fly fishing technique

In defense of Dry FLy Anlgers

In Defense of Dry Fly Anglers

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I wrote a recent blog reminding us, we, the industry need to be a aware of the wants and needs of all anglers. Reminding us that whether you be a nympher, a streamer junkie, or a dry fly fanatic there is a place for you in this widely accepting recreation group. While some of us … Read more

2016 UMOWA Macroinvertebrate Report

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] 2016 UMOWA Macroinvertebrate Report On March 17, the Upper Missouri Watershed Alliance (UMOWA) published the results of the 2016 bug study performed by David Stagliano of Montana Biological Survey. We are late in sharing the results, but with the UMOWA Annual Meeting coming up in Craig this Saturday, June 17th, I thought now might be … Read more

Missouri River Bugs – May 2017

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://vimeo.com/217420014″ video_title=”1″ src=”“https://player.vimeo.com/video/217420014“” width=”“640“” height=”“360“” frameborder=”“0“”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This week, we collected bugs on the lower river between Pelican Point and Cascade. Today we are going to talk about what Missouri River bugs we found and how to best imitate them during periods of higher flow.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][us_image image=”26632″ align=”center”][vc_column_text]

The Usual Players

We found a lot of scuds, sowbugs, midge larvae, pale morning dun (PMD) nymphs, blue winged olive (BWO) nymphs, and caddis larvae. This selection is very similar to the bugs that we collected in April. The Tailwater Sowbug is still king. Mayfly nymphs and midge larvae are still catching a lot of fish too.

Since last month, spring caddis have become a more prevalent food source. As a result, the UV Tan Czech Nymph as well as the Purple and Gold Bloom’s Weight Flies have increased in popularity as an alternative to the Amex or Rainbow Czech Nymph.[/vc_column_text][us_image image=”27217″ align=”center”][us_image image=”27218″ align=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][us_image image=”27219″ align=”center”][vc_column_text]

Additional Big Food Items

We found a lot of larger invertebrates this month. Leeches, aquatic worms, crane fly larvae, and crayfish were observed. These larger food items provide big meals for trout in addition to the usual small fare.[/vc_column_text][us_image image=”27214″ align=”center”][vc_column_text]At the time of this writing, the Missouri River below Holter Dam is flowing at 9,040 cfs. However, it will likely get higher in the next few weeks. At elevated flows, larger nymph patterns can be effective. Leech, worm, and crayfish imitations are all patterns that you should have in your box during these higher flows.

Below, we will talk about each of these food items and a few of our favorite flies for imitating them.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][us_image image=”19330″ align=”center”][vc_column_text]

Leeches

The leeches we found were of the smaller variety. When stretched out, they are about two inches long. When contracted, they are about a half inch long. They are very strong and fast swimmers that swim by undulating their bodies.

These leeches can be imitated with nymphs and streamers. To mimic their wavy, undulating swimming motion, most flies are tied with some sort of bead or lead eyes to impart a jigging action to the fly.[/vc_column_text][us_image image=”27215″ align=”center”][vc_column_text]

Fruit Roll Up Leech

We have been loving the Fruit Roll Up Leech this past winter and fall. It is a great leech imitation that Ninch has got tied with a lead underbody and a tungsten bead to get it down quick. This pattern can be swung or drifted under a bobber.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][us_image image=”27221″ align=”center”][vc_column_text]

Aquatic Worms

There are many aquatic worms in the Missouri River. These worms are similar to earthworms, but live underwater. Like earthworms, they dig and anchor themselves into the bottom of the river.

During periods of elevated flow, worms and many other bugs are more likely to be swept away from the bottom of the river and enter the drift. When they are drifting, they are available to trout as food.[/vc_column_text][us_image image=”10681″ align=”center”][vc_column_text]

Ninch’s Fish Finder Worm

Ninch’s Fish Finder Worm is a great worm pattern to fish during high water. It was recently featured on this blog.

The heavy tungsten bead helps get it down to where the trout are. It has just enough flash to get the attention of the fish and it is available in four different fishy colors.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][us_image image=”27226″ align=”center”][vc_column_text]

Crane Fly Larvae

Crane Fly Larvae are big. The ones pictured in this blog are about three inches long. Like worms, they live within the riverbed and often get dislodged during periods of high flow.

When drifting, they are surprisingly good swimmers. They swim in a manner similar to leeches by flattening their bodies and making undulating “S” movements.

With a three inch length, they are somewhat difficult to imitate with standard nymph patterns. It would be interesting to do some experimenting with large crane fly imitations on the Missouri River. If any readers have done so, please let us know what you have found out!

If you are curious about this bug, Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions has produced an awesome video that shows a crane fly swimming as well as how to tie some effective fly patterns that imitate them.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][us_image image=”27228″ align=”center”][vc_column_text]

Crayfish

There are many crayfish in the Missouri River. They prefer to live in areas of the river with larger boulders. Rip-rap banks are a good place to find them. While collecting bugs for this post, I found them as small as one inch long and as large as five inches long. Trout probably prefer to eat the little ones.[/vc_column_text][us_image image=”27216″ align=”center”][vc_column_text]

Bob Clouser’s Claws R Crawfish

Bob Clouser’s Claws R Crawfish is a great crayfish imitation. In the past several years this fly has surged in popularity as a high water nymph. It is often dead-drifted with another nymph pattern. Overzealous mends will jerk this pattern around and often entice strikes.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Don’t Be Intimidated By the High Flows

The river is big right now and will likely get bigger. However, plenty of fish are getting caught.

First and foremost, be careful while wading and boating at these flows. Remember your basic boating safety rules.

Fish deep. When bugs are hatching, some fish will be suspended, but you should be prepared to fish deep most of the time. Mark, recently discussed his deep rig here.

Don’t be afraid to fish some bigger bugs this month. In addition to scuds, sowbugs, midges, and mayfly nymphs, larger food items like worms, crayfish, leeches, and caddis larvae are now in play.

Be safe, have fun, and get out there![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Ninch’s Fish Finder Worm

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Ninch’s Fish Finder Worm needs to be in your box. Fish like worms. Rising water flushes worms from the banks and bottom of the river into the current. Last week the flows increased from around 5,000 cfs to the current flow of 7,120 cfs. The fish are eating both aquatic and terrestrial worms now.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][us_image … Read more

Stalcup’s Cluster Midge

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Stalcup’s Cluster Midge Needs To Be In Your Box Stalcup’s Cluster Midge is one of my favorite midge patterns. I always have some in my box during the spring and then again in July when the tricos start to hatch. This fly evolved from the Griffith’s Gnat and shares several features with this classic pattern. … Read more

Let the fishing guide, guide...

Rowing 101

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Hire a guide then take out a rental boat. This is the natural progression, as Mark as has described it, for learning the Missouri River. Hiring a guide and asking him/her a bunch of questions allows you to learn the river much faster than through trial and error alone. We’ve recently discussed why you … Read more

Please Leave Redds Alone!

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[vc_row 0=””][vc_column 0=””][us_image image=”26680″ align=”center”][vc_column_text 0=””] Please leave trout redds in the river alone! Rainbow trout are actively spawning in the river now and will continue to do so for the next couple months. The Missouri River is one of the best wild trout fisheries in the country. Wild trout are not stocked, they must spawn … Read more

Missouri River Bugs – April

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Last week we collected our first sample of bugs from the Missouri River below the Untouchable’s Bridge. The bugs that we collected were about what you would expect for April. Sows and scuds composed the majority of the biomass, but midges and blue-winged olive nymphs were abundant too. Somewhat surprisingly, PMD nymphs were abundant and almost the … Read more

Be Deliberate – Nymphing Tips

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Be deliberate in your actions when you are fishing. Lately we have been doing a lot of nymphing and having a lot of success, especially below Craig. However, the success has not been distributed equally. The anglers who have a plan, and are fishing deliberately are the ones who are enjoying most of the success. Here … Read more

Freddy Fly Step By Step

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Freddy Fly Step By Step Before the Chubby Chernobyl, John Foust’s Freddy Fly (or Fat Freddy) was a staple pattern throughout the West. Foust invented the fly for the waters around Missoula, but it has caught fish all over the world. The Freddy differs from a lot of modern foam patterns in its incorporation of a … Read more

Fishing Report – Get Out There!

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] This Past Week It’s hard to believe that the Super Bowl was only one week ago. A lot has changed on the river in the past week. We received significant snow fall during the middle of last week that added to the already substantial amount of snow laying around Craig. If you had been in Craig … Read more

Missouri River Bugs – July

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Missouri River bugs The following are some pictures of Missouri River bugs that were collected just downstream of the Mid Cañon boat ramp on July 7th. It has been a month since our last bug post, so some of the bugs are the same and some are new. Mayfly nymphs, caddis larvae, midge larvae, scuds, … Read more

Missouri River Bugs – June

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Missouri River Bugs The following are some pictures of bugs from the Missouri River that were collected in June a couple miles upstream of Craig. These images will hopefully aid in your fly design and/or fly selection while you are fishing this month. Although all these images are of nymphs/larvae, PMDs and caddis are currently hatching.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][us_image … Read more

Stockig Wing Caddis

Stocking Wing Caddis Step By Step

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Stocking Wing Caddis Step By Step During the caddis fly hatch on the Missouri River, it’s a good idea to have several patterns with differing profiles in your box including there Stocking Wing Caddis. It makes sense to have some high floating patterns that are easy to see as well as some low-profile patterns that sit … Read more

Welcome to October

Macroinvertebrates On the Back of an Envelope

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If you like aquatic macroinvertebrates (river bugs), here are some “back of the envelope” calculations that may amuse you.
The UMOWA 2015 Macroinvertebrate Monitoring Report reported that the greatest density of macroinvertebrates occurred between the Dam and Craig. The density of macroinvertebrates averaged about 12,000 individuals per square meter.

The distance from the Dam to Craig is about 7.8 miles (12,553 meters). The average wetted channel width is roughly 100 m on this stretch of river. If we multiply these two numbers, we get an idea of the area of the riverbed above town:  12,553 m x 100 m = 1,255,300 square meters of river bottom between the Dam and Craig.

We can then multiply this number by the average number of macroinvertebrates per square meter of river bottom (12,000 individuals per square meter) to get a rough guess of the total number of bugs between the Dam and Craig:  1,255,300 square meters x 12,000 individuals per square meter = 15,063,600,000 individual bugs between the Dam and Craig. 

So between the Dam and Craig there are about 15 billion individual bugs.

The most recent MT FWP trout surveys reported that on the Craig stretch of the Missouri River there were 4,073 Rainbows and 433 Browns greater than 10 inches per mile. If we combine these two numbers, then there were 4,506 trout per mile of river around Craig. We can multiply this number by the 7.8 miles of river between the Dam and Craig to get a guess of the total number of trout between the Dam and Craig:  4,506 trout per mile x 7.8 miles = 35,147 total trout greater than 10″ between the Dam and Craig.

If there are 15,063,600,000 individual bugs and 35,147 trout, then there are approximately 428,588 bugs per trout. Now of course, these numbers are very rough and not all of the bugs are available to the trout at all times.

So if you want to impress some trout bum chicks…don’t use this information as a catalyst to the second drift boat date!

What’s the point of all this math? I don’t really have one, other than it’s kind of amazing that the flies on the ends of our lines get noticed at all with so many natural bugs around. But they do. And that’s pretty cool.

Macroinvertebrate Report from UMOWA

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]On December 22, the Upper Missouri River Watershed Alliance (UMOWA) released the Baseline Macroinvertebrate Monitoring Report 2015 for the Upper Missouri River, MT, prepared by David Stagliano. The purpose of this study was to provide baseline macroinvertebrate (bug) monitoring data in order to assess the aquatic biointegrity, or health, of the Missouri River. This study is the most comprehensive study of its kind thus far performed on the Missouri River. In addition to the study’s conservation significance, it has yielded a lot of information that may be of interest to Missouri River anglers.

Study Findings:

Samples were collected at ten sites on the Missouri River between Holter Dam and Cascade, at one site near Toston, and at one site near York’s Island. A total of 93 different macroinvertebrate taxa were collected. Of these, 47 were mayflies, caddisflies, and stoneflies (EPT taxa) which are of particular interest to fly anglers. The other 46 taxa were midges or non-insect organisms like aquatic worms, scuds, sowbugs, or snails.

The overall density of bugs was greatest above the town of Craig with densities averaging 12,000 individuals per square meter. As distance below Holter Dam increased, there were generally fewer bugs, but a greater diversity of different taxa. In other words, there are more total bugs upstream but a greater number of different bugs downstream. Samples taken near Cascade had the greatest number of different taxa found at one site (47). On average, approximately 27 different taxa were observed at each site.

Mayflies:

There were 21 species of mayflies identified. The dominant three were BWO’s (Baetis tricaudatus), Tricos (Tricorythodes explicatus), and Pale Morning Duns (Ephemerella excrucians). The dominant mayfly at each site was determined by season and the amount of silt present in the river bottom. Trico proportions increased with silt presence whereas PMDs and Baetis generally preferred riffle habitats.

Caddisflies:

There were 19 species of caddisflies identified. The dominant caddis was the Little Sister Sedge (Cheumatopsyche) but other net-spinning caddis (Hydropsyche sp.), microcaddis (Hydroptila), snail-cased caddis (Helicopsyche borealis), and long-horned caddis (Oecetis sp.) were also common. The large orange October Caddis (Dicomoecus gilvipes) was found throughout the sample sites but most common below the Dearborn River.

Stoneflies:

There were 7 species of stoneflies identified. They were observed sporadically across the sample sites but their abundance and diversity was greatest at downstream sample sites. Stoneflies were also common around the mouths of Little Prickly Pear Creek and the Dearborn River. The stonefly species collected included Golden Stones (Hesperoperla pacifica and Claasenia sabulosa), Yellow Sallies (Suwallia/Paraperla), Spring Stones (Amphinemura), and Green-winged Stones (Isoperla). Even one Salmonfly (Pteronarcys californica) was observed below the mouth of Little Prickly Pear Creek.

Seasonal Trends:

The study showed a seasonal trend in the makeup of the aquatic communities. Following the spring runoff, the overall abundance of bugs directly downstream of both Little Prickly Pear Creek and the Dearborn River was very low. This was probably due to riverbed scouring by the high spring flows in these tributaries. By summer, mayflies and caddisflies were numerous at most of the sites. As hatches tapered off during the fall period, mayfly and caddis numbers dropped and non insect taxa such as sowbugs, scuds, worms, and snails made up a greater proportion of the aquatic community.

Comparison With Historical Data:

Prior to this study, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) sampled several of the same sites during the mid-2000s. Compared to their study findings, caddis numbers have decreased during the last decade while midge and sowbug numbers have increased. This change may be due to increased sediment build up combined with aquatic vegetation trapping sediments.

As UMOWA continues to sample these sites each year, anglers will have a better idea how the macroinvertebrate community in the Missouri River is changing over time. This study will also help inform future river management decisions.

 

The table below shows all of the mayfly, caddisfly, and stonefly taxa that were observed for all the sample sites. LPPC site name refers to Little Prickly Pear Creek. Boulder site name refers to riprap bank above Dearborn River. US = upstream. DS = downstream.

  • x = present but rare
  • X = common
  • XX = abundant
  • XXX = dominant

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The following figures illustrate the macroinvertebrate metric averages for all of the sample sites during all seasons (spring, summer, and fall). Errors bars are standard error (SE). Blue arrows indicate where Little Prickly Pear Creek (LPPC) and the Dearborn River enter the Missouri River. For the site names, US = upstream. DS = downstream.

EPT taxa = mayflies, caddisflies, and stoneflies.

Use the slider arrows to view each of the five graphs. If you would like to view these graphs in the context of the full report, click here.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][us_image_slider ids=”16245,16243,16246,16242,16244″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Baetis Week. Dry-Dropper Rigs

Baetis Week. Dry-Dropper Rigs

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[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Today on the Headhunters Fly Fishing Blog we bring you new science. The dry-dropper rig.

No. Not new. Yet quite effective here on Montana’s Missouri River.

I was not a fan for many years. I had always believed that the nymph would hinder the drift of the dry. So why not put a couple nymphs and a bobber on if you wanted to nymph. And adding a dry to a dry was cool too.

Until the creation of these fantastic slim bodied mayfly patterns grabbed me.

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One more way to fish for BWO fish.

Baetis Week. Dry-Dropper Rigs

Overcast skies can bring the trout into shallow waters and how should you capitalize on this opportunity? Dry-Dropper rigs. Two-Bit Hookers, Little Green Machines, S & M, Gidget, Magic Fly BWO…and more all with narrow abdomens.

Why the narrow ones? They sink faster. Tungsten heads help too. Tie it off at 12″ or deeper if you wish depending not he depth you want to achieve. Sometimes you may want to go as short as 6″. Some situations demand you go deeper yet.

How about the top fly? Any attractor that you like. I like the big Parachute Adams. We have them in several post colors like pink, chartreuse/pink, grey, black, white, and soft pink. A Wulff type fly will work. Small Chubby? OK. Double Posted Midge Cluster pattern? Yep. March Brown fly? Skwala? Any fly you can see well and can support a dropper fly will suffice.

With the advent of lower water this summer the water depth you are seeking can be slower than normal. Hence the effectiveness of the dropper rig.

How about those faster skinny riffles? Good for searching that type of water as well. Toss it upstream dn find out if there are any feeding fish in there.

Will they eat the dry? Oh yeah. Not quite as often as you wish. If they were really eating the dry you would lop off the dropper portion. I really think it is a good way to fish short and shallow. The Short Leash Nymph rigs are good for a touch deeper zone. Like in the 12″-36″ water column. The dry-dropper rig is great in 12″ or less.

Perfect for all of the shore centric anglers out there…but even better for those who fish the entire river bank to bank.

Baetis Week. Dry-Dropper Rigs
Fishing the dry dropper with success!

 

What kind of tippet do we tie to the top fly? 3X or 4X. Depends on the size of course. 5X to the dropper. We love a long leader here on the Mighty Mo generally starting with the 12′ RIO 4X and adding a bit of tippet tying on the dry and then continuing to the dropper.

Small droppers work really well this time of year with the advent of the superior BWO fishing.

  • Hey, are there a ton of trout on the surface? Depends on the day and the reach. Yes, and no.
  • Hey, do you fella’s have all those skinny bodied flies in the shop? Yep, you betcha.
  • Hey, can you show me how to tie this up in the store? Certainly.
  • Hey, should I try this upon my next visit to the Mo? Maybe.
  • Hey, this weekend looks like good BWO weather. Do you agree? Oh yeah.
  • Hey, we’ll see you out there with the net out.

Bottom Line: Keep it real by trying all kinds of things throughout the year. So many of us get in a rut concerning our fishing techniques. Those who are fooling around the most usually bump into cool techniques once in a while. Try it, you might like it.

Check out yesterdays BWO Blog here. Tuesdays BWO Blog here.

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5 Tips for Better Missouri River Spring Fishing

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Fishing Reports from the last week have been varied. Spring like conditions are ever changing and it pays to keep a few things in mind when fishing the Missouri River the next couple months.

The water can be green this time of year and it freaks a lot of fellers out. Should it? Flows are 4700cfs with water temps in the 35.5F frame. It should rise this week. The temps not the flows.

5 Tips for Better Missouri River Spring Fishing

  1. Go where they aren’t. The people that is. Break out and fish new water. Change it up. It’s busy up river…
  2. Go Big. Big attractor type nymphs can get the job done. Worms, Scuds, your big fat favorite slutty fly.
  3. Go small. Zebra’s and tiny black flies catch big trout.
  4. Go Slow. Watch all of the boats float through the faster summer water. Maybe they are busy drinking though. The rower, when drift fishing, has to participate. Those who don’t engage the oar blades with the water don’t catch as many. Winter and spring fish reside in soft, deep, boring water.
  5. Go Fish mid-week. Weekends when the weather is nice are pretty busy. Come out and fish Monday-Thursday and take advantage of fewer folks on the water. Plan ahead and capitalize.

Be smart on the water. If you are the type of guy that like to go out and get some to the net you have to plan accordingly. Following the same grind, the same float pattern, and the same plan does not encourage angler growth. Changing, keeping it fresh, and fishing new water is a path to development.

Don’t stop learning or trying. If you need some suggestions how to force change in your life, stop on by the shop. We’ll lead you down some new roads, channels, rivers…

Headhunters Fly Shop open daily at 8am and now open later for your late afternoon fly fishing binging.

Big Dries.

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[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]The other day I was picking a few big “foamies” out of the bin for a day on the water. A customer leaned over my shoulder and asked “what the hell I was going to use those for?”. “The Missouri”, I responded. He gave me that “you are a liar look” all fly shop owners have received at one time or another (whether they are telling the truth or not). I wasn’t lying.

Many visitors to the Missouri River during mid-summer are in search of technical “match-the-hatch” fly fishing. And we are too. We love it.

So why would I be picking out some big foam stonefly patterns if I like matching the hatch? Because, I like matching the hatch…

While technical ‘purist” think of PMD, Baetis and Trico hatches when they envision themselves standing in the Missouri, the fact is that we do have a few other bugs that dictate what the trout are looking for. Just a few.

Everyone knows that ant patterns – like Missouri River guide Dave Bloom’s Ant – are a staple for dry fly fishing. I’ve often said that if there was a “One Fly, Dry Fly” contest on the Mo’, I’d choose this pattern. And there’s a reason. Get out and walk the willow lines banks and scabby flats and you’ll see ants everywhere. Ants on bushes. Flying ants. Ant hills. They’re everywhere.

While a #14 ant isn’t exactly a “foamie”, many latin spouting Eastern anglers scoff at the notion of throwing an ant pattern. To them it’s the same as throwing a Royal Wulff or stimulator. But in reality, an angler on the Missouri is most definitely matching the hatch (albeit terrestrial) when tying on an ant pattern.

And those big Foamies? Well, we do have a few Golden Stones and Salmonflies on the Missouri River. A few. We also have plenty of hoppers and Yellow Sallies. If you look around, you will see the big stoneflies and the shucks they leave behind on stream side rocks. And while you won’t see many flying or on the water, they are here. It’s almost like they hatch at night.

And because they are there, our trout eat them. The big ones are always on the lookout for a large winged meal with rubber legs. While guiding “Margarita” Ron Bartek last week, we managed a few fish each day on the big flies. Only a handful of fish, but they all looked like this…[/vc_column_text][us_separator icon=”fas|star” show_line=”1″ line_width=”default”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/1″][us_image image=”5619″ size=”full” link=”” onclick=”lightbox”][us_separator icon=”fas|star” show_line=”1″ line_width=”default”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]These bugs are not for throwing into pods below Wolf Creek. They’re best suited towards searching the banks or fast flats when little else is going on. You absolutely need some experience to figure out the right kind of water, but it does work. Sometimes it works great.

Rev. Ninch from the Church of Flyentology picked out a few of his favorites for you to see. While He probably won’t tell you when or where, he’ll show you the bug. Will I tell you? Nope. Somethings you have to figure out without the help of Google. But we’re giving you a start.[/vc_column_text][us_separator show_line=”1″ line_width=”default”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/1″][us_grid type=”masonry” post_type=”attachment” items_quantity=”” images=”5638,5639,5640,5641,5642,5643,5644,5645″ orderby=”post__in” items_gap=”” columns=”6″ items_layout=”gallery_default” img_size=”us_350_350_crop” overriding_link=”popup_post_image” breakpoint_1_cols=”6″ breakpoint_2_width=”768px” breakpoint_3_width=”480px” breakpoint_2_cols=”4″ breakpoint_3_cols=”2″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Missouri River Montana PMD Box

Missouri River Montana PMD Box

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Pale Morning Duns are part of your day here fly fishing Montana’s Missouri River in June.

We love June as the bugs participate more willingly everyday. While the weather this last week has been really shitty, the fishing has stood up. The rain pouring out of the clouds Wednesday was impressive. A real test to your waders and your rain jacket. Better have a good one or go home early. You don’t want to go home early do you?

Mark’s PMD Tips for catching more Missouri River Trout

Squeeky’s PMD Box for the Missouri River. It is one of my favorite hatches and in years past it certainly was. Is it today? Yes, I like the hatch that is currently going on. As the caddis become thicker, it will change.

Who doesn’t love tossing Rusty Spinners at bank sipping’ brown trouts? I for one do.

The Pale Morning Duns that come off include the Ephemerella infrequens and the Ephemerella inermis. The big one and the little one.

The trout will eat duns on occasion. The first drift is the right time to fool those finicky trout with the dun. It is the right time to trick them in every situation.

 

Do not be the guy who pisses the fish off on the first drift. Don’t be that guy.

 

Who is that guy? Many anglers try to get the trout on their first cast after identifying rising trout. They cast the fly near the trout, do not have enough line pulled off the reel, strip line off as the fly is rapidly approaching the target, the fly slides, the fish eats it, and that guy misses the trout because he is busy stripping line off the reel.

Squeeky’s Strong Suggestion: Do all that shit before you make your first presentation. Well, only if you want to catch more fish on dry flies.

Most fish are not caught on the first cast. Does not matter that you make multiple presentations beyond the first drift. The fish are aware that a dragging Rusty Spinner is not all that attractive, or appealing, or edible. Think about it.

Most fish are caught on the first drift though. Make it a good one. Do not rush. The fish is eating, no rush man. No rush.

Make sure you have the appropriate amount of line off the reel. Make a couple drifts on the outside of the fish. Meaning not near him. A couple feet on the near side will suffice. Make sure you understand the drift before you toss the fly into the zone.

Then when you have all the prep out of the way, make your presentation. It is amazing what the element of surprise will do for your net. It gets it wet. The element of surpass is eliminated if you drag your fly across their heads several times before making your first decent drag free drift.

Remember: If you are fishing spinner patterns they should not drag. Spinners are dead. Dead flies do not swim, twitch, move…and they certainly do not drag!

Go out there and make some good presentations to our freely rising trout. Approach the situation like you want to catch the fish. You are hunting a wild animal. Act like it.

Sounds like straight talk here on the fly fishing blog straight outta Headhunters Fly Shop? Just honesty here today. Put yourself in successful situations and you will be rewarded.

As in life, as in fishing. Just keep casting and good things will happen.  -SOL

 

Squeeky’s Missouri River Montana PMD Box

Missouri River Montana PMD Box

Row 1 L2R: Harrop’s PMD Spinner Blonde version, Brook’s PMD Sprout, Hackle Stackers and Hairwing Duns, Silverman’s Spinner & Hi-Vis Rusty, Harrop’s Rusty Spinner.

Row 2: Nymen’s PMD Cripple & Quigley’s Cripple, Limestone Cripple, CDC Harrop’s Cripples, Haystack PMD, Quigley’s Rusty Cripple, Harrop’s Hi-Viz CDC Para Rusty Spinner.

Row 3: Half-Dun Hatching, Trapped PMD Dun, Para PMD & Hackle Stackers, Para-PMD’s,  Poly Wing Rusty Spinner.

Row 4: PMD RS2’s and other CDC Emergers, CDC Transitional Duns & Captive Duns, Pink Parachutes & Hackle Stackers, Emergent PMD’s, some sort of yellow tipped,eager/dun/spinner thingy’s, Harrop’s Pale Green CDC PMD Hi-VIz Spinners

We will see your this month plying your PMD trade here in Craig fishing Montana’s Missouri River. The PMD factory of central Montana.

 

Hey Mister…Pssst. Film Event tomorrow night at Headhunters Fly Shop in Craig.

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5 Ways New Fly Lines make you Smile!

5 Ways New Fly Lines make you Smile!

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5 Ways New Fly Lines make you Smile!

Think you need a new fly line? I do.

I think you need a new fly line.

The simple truth is just this. It is the vehicle that delivers the fly to the target.

A Simple Fact.

5 Ways New Fly Lines make you Smile!

  1. Delivers the fly to the target. Smoothly and effortlessly.
  2. Dirty old fly lines are the work of the Devil.
  3. Like things that have not been used much, like old tires with just a few miles on them, like old milk. Old barely used fly lines are generally not too good. Kinked and smelly.
  4. Overused old fly lines tangle lots. You know what I mean. I see lots of tangly lines. Clean them often. Daily is best. Remember the fly line is the vehicle that delivers the fly to the target.
  5. Many folks buy new fly rods. Smarter folks buy new fly lines and keep the good ‘ol rod.
  6. A bonus method. You catch more fish. Period. That is a bonus!

We love new fly lines. Everybody does. It is like new socks but better.

It is the feel good product of fly fishing.

Headhunters has a bundle of DEMO fly lines for your demo pleasures. Think you want a new one but don’t know which fly line matches you SAGE One? What line should accompany your streamer rod? Why nymphing lines perform well when trout fishing subsurface? We got the answers.

We pride ourselves on knowing more that the average bear, or fly shop, about fly lines for the Missouri River. And why not? It is in our own backyard.

We have over 75 different fly lines in stock. A mountain of RIO Fly Lines for both single and double handers with all of the dry line options offered by RIO. RIO, Airflo, Cortland, Orvis, and Wulff lines available for your fishing pleasure.

Come in and try one out. Come in and let’s discuss your fly line needs. Come in and we’ll spin up a new line for you today.

It’s a cinch. It’ll make you fish better. It’ll make you Smile!

 

 

Missouri River Montana Fishing Report

Missouri River Montana Fishing Report 5.6.14

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The water downriver is clearing already. The LPP Creek has about half the volume of mud as it was yesterday. Today, half as much again. Good vis all the way to Craig. The water is green but not dirty. I’d say 2 feet still in Craig with vis not an issue until you get to the Dearborn. Then not too bad. Guides all the way to Cascade again yesterday. No fear.

Tons of out of area guides here on the Missouri this wee and until Mid July. Until the west-side and north-side and south-side rivers recede. They all come to the Missouri. If you are headed here and need lodging please check out www.craiglodging.com.

Missouri River Montana Fishing Report 

Good to great nymphing depending on who you ask. Morning was better than the afternoon yesterday, but today? Gotta go to know.

Worms were on fire yesterday. Today? Try it for your lead fly and go with it. It is a fly that the fish will come to in certain conditions. A valuable tool for spring conditions.

Sows, scuds, PT’s. The same stuff for the month. May is a terrific month for fly fishing on the Missouri. Will the dry fly bite come on?

That is what we are holding our breath about. The dry fly game. Still holding. Late nights is still the answer. For a couple. Not a handful.

Streamers? Yes.

[forecast]

Getting cooler and getting wetter. Yep, spring in Montana. We did like th 70F weather last week. More ahead? not this week. Maybe the weekend will bring nicer skies. Although the BWO’s like the overcast. The fish like the overcast. The BWO’s get stuck when it is cooler and wetter. That is why the dry fly bite is better during overcast days. The bugs stay on the surface longer.

Headhunters open daily @730am for all your Missouri River Fly Fishing needs. Gloves, sunscreen, killer logo wear, SIMMS products, RIO fly lines, SAGE fly rods, accessories galore, and the friendliest staff in Craig.

 

Top 10 Tips for Higher Water Success

10 Tips for High(er) Water Success

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The flows this morning are 8360cfs. This is not high by historical flows, but is higher than some anglers are comfortable with.

High flows are aver 15K to us here on the Missouri. We will write another blog when she gets to that level, which we do not expect. The flows are similar to the 6K mark, but higher. Smart huh?!

Imagine the subsurface structure and put the flies on those structure points. Here is where long time Mo River Anglers thrive. They have a map of the bottom of the river etched in their minds and they are looking at it while fishing/drifting. Think of drop offs, bank lines, the old primary shelf, the secondary shelf…things like that. Fish love structure. They feed, hide, chill on structure points.

10 Tips for High(er) Water Success

  1. Stay on the inside bend while nymphing. The fish don’t like that turbulent water near or on the rip-rap banks at this temp and at these flows.
  2. Add a tip to your streamer line. If you are going to streamer fish, use a T-7 or T-8 tip to get it down to where the fish are.
  3. Don’t rip your streamer back to you like you are on some sort of dreamy Galloup TV shoot. Slow and easy with long pauses. Get the flies down to the fish and then begin your stripping magic.
  4. Look for other boats  catching fish. See and learn what they are doing and replicate their movements. Don’t cut them off or low hole them, they may mention it to you. But watch and learn.
  5. Chat with your fly shop, Headhunters, and glean some information from the staff. They are out fishing daily and will lend a hand in your success. Flies, split shot, technique, areas etc. Use them for knowledge and hints. Headhunters is transparent. We’ll tell you all we know.
  6. Add more weight if you are not flirting with the bottom of the river occasionally. If you do not get the bait in front of the trout, they will not eat it. Period.
  7. Float longer floats. Bigger, faster water will allow you to cover more water. There are only a few great runs per mile in these higher and accelerated flows.
  8. As the Hazel gang in Maupin always say, “Fish good water well.” If you find ’em, stay on ’em.
  9. Get good at striking the fly hard when the bobber moves. Only those who hit it more often catch more fish. Those who watch, well…you know the unfortunate answer to that equation.
  10. Dry fly guys look for the bugs and slow inside tucked out of the way environs. You know those spots. Get in there and look, watch, wait…then cast. The BWO’s are out, or sort of coming daily. The midge yesterday was pretty epic in some areas. It is definitly happening as the water temps climb. We waited a long time, now it is the time. It will get better daily. We may be a week out still for consistent daily dry fly action? Bring your dry rod, you may employ it!

An easy 10 Tips for High(er) Water Success today from your information experts here at Headhunters Fly Shop in downtown Craig MT. Stop in any time for info, a vast Missouri River specific fly selection, tons fly lines, shuttles, or just to chew the fat. We dig fly fishing talk!

 

Ed Note: Hey if you want to view any of our past content you can! Just click on the Blog Icon in the Header for all of our fishing reports and blogs. Need to waste an hour or two at work? We got the content for you!

 

 

 

Missouri River Montnaa Fishing Report

Missouri River Montana Fishing Report 4.8.14

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Spring is here. What? Yep. The 2nd day over 60F today and we are nothing but excited.

And warmer.

Get out your tube of sunscreen and apply liberally. Warmer tomorrow for sure.

 

[forecast]

 

The weather will be great all week with air temps over 60F. We dig it. Maybe it truly is time to crawl from your winter cave and wet a line.

Missouri River Montana Fishing Report

Nymphing is really good. But not for all. Those squirrelly trout can be tough to locate some days. Try and try and try again.

Adjust something if you cannot get them. There are only 3 things you can control while nymph fishing.

  • The drift. Mend, mend up, mend down, mend across…do something to keep the drift rolling along as long as possible. You can’t get ‘er done without participation in your drift. Your float. It is you who dictates the drift. Be involved. If you do not know how to do it, learn. It is an, the most, important part of the equation. If it is not presented properly the fish will shy away from your shit.
  • The depth. Split shot can get you there. Add more, add less, spread it out, concentrate it in one spot. Add a weighted fly, or flies. Be in control of your sink rate. Drop them, the rig, in the water and watch it sink. If it gets there fast, that is gooood! And for those who think nymphing is tying a 12″ dropper from your dry fly you my be fooling yourselves. While that works, it is surely not getting to the fish harbored on the bottom of the Missouri River. Those in the know have several sizes of split and use them often. Be adaptive and involved in your depth selection!
  • The fly. The fly pattern can be important. If the one, or ones you are tossing/sinking do not get bit, then change. Give them a chance though. Whatever that length of time may be is up to you. I would guess an hour without a take may be long enough. Many, some will change before that juncture. Pink is still the word. Grey, tan, reddish, pinkish, orange-ish seem to be flavors in the mix. Some purple too? Change it up when no action is the rule. You want action, get some!

Missouri River Stats

Flows are flat level at 6460cfs. The water is a touch turbid. That means there is a little color in it. Not dirty by any means, but greener than normal. Actually quite normal in the spring as the lake(s) above us are in a state of change. The ice is coming off. And certainly more will disappear this week with the warmer daytime temperatures.

The water temps are rising slowly. Maybe a bit more this week with the aforementioned sun penetration. 38.5F this morning. We are looking forward tipping over the 40F mark. Soon, oh so soon. Then we get that olive flavored insect we love so very much.

And sun this week. We got that too.

Headhunters Fly Shop & Guide Service

Check out the fantastic short by Scumliner Media here on this very Fly Fishing Blog Super-site. FISHSKI is the name. Fishing and Skiing is our game! It is really a fun video.

Speaking of videos, we are filming with the New Fly Fisher this week. We will let you know when this TV show will air. January 2015 is the word.

We are just coming off a big weekend with our anniversary, OGR14 in Zootown and here in Craig, along with a bundle of HH Guides out on the water. We are in full swing with the Spring Special. Cheap lodging @ Craig Trout Camp and a few other properties on the Missouri River in conjunction with $300 Headhunters Guide Trips. Fun times in your favorite fishing ‘burb in central Montana.

If you have not fished the Missouri this year, or ever…then maybe this is your year. We’d love to host you on this Blue Ribbon fishery.

Headhunters Fly Shop and Guide Service open daily @ 8am. We are open late if you feel the need or overwhelming desire to fish after work or book your tip while in you living room, in your slippers, dreaming of the Mighty Mo and the un-real Trico Spinner Falls in late July!

Shuttles daily, guides available, rental Adipose Drift Boats, any lodging needs, demo rods, flies, info, sunscreen, BUFF’s, or a shoulder to cry on. We got your back.