Blackfoot River

Always Worth the Trip

Always Worth the Trip Video Scumliner Media

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Always Worth the Trip Video Scumliner Media

The Blackfoot is a wonderful freestone river just over the Continental Divide from Craig Montana.

A one hour jaunt to the Blackfoot and a days worth of fun.

Big floaty flies that we can mostly see!

A great time to take a break on your Missouri River trip and see the other side of the mountains.

This classic video from Scumliner Media will get your juices flowing.

Call today and book your Blackfoot River Trip with Headhunters Fly Shop and Guide Service. We’d love to show you green trees, cutthroat, moving water…[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://vimeo.com/107730712″ video_title=”1″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Blackfoot River: Always Worth The Trip Video

Blackfoot River: Always Worth The Trip Video

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Blackfoot River: Always Worth The Trip Video

While the Missouri River is on fire, not the flame kind, but the fishing kind…we always have the Blackfoot River on our mind.

Freestones. Love ’em. Big flies. Cutthroats. Westside of the Divide. The smell of Pine Trees.

All good things.

Watch this re-run today and dream of small streams along with the babbling sound of water.  Ten book your Blackfoot River trip with Headhunters.

Couple it with a day or three on the Mighty Mo and you tell have a great Autumn trip planned.

September is a great month to fish the Blackfoot. No people, hungry cutty’s, large mayflies, fall colors.

Close your eyes and dream of the feel of a raft seat…and shrieking eagles.

Happy Friday.

Headhunters Fly Shop Late August Blackfoot River Fishing Report

Headhunters Fly Shop Late August Blackfoot River Fishing Report

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Headhunters Fly Shop Late August Blackfoot River Fishing Report Pretty good out there yesterday. Sunny, smoky, and fishy. Fished with friends from Hawaii for their first trip to the Blackfoot River over the divide. An awesome experience. Put in at Harry Morgan and floated to Scotty Brown Bridge. Pretty skinny up top in the North … Read more

Blackfoot River September Fishing Report

Blackfoot River September Fishing Report

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Blackfoot River September Fishing Report Fished the Blackfoot yesterday and today. Can’t tell you what happened today, but I can chat at you what happened yesterday. Flows ar equate low with Bonner registering about 400 cfs. Boney, skinny, thin man. Ran the NRS IDB yesterday, but will be running my Adipose Flow today. Saw … Read more

Blackfoot River Salmon Flies & Fishing Report

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Blackfoot River Salmon Flies & Fishing Report Hey all good across the divide. The Salmon Flies are out in force and the trout don’t want them. So what to do? Well I’m not really sure other than keep fishing and toss that fly out there and wait for it to happen. Spoke with Outfitter … Read more

Always worth the trip Blackfoot River Video

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Headed over the mountain this morning to the Blackfoot River.

The big bugs are coming off. So we hope that the orange monsters are keeping those cutthroats busy.

Gotta go to know.

It is always worth the trip…

As for the Mighty Mo we see very good dry fly angling available. Are all of the fish looking toward the surface? No. But enough are poking their noses through the surface film.

Caddis and PMD’s are the key. Crips, emergers, and spinners. Not new news. Just a reminder that the trout on the Mo like the fly trapped in the film.

Buzzballs?

No negative reinforcement from the Buzzball. No wing profile, no body silhouette type, no bad shit at all. Just a good meal for an honest rise.

A few tips for getting a better bite on the Mo? Go out after 10am. No rush in the morning for the dry flies as of yet. As the spinners become an event we will be out earlier. But until then head out after the crowd and wander around finding a few singles and the crescendo to Valhalla.

Easy peasy.

Fishing is good all over the state. Enjoy Montana this summer and look us up if you are in the neighborhood.

Open daily 7-9. We are dedicated to the sport of fly in Craig MT.

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Always Worth the Trip

Always Worth the Trip Scumliner Media Blackfoot River Montana

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Spending a week here on the Missouri River? Why not a trip across the Continental Divide for a beautiful day on one of the world’s prettiest streams. The Blackfoot River.

We love to dip over the to the other side and toss some bigger dry flies.

This summer the run-off appears to be happening much quicker than the previous several years so we will be heading west sooner than we generally do.

Scratch in a Blackfoot day while on your visit to the Missouri River this summer.

Why not.

It’s Always Worth the Trip…

 

 

 

Always Worth the Trip from scumliner media on Vimeo.

Always worth the trip

Always Worth the Trip Video

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[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Here is the latest video from Scumliner Media from some fishing from Mark and John on the Blackfoot River this past month. Get over there in the next week. Like this one and you may have some really good fishing![/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/1″][vc_video link=”http://vimeo.com/107730712″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Blackfoot River fly fishing

Blackfoot River Fly Fishing – Final Countdown

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Mark and I continue to sneak over to the Blackfoot River if we can both find a day off together. Fishing has been good, and only seems to be getting better. Typical for this time of year. Things are cooling down, fall hatches are intensifying and the fish know that it’s time to eat. In a month, their metabolism will slow to a crawl as the water temperatures drop into the 30’s.

Nighttime lows are a bit chilly at these higher elevations, so there is no need to be on the water early. The best fishing occurs from 11am on. By 3 in the afternoon, the water temps have hit their peak and you will see a mixed bag of bugs. The fish will also be at their most active then.

You’ll encounter a variety of mayflies, including Trico’s, Mahogany Duns, Hecuba’s and Baetis. October Caddis were hatching the other day as well. One of our favorites. We definitely found fish that were keyed on a specific bug. And by “keyed on” I mean that fish that were eating Trico’s were not going to eat our #12 Purple Haze no matter how many times we threw it at them. Amazing how an 8 inch Cutthroat can humble you.

Hopper patterns were working very well later in the day, and produced much larger average size fish. Purple More-or less was all we tried and all we needed.

We didn’t throw any streamers, as we have become old & cranky dry fly snobs. Or it can be described as “too lazy to change flies and rigs”. Conditions were perfect, however, with a socked in sky and muggy, warm temps. We absolutely saw a few large, green trout (char?) lying around in some tailouts. I have a feeling the streamer fishing would have been pretty good.

Very few anglers around, as all of the Missoula area streams are fishing very well right now. Most anglers are probably sticking closer to town on the Clark Fork and Bitteroot.

Fishing won’t last much longer on the Blackfoot. Soon, cold temperatures will make the effort to float not worth it for a few hours of decent afternoon fishing. Wade fishing in the late afternoon will continue to be worthwhile, however. If you want to float one of the prettiest rivers in Montana, the time is now.

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Headhunters Fly Shop Fishing Report

Headhunters Fly Shop Fishing Report September 4th

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The Missouri River is fishing quite well. The Blackfoot too. Which river should you fish? How about both.

John and Mark are heading over the hill today to fish the Blackfoot for a couple days to see the cool color changes, the high mountain experience, and try to fool a few Cutthroat trout along with the healthy populations of Rainbows and Browns. Maybe a Bull Trout or two as well? We will give yo an update on the fishing in the next couple days as to the success of the trip across the Continental Divide.

The fishing on the Mighty Missouri is heating up for fall! The flow plans are in as well and it looks like we will be seeing a few more cubic feet per second than normal. Will that affect the fishing? It may get better. It will cool the water sooner for sure and maybe bring the bigger BWO’s out of hiding sooner tan the previous years. Will it release those weeds earlier? Maybe.

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All reaches of the river are fishing well. The Dam? Unbelievable. Big trout on tiny midges and some larger PT and mayfly patterns too. Try anything bigger? Stop in the shop and ask our knowledgable staff for any up to the minute hot flies for your Missouri River success.

The streamer fellers are not yet cleaning ups s the weeds in the water column will not let too many casts through before picking up the junk. How are the weeds? Not bad at all. I would say roar less than the two previous years not eh Missouri River. Shake ’em off, cast them off, or just enjoy the day. Have not had anyone of my clients complain about them in the last two weeks.

Quieter for another couple days and then the folks do return for the good September fishing parade. Nymphing is always rock star status in Spetember but this year the late summer caddis and ants have made their way into the conversation big time. Blind dry fly fishing is very good and try your hand at that in the afternoons is you so desire. Lots of good stories about not only the ant and the caddis but the hopper too. Whatever bigger fly you like tie it on and go out there and cast!

[forecast]

Not too bad and cooler mornings have been keeping the water temps in the right region. Nicer afternoons in the mid 70’s this last week and more to come. We can see temps creep into the 80’s in September but judging the summer and the cooler temps all year long, we do not see that happening.

The shop is open daily at 7am for all your Missouri River trout fishing needs. Some sale hangover items including deep discounts on DEMO rods from SAGE, Loomis, Orvis, Echo and reels, lines, shitty flies, fly fishing accessories, shirts, some rain gear and the like. We’ll see you this weekend on the Mo or the Blackfoot!

Enjoy the fall here in Montana with Headhunters.

Hopper Time

Missouri River Hopper Time

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It si pretty good for the ‘ol hopper on the Mo.

Well, not too good for Mr. Hopper himself. But pretty good for those tossing them in the water.

We got lots. Lots in the bushes, lots clacking on the banks, and a few in the river. The Missouri is not the world’s best hopper river, but we get by.

Trico’s are still rolling in big numbers most every morning and that is the focus until the last spinner is inhaled by some persnickety Rainbow Trout.

Missouri River Hopper Time 

Then it’s time for a quick bite and cold Diet Coke. Tie on the hopper and hope!

I love having hopper affairs during the late summer. It is the finest. Many love the small sipping daintiness of the trico’s…I love the gulp a a good hopper eat. It is really cool.

Get your RIO Perception fly line and get after it. The head on that classic hopper type fly lone is just right for picking up 25′ and chucking it back at the bank. A RIO Grand is not too bad either. But the Perception is our favorite late summer fly line. Check it out next time you are loading up on hoppers. Try a new line too. Just like Christmas in August.

We are digging the foams here in Craig. Get yourself a bottle of GINK, douse the foamie, and watch it get eaten!

Staying a couple days? Try one day on the Missouri and one day not eh Blackfoot across the divide. A perfect two day plan!

 

Blackfoot River Fishing Report 7.8.14

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We’re finally starting to get over to the Blackfoot River on a regular basis. Our favorite freestone has been fishing for a while with deep, heavy rigs, but we’ve been waiting for the water to clear and the surface action to pick up. Also, we’ve been way busy fishing the Missouri River, which has been excellent. A couple of our guides have been over to the Blackfoot in the last week, and reported good fishing and Salmonflies. Guide JP Basile and I decided to head over on a rare day off to see for ourselves.

Blackfoot River fly fishing

The Blackfoot is on the drop and was flowing 2600 cfs (at Bonner) while were on it. Though the upper main stem is running low and dirty, the North Fork is high and clear so visibility below the confluence is not an issue. Water temperatures are in the high 50’s. Comfortable for both fish and fishermen. We wore shorts.

The big stoneflies were definitely hatching. The fish have seen some pretty intense angling pressure over the last week and were a tad bit suspect of our offerings. Refusals and whimsy takes were not uncommon. We caught fish on a wide variety of dry flies from #12-#4. We did not use a dropper at all, though we did try some emerger style trailers. No doubt we would have hooked many more fish with a dropper. As it was we had some pretty decent fishing, including a few nice ones like JP is showing you here. The big Cutt-bow above was a particularly strong fish.

As the Blackfoot continues to drop, you can expect smaller insect to come into play. Yellow Sallies, PMD’s, Green Drakes, Caddis and others will have the fish looking up, especially in softer thigh-deep riffles.In prime Salmonfly water you will continue to see the big bugs for awhile.

Nymphing is good, though we prefer to stay on top. It takes a bit of filtering to get past all of the aggressive smaller Cutts, but worth it when one of the big ones inhales your offering. As stated, I think you can use a wide variety of patterns and sizes on the Blackfoot River right now. I would definitely be trying some Green Drake patterns as well as small to medium size Chubby’s, etc.

Blackfoot River montana cutthroat

We always get our shuttles from Leroy and Sue at Ovando River Shuttle – 406-793-3717 or 406-210-4164. Give them a call.

Blackfoot River Shuttle Service

Not yet on the Blackfoot River

Not yet on the Blackfoot River

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Just did some recon on the Blackfoot River yesterday and today. Still blown.

No surprise to those who know how freestone streams behave in the spring, and searly summer, and sometimes mid summer.

According to Cathy at the Blackfoot Angler they should get rolling towards the end of June beginning of July. Based on her 16 years in Ovando and living on the Blackfoot and her “feel” she says not for a while longer.

We ventured up tot he Upper North Fork of the Blackfoot and watched the river rage through the high canyon walls amongst forests of Pine. Really a pretty place. A fun place to wade fish in the mid summer. Really nice freestone environs on the westside.

We are ready for when the Blackfoot breaks with tenured guides on the Blackfoot with Peter Skidmore, Nick Stipech and Kurt Michels. Jared Edens and Ben Hardy along with Brett Matula and myself love to run over the hill as well and fish the Big Blackfoot for dry fly action. A real pretty river with great fishing opportunities.

If you are attending, fishing, visiting the Missouri River region and want to experience a bit of the green side of the state, look us up and tack on an additional day, or weave it into your multi-day Missouri River trip.

We will keep you informed as the Blackfoot comes into shape and tracking the Salmon Fly Hatch too! We got yer back here in central Montana. Look to the right of this blog and you will see the Blackfoot River live water graph from USGS and associated link.

As you may have read in yesterday’s post we anticipate lower water levels on the Missouri River very soon. We cannot wait to dry fly fish daily. It is coming. The Blackfoot? We will have to grin and bear it here with all those PMD’s, Caddis, and Yellow Sally’s until the Blackfoot comes into shape.

Happy Sunday to you all!

Not yet on the Blackfoot River
Upper North Fork of the Blackfoot