john

New Boat Smell…. ME!

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I’m back on the sticks guiding full time in 2017, and I’ve been without a drift boat for a couple years. My raft, my Towee, and my boots have been my main modes of covering water. Today I drove up to Helena to pick up a brand new Adipose Flow, the best guide boat on the market. Stoked.

While I was there I got to check out the new Adipose “Runoff”, a high side model for those who want a little more wave punching ability in their hull. I gotta say it’s a pretty sweet boat, and Adipose decided to lay the first one up in vacuum infused carbon-fiber.

This new model is designed for heavier water, big standing waves, and perhaps for that dude that’s just looking for a bigger boat…[/vc_column_text][us_image image=”21328″][vc_column_text]If you’re interested in this hull, check out this short video showing off the new design and performance attributes. There’s more photos on the Adipose Facebook page. You can call Justin at the shop as well, but if you wait a few weeks you’ll get to see some more detailed images an on-water reports. Possibly some video as well.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]I also took this quick shot from behind the oarlocks at gunnel level to try and give folks an idea of the difference in height. As you can see, it’s not a dramatic difference in height. It’s more of a performance difference. I expect this model to be very popular in Missoula, on the Yellowstone and over on the rain soaked rivers of the coast. Justin has been getting lots of inquiries from Colorado as well, and plans to have it down at the Sportsmans show in Denver in early January.

Great looking hull, and like always Justin, Mike and Tracy have putt lots of thought into this one.[/vc_column_text][us_image image=”21329″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Montana Guided Spey Trips

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Headhunters has been dabbling in guided spey trips for the last two winters. We’ve run a few, but haven’t really pushed it too hard. Most of our guides have no interest in more work during the winter. They’re more interested in hunting, skiing and sleeping. But Mark and Dewey have sucked it up and showed a few eager folks how we fish the Missouri with a two-hander during the winter swing-season.

Some of you may have heard that I’m returning to the guide staff for the 2017 season. True story. And as part of that I will also be doing guided spey trips beginning immediately. It’s something I’ve done in years past, both in Montana and in the PNW for Steelhead. As most of you know chasing Steelhead with a spey rod is something that has occupied a majority of my lifetime. As Troutspey fishing continues to gain in popularity, we are getting more requests for guided trips and continued spey casting instruction. We are also getting requests all season, not just in the winter months. While Steelhead brought me to the spey rod, I am really enjoying discovering new riffles and runs in Montana the pull nicely.

Along with Dewey and Mark, I’ll be heading up our guided two-handed trips. And beginning the first of April, women’s world champion spey caster Whitney Gould will be joining our guide staff as well. While April and May are generally considered some of the better months for traditional techniques, Whitney and I will also be encouraging folks to give it a try with the two-hander. April and May can be unreal streamer fishing, and spey rod is the perfect tool for presenting the fly. Whitney will be on the Missouri until mid-August when she’ll move on over to the Clearwater to guide Steelhead. Whitney will be guiding all disciplines, not just two-handed, but as long as she is here I certainly hope some of you take advantage of her teaching and casting skills to improve your own spey casting.

If you have any detailed questions you can call the shop or contact me directly. Hope to see you out on the river this winter, one hand or two.

below: Whitney Gould rigging up on the Missouri River.[/vc_column_text][us_image image=”20878″ align=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Ninch & John’s Fishing Report

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[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Ninch and I decided to try a little lower river action the other day, what with the unseasonably warm and balmy, shirtsleeve weather. The ice that locked up the lower river for a month is long gone. The wind was almost non-existent, and Pelican is the closest ramp to both of our houses. Our plan was to swing streamers all day on two-handers, which is always our plan this time of year.

Here’s my favorite shot of the day. The big wide open of the lower river.[/vc_column_text][us_image image=”9472″ size=”full” link=”” onclick=”lightbox”][vc_column_text]The morning proved a little slower than we expected. While the air temps were plenty warm, the water may have still be on the cold side. We were also fishing some pretty quick water for this time of year. A few were nabbed regardless.

As they day progressed we really began to dial in the perfect depth and speed. Silty inside bends were very productive, as they hold the most midge pupa and nice easy currents for the trout to hang in. It usually takes us a little longer to figure it out when fishing “new” winter water. By “new” I mean that we know it well but not well in January. Sure, we know where they are from the Dam to Mid-Canon this time of year, but it’s more enjoyable to hit some new stuff and figure it out. Unless we get our hats handed to us…

Which did not happen this time. In fact, it was some of the best winter angling I’ve experienced on the lower river. In a couple of runs I watched Ben lean into fish 2 or 3 casts in a row. You never get them all when you’re swinging, but we got a good number of them, including some nice Browns.

Ninch spent the entire day swinging his Echo Glass two-hander, which is really turning out to be the perfect winter stick for the Missouri River. Ninch used the new RIO Scandi Versitip with floating, intermediate and type 5 tips. He caught most of his fish on the intermediate.

I fished my Sage METHOD 12’6″ #6, which has become my favorite Mo’ rod (and my favorite Steelhead rod). I stuck with the floater all day with a long leader and weighted fly. I probably should’ve switched to the intermediate – and more in some runs – but am just too lazy to stop fishing and change heads. A problem I’ve had for a long time.

Our best flies were the winter standards. Flashy baitfish. Ninch was throwing some kind of Kreelex variation of his own, and I was tossing the Mozuri Minnow. I am well aware that everyone wants to throw giant, fat-head, tandem (or more) Galloup-esque patterns. They have there place and time, but we find that over the course of a winter, the smaller Clouser style baitfish patterns far out-produce the bigger pushers. And when we have a big day, it’s always on the minnows. I tell people this all the time in the shop, but they don’t listen…

We were a little bummed when we started and realized it was going to be a good midge hatch. We had no single handers in the boat. We probably didn’t have any dries. Then a big ant fall came and we were really bummed. While I can’t say that I saw a whole lot of feeders, I did see a few. And we weren’t really fishing those kinds of spots. I suspect that there were some great dry fly opportunities around. Today may have been the day. Staying out until dark would have been the smart play if we were looking for heads. As it was, we were pretty much fished out around 3pm.

In the winter you can expect mostly Rainbow, and we had that. Cookie-cutter Missouri River fish mostly in that 16-17 inch range, but a few bigger. We were also rewarded with a half-dozen nice Browns. Very healthy and powerful. Jumpin’ all over the place. This makes me happy.

Here’s a few shots of a beautiful post Chinook winter day on the Missouri River.[/vc_column_text][us_grid type=”m” post_type=”attachment” items_quantity=”” images=”9474,9473,9471,9470,9469,9468,9478,9480,9467″ 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][/vc_row]