April Fishing – HEADHUNTERS

Missouri River Montana Fishing Report 4.29.15

May 1, 2019April 29, 2015 by Mark Raisler

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Pretty much rules this late part of the month. The fishing part. Pretty much rules.

Does it get better? Oh yeah. Much better. I think this time of year it gets a touch better every day until the epic Jul5th. Then it gets worse every day, meaning harder, until October. Then better for about 6 weeks. Then it’s winter and we get the two handed sticks out again.

Back to today’s fishing report.

Missouri River Montana Fishing Report 4.29.15

You can get the trout to bite your fly with many differing techniques as I mentioned in the last fishing report. I put up a picture of a …No I believe I mentioned several various ways to achieve angling success.

Dry-Dropper can get them in the am and when the bugs are going nuclear. Droppers of choice this week include the TwoBit Hooker, Pearl LB, Tungsten PT, Frenchie, LGM, Zebra, S & M, Disco Midge, RS2…

Dry fly fishing is good when you get in ’em. Find them in the normal Mo rising fish spots. Some rising in A-Typical locales as well. Smaller BWO dries with the emerger paying a role too. Spinner? Never go out on the Missouri River w/o the right type of cripple fly.

Q: What is the right type of cripple for fishing the Mo?

A: The one you can see.

Here at Headhunters we have posts of many colors and shades. Flies we have tied specifically for you the customer. Ninch, AKA 7wt., is perpetually scheming on how to get the best flies in our customers hands, rods, attached to the tippet and consequently to the trout. A dark post can certainly spice up your Baetis afternoon. Don’t go without!

Nymphing is very good. We can still bump into slower periods or the morning will fish better than the afternoon…but that is just fishing. Be prepared to change you game if you need to, Follow the bugs throughout the water column. If they move, you betta move as well or face the bobber going quiet. Nobody likes a Silent Bob(ber).

Deep nymph rigs are still getting the job done most of the time. Go short when needed. Find fish any place you like at this point. The water temps are conducive to riffles, runs, drops, pools, eddy’s all fishing well. Find you lane and follow it down the lazy river.

Streamer fishing? Decent enough. Not as many playing that game as the dry fly and nymph anglers.

Awful nice this week with the weather as the daytime highs are in the 60’s all week long. Wind should be a player too. How about you. Are you a player?

See us at the shop daily 7am til 8pm. Open later than anyone on the Mo for all of your late night fly fishing needs here on Montana’s Missouri River. Shuttles late too. Thanks for making us your goto Missouri River info, education, customer service, and entertainment fly shop here in Craig.

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Missouri River Montana Fishing Report 4.14.15

May 1, 2019April 14, 2015 by Mark Raisler

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]We have folks all the time want us to call them when the fishing is “off the charts.”

It isn’t yet.

Will it be soon? Yeah, maybe.

Every April the cork comes off and we are looking for that to happen sometime this month. April and May are really, really good fishing months here in central Montana.

Really, really good.

Do they match July, June, or even October? You gotta be the judge of that.

April is drifting by faster than we realize and May will be upon us with some of the shop staff’s favorite fishing. Streamer mania and great blind dry fly fishing with March Browns, BWO’s and midges keeping us busy until the spring caddis show.

As for today, yesterday and the week ahead? Looking good my fishy friends.

Missouri River Montana Fishing Report 4.14.15

Missouri River Montana Dry Fly Report

Good dry fly days have been had with better and ultimately more consistent days ahead of us. The BWO’s are showing albeit not in huge numbers. Those Baetis boxes should grace your boat or vest for the next month for sure. Para’s, low riding emerges, trapped duns, transitional duns, cripples, and your own home brew patterns will get you through. Look for a Complete Baetis Blog coming soon.

Midges are here in force. Mega midge hatches all day long, on some occasions, will allow you to toss at rising fish when the wind falls below gale forces.

Midges are here in force.

Had to say it twice for effect. Big time midge hatches. Some years we have consistent daily emergences and some years we do not. This is one of the good ones. Midges can get you all revved up from dawn til dusk here on the Missouri River.

Patterns? Clusters, Buzzaballs, singles, G-Men. You have been reading this report for weeks now. All the regular stuff…plus your magic fly. We don’t keep any secrets here at Headhunters. Want to know the secret fly, the secret mayfly for the Missouri River? It’s commonly known as the Parachute Adams.

Missouri River Montana Nymph Report

Good to great. Getting better everyday. Fish moving into faster water as the temps rise and we can really see it. The water is dropping and be aware to adjust your nymph rigs accordingly. The dynamics of nymphing are constantly in flux and those who practice static fishing behaviors don’t use the net as often.

Look for center river water and get it on the shelf. Some are having success in those bank sided bubbly seams and runs. Others are staying closer to the center. Your choice. Lots of ways to skin cat.

Montana fly fishing Midges — Midges “Lined Up”

Patterns? Wide and varied. Still the primary objective is to sink that fly as fast as possible and keep it there as long as possible. That is the secret to nymphing success. Keeping the bait in front of the target as long as physically possible. Honest. Trust me, I’m a fly fishing guide.

Gaudy beaded flies like the FB Ray, FB Caviar Scud, FB Pink Ray Soft Hackle, Hot Threaded Tailwater Sows, Ninch’s Lucent Bead Sow, Bloom’s FB Weight Fly, the Mexican Mayfly, Amex, Pink Lightening Bug, Holla Back Pink, Pierced Pink Nipple’s…
Mayfly patterns that are coming on strong include S & M’s, Peep Show, Indigo Child, Two Bit Hooker, Gidget, LGM, T-Head Pheasant Tail, BHGRHE, Brush Hog, Micro Mays, Red Headed Step Child, Pearl LB’s, un beaded PT’s, Ju-Ju Baetis…
Midge flies that sink include the ubiquitous Zebra. You could only throw that fly and do well. Food for thought. But if you havfta go a different route you’d have to come in and see what we have. I just fish the Zebra. Black Zebra. I will have to poll the gang at Headhunters and find out what all the hype is. I’ll get back to you.

Missouri River Montana Streamer Report

Streamer Fishing is getting better too. The water temps moving upwards gets those trout to move. To move towards that stripped fly. Bright fly bright day. Dark fly dark day. Try that.

The swinging gang is still out there. They are having success in a touch faster water as well. It need not be the stale part of the run anymore. Try stepping through the top ends of some of these runs. A fly with some weight will help in that arena as well.

Need Spey Lines or MOW Tips? We got it all on our on-line fly shop. If not, we will order it today!

Water Temps and Missouri River Flows

The water temps are climbing. Shocker! We would like them to climb slowly. But, we cannot control that sort of deal. Not yet at least. The better fishing is commensurate with the higher water temps. Shocker!

Currently roaming around the 44F mark. Should stall there for a while as we flirt with spring like weather for a couple days. Probably more BWO weather. Shucks.

The flows are in the 3860cfs ballpark and will stay no higher than that for a while. Check out the probable flows chart we will post tomorrow. Low man. May be a low water summer. Honest.

Missouri River Montana Weather

[forecast]

Headhunters Fly Shop open daily with piping hot free perked coffee to get your day going. Shuttles, the best in flies, Missouri River info and free maps, gloves, hand warmers, sunscreen, bug dope, shit hot cool lookin’ HH Logo Wear including the street ready Craglandia line.

Open late for any post or apres fishing needs like new RIO Perception Fly Lines, demo rods, all sizes of SIMMS only wader made in the states G3’s, and you local lodging source.

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Missouri River Montana Fishing Report 4.10.15

April 10, 2015 by Mark Raisler

While we will be out swinging on the Hemingway Flat for the entire weekend with Whitney Gould and Mike McCune the rest of you will be enjoying the river as she shakes the winter sleep out from her eyes.

Yes, the Missouri River is acting like a spring time fishery.

Missouri River Montana Fishing Report 4.10.15

For those who are nymphing this weekend you should be aware that the fish have moved into the faster realm and are spreading out from their cold slow water haunts. There are still some fish living in that type of water but the wild ones have gone awry and are in some riffle type water. Summer time water? No. Not in seam lines, stuffed like a potato, no not really. But diamond chop in the deeper lanes will get some action for that new SAGE Method your wife just gave you.

Flies? All the BWO stuff, all the pink stuff, all the firebead stuff, and all of the midge stuff. Why not tie on a big rubber legs in the middle region, a tiny CDC Bubbleback BWO in the lower and a Zebra on the upper. Top fly your choice.

Dry fly guys? Use the BWO patterns to your advantage. Clusters will work too. Find a tough one? Single midge patterns or downwing BWO or Cripples will do the job.

Are the BWO’s really here? Have they truly arrived? No, not really. But they are willing to flirt with us on any given day from here on out through the middle of May.

Streamer fanatics are using the regular standard Missouri River fare. Flashy, small, black. Your choice. Swingers? They are in the shop upgrading their personal 2 handed line selection. We have all the tips you need too! Your 2 handed and Trout Spey Source in all of Montana is right here in Craig. Call us up if you need anything or have any questions. We have the knowledgeable staff on hand to answer your toughest of line questions.

The weather for the weekend is variable. Nice today, odd Saturday, and a touch of wind for Sunday. You gotta go so why not this weekend. $300 Guide Trips on our Spring Special continue through the end of the month.

Missouri River Montana flows are at 3900cfs and the water temps are north of 43F. She is turning on! Be polite to other anglers out there as the water level decreases the river shrinks. Be polite and do unto others as you…

Lodging available for those last minute planners. Call the shop for any of your Missouri River needs. We are open daily @ 8am and open late for those enjoying dinner at Izaak’s. Izaak’s open @ 3pm and serving a mean Jalapeno Pineapple Margarita along with great Brisket!

See you here in downtown Craig and on the river this weekend!