Baetis

10 Tips for Missouri River Baetis Success

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10 Tips for Missouri River Baetis Success

We are all into catching more fish on BWO dries. Actually not true. Some anglers.

Not all anglers are interested in the dry fly. I have often stated to those who believe that everybody should be throwing a dry…and to those folks I always say,

“How would you feel, as dry fly guy. A Dry Fly Only guy. If every angler was seeking dry fly flats. If every angler was standing next to you on the dry fly flat of choice? How would that work out?”

 

Not so good. Thankfully we enjoy many facets of angling and not everybody want to be DFO. Truly. Honest.

But if you are into that sort of thing then you can give yourself a leg up, an arm up, a cast up on the rest of the gang. Learn the right thing to do and follow the bugs!

  1. Prepare. Get the rod ready in the morning. Strung up and put some sort of BWO on. An Adams will hold the line nicely. Change when you arrive if needed.
  2. Have a ton of Gink. Dry Fly Shake. Frog’s Fanny. Whatever you may need to get you through the BWO session. I hate running out of the right shit during the heat of the moment. I have several bottles of magic int he boat and vest.
  3. Make a game plan. Set your drift for the right water at the right time. If you are a wade feller, you know where you want to be at what specific time.
  4. Follow the game plan. Especially in the boat. Don’t get hung up on some other fish, some other flat…holding a bobber in your hand! Get to the flat and stake it out. Being prepared for action is key.
  5. Practice the cast at home. In your yard. At the park. When the bugs start popping you need to have your “A” game. Not a good time to practice casting. A great time to execute the perfect reach cast and execute.
  6. Missouri River Trout love the fly in the film. Baetis ride in the film. BWO’s lay in the water, not on the water. Fish a pattern that sits in the water.
  7. CDC Flies are awesome. The best flies are the ones you cannot see.
  8. Swing a soft hackle if you are old school. Or if you like to learn a new technique. Or if you want to catch them all.
  9. Get out and stalk them. BWO fish will let you wander close to them. Get out and get in tight. Make short and efficient casts. Catch one at a time. Some anglers, most dudes, try to catch all the trout on every pass. Not very smart. Takes too much time in between casts. Too much line out. Not efficient. Not smart. Those fellers that exhibit this behavior do not catch may at all. But they do waste a ton of time and kinda screw up the fish. But, just my opinion. It is your day. Do what you feel is right. But, if you want to catch more, do it right and stay efficient.
  10. Start out with a new 12′ RIO 9′ 4X leader. And then tie on a 4′ section of 5X tippet. Or something along those lines. Get a good drag free drift and get them. Long leaders are OK. Trust them. Use them. Enjoy them.
  11. Clean your fly line often. I love to clean my line as I am waiting for the action to start. And after the day as well. A clean fly line is the most important piece of the rod/reel/line equation.
  12. Pray for overcast skies. Trout love the gray days. The bugs don’t care. The trout love to wander into skinny waters when they feel comfortable and can feel predator free.
  13. Stalk softly. Approach the fish in stealth mode. You are the predator. Act appropriately.
  14. Fish during the week. Weekends are quite busy here in Craig. Take the day(s) off work and come out.
  15. Enjoy yourself. It is about fun, relaxing, taking your mind away from the stresses at home. Enjoy the day on the water. It is good for your constitution.

There you have it. A few ideas to marinate your Baetis Brain in today. Put yourself in successful situations is my whole deal. Set yourself up for success. Do it the right way and you will be rewarded. We have about a month of Baetis left so we will see you here in Craig. It’s Thursday, it’s May 2020!

 

Chartreuse Little Green Machine

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Blue Winged Olives With snow the last couple days, river temps are continuing to drop. This morning the water temp was 54.5 degrees. As this trend continues, we will continue to see lots of pseudos. Before too long we will be seeing some of the larger blue winged olives. In the meantime, you can … Read more

April 28th Missouri River Fishing Report

April 28th Missouri River Fishing Report

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Shit hot short fishing report today this Thursday in late April. BWO’s: Top to bottom. Hatch generally in the afternoon, but yesterday started about 937am and did not stop. March Browns: Yep. This is a short lived hatch and when you blink it will be gone for another year. 7-10 days of this bug … Read more

Missouri River BWO Fishing Report 10.21.15

Missouri River BWO Fishing Report 10.21.15

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Baetis are here. BWO time fishing Montana’s Missouri River.

Light hatch yesterday and the day before. It should POP soon. We would love more of those clouds and drizzle and some fall like winter weather. Bring it.

The streamer bite is not as consistent as we think it should be but our trout are eating a few.

Flows somewhat stable at these lower fall time levels. Still at 3280cfs with water temps falling slowly currently @ 55.5F. Looking and feeling good.

Missouri River Canyon Stretch Fly Fishing
Sunny weather is sure pretty. We’ll take the clouds though please!

Cooler weather on the way with some sun and daytime highs this approaching weekend in the mid-40’s at best. Hopefully the weather guessers are wrong about the sun.

Nymphing is good. Better in the afternoon. The mornings have been quirky and odd. Not all that shit-hot until the bugs come off. Then it is damn good. Deep in the morning and short to finish the day.

Some good fishing to have if you stay out late. Not a bad idea at all. No need to go at the break of dawn. Unless you have Bailey’s in your coffee and then, by all means.

Some cool groups fish the Mo in October. the RIO Products along with SAGE Rods were just here for a week plus, Blake Merwin of Gig Harbor Fly Shop in Washington bought out some cool fellers, Doc Paul is bringing out a multi-boat trip next week and we have hosted a bundle of 2 and 3 boat trips this month. Why not come out with a gang of your favorite anglers in tow. Headhunters Fly Shop can accommodate your group for lodging, catering, and guiding. One stop fly shop in Craig MT.

It may be our favorite month of the year. October is always a good one. Fun folks, fun fishing, and the dry fly fishing to rising trout that make your knees shake.

Shop open daily at 7am…stop in for a cup of piping hot perked coffee, cell coverage, and free WiFi on our porch.

Missouri River Baetis Image

Missouri River Baetis Image

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Check it.

Baetis are here.

Big time.

Call ahead if you need a Doctor’s Note from us.

We can totally forge one of those.

Then you can fish guilt free this week.

That Baetis Flu is going around and you got it bad.

 

 

The week ahead holds several Baetis related posts…a veritable how-to here on your Craig Montana information and education source…The Headhunters Fly Fishing Blog

Weekend Hi-Lites here on Montana’s Missouri River

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[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Hi-Winds were part of the weekend. But, really nothing out of the ordinary.

Those who can’t stand the wind just don’t fish here.

Today the Hi-Lite is the warm weather. This week ahead should hold some Baetis Hi-Lites. We will keep you informed here on this very Missouri River daily.

Weekend Hi-Lites here on Montana’s Missouri River

  • DSC_0639
    Sauna and Whitney

    Baetis are on the way in.

  • Midges are in.
  • Izaak’s open daily, save for Mondays through April. Then daily through October.
  • A number of non-local locals are in the neighborhood. Fun to catch up with these anglers as fishing friendships are built over many years.
  • Shots at Joe’s. Open daily @ 8am.
  • McCune-Gould Casters had a ton of fun while learning. Full clinics for these two world class sustained anchor educators. We look forward to their visit this coming year. They’ll be around for another few days enjoying the swinging fly lifestyle we  encourage in Craig.
  • A ton of younger anglers around for the weekend. We like the fun they bring to the sport, the lifestyle, the Headhunters Life.
  • Spring Special in full swing. We are past the mid point with only 17 days to go. Get on board if you want to fish for a seasonal discount of $300.
  • Folks fishing top to bottom. Enjoy all the Missouri River has to offer.
  • Fun times this Spring in Craig MT. You oughtta be here.

More images from the weekend below. The fishing fun has begun…

 

 

 

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Missouri River Pseudos and Baetis

Pseudos… call them what you will.

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Mark and I hit the river at Pelican the other afternoon and both Pseudocleon (Pseudo’s) and Caddis were present in a big way. Fish were up all over the river eating both bugs. Mid-September is when both of these hatches start to ramp up, and the lower river is where things start. Cooler water down there. That’s the key.

Pseudo’s are often referred to as “Tiny Blue Winged Olives”, and apparently have been reclassified as Iswaeon Anoka. Got to keep up on my entomology!

Here’s a link to what Troutnut has to say about the Pseudocleon.

While these bugs may be part of the Blue Winged Olive clan, to the angler they are a completely different hatch. Yes they’re smaller. And that’s a pain as eyesight diminishes over time. They also emerge from the nymph sub-surface. Total pain in the ass. But the real difference lies in when and where they hatch.

Unlike Blue-winged Olives, Pseudo’s (or Anoka’s… I’m going to start calling them that) love the sun. They typically hatch from late morning through the afternoon on sunny (and cloudy) days. Unlike BWO’s, you don’t need a nasty cold front and rain to produce a big hatch. They also tend to hatch “riverwide” meaning in all types and speeds of water. Our true BWO hatches are often localized. You’ll see them above and below riffles, then you may float a mile without seeing any. Not true with the Anoka. They’re everywhere.

Our trout tend to key on the sub-surface emergers, especially in sunny conditions. Oh, it looks like they’re feeding on top to most anglers. And sometimes they are. But you’ll see lots of fins, and this means the fish are feeding just sub-surface. This can make matching the hatch extremely difficult. I love to fly fish, but throwing #24 emergers at roaming packs of risers in the middle of the river is not my favorite thing to do. I’d rather mow the lawn.

So how do we approach the Anoka hatch? Most anglers on the Mo’ will use traditional BWO cripples and duns down to about #20. This isn’t really the correct size (#22-24 is about right), but you can usually get fish to respond, especially if there is any cloud cover. Keep in mind that there are usually a few BWO’s present during even our earliest September Anoka hatches. Fish often pick them out of the masses, as they do Caddis.

The most important factor Anoka’s play, is that they get the fish up and rising. Yes they are difficult to match and fish, but – on the Missouri – it’s always better to have the fish up than not. If I know where they are, and that they are feeding on top, half the battle is already won. Now I just need to find a fly that I can see, and they will eat. For Mark and I the other night, that fly was a #12 Stimulator. Go figure.

So, the Pseudo’s – or Anoka’s – are here. Like clockwork. The hatches are big and they last for hours. Get out there and figure out a fly that works for you. Along with what appears to be an excellent fall caddis hatch, we’re on the front end of 6-8 weeks of fantastic dry fly fishing.

Here’s a few dry flies that I’ve had good success using during this hatch over the years. These are all bigger than the real bug, but usually get enough positive responses that I’m content:

  • Nymens DOA Cripple – BWO #20
  • Quigley’s Half Dun – BWO #18 – 20
  • Harrop’s D&D Cripple – BWO #18
  • Light Orange Parachute #20 (hard to find)
  • No Hackle – BWO #20 (hard to find, harder to tie!)
  • Light Olive Parachute #20

Don’t be afraid to a throw caddis at those fish, especially if you see a violent rise here or there.

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May Day Missouri River Fishing Report

May Day Missouri River Fishing Report

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Better dry fly daily. You will still have to work hard to find the sipping trout as there are not many in the high and bright sun.

But later in the day. When the skies become hazy? You know Headhunters runs shuttles late right? Just sayin’.

It can be pretty good with fish busting midge balls in a totally random manner. How do you fish for fish that are not rising on a specific bug in a specific lane?

It’s simple…Keep casting.

[forecast]

Sunny today and warm. Look for the bottle of sunscreen and hide the rest with a new Buff.

The Dearborn River and Little Prickly Pear streams are running clean. A touch of color for a couple hundred feet is all. No blown feeder creeks here. Stickney Creek and Sheep Creek are gin clear. Check out the charts and you will see stability.

May Day Missouri River Fishing Report

Nymphing about average. The fish are not on the hard core bite but tossing and chasing the bobber all day long will bring plenty of fish to hand. Good drifts allow you to be in the game. Bad drifts? Nobody has time for too many of those. Mend man.

And again man.

Baetis, midges, and more hatching from the morning hours onward. Fishing through the day into the evening will pay off!

The streamer guys are getting them in tailouts and finding the thinner water whether it be slow or fast. Get them in there and strip. The water temps rising are getting the fish in a better mood for the chase.

Come in and rent the Inflatable Drift Boat the Freestone Drifter from Northwest River Supply. It kick’s ass. Adipose Rental Boats too. The Flow is really a great tool for this river.

May has arrived and we look forward to the sun daily. Sun daily is a good thing for we here in central Montana still chilled to the bone from the cooler winter we endured.

Shop open daily from 7:30am and late til 7:30pm. Tons of new logo wear has arrived along with hats and cool accessories too. Need sunglasses for the sun this week? Smith and Costa with all the hottest styles at Headhunters Fly Shop and Guide Service.