Monday Missouri River July 8th Fishing Report
The weekend is over. Lots of folks around on Saturday, fewer yesterday. About the same traffic for the remainder of the month. Then we will see you for August 2019 which will be great.
Lower water temps along with 5K water is fantastic. It will get lower, and we are OK with that. Although we truly like a bit of water in the ditch for better dry fly fishing opportunities.
Lots of bugs out there keep the fish happy most all day long. The morning session is probably the slowest. PMD spinner alls before lunch. AN emergence late morning into and through the afternoon some days. Hot PMD flies include spinners, smaller, non bright. Diminutive. Pink has been working well. Half Dun Hatching is on fire. Pick up a few emergers and captive duns or transitional duns to complete your PMD arsenal.
Thunderstorms most every afternoon too. Bring rain gear.
Good caddis action and I continue to see them come off after the weather passes through. Like they should. A good thing happening on the river this month. SPents, downwinged, CDC style flies good to go. Skittering? Yes, a few. A net winged operation will get some looks. Half a Chicken? OK. Yes.
Buzzballs work well.
Flat watered Sally’s creating. a fish buzz. Find them @ HH of Craig.
Trico’s? Soon.
Drakes? Lower River. Close.
Canyon? Good caddis action. Some anglers down there too.
Nymphing? Decent. But most are tossing the dry fly for the next 6 weeks.OR longer.
The fish are getting spookier. Park well off of them. Make the first cast count. Don’t forget to be patient. One of the most common ways to not catch the trout is to rush right in there and spook them. Most men do that. Repeatedly. You wouldn’t shoot around and near a deer before you pulled the trigger? Nope. That deer would run away. But, we think it perfectly acceptable to drag the fly over the fish of the head on the first cast. Think about that one for a minute. Roll it around.
Question: If you see 4 wade anglers in a side channel, and a couple boats…would you head on in there anyway? Even if the other side, the main side is completely empty?
Watched this very thing happen several times yesterday. Just thought is strange to head into the mix, even when the other route is completely void of wade anglers, personal watercraft, and drift boats. Just watching river behavior happen in June and July. Busy months for sure.
Thanks to the visitors this weekend that stopped in the store, fished with us, and hang out for our Thursday BBQ and danced Saturday night with The Sleeping Giants and 710 Ashbury. Fun times. Monies raised for the Dearborn Fire Department. All good all the time. Happy 4th of July.
Great big brown trout eat PMD flies. Caddis too. A good fishing year on the Mo. For the dry fly guys. It is good. It is the kind of stuff you dream of. Lots of rising fish out there on the Mighty Mo.
Open daily for fishing guides, the most lodging options on the river, shuttles all day long, the Best Flies in the Big Sky, fun fishing folks at the shop, maps, coffee, casting lessons, the new Headhunters Fly Line and more.
630-9 daily. Your Entertainment, information, education, and customer service leader on Montana’s Missouri River.
Mark, hold on to you hat! We will be there Friday night! Maybe share a brew or two!?!
My brother and I fished with Braden today. Another excellent Headhunters guide. Quite a few dry fly opportunities. Pretty good nymphing also. Love the twitch. Ask Braden about that. Thanks again HH.
My brother and I fished with Braden today. Another excellent Headhunters guide. Quite a few dry fly opportunities. Pretty good nymphing also. Love the twitch. Ask Braden about that. Thanks again HH.
Great to see you back Paul. You’ve only been fishing here for 40 years…give or take!