tips

Montana Trout Spey

Trout Spey Gear Roundup

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[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

5 Hot September Tips for the Missouri River Fly Fisher

5 Hot September Tips for the Missouri River Fly Fisher

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What to do when your September fishing day goes soft? How about a few tips to get the blood flowing and the mind searching for the next best thing. 5 Hot September Tips for the Missouri River Fly Fisher Look for heads in the morning. Hold out Trico’s are still around and we not only … Read more

Dead Flies Don’t Swim Video & 5 Things to Never Do Dry Fly Fishing

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Dead Flies Don’t Swim Video & 5 Things to Never Do Dry Fly Fishing

Water levels falling this week we think. They fell yesterday by a couple thousand and will fall again today below 9K. Hooray.

The dry fly bite yesterday was damn good as well. More to come as we get into the true dry fly period with water levels appropriate for the season.

Today we show you again Dead Flies Don’t Swim. A classic HH vid by Scumliner Media that shows the joys of July.

Dead Flies Don’t Swim is also branded on our dry fly specific fly line. We believe in the slogan. Meaning? Dragging flies do not get eaten by our voracious trout. Perfect dead drifts get us through the day for sure.

5 Things to Never Do Dry Fly Fishing

  1. Drag your fly. Dead Flies Don’t Swim. Dead bugs do not move on the water. The primary diet of our trout here in Central Montana is dead flies. Spinners, cripples, scents.
  2. Think you are good enough to toss the first cast into the lane and hope. Dude. I don’t know any body that good. Prep for a couple minutes and make the appropriate drift before you alert the enemy you are in the neighborhood. All men over 50 do this. Almost all. I’ve had a couple in the boat that don’t. Maybe a few. But not a lot. Fellers do this everyday. It’s bad. Catch more fish and practice a bit outside of the trout.
  3. Make your goal to catch the trout. Don’t foul it up early in the game. Make a plan. Execute. No plan?No fish. Guessing again? If you are a guesser, and I think you may be, then your goal is not to catch that trout. You can see everything. The fish rising, the fly floating not dragging, the fly. All the variables are in front of you. You can see them all. No secrets. No guessing. DOn’t guess your fly over there.
  4. Shoot line on rising trout. Most dry fly ops are within 30′. Some 25′. You do not have to shoot line 30′. Nope. Cast it with accuracy. Don’t shoot line at a 30′ target. You are guessing every cast. And that is bad.
  5. Get too close to another angler while dry fly fishing. Lots of water out there. Respect others water. BE smart. Don’t be that guy. You know. That guy the dick.

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Hump Day Tips

Wednesday Workshop

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Wednesday Workshop Several, maybe 20, tips for the week and weekend ahead. Some rain, maybe some snow NO!!, some sunshine, and lower waters? Maybe. A soft week on the river as many are hungover from the April Spring Specials. Out of area guides and outfitters will be in our neighborhood for the next couple … Read more

5 Tips for Missouri River July Dry Fly Success

5 Tips for Missouri River July Dry Fly Success

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5 Tips for Missouri River July Dry Fly Success The water is dropping rapidly. Finally. It is July and we are all about the dry fly this Month! It is our namesake for goodness sake! Headhunting we will go as we move into the middle of the first dry fly month of the season. Flows … Read more

Keeping Warm on the River

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The first really cold week is behind us, and some of our visitors got to enjoy some downright cold and wet weather. If you didn’t have all of the right cold weather gear on Monday, you froze. And we definitely had a few clients on the boat who know this (they’ve experienced it before) yet continue to show up to the Missouri River in October with a sweatshirt from gym class and a golf windbreaker.

We thought we’d throw together some of our favorite cold weather gear for fall in Montana. And we’ll definitely be seeing some more cold and wet weather in the next few weeks.[/vc_column_text][us_separator show_line=”1″ line_width=”default”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

#1 RAIN JACKET

While people are often amazed that we’ll be out fishing in sub-zero temperatures in the winter, few realize that it’s actually much colder to be fishing in 50 degree weather with driving rain and a little wind. Thats because 10 below is dry. It’s the wet that makes you cold, so the number one piece of gear to keep you warm is a QUALITY rain jacket. We like Simms, of course, and there’s not a better solution than the legendary Simms Guide Jacket. Gore-tex, a big hood, storm flaps and cuffs that let the water runs off and not in.

But any QUALITY rain jacket will do, including your ski or hunting shell. What doesn’t work well? Minimalist, lightweight hiking rain jackets like the Marmot Precip and Patagonia Torrentshell. These are designed for active sports and lightweight packability, not sitting in a drift boat for hours in a down pour. HINT: These can be awesome under your heavier rain jacket in a two-jacket system.

BUT I’M TOO CHEAP!

Then don’t buy a knockoff of a good rain jacket, or one that advertising a “coating”. They always suck. The cheap solution is to go old school and get yourself a nice yellow rubber rain slicker. The kind that the Skipper and Giligan wore while battling that fierce Typhoon. While it didn’t save them from getting lost in the storm, they did arrive on that island alive. And probably pretty dry. These things do not breath at all, but they do 1 thing and they do it well. They keep water out. We see these in the Florida Keys and Louisiana when we’re fishing in the salt. Remember to always keep the hood up so you don’t hear the giggles…

Here’s one on Amazon for $13.95

100 DEGREE RULE

I was sharing this with some customers the other day, and it’s an easy one to remember. If the combined temperature of the air and water are 100 degrees or less, you’re going to get cold. Now this rule relates to submersion in water and hypothermia, but it gives you a good starting point for determining how much and what kind of gear to wear for a day on the water. In other words, if it’s pouring rain and 46 degrees (we’ll assume the air and rainwater are close to the same temperature) and the river temperature is 52 degrees (you’re going to be getting your hands, face and neck wet) then we’re approximately 46 + 52 = 98 degrees. It’s going to be cold, and definitely not a day to get your legs wet wearing shorts or lightweight pants. And if you or your buddy slip and fall in, you need to get warm quick.

BRING IT WITH YOU

And please bring it. I can’t count how many time I’ve heard “I have one of those killer Simms Rain jackets, but it’s at home…”. Also, take care of it, wash it periodically and use revives on it if it start to “wet-out” and leak.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][us_image image=”20224″ align=”center”][us_image image=”20227″ align=”center”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][us_separator show_line=”1″ line_width=”default”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

#2 GLOVES

Mark routinely carries 3 to 7 pairs of gloves in his boat. Kinda like OJ. Different gloves for different purposes. And while many are on the never ending quest to find the perfect fishing gloves (we don’t think they exist), we think it’s much more important to keep your hands warm than worrying about how well you can tie a loop knot with them on. We find that Kast makes the best fishing glove on the market. Super comfortable, super warm and incredibly waterproof. Also, the fit is perfect on just about everyone (fingers are not too long or two short). Yes you can fish with them on and even record with them if you have a good game camera, but it depends on what you’re doing. I’ll wear them all day when swinging a two hander. I’ll use them when streamer fishing from the boat as well, but probably not all day. Nymph fishing requires too much stripping with no tension to feel, So instead of taking them off I just don’t nymph. And for whatever reason I can’t comprehend throwing dries with gloves on.

But when you do dunk your hands to release a fish, they stay dry, and the cuffs keep water our all day long. By far the best solution we’ve found and we sell a truckload of them each year.

CHOPPERS

Many of us carry some Minnesota style Choppers in the boat. These aren’t for fishing with unless you’re beating salmon on the head with a baseball bat. These are for warming your hands back. They work great by themselves with the sole liner gloves which can be worn by themselves. They work even better, however, with some hand warmers inside. They tough as hell and cheap. Look for them at ACE or your local hardware store.

An old hockey player I knew from Duluth showed these to me years ago. He advised that while they are terrible in a snowball fight, they are fantastic in a fist fight. FYI…[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][us_image image=”20226″ align=”center”][us_image image=”20220″ align=”center”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][us_separator show_line=”1″ line_width=”default”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

#3 DISPOSABLE HANDWARMERS

These are easy to forget, which is lame because they are cheap and you can buy them everywhere. And most fly shops carry them. Mark and I have been known to pass them out for free on days when we know it’s going to be arctic. I always keep a few in my boat and in my gear bag. Remember to open them up inside your car or at the shop when you buy them. Give them a chance to good and warn before you take them into battle. I usually keep 1 in each pocket of my rain jacket to warm my hands up in between sips of Redbreast (see below).

And these can also be used in your wader feet as well. Put them on top of your foot when you slide into the stocking feet. Money.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][us_image image=”20225″ size=”medium” align=”center”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][us_separator show_line=”1″ line_width=”default”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

#4 BOOTFOOT WADERS

Yes, they are expensive, and it’s often difficult to get the Simms model (which is the best by miles), but they are a total game-changer for those who fish where or when it’s often chilly. You will completely forget that your feet ever got cold while fishing. An added bonus is that they are easy on and off, which is great at the end of a cold day. You can also easily use the above hand-warmers in them, and they do make a “toe-warmer” model as well. We can’t recommend these enough.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][us_image image=”20223″ size=”medium” align=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][us_separator show_line=”1″ line_width=”default”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

#5 PUFFBALL

Patagonia coined that term years ago, and like “Coke”, they’re all called that. Simms makes a great one, and I prefer the North Face version, but the bottom line is that they all have similar properties. They are very light, exceedingly warm, dry quickly and work when wet. That last one is huge for fly fisherman and women, as we are constantly putting our hands in the water to release fish. We also have our casting hand in the up position all day, which lets water run down our arm. And if you’re on a multi-day float trip, you’ll love in one. We like the lightweight versions and use them as layering garments under our rain jackets. Number 5 on the list, but a must-have. No really cheap way to do this – the cheeps usually suck – but you can often find good deals on last years colors or even buy a used one on eBay.

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#6 CAMPBELLS SOUP

If I could only bring 1 thing to eat ro drink on a chilly day, it would be Redbreast Irish Whiskey (see below). If I could bring 2, it would be Redbreast and a hot thermos full of Campbells Chicken Noodle or Chicken and Rice Soup. This has save countless days for me, and warms you up much better than coffee, cocoa or tea. You also get some lunch with the deal, and it will taste much better than that soggy sandwich full of cold-cuts. Make sure and use a little more water than called for, and “season” your thermos with a little hot water before you toss the soup in. Also, I highly recommend sticking with the cheap, regular old Campbells, and avoid anything that has the words “healthy” or “low-sodium” on the can. Your body wants that fat, salt and grease when it’s cold, and I’ve found that the allegedly “healthy” variants cool off much quicker. Also – NEVER use dried potato soup, unless you want to watch it explode all over your buddy.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][us_image image=”20222″ size=”medium” align=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][us_separator show_line=”1″ line_width=”default”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

#7 REDBREAST IRISH WHISKEY

Popularized on the Missouri River by legendary Fly fisherman and Naval Aviator “Lieutenant Dan” Kaufmann, Redbreast is a wonderful premium Irish whisky smooth enough for your LDS buddy. We like it from below zero up to about 50 degrees. If the air temperature goes above 50, we put it on ice in the cooler and play it by ear from then on.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][us_image image=”20228″ size=”medium” align=”center”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][us_separator show_line=”1″ line_width=”default”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

#8 MR BUDDY HEATER

I’m actually not a fan of propane heaters in the boat, or propane anything for that matter. But a lot of people carry these in the drift boat, and they are almost a fixture in Winter Steelhead country. I find they work best when your hand is close enough to get burned on the white hot steel grate in front of the burner. From there on out to about 1 inch they provide a nice warning effect. After that I get just as warm putting my hand in the cooler to get the battle of Redbreast.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][us_image image=”20231″ size=”medium” align=”center”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][us_separator show_line=”1″ line_width=”default”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

#9 BUILD A FIRE

I don’t do this enough, and honestly I have mixed feelings about leaving fire-rings and dead coals on the beach in the Missouri River Wilderness. But when you really need to warm up, nothing ticks all the boxes like a good bonfire. Part mental, part physical. The Missouri River has lots of excellent sand/gravel beaches to build a fire on, especially during low winter flows. Bring a few pieces of your own wood, and do the right thing before leaving. Make sure the fire is completely out and scatter the ashes.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][us_image image=”20221″ size=”medium” align=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][us_separator show_line=”1″ line_width=”default”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

#10 WEAR A HAT

“Don’t go outside without your hat on!” – mom

you know this one…[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][us_image image=”20218″ size=”medium” align=”center”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Top Tips for Tuesday

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Top Tips for Tuesday A few tips to get you through the week and how to handle your fishing here on the Mo. Apologize for the sub par fishing report yesterday. Badly written by me. Ambiguous at best. Just bad honestly. Top Tips for Tuesday include… Get on early or get out late. Busy … Read more

Missouri River Montana Fishing Report plus 5 Late July Tips

Missouri River Montana Fishing Report plus 5 Late July Tips

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The fishing report is as follows today on the Headhunters Fly Fishing Blog and Fishing Report Page.

Missouri River Montana Fishing Report

The old adage again comes into play as we state to many that the fishing is..as good as you are.

Truth here at Headhunters.

If you don’t like crowds stay out of the upper river.

Honesty too here on this daily blog.

Lots of pressure up top and it bleeds into the canyon as well. Many say hat this last weekend was as busy as they had ever seen it. Well, probably true. As I stated in the past, this is the tipping point and we will see fewer folks everyday from here on out.

The wild card is the other resources. Will we see anglers from around the state visit our river as restrictions elsewhere are tightened? Maybe. Time will tell.

Trico’s are the morning game. Good stories of success with emergers and duns. Spinners continue to work well here as they always do. Try a Trico Cripple for sneaky shit. Not many roll that way. Cluster Midges as a Trico Cluster can work as well. Double wings, Harrop’s Hi-VIz, Harrops CDC Spinner, and may more. Not having success witht eh Trico pattern fishng over Trico feeding fish? Try a Caddis. Do it.

Scant amounts of PMD’s around and the spinner fall is the key for angling success and fly choice. Or a captive dun. Or a floating nymph.

Caddis in the evening are your best bet. The PED deal is going on occasionally too. Spents, emergers like the Translucent Emerger or Pupa and a soft hackle too. LaFontaine loved the evening hatch here on the Mo.

Hoppers are happening. Some greenish small fella’s on the shore. A Red Legger works. Headhunters is your hopper destination. We have the best selection in the canyon. By far. Ninch is formerly from the westside and cannot stand not having the appropriate amount of foam in the shop.

Ants? Beetles.? Yes to them as well. Spruce moths out there too. See the most in the early mornings. Fishing it blind can provide some action.

It is a morning game in the recent past. The dry fly fishing has been going into the tank about noon. Some days til 2 or 3, others if the bugs go North with the South wind can end before noon. Hope and look for perfect summer breeze-less days for spinner and junk feeding longevity. But, do not forget about the golden hour too!

5 Tips for Late July Success

Missouri River Montana Fishing Report plus 5 Late July Tips
Clean your fly line often for Mo River Success. RIo Line Cleaners avail at Headhunters
  1. First cast is the best cast. For the DFO Army. Always the best cast. Only if you want to fool them.
  2. Nymphers find weedless water for sanity.
  3. Fish live in the weeds. So do the bugs. Maybe you should too?
  4. Prepare some conversation pieces for slow fishing. If the fishing is good, save them on 3″x5″ note cards for easy access at a later date. Or a long, long, long lunch.
  5. Fish in the am, then sleep. Then fish in the pm, then sleep. Perfect. A cocktail squeezed in at Izaaks and a plate of Walleye and Chips! I like the Wings too. Delicious.
  6. Clean your fly line a lot. But you already know this tip!

Shop open at 6am daily for any of your river needs. We have the new NRS Freestone Drifter in stock and for sale with the new updated drains. Just awesome. Come by and see it or take it out on the river for a spin. Rentals daily including our Adipose Fleet too.

 

 

Slow or Low

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]A busy weekend means that we get to hear a lot of fishing reports. And we can tell you that for Friday and Saturday – and much of the last week – they’ve been all over the place. Streamer guys are pretty much getting their fish. It’s probably even better out of the boat than on the swing, though it depends on where you are.

Nymphing on the other hand, has been wildly unpredictable. But we’ve had guide trips out for the last 4 days, and they were getting them. So were local anglers that fish regularly in the winter, and know the river. But there were others who had some very tough fishing. Here’s three things we would recommend that you do to improve your odds:

1. FISH SLOW

Now, we’re telling everyone this. At  least everyone who comes in the shop and asks. Some are following our instructions, while others are not, though we don’t think that’s intentional. When we mean fish the slow water we mean it. Boring slow. Dead slow. Maybe even stopped. Our guess is that many of the anglers having tough nymphing are ‘outside’ of the line. They’re probably in a touch faster water than they should be.

We can actually see many anglers in the wrong water from the road when we’re doing shuttles.

Also, make sure you’re using split-shot. You need it to get that right-angle presentation, and keep things tight between your bobber and flies. If it’s not tight, you probably won’t see the take.

And speaking of ‘seeing’ the take, it will be very subtle – almost imperceptible – in that super slow water. Hit… everything.

below – Ben McNinch stressing the slow water tactics necessary at this time of year.[/vc_column_text][us_image image=”10055″ size=”full” link=””][vc_column_text]

2. FISH LOW

Normally we aren’t recommending that anglers head below the Dearborn this time of year. But with the balmy, warm weather we’re experiencing, you should consider it.

The Canyon, riparian zone and boat ramps are totally ice free (I probably just insured we’ll get a bunch of snow this week). This is rare in February.  But if thats how Mother nature is going to roll, let’s play long.

We’ve been fishing the canyon with both streamers and nymphs, and it’s been very good. As good as I can remember it this time of year.

Streamers are pretty easy. Keep them in the slow stuff, and you should be using a sink tip of at least 3 inches per second (ips), but probably more like 5-7 ips. A big line like the Airflo Streamer Max works great, but so does an inexpensive VersiLeader from RIO.

The big advantage when nymphing down here is that you can really size up with your bugs. Yes, the typical winter stuff like Pink Lighting Bugs, Firebead Sow Bugs and Zebras will all work. But so will Crawdads, Pats Rubber Legs, big Worms and larger bead-head attractors.

You’ll get harder takes and more solid hook-ups with larger flies. Once you find a few, then you can size down and fish that spot harder, possibly even on foot as there are some nice steep drops in the Canyon. Fish congregators.

3. KEEP AFTER IT UNTIL DARK

If you stick with until dark – or close to it – you should be rewarded with some good action on any method, including possible dry fly fishing if the winds lays down. It’s the warmest time of the day if you’re a fish, and like any other time of year, when the sun goes off the water, the fish come out to play.

Starting too early, especially on a windy day, can have you cold and frustrated before the fishing really gets great.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]