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Slippery fly lines use RIO SlickCast!
The new line of RIO Fly Lines utilizing this technology and an improved core make the new series of RIO Elite Fly Lines something to behold.
Come by the shop and check them out today.
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Squeeky’s Winter Bobber Set-Up Looks like most of you will be either be swinging flies on your Trout Spey rod or nymphing for the next several months. I too will be engaging in both of these winter disciplines until we see a few fish getting closer to the surface hopefully in late February 2021. … Read more
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Ed Note: A re-post of this comprehensive Trout Spey Gear Roundup scribed by John this past month. We thought it important to post again as we now headlong into the TROUT2H Season. Swing Season has arrived! SWING SEASON 20-21 October is here, and that means we’re hearing the word “swing” around the shop more … Read more
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Cool video from RIO Fly Lines today on the Headhunters Fly Shop Blog.
The Headhunter Fly Line is manufactured by the Idaho Falls gang.
Not very often when you get a peek inside the manufacturing process of a fly line.
Proprietary equipment spits out the lines and, Poof!, we get col fly lines.
I like the magic of this process.
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Zack Dalton of RIO takes us through a few of the knots you should know heading out on the water.
No more Monday Night Football? Go nuts. Tie knots.
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RIO Trout Spey Lines @ Headhunters Fly Shop. Yes indeed. With the snow going away in the next couple weeks we may be able to access the river out our back door here in Craig Montana. Maybe?
We have the RIO Trout Spey in both the Skagit and Scandi configurations. We also have both the Heads and the Integrated Lines. An integrated Spey Line is one that has the running line, integrated/included. Makes things pretty easy for the new spey angler.
Available in line weights 1-5, 180grains and up. Come on by and check ’em out.
We have been using this line for the last 8 months and we love it. Squeeky loves swinging soft hackles and the RIO Trout Spey Line is the ticket to ride! An easy caster that has enough horsepower to handle any of the VersiLeader sinking leaders that you need.
We also have the full line of trout spey gear from RIO, Scientific Anglers, and OPST. Tips, heads, integrated lines, all fo the IMOW & MOW tips, Sonar leaders, SA TC Tips, RIO VersiLeaders, T-8, T-11, OPST Riffle, Run, and Bucket Series tips, tippet rings, swivels, fly clips, tip wallets, line cleaners…Come on down for the only shop with all of the trout spey gear you need here in Montana, on any trout stream, and beyond.
Remember that we have the full selection of RIO Spey lines up to 600+ grains for Skagit and Scandi anglers.
Headhunters is your Trout Spey HQ. Feel free to call anytime with questions about grain weights, rod and line matching, suggestions on tips, heads, running lines, rods, and more.
Trout Spey Hotline: 406-235-3447
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] January Spey Report from Richard Trout Spey Report 1.13.19 Fishing in January, what more can I say. While many across the country are drilling holes through hard water, the crew at Headhunters are chasing trout with a spey rod. In a month synonymous with the bitter cold, we have been enjoying some pretty favorable … Read more
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Today on the Headhunters Fly Shop Blog we bring you this fantastic video with Spey Casting Guru Simon Gawesworth of RIO Products.
We get lots of questions about this newer style of single handed casting and Simon will break down a few myths and confusion points in this informational and educational video.
Really worth watching. A couple of fellers from Spokane empty the single handed spey cast on the St. Joe in Idaho. We see a few using it here as well. Mark has been sneaking around with his for the past year. IT comes out more and more in specific situations. Swinging soft hackles, small leeches, or even overhanding long distances just for fun!
Enjoy this flick from RIO today on the Headhunters Blog. Headhunters of Craig is Your Trout Spey Shop!
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From RIO this informative video about How to Avoid Twist and Memory of a Fly Line Video.
I don’t see this everyday but when I do it is trouble. A few instances in the boat over the years have been just awful. You get to Montana, posted up on rising trout, line up your dry fly rod…and POW! Twisted fly line!
Cure it on the river, before you get here; whenever it happens for better fly fishing success.
Check out this short video and have the tools to un-twist that line when engaged int he heat of the battle!
No football, no Grand Slam tennis, no baseball, ice dancing again on the Olympics…so why not learn a bit about how to avoid these common fly line issues.
Rest today. Back to work tomorrow. Ugh. February.
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We use these knots everyday. Super important if you are in the Trout Spey game. You’ll need these.
Tons of snow on the ground here. More to come today. A White Christmas? Yep.
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I love clean fly lines. Who doesn’t?
Today on the Headhunters Blog we have a vid from RIO about how to get it clean.
Want ultimate performance from your fly line? Clean it.
Often.
This is smart for accessional super duper cleaning. If you like to get it done daily in the boat you can find yourself a pocket-full of RIO Fly Line Cleaning Towelettes. The best fly fishing product under a buck!
Yup.
So get after it today.
The lid has come off here on the Missouri River. Get out here and enjoy. This is the call to all of you who say “Hey, bud. Let me know when it is really good. You know just let me know and I will come on out.” Well. This is that time. For the next month. It is be worth your while.
In bolder letters…
If you don’t see that…you cannot fish small, tiny flies.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://vimeo.com/50718362″ video_title=”1″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
A few items for Fall Fishing Magic! Heading headlong into fall here in Craig Montana. A few times that may make your fall fly fishing adventure better when visiting the Missouri River. A few clutch times in that image. RIO Line Cleaners. I use them nearly daily. The only reason I don’t, is sometimes I … Read more
Squeeky’s Techy Dry Fly Set-Up Rod: Sage X 9′ 5 weight. This is a sharpshooter rod. Quick, fast, hyper-accurate. Light in the hand and love casting it. Fly Line: RIO InTouch GOLD. Went back to the GOLD when the InTouch no stretch lines were introduced. Awesome! Leader: RIO Powerflex Plus 12′ 4X. Tippet: RIO Powerflex … Read more
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Tippet Brands Headhunters stocks tippet from RIO, Scientific Anglers, and TroutHunter. All three companies make great tippet. I’ve used all three and they have all performed well. So what kind should you buy?[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Cost Cost is a primary consideration. It can be hard to tell what kind of value you are getting in a … Read more
Ready your fly line situation today! Getting your gear ready in the spring is always a fun pursuit. I love getting out the fly rods and pouring over them on the kitchen table checking and looking and preening and loving and dreaming. Digging through the remainder of your gear is important too. The hardest way … Read more
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Headhunters is the Trout Spey Line HQ We have them all. Almost all of them. We may not have every trout spey line ever made but we have most of the bases covered including well over 100 trout spey demo lines you can try any day! Here is the current list of what Headhunters in … Read more
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Shane’s Trout Spey Set Up Today on the Headhunters Fly Shop daily blog we see Shane Wilson’s Trout Spey Set Up. Shane is one of those who is enamored with the Echo TR2 rod. We can’t blame him. Most of the staff is all about it. Come in and try one out today. Saturday … Read more
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Dewey’s Trout Spey Rig Ed note: Today on the Headhunters Blog we have Dewey’s Trout Spey Rig. Dewey loves to swing the fly! He and Shane nymphed quite a few up on Thursday. But the real success was on the swing. Each had approx. 10 on the swing with lots of additional grabs, bites, … Read more
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Ninch’s Trout Spey Set-Up Today we view Ninch’s Trout Spey setup. Ninch fishes the 2 hander most of the year when he is not tossing fires at rising trout. He is excited about getting out again soon when the weather warms this weekend! You can see Ninch at the next Free Trout Spey Clinic … Read more
Trout Spey Rigs: Braden Today on the Headhunters Fly Shop Blog we have Braden’s Trout Spey Rig. We thought it would be helpful if we outlined what we use here on the Missouri River during the Swing Season. Braden, and the majority of the HH Gang, swings a fly all winter long. Starting in the … Read more
Winter truly starts now… Christmas hangover. It will last a few days and then many will snap out of it. The River Facts And get back to reality. Winter here in Craig is the reality. Water temps are frigid 3 1/2 degrees above the freezing mark. So 35.5F it is. This will remain the temps … Read more
Missouri River Fly Line Source In downtown Craig Montana you will find your Missouri River Fly Line Source. You can judge a fly shop by a ton of different parameters like customer service, friendliness, accurate information, the attention to detail in the fly department, the sheer number of flies, the clothing lines, rod selection…but I have … Read more
It’s been pretty good.
The number of good runs for winter fishing here on the Missouri River is what makes us feel fortunate to be here during the several cold and snowy months.
Great runs for winter swinging. The Missouri is full of them. A a fun time to be here because you really get your choice of them. Left and right banks provide you so much water that you will not get tired of this river. We never tire of the MO.
But we are trapped here. All winter long. Hence the two handed rod. An effective tool.
While dreaming of warmer climates we simply return to the Mother Missouri.
The fish are moving into the winter trout lies. Slower and lower. Softer and shallower too. The boring water. They are moving that way.
The fish in this last week had changed location from the previous week. 2 weeks ago the fish would get on the bite early in the swing. In the faster riffle water. And they would take it hard.
I saw less of that behavior this last week. The fish have been eating it for me in the latter half of the swing. Towards the bottom. On the dangle. Twitching it or short strips enticed a few fish to eat.
The twitch or jig was working well. Most of the fish ate it not on the swing, but when I was imparting action to the streamer. Or just after the strip on the pause. But nevertheless becoming involved with your drift is important.
A local fish philosopher once said…
You can either let it happen, or make it happen.
Choose the latter.
The great thing about fishing is that you get to choose how you do it. Every angler is different and has different ideas of how to get that damn trout to bite the hook. You can dictate your destiny. You getta choose the outcome. You get a seat at the spey retrieval table. Check out the video by Scumliner Media McCune Retrieval Techniques blog that precedes this post for more on this topic.
Flies for the swinger the past couple weeks include some of the streamer all-stars for all river systems. Including the Missouri River in that equation the flies we love include smaller lighter buggers. Those tossing a Skagit line have been using an Intermediate tip or a MOW tip with an un-weighted bugger. Black and olive have been the favorites.
Have not heard of Skagit fellers adding the bigger deeper tips. But they may be. It is so skinny most everywhere that many Skagit anglers are using dry tips as well. Or the lighter set for the water level of 3300 cfs. No weeds to contend with. The not as weedy season has rewarded us with a not so weedy fall and early winter.
Those throwing the sleek Scandi lines have been using the beaded Bugger. Lighter floating tips encourage a bit of weight in the pattern.
Clousers, buggers, R2R, a couple flavors of the ever popular Kreelex, leeches of all kinds, sculpin patters, the slender Marabou Clousers, Skiddish Smolts in trad., brown, and olive..and more.
Remember that Headhunters has demo spey lines for you to try before you buy. Also remember that we stock all things Skagit starting @ RIO Skagit Trout Max 200gr and OPST Skagit 175 gr. on up to the 6, 7 and 8weight spey rods. We have the Scandi selections that nobody else has in Montana. We have the lighter spey and switch lines from Airflo, RIO, OPST, and SA.
Backing, running lines of all types, leaders and tippets too. We are the Trout Spey HQ in Montana.
Rods from Orvis, SAGE, Echo, and more here available for DEMO daily.
We are just beginning our Swing Season. Pretty good so far. Much better than the not-so-great fall dry fly bite. The stripping streamer bite was hit and miss too. So as we move out of the unbelievable late fall/early winter nymph mania we are encouraged the the November swinging success stories.
December is traditionally a great Trout Spey month. Our clinics get under way, the river is devoid of any sane anglers, and the fish seem to be amenable to the twitchy trout swinging syndrome.
Come by and see us if you are interested, have any questions, want to sniff around a shop that digs the winter action, are lonely, need a pick me up, or got lost coming home from Bozeman and need to spend a long weekend in Craig MT.
The epicenter of winter angling in Montana.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The RIO Powerflex Plus new leader and tippet is stronger. 20% stronger!
That is the upshot of this new product from RIO. Stronger!
The only thing you have to worry about are bent hooks!
RIO Powerflex Plus trout leaders and tippet material has always been tough. This new nylon technology ups the game. New packaging for this well received leader and tippet material.
Available in 7.5′, 9′, and 12′ lengths in a convenient 2 pack. All you need for battling trout on our local resource.
We here at Headhunters are into all the coolest new products. On a river that harbors a ton of big Rainbow and Brown trout it seems that RIO has made this material for anglers just like us.
Next time that you stroll through Craig Montana stop in and see us. We will introduce you to the stronger RIO Powerflex Plus.
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[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]It’s coming. The time of year when the streamer junkies crawl from their dark fly tying dungeons and test their winters work on the Mo.
I would venture a guess that streamer time is here. Well, the front end of the streamer season at the very least.
Get your big stick out of the closet and get after it.
Need a new Streamer Line for your gun? We got ’em. RIO, Airflo, Orvis…10+ streamer lines in stock for 5’s, 6’s, 7’s and a couple in the 8 too.
Streamer tips available too. VersiTips and Poly leaders from RIO and Airflo.
Streamer leaders round out the terminal end.
Flies. Streamer flies? Well over 100 patterns in the stuffed Headhunters Fly Shop bins. The largest streamer selection in the Tri-County area!
Yes it is streamer season and we love it. Bobber fishing gets us through the winter but streamer fishing is what many dream about.
Begin your 2015 streamer dream today.
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[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]The new InTouch fly line from RIO came out last fall and now it is going on most reels that move through Headhunters Fly Shop. Anglers are noticing the difference too.
Why? ConnectCore is the answer. Airflo fly lines have had a non-stretchy core for generations and RIO has created a low stretch core called ConnectCore. And we love it!
RIO says...
When you rely on touch to know what’s going on in the depths, line stretch is the enemy.
Our ConnectCore lines open up new worlds of perception and sensitivity with ultra-low stretch performance. Soft, subtle takes become positive grabs, and without stretch to dull reaction times, hook sets are instant and sure. ConnectCore. The secret weapon for success.
The unintended result of changing the core is a subtle texture that is tangible on the InTouch line series. The intended result is quicker pickups from the water, better connectivity from hand to fly, better hook-ups, and far better cast-ability. Available today at Headhunters Fly Shop in Craig. All of the RIO InTouch Series fly lines are in stock and certainly the line sizes that suit your Missouri River needs.
Introducing RIO’s new ultra-low stretch InTouch fly line family from RIO Products on Vimeo.
Rio InTouch lines include the ever popular RIO Gold. America’s #1 selling fly line. This improved InTouch version is really terrific. I have gone back to the Gold for my softer more forgiving rods like the SAGE Accel and older rods like SAGE XP, Z-Axis, SLT’s, Circa’s, Winston, Scott, and may other rod makers match up well with the RIO InTouch Gold.
The RIO Grand is just awesome. Faster action tip flexing rods shine with this overweighed fly line.
The InTouch RIO Grand is a full line size heavier than the industry standard, and features more weight distributed towards the front of the line to easily load faster action fly rods. The ultra-low stretch ConnectCore provides groundbreaking levels of sensitivity for intuitively better cast timing, easier line lift and sharp, precise mends.
The RIO InTouch Xtreme Indicator Fly Line is our favorite for nymphing all over Montana. The high floating orange flavored tip gives you not only intelligent vision but an easily mendable fly line tool.
New for 2015. An incredibly advanded nymphing line, ideal for fishing indicators out of a boat.
The InTouch Xtreme Indicator line has been designed to be a very effective tool for anglers that fish nymphs and indicators out of a boat. The short head has a powerful front taper that casts indicator rigs with ease, and loads up with a single cast. Built with RIO’s ultra-low stretch ConnectCore Technology, the line allows for intuitively better cast timing, easier line lifts and sharp, precise mends. Lack of stretch also means faster reaction time when setting the hook.
Ninch stated the other day that we have all of the InTouch lines in stock for your fly line updating this winter headed into spring. I agree with Ben. A perfect time of the year to inventory your fly lines and replace those that are due.
We have 10 SAGE reels lined up with all of the popular RIO lines like the Gold, Grand, Xtreme Indicator, LT, and Perception. Come in and demo any fly line you choose. Why not take out a couple lines to give them an honest try and decide based on actual results.
Headhunters Fly Shop is your fly line HQ in the central part of Montana. Great Falls, Helena, and Craig…we have the largest selection of fly lines in our region. Over 75 models on the wall for you to choose from. Single and two-handed lines from RIO, Airflo, Wulff, and Orvis.
And, don’t forget that Headhunters has an unconditional fly line guarantee. You don’t like it, return it, exchange it, refund it, get it right. We got your back in this sometimes confusing fly line world.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][us_grid post_type=”ids” no_items_message=”” columns=”4″ items_layout=”shop_trendy” items_gap=”” ids=”7462″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][us_grid post_type=”ids” no_items_message=”” columns=”4″ items_layout=”shop_trendy” items_gap=”” ids=”6950″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][us_grid post_type=”ids” no_items_message=”” columns=”4″ items_layout=”shop_trendy” items_gap=”” ids=”6962″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][us_grid post_type=”ids” no_items_message=”” columns=”4″ items_layout=”shop_trendy” items_gap=”” ids=”8107″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Can’t sleep at night until you have found the perfect fit for your SAGE Switch Rod? Ever need another fly line and your local fly shop has closed for the evening? The RIO Line Selector App may be for you. It will certainly let you sleep easy after you have navigated through the RIO App!
Introduced last month the RIO Fly Line Selector App has already helped many with questions about the right fly line for any rod make, fishing type, whether it be single or double handed the friendly fly line folks at RIO got you covered.
Got a rod from SAGE that you need help with? No worries. An off brand like Cabela’s? They have it. A two hander you stole from your neighbor? Yep. Got it.
Just follow the simple step by step process and you have the line you need within seconds. It’s just that easy.
Type in RIO Fly Line Selector at the App Store and download for free. Pretty fun stuff. Check it out today for afternoon entertainment at work. Your boss won’t care. He’s an angler too!
