get your Redfish dream trip started.

Capt. Jeff Arnold of Arnold’s Guide Service. Check him out!

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Tuesday Fly Casting Tactics w/ Simon Gawesworth

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Tuesday Fly Casting Tactics w/ Simon Gawesworth

A great tip from Simon Gawesworth fo RIO Line Company today. Tuesday here in Craig and all is well.

The fly shop staff is out on the casting lane often fine tuning personal casting issues. Should they be out there more often? Well I won’t criticize here on this blog. What I do know is that you cannot fine tune all of the casting changes you personally need to make while fishing.

Casting issues, changing your cast, improving your overall effectiveness with a fly rod in hand takes time. That time is now. That time is not with fly rod in hand casting at difficult bank feeders. In July. No, that is not the time to learn, that is the time to execute.

So a heads up, as I always remind you this time of year, is to practice now. Make those changes now.

Changes take time. It does not happen rapidly. It happens over lots of casting sessions.

The key to success on any of these learning objectives is to do lots of mini sessions. Do not try to do hour long marathons. Nope. Short 5-10 minute sessions will allow you to advance quicker. Long overdrawn exhaustive learning sessions are not smart. Regression will happen!

Get your practice rod out and get going. January is the time to begin the improvements.

I practice with the fly line I will be using to take it to the next level when I get to the “Show!” So I use the Headhunter Fly Line during practice on the lawn, with hoops for targets, to gain accuracy. First cast is the best cast, and the winter months is when and where you develop those skills.

Headhunters Guides including me, Squeaky Oar Lock, are available for casting lessons any time of the year. Call the shop today and get your casting lessons set up this spring!

Be better in 2021!

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Grape Slushy Tying Video

Grape Slushy Tying Video

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Grape Slushy Tying Video

Tie this one up this holiday for summer fishing love.

Add a red bead for weight and some added bling to make this fly sing this spring.

Hope you are enjoying the family this week. If they get too annoying retire to the tying desk and spin up some Grape Slushy’s.

A wildly popular fly at times when the fish key on the purple color. Which seems to work often here and beyond. Check out this killer article about what fish see subsurface on MidCurrent.

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Somewhere Out West Merry Christmas

Somewhere Out West Merry Christmas

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Somewhere Out West Merry Christmas

Even if you are not out west, Merry Christmas.

Thankful here in Craig for our staff, shop friends, and families.

We hope you enjoy your Christmas Day loving those near and far, in front of you or beyond. Send that love all ’round the world!

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Dead Flies Don’t Swim Holiday Viewing

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Dead Flies Don’t Swim Holiday Viewing

Dreaming of summer while enjoying the Holidays here in Craig Montana.

Dry flies come to mind. It couldn’t happen today as the wind is blowing a hundred.

Enjoy the holidays. Be safe.

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The Days Get Longer…

The Days Get Longer… The shortest day is today. Thank goodness. Tomorrow the days get longer, and that alone can get us through til June. That one warm thought. The next hatch is in a couple months. The lowly midge fly. We’ll take it. Nymphing and swinging til then. PMD’s fill our winter heads. Enjoy … Read more

Thursday 12.17.20 Missouri River Fishing Report

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Asked the shop staff what the previous 10 flies out the door were and they are as follows. Kures Micro Zonker Red Delicious Doppleganger in Grey Fruit Roll Up Black Pig Pen Leech Wooly Bugger Black Grizzly Beth’s Briches Arnold’s Sili Scud 10 Pill Popper Tailwater Sow Yum Yum Rainbow Czech Nymph Firebead Ray Pink … Read more

Swing Pic

Mid Week Swing Pic

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Mid Week Swing Pic Enjoying the solace here on the Missouri River near Craig Montana. Witer weather has settled in for the month. It will continue through the new year, beyond into the spring months. Get used to it. I know we do. All the while fantasizing about longer days, insects popping from watery … Read more

The Movement | Dancehall | Sugarshack Sessions

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The Movement | Dancehall | Sugarshack Sessions

If you have not tuned into the Sugarshack Sessions, you will know what to do today if you are not a NFL fan.

The Movement is one of my fav’s.

If you need more check out Cali Roots and waste your day away tomorrow.

I know what I’m doing today. And tomorrow. Whilst tying flies of course for the 2021 forthcoming season.

If the wind don’t blow too hard on the Mo

 

PS.. I’d visit the Mo during the late June PMD sessions. Totally my favorite time of year. I sing this tune while parked at the Dancefloor watching PMD’s emit from the holy waters of the Mo.

 

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Headhunter Fly Line

Headhunter Fly Line for Serious Dry Fly Only Anglers

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Headhunter Fly Line for Serious Dry Fly Only Anglers

We think you may need one fo these for the coming dry fly season.

This line developed by Headhunters, for Headhunters, is designed for advanced casters aching to put the fly in front of more surface feeding fish.

Watch the video and order yours up today.

If you have any additional questions feel free to email me, Squeeky at mark@headhuntersflyshop.com 

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18 days til Christmas

18 Days til Christmas

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] 18 Days til Christmas A reminder to you out there in Headhunters Land that the days are slipping past as Christmas races towards us. Another reminder that shopping with Fly Shop Small is damn important to us and the other small businesses out there, near here, near you. We love to hear from you … Read more

Sunday Surf Flick

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Sunday Surf Flick

The long board. Pretty cool.

Hangin’ ten.

Kinda like a beautiful spey cast.

Enjoy your Sunday.

Time to think about your next your spey trip.

We have great spey educators here at Headhunters. Get yours on the books. Open daily 8am.

Until then enjoy the Sunday Surf Flick.

And tomorrow is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. We remember. We remember the greatest generation today. Thank you veterans.

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More important than fly fishing

More important than fly fishing

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More important than fly fishing

I’ve watched this speech number of times over the last nearly 30 years. Jimmy V gives a great speech.

Not everybody can give a great speech. In fact very few can. Very few.

Jimmy Valvano gives a good speech.

This speech brings me to tears every time. And leaves me feeling uplifted.

It also makes me recognize that many things are more important than fly fishing. Way more important.

1600 Americans die from Cancer everyday. Everyday. Covid is bad too.   Infection and death rates are alarmingly high the past couple months. And increasing. There are so many things more important than fly fishing.

Fly fishing can give us a release that is important to many of us. Mental health is important.

Balancing, understanding, and metabolizing all of the stressors in our daily lives is pretty tough in the current climate.

So fly fishing is a healthy release.

But again realize that it is a minor player in the overall scope of our lives.

Jimmy V. Watch this speech if you have not. Watch it again if you have. I think it is a vehicle to center myself, and maybe you too.

A good reminder to donate to causes like cancer research. While most of us may not know many who have lost the COVID battle, we all know  humans who have been affected by cancer.

Thanks Jimmy V. Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.

Words of wisdom for fly fishing, and beyond.

 

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5 Winter Mo River Tips

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] 5 Winter Mo River Tips Lots of stories every winter of anglers not getting the catch rates they want during this sometimes frigid and lengthly Montana winters. What are the reasons that lead to too much solace and quiet on the water? Well they are trout. That is the first reason. But the rest … Read more

Missouri River Fishing Report December 1st 2020

Missouri River Fishing Report December 1st 2020 Pretty goo out there right now. Generally this time of year we see Montanan’s out there either nymphing or swinging a trout spey pattern. And most of you, those reading this blog, know what you are doing. And if you don’t, swing on by the shop daily 8-1 … Read more