Flows holding at 8670cfs and water temps are 44F. Not bad for an April Monday.
The bugs have definitely arrived in a big way and some fish are responding. Look hard in the afternoons and post up for those surface friendly creatures. The dry fly gang has had a few fish to smile about this past week. Not many, but this week promises to be the breakout week. I think? Guessing Mother Nature’s moves has proven even harder than…insert your caption here.
[forecast]
Looks good to me. We hope the spring weather sticks for a while. At least until summer. Makes sense. No? May is a great month for warmer temperatures, dry flies, nymphs, better to the best streamer fishing of the year and still relatively quiet ont he river for pressure.
Missouri River Montana Fishing Report 4.28.14
Dry Fly Killers: Glarachute Adams, Purple Craze, Sparkle Dun, Nymens DOA black posted or grey, Smoke Jumper, and Snowshoe BWO Dun.
The March Browns should come this week. They generally do, according to history. That’s what we got to go on. The past will tell the future. They could be a week late though with the temps a touch below historical numbers. Do you remember your good March Brown spots/runs?
Nymphers: Still the same bugs with FB’s making a return, Worms, Trad. Lightening Bugs, Pearl LB’s, Purple LB’s, large Rainbow Czechs, T-Head Warriors, Purple Prince’s, Anato-Mays, Micro Mays, Zebra’s, Don Kink’s, Newman’s Own Midge.
The fish have been ornery this last week again with highs and lows. Some mornings good fishing, and poor afternoons. Then some days the opposite. Just like fishing can be. The water is deeper than you may think in some runs. Also the water speed has changed in lots of runs too. Slower in some spots while the faster regions will confuse you. Check it out and make a solid nymphing plan and go forward. If Plan A does not work, I hope you got the next in line. You will need it.
Watch and learn. Look for anglers with trout on the line and observe the type of water they are in, and find some water like it! See, learning is fun.
Streamer Fishers: Better daily. Kreelex, R2R, any one of many good looking leeches, for Walleye too, Skiddish Smolts in Olive, Brown, and regular, Black Bugger Jigs, Widowmakers, Daili Lama’s, Home Invaders, Yellow Yummy’s White Zonkers.
Sink Tips still the word. Heavier if you wish. Some still rocking the dry line, but not many. If you are, come in and get yourself a sinking tip. We got lots to choose from and we can educate you about how and why, and of course when to employ these game changing poly tips.
May is nearing and we are excited. We get continually jacked as the months roll on. The spring is upon us and summer is in the sights. But not for a while. About half of the staff loves May. It is their favorite month. A great month for blind dry fly fihsing, March BRown’s, Midge, BWO’s, the tail end of the Skwala, the first caddis, a nymphers paradise, and great streamer fishing for big browns as the rainbows are on the spawn adn not in the game.
What is not to love? Get out before June this year and ply your fly fishing trade on the Missouri River. Call us if you need assistance or stop in the shop daily open @ 7:30 am and open late til 7:30 pm nightly.
Remember us for all your lodging needs too. www.CraigLodging.com is your source for the widest variety and largest selection of rental properties for Montana’s Missouri River corridor.
Get in on our McCune/Gould superstar casting clinic this Sunday. A few spots left!
