Missouri River Trout Spey Report 11.23.15

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.

Skagit or Scandi? Flies too.

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.

Trout Spey Rod & Line DEMO’s. Best Trout Spey selection in Montana.

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.

November and December ahead…

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.