18 days til Christmas

18 Days til Christmas

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] 18 Days til Christmas A reminder to you out there in Headhunters Land that the days are slipping past as Christmas races towards us. Another reminder that shopping with Fly Shop Small is damn important to us and the other small businesses out there, near here, near you. We love to hear from you … Read more

Missouri River September Fishing Forecast 2020

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Rolling into September 2020 and Covid Free in Craig Montana. All good here as we welcome Autumn with cooler daytime highs, today only forecast to reach the 60F mark. The nighttime lows are not dipping below the 40F point yet, but it Isi certainly coming soon. Time to wear your light puffy in the mornings … Read more

Missouri River May Fly Fishing Forecast

Missouri River May Fly Fishing Forecast

Missouri River May Fly Fishing Forecast Here we go out of April running full speed into the jaws of May! Hooray. Maybe spring will greet us this Month of May. Things to look forward to in May include… More water. How much? Again we can only speculate, smartly. The answer is more. We are currently … Read more

Missouri River Trout Spey Spring Swing Report

Missouri River Trout Spey Spring Swing Report In one word. Good. Some days great. The fish do make the ultimate decision. Fished with Ninch and our Sage rep Thursday and Ninth put on a show. Outfishing Kurt and I by a wide margin. Why? Lots of reasons. Ninch is a predator on the water. Not … Read more

Orvis Helios 3 Video

Orvis Helios 3 Video

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Orvis Helios 3 Video

This is a really great rod. Whether you want the distance (D) version or the feel (F) version you will be overjoyed with either.

Popular with fishing guides, shop staff, and the you alike, this rod has performed miracles already on the Missouri River.

Come by today and demo this fantastic addition to your quiver. The Helios 3 edition is the best so far!  You will not be disappointed.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=11&v=qJ32sjo3Osw” video_title=”1″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

New Boat Smell Hyde Montana Skiff

New Boat Smell Hyde Montana Skiff

New Boat Smell Hyde Montana Skiff Shane Wilson and his new Hyde Montana Skiff today at Headhunters Fly Shop. Max Mattioli has one too. Now both of these HH guides are rocking this Hyde version of the ever so popular skiff that is taking over Montana’s Missouri River. Some don’t like the skiff design because … Read more

Sage PULSE Video

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Sage PULSE Video

The Sage PULSE video featuring Mark from Headhunters Fly Shop in Craig Montana.

Come in and test one out if you wish. We love both the Sage PULSE 590-4 and the 690-4. Perfect rods for the Missouri River or your river.

Graphite IIIe will remind you of your favorite rod. Why not make new memories with a new Sage PULSE.

Headhunters is the place for your next fly fishing visit. The fly shop has all you need for the Missouri River and beyond. One stop lodging, guiding, rental boats, Sage fly rods, including the most contemporary fly selection in Montana.

Enjoy the Sage PULSE Video today on the Headhunters Blog.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://vimeo.com/162552341″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Vedavoo. Made in the USA, Headhunters

Vedavoo. Unique, USA Made, Headhunters

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]A unique item for those you are shopping for that don’t like the run of the mill mega produced overseas items. Vedavoo Made in the USA buy real people for real outdoor activities.

This sling pack is perfect for those who are into just carrying the right amount of gear to the river. Not those overkill individuals. I love this sling pack. It rules.

Perfect for those who are anti-establishment. Not made overseas. Sewn right here in the good ‘ol US of A. The Vedavoo Tightlines Sling Pack available at Headhunters today.

Vedavoo is not a product line you will see at all fly shops. You will not see it at your big box stores either. You only see it at small specialty retail stores. Just like us here in downtown Craig.

Vedavoo Made in the USA

The Vedavoo Tightlines Sling Pack was designed to be the one pack that can cover your needs for 90% of the fishing you do.

Worn over your non-dominant shoulder (left if you’re right handed), the pack rides comfortably in the small of your back. When you need access to your gear, you pull the sling around to the front – where it lies comfortably and level across your chest. This gives you quick and easy access to your tools, flies, and tippet, but keeps your front clean and tangle free while you fish.

Frustrated by other “circular” slings that creep around or flop forward on you, our design was built to stay put on your back. Our offset design connects to the body of the pack at a point above the center of gravity – which means that the weight is already past the point of turn, and must be PULLED around to the front.

Minimalist, but not restrictive, the pack was designed to carry two full size flyboxes from Cliff Outdoors (ideal with a Super Days Worth and a Standard Cliff Flybox) in the gear pouch. The strap is built with two key pockets:

  • Behind the gear pouch is a velcro closure pocket ideal for thin items you need (but don’t want in your way). Things like leader wallets, granola bars, pocket flasks, peanut butter sandwiches, etc fit nicely here.
  • A small zipper pocket to hold your loose gear and other accessories you need to have quick access to. Stash your indicators, weight, chapstick, floatant and more here.
    On top of the zipper pocket is a strip of tool loops – quickly connect your key tools here for easy access in the center of your chest when the sling is pulled to the front. We suggest using at least four S-Biners (you can get them from us) – they are a great way to clip on your tools, and keep them isolated from the pack so they don’t spin on the loops.

See all of our packs and bags here on our online store…

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Just Add Vise Tungsten Dart

Just Add Vise Tungsten Dart

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Today on the Headhunters Blog we have the Bloom’s Tungsten Dart.

A great pattern for the Missouri River May, June, July, August…you get the point.

Tie this on and get after it. We got them in stock for a cup full of flies in many sizes and we also have the Tung Dart Just Add Vise Kit. Order one up on the online store or stop in and take a few home with you.

Just Add Vise Tungsten Dart

Tungsten Dart from Headhunters Fly Shop on Vimeo.

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Shop Small this Saturday

Shop Small this Saturday

Shop Small this Saturday at your local stores. Whether it be in the small fishing ‘burb of Craig or your hometown…do your community a favor and Shop Small this Saturday.

Wouldn’t hurt your local retailers to shop small on Monday too.

Shop Small this Saturday
Headhunters Fly Shop open daily

I too shop at big box, online, and cannot pull myself away from a Big Mac once in a while. But I also remember to spend at small specialty retail as much as possible. It’s good for all.

The dollars you spend at your local shops stay in the community. That is a benefit for you, your family, and your neighbors.

Just think a bit this holiday period and remember that your local businesses love you, need you, and help in more ways than the big box store.

Thanks again for reading this sometimes informational blog from The Missouri River.

We are your fly shop when you are in Craig fishing the Missouri. We can pop whatever you may need in the mail and it will arrive on your doorstep soon. Operators standing by @ 406-235-3447.

Headhunters open daily for anything you may need this month and next.

Happy Holidays from all of us here in Craig Montana.

Boat Fly Review Of The Year So Far

boatflies
Patterns from the island of discarded/forgotten flies.

Since the spring, the employees here in the shop have been saving all the discarded/forgotten flies that have been left in our rental Adipose drift boats. The picture accompanying this post shows the flies that we’ve accumulated thus far.

They offer a pretty good snapshot of how the fishing has been. There are rainbow Czech nymphs and sowbugs from the winter/spring. There are tungsten San Juan worms and wire worms from the spring’s high water period. There are purple comparadun and Stormchaser dries from the spring Baetis period. There’s a March brown in the mix as well. Then there are the pale morning dun emergers and rusty spinners of late spring/early summer, some caddis dries and emergers, a yellow sally nymph, a Buzzball, the ants of summer, the ever present Zebra midges, and some streamers in the mix as well.

If you look closely at the photo, you’ll probably recognize a pattern or two that you caught some fish on this year. Czech nymphs, Zebra midges, Little Green Machines, rusty spinners, pheasant tails, CDC and elk dries, Buzzballs, San Juans… These patterns are definitely mainstays here on the Missouri River. Maybe some of the flies in the picture even belonged to you once. A few of them look pretty chewed up…

While cleaning our rental boats in the next couple of months, we’ll probably find some more trico flies, a callibaetis or two, some baetis/pseudo imitations, hoppers, more caddis (hopefully some of the October variety), and the streamers of the fall. Maybe we’ll throw another picture up here on the blog as the collection grows.

What will you be fishing this fall on Montana’s Missouri River? Do you agree on the Boat Fly Review of the Year so far?

Make your own memories this fall here in Craig. Get on it and we’ll keep the coffee warm for you.

Fly Tester by Flymen Fishing Co.

The Fly Tester at work testing some streamers in the shop.
The Fly Tester at work testing some streamers in the shop.

The newest addition to the growing fly tying arsenal at Headhunters Flyshop is the Fly Tester by the Flymen Fishing Co.

Have you ever tied up a dozen flies of some new pattern only to find out that they didn’t perform the way you had hoped when you got them in the water? The Fly Tester was designed to allow the fly tier to avoid this situation by observing the action of flies immediately after tying them.

In a nutshell:  DESIGN → TIE → TEST → CATCH FISH

The tank is best suited for testing streamers, but will also show how nymphs  drift in current and how dries skate on the surface (think mouse patterns or skating October caddis).

To see the Fly Tester in action, you can stop by the shop, or check out this cool, short video below.

Key features of the tank include:

  • “BEST IN SHOW” Award Winner at the 2014 International Fly Tackle Dealer show
  • High quality, crystal-clear, acrylic construction
  • Bi-directional water flow with upper, middle, and lower sections that allow you to swim up to 3 different types of flies (streamers, nymphs, and surface flies) at the same time
  • Flow tube that can swim streamers up to 12″ in length
  • Slim line design that is lightweight (less than 8 lbs.) and with a small footprint for use at the fly-tying desk (height is 12” x width 3.5” x length 24”)

 

Next time you’re in the shop, feel free to bring in some of your homegrown flies to give them a swim in the tank. We’ve also been testing a lot of the flies from our bins and noticing some new things about how they truly perform in the water.

If you’re interested in getting a Fly Tester tank of your own, they retail for $285 and we’d be happy to order one for you.