winter

Missouri River New Years Fishing Report 1.1.16

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Missouri River New Years Fishing Report 1.1.16

New Years Day Missouri River Montana Fishing Report starts out with cold air temps.

The Umteenth (21st) Annual Craig Polar Bear Plunge is at High Noon today a the Craig Boatramp. Were you there? Do you wish you were? Do you feel that wading in the river in mid-July is nearly the same thing…except your toes don’t shrivel up?

Water temps are cold at 33.5F and flows at 3180cfs. The slush factor while this last week was nearing defcon 8 it has been reduced to a reasonable defcon level of 3. Looked fishable to Prewitt Creek as I traveled the river road yesterday. The shelf ice does continue to grow as the high temps for this last couple weeks do not reach much beyond the mid 30’s. Most of th time in the mid 20’s. Looks like more of the same for the week ahead.

We have been locked in this winter pattern for nearly a month. Hi’s in the 20’s and 30’s with light snow a couple days a week. Night time lows anywhere from barely above zero to the mid teens. Winter for sure.

The fish are in the true winter lanes. The softest and slowest moving water you can find. Lots of shelf ice on most of the great insides so be damn careful out there. Watch for the floating ice islands. They can level you, put you down, make your day turn a direction you do not want.

Fool around with a handful of pink flies for the bobber gang. Fool around with a bit of flash for the swingers. Both of you find the soft and soggy winter haunts and stay there. Find good road spots so you can warm yourself up after  your feet become the shape of ice cubes. The car heat can thaw them of stop into Uncle Joe’s for something a bit stronger. Sometimes the heat needs to start in your belly!

Happy New Year to all the Headhunters out there. We are looking into the future and what do we see? Who knows? We are guessing that it will be filled with water, bugs, and big dry fly eating trout-skis.

All the best to you and yours as we greet the new year of 2016.

Shop open daily @ 8am and late til 6pm.

Happy New Year!

 

Tying the Pink Lightening Bug

Tying the Pink Lightning Bug

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Tying the Pink Lightning Bug

Today on the Headhunters Fly Shop Blog we tie the Pink Lightning Bug. In conjunction with our popular Just Add Vise brand this video is purely simple. No talking, no postulating about materials, and no lengthly 13 minute tying videos here.

Short and sweet. Just the way you like it. Play it over and over if you wish without listening to the same lame tying jokes…what is a tying joke anyway?

This Pink Lightning Bug is one of the most effective Missouri River winter flies. Great anywhere, and any river USA. Pink is the color of winter. And all this time you thought it was the color of snow.

When snow is on the ground, think pink.

The Pink Lightning Bug is just one of the Just Add Vise kit members. Anglers and tiers also like the Rainbow Czech, Little Green Machine,  Firebead Ray Charles, and Kreelex for winter work. And do not forget about the Mozuri Minnow! All available at our online web store.

We think that Dangerous Dan Gard  brought this fly to the Missouri River. It really is a killer for 8 months of the year. November 1st through the historically high water month of May. Some even fish it into June. Others even longer. A fantastic fly for the subsurface set.

If you can tie this one you can tie the other Missouri River favorites like any of the Pheasant Tail derivations and the summertime trout finder the Purple Lightning Bug. Why not have them all in your repertoire.

The Pink Lightning Bug is not the only winter time fly of choice. Come in and see our vast selection of winter flavored flies for any winter fishery. Ninch, Braden, Sara, and Dewey can point you in the right direction. Pick up a couple Just Add Vise kits as well.

Fly Tying Night in America starts in January. Stay tuned for the Wednesday night tying sessions hosted by Headhunters Fly Shop.

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Why we love the shortest day in Craig MT

Why we love the shortest day in Craig MT

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Why we love the shortest day in Craig MT

We have crossed over the Winter Solstice here in Craig MT and beyond.

The most important part of this yearly winter equation is just this…the days get longer from here on out until the Summer Solstice in June. Actually the sunrise gets later until January 7th.  But this historical day lets us breathe easier, sleep easier, and begin the warm summer thoughts we so love.

What do most folks do is get a little buzz on at the best bar in Craig. Uncle Joe’s Bar. Celebrating the first day of winter.

It is the first day of winter on the books, but we have been experiencing winter here in Craig  for a couple months. Snow on the ground, icy roads, fishy smells, and lack of traffic on the river, and hi-ways. Montana grinds nearly to a halt during the frozen months.

So now that we have established the front end of winter we can certainly understand the pics below. More snow in the forecast. Snow all week long with some cold temperatures near the zero mark.

Cold and snowy Holiday Week ahead
Cold and snowy holiday week ahead

We are counting the days until the winter is past us. But while we fantasize about warmer climates in FLA, the Bahamas, Southern America, and beyond we have found a way to pass the time here on the best winter trout swing fishery in the western United States.

Top 5 reasons we love December 21st

  1. Why the winter solstice is loved in Craig MT1st day of winter here in Montana. People love the 4 distinct seasons here on the Missouri River. Winter is the quiet season.
  2. Almost to a New Year. New Year, New Attitude. New Hope.
  3. 1 day closer to midge fishing. Historically mid-February brings the first evidence of midges to the Missouri River. This is our first real good hatch of the new year. The midge is an interesting insect. Unpredictable for sure. We of course will keep you up to date on this late winter early spring emergence.
  4. We still have 6 months of precipitation in front of us. Winters are relatively dry here in the rocky mountain range. April, May, June are wet ones. We pray daily to the rain and snow gods to bring us adequate water not only for the Mo but for all of the western states.
  5. And finally one day closer to summer and daily dry fly fishing. Until then we will just have to enjoy the spoils of winter here on the Missouri. Great nymphing along with world class winter swing fishing.
A break in the weather

A break in the weather

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Fishing weather has returned, albeit temporarily, for the weekend and front end of the week.

Although we have been loving the snow. A good feel of winter with snow falling most of the last week. And the week ahead looks like more of the same. More snow on the way.

More snow on the ground this winter means more water in the rivers this coming summer. The entire state, save for the Missouri River, was in really tough shape this last year. Not good at all. We squeaked by with average flows. Nothing high at all. Will we have the high water this coming year? Nobody knows. And if anybody tells you something…well you can believe whatever you want.

All we know is that we always prefer the more water option over the less water option every time. Big water beats the low water hand every time. We won’t know the outcome of the winter until later winter early spring period. Then we can get a handle on the winter precipitation and make some sort of random educated guess.

November and December here in our region, east of the Continental Divide, seem to be consistent in the early winter snows. The last several years we have flirted with real winter until we turn the last page of the calendar.

Then it seems as though winter vanishes. I want a real winter from Santa this year. I’m sure most of us embroiled in the fishing industry and those of you who love to fish Montana would wholeheartedly agree. Hands down.

Leave your note to Santa next to the milk and cookies.

So back to the Sunday Report here on the Headhunters Blog. Decent fishing out there. A break in the weather yesterday and today including Monday. Snow flurries could happen at any moment on any given day.

The boat ramps are pretty safe. Check the end destination before launching. Or check with us. We generally know the condition of the ramps.

The shelf ice is not and at all. There is some out there but not the terrible dangerous shelf ice that can make getting to the water on some occasions difficult.

Water temperatures are holding at 35.5F with water levels at 3330cfs. Cold for sure. Put on your wool socks before you wade into that ice bucket of a river. No slush in the river yet. The air temps have to get in the zero range for some time to make the upper river slushy or even ice-bergy.

Flies for nymphers? Pink. Flies for swingers? On the smaller side in both the natural colors or un-natural color ways. Both pretty effective. The patterns of the winter so far have been on the bugger side of life. Zonkers still on the radar. Leeches not a terrible choice.

See you on the water this week. Shop open daily @ 8am.

 

Snow Day

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We should be waking up to an all-day snowstorm in Craiglandia this Monday morning. Sunday was a beautiful, almost windless day on the Missouri River. I spent it doing something I just don’t do that much anymore in the winter. Fishing from the boat with streamers and nymphs.

Sam and Eric from Simms Fishing came up from Bozeman to get a little trout fix before the big storm. Fishing was OK, not great by any means. If it was cold and windy I would tell you it sucked. But it wasn’t and it didn’t. We caught some very nice Rainbow’s on streamers (a couple on nymphs), a few Browns, and did it all with single handers. We saw the two-handed crowd out there. They were swinging in the usual spots.

Best rig for us was a Foxy Clouser/small bugger combo fished on an intermediate tip (Ninch/Sara/Braden can show the right little buggers). That’s all that really worked. The angler in the front of the boat ruled, as it allowed him to do a slow-swing and retrieve. Most of our fish came on that. The guy in the back pretty much got hosed.

That slow swing and retrieve is very similar to what we do on foot with our spey rods. Probably was a good day for the two-handed crowd.

Headhunters probably won’t be open today (Monday), depending on the road conditions. Julie will probably show up at some point to answer calls and count all the money, but if you need shuttles, please call in advance. If there is no answer give Julie a shout at 406-868-5473.

REPORTS

Mostly heard good but not great reports over the weekend. Everyone seemed happy, and as mentioned above, the nice weather will have something to do with that. Similar streamer reports from the Dam to Pelican. Some fish rising Saturday, but we didn’t see much surface action today. Definitely some anglers about, and a few stayed the weekend at the Craig Trout Camp.

After this storm blows through we are hoping for some nice temperatures and more good fishing conditions. A little increase in the flows would be nice. Ice fisherman are probably hoping for a good arctic blast so they can go fill some buckets up with Perch. We’re still finding them in the river as well. Inch says he talked to someone who swung up several on the Spey rod the other day. Perch an the Spey. Who-da-thunk-it.

ROADS AND RAMPS

Be careful on the highway if you do decide to venture to the river today. Last night saw some pretty good rain from Wolf Creek to Cascade while I was driving home from work/fishing. That should turn into a nice sheet of ice that will be hidden under that fresh snow. Yikes! And take care on the ramps as well the next two days.

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Weekend Re-Cap here in Craig Montana

Weekend Re-Cap here in Craig Montana

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Monday morning here in Craig Montana.

A fun weekend here on the Mighty MO. Our first of several Free Spey Clinics went off without a hitch on Saturday. A few cancellations left us with a smaller group of about 15. Ninch, Sara, Beth, Dewey, John and Mark instructed the enthusiastic spey gang as they cast away until the late afternoon.

Weekend Re-Cap here in Craig Montana
Spey Rod demo’s @ Headhunters Fly Shop from Sage, Orvis, Echo, T & T

Most had not cast a Spey Rod before Saturday. All could get by after completing their first spey casting session. A couple brought their own rods and the remainder of the class used Headhunters extensive selection of demo spey rods.

We have the Sage Accel in 6wt, the 6126 and 7126 Methods are popular, and the Trout Spey Sage rods from 2wt all the way through 5wt.  The Orvis Clearwater is a fan favorite as well as the rods from Echo. We have the Echo Glass which is a great seller.  The 12′ 4″ 6 wt, 12′ 9″ 7wt as well as the 10′ 8″ 4 wt  and 11′ 6wt switch rods.The Echo 3 and Echo TR were enjoyed by the group. The  T & T DNA rounds out rest of our demo stock.

This vast selection of spey and switch rods is not matched any where in Montana. I counted 26 demo spey rods in the rack at the shop. And, and we have all of the lines you may need in the demo fleet too. Lines from RIO in both Skagit and Scandinavian versions. Airflo and lines from OPST are both very popular as well. All to try out on your own rod if you wish. Finding the right line for you, for your type of water, and for your style is of utmost importance. Headhunters is here t oasis you in that battle.

Happy guests at the Spey Clinic this weekend. If you are interested in the three remaining clinics you might want to give us a call and get your name on the list. Check out more info about these always filled free spey clinics.

Chatted with a couple of fellers from Kalispell after they floated the river on Saturday. Nymphing wa their game and the flies of choice included many pink flies. A Caviar Scud, Rainbow Czech, Amex, FB Ray in grey or pink and a few eats on the Zebra too. They said they enjoyed the lack of traffic. They will be visiting a few times this winter to see not only the sun here in lonesome Craig and to catch a few. They enjoyed the Craig Trout Camp Brown Cabin for a mere $125/night. Dinner at Joe’s Bar with a few beers. A perfect winter weekend.

Gift Card for Fly Fishers
Get a HH Gift Card for any amount.

Not as many anglers on Sunday as the wind blew about 100mph. Not really that windy, but it sure seemed like it. Partly cloudy and windy. The week ahead looks warmer again which generally means more wind.

We got the Christmas lights up at the shop on Friday. It ’tis the season. We are into it too. We do love the holidays. Christmas boxes going out the door daily as on-line fly fishing shoppers are getting their  family members and friends killer gifts from Headhunters Fly Shop.

A great gift for your favorite angler whether he of she be a Montana waters fan or not…is the benchmark of Gift Cards. The Headhunters Gift Card available in any amount. Why not get your sweetie a guide trip for 2016, a step in the positive direction for a fly rod, or a nice selection of flies for their upcoming ’16 Missouri River trip.

Having a ball in Craig Montana. Looking forward to the new year. Many returning guests booking their lodging and guide trips for next season. Open daily for any of your needs whether it be shopping, spey clinic booking, or getting your name on the books for the year ’16.

Happy Monday to you all!

Friday Foto December Snow Edition

Friday Foto December Snow Edition

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All is well here fishing Montana’s Missouri River.

Friday Foto today here on the Headhunters Fly Shop Blog.

Trout Spey Casting Clinic led by John tomorrow. SOLD OUT. The next one coming in January.

The snow pretty much melted yesterday with the roads all but bare and dry. Even the secondary dirt roads have thawed. The boat ramps should be all good too.

Looks like a nice weekend ahead of us. If the damn wind stays to a digestible level. Super windy Thursday. Not enough to keep anglers off of the water though. The SW wind leaves ample shores in the lee available for fishing.

See you for a coffee break at the shop this weekend. Open at 8am daily.

Missouri River Montana Fishing Report 12.3.15

Missouri River Montana Fishing Report 12.3.15

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Missouri River Montana Fishing Report 12.3.15

Water levels are remaining at 3030cfs along with water temps falling below the 40F mark @ 38.5F last evening. The water is on the low side of normal. Looks like it will ram in that way for the winter season. Get used to the shallow and skinny water.

The runs are just right for swinging. Some are. I know that I have been in spots that are too slow based on the lower water levels. Yet some runs are playing just perfectly for the winter game.

Most of the talk in the shop is about the swing. Those who have been floating are focussed on the nymphing technique. Wade fishers too. Finding the winter type buckets with some thought about the medium slow. The fish may not be in the slowest of the slow tanks, but they will be there soon.

Find those good looking inside lanes and fish it.

Split shot or not? Both ways work. Fishing the heavier tungsten lead flies will get it down with a  smaller midge like second fly. Those fishing split shot can fish any combo. Ipersonally go back and forth between the split shot or not theory. Really depends on the day.

Finding the fish is the first part of the battle. Once you locate them remember that type of water and fish it again. Return to your favorite runs first and then go exploring.

Most anglers fishing the upper half of the Missouri. It should remain the same for the winter. Not as much traffic on the lower end. It will freeze in the next couple months.

Some of the boat ramps can be a pretty sketchy in the snow. Stop in the shop and ask us of rth latest slippery boat ramp report. Be safe out there.

Shop open daily @ 8am.

Welcome to the Missouri River December

Welcome to the Missouri River December

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December 1st. All is well. Cold as it should be.

A common winter question at the shop is “Do you really fish during the winter? When the weather is like this? Really?

Oh yeah. And we are not the only ones. Lots of local and regional anglers visit the Missouri River during the off season. Great Falls and Helena residents including Butte, Bozeman, Whitefish, and even Spokane and Billings don’t blink about heading over for a day, or three.

A short drive for most. A large reward for all. As I stated yesterday we are into one of our slowest periods of the year. Not fishing wise. Although it is not red hot. More like Snow, White, Hot.

Missouri River December Weather

Welcome to the Missouri River DecemberCold. Mostly cold and somewhat windy. When the sun is high is does not mean slower fishing. But, but the fish do not mind the lower grayer skies either. I prefer the latter. It just feels fishier when the clouds obscure the sun.

Keep in mind while the mercury reads 24F, the high and bright sun will make it feel a balmy 37F.

The wind is the variable that really, truly, nobody is a fan of. If is blowing the fishing conditions can be questionable. Always give us a call before you head out for the current conditions in Craig.

Average daily December high temperature is 35F with the low being 15F.  Average snowfall is 9 inches with the average precipitation coming in at 0.55 inches.

The upshot is cold weather and tough fishing conditions. Or for those who like the solace of the river in December…bring it.

Missouri River December (Non)Hatches

Kind of none. Some BWO’s around and some midges. More like the pink nymph fly hatch. Or a streamer Kreelex hatch. That is about it. Very little dry fly action. So, we go to the bobber and the Trout Spey Rod or a slowly stripped streamer on a single handed rod.

Welcome to Missouri River December
Lots of winter ahead of us!

So what do I do? Find that soft winter water. Most of the anglers that arrive at the shop in the morning get the same explanation about water types. We constantly hear bad reports from those trying to play the summer game. Meaning that they are fishing in good looking hopper type water. The faster, sexy type of water. Stay away from that stuff in the winter. It is no good. There are not any fish in that ind of water. The water temps are in the Hi 30’s for the remainder of the month and the fish do not hang out there. Period. So if you want some good winter nymphing action find the slow and soggy water.

It is more a question of where. That is what we are getting at here. Where. The slow pond like water is the right stuff. Where you would not fish in the spring, summer, or fall. The slower inside bends with some structure. Or no structure. Look for the most boring water you can find and fish it.

Trout Spey is King

We love to throw the 2 handed rod in the winter months. With the advent of smaller trout size spey/switch rods the Missouri River is a fantastic resource to learn a new game. And we have them all. We are the education location for all things trout spey. With well more than a dozen demo trout spey rods in stock we are Montana’s Trout Spey destination. Demo lines at Headhunters as well with the entire range of Skagit and Scandi lines.

The Missouri River has a ton of killer swing runs at your disposal. You will see fellers out there practicing, fishing, swinging. Landing fish too. Depending on the water depth and speed you can either attach a lightly weighted pattern, a  heavily weighted pattern, or an unweighted fly to the end of your switch rod. The fish can be anywhere on the swing, or twitch, or jig. Fish it, change it, strip it, swing it.

Craig Trout Camp Open All Year!

Open all year long!
Open all year long!

Craig Trout Camp is open all year long. We never close the most popular properties on the Missouri River The good news is the discounted off season price. Rainbow and Brown Cabins rent for $125/night and the Craig House starts at $250/night. Why stay anywhere else? Come out for the weekend. Fish, stay, relax.

Missouri River Off Season is Killer!

Lots of reasons to fish the off season. Low population of anglers. That is all I need to hear. But some like to catch a few trout for their troubles. No problem there either. Good fishing for those over-sized Rainbows. Stop in any time for answers, questions, coffee, a ton of BS, Christmas gifts, sale times, conversations…any and all.

Headhunters Fly Shop is your only daily fly shop on the Missouri River. We are here for you, the all seasons angler. And we love December!

 

 

 

 

Missouri River Montana Monday Fishing Report 11.30.15

Missouri River Montana Monday Fishing Report 11.30.15

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Missouri River Montana Monday Fishing Report 11.30.15

Missouri River Montana Monday Fishing Report 11.30.15 is cold, but getting warmer.

The holiday weekend is over and we are back to work at the shop prepping for the upcoming weekend Trout Spey Clinic and shipping lots of cool gear on this Cyber Monday.

Missouri River Montana Monday Fishing Report
Fishing late November Missouri River Montana

Lead HH Guide Ben Hardy and Mark were out guiding on Saturday afternoon in the bright blue skies. The air temps at the Craig boat ramp read a high of 24F. But the sun made it feel like it was in the low 30’s!

Missouri River Nymphing Report

Nymphing was the game of choice with quite a few fish in Ben’s boat on a Firebead, a Tailwater Sow, and a Rainbow Warrior. Mark had success, albeit less, with a Bloom’s FB Rainbow Weight Fly, a Barbie Nymph, and Little Green Machine.

Missouri River Trout Spey Report

Swingers for the weekend reported successes in damn skinny water with floating lines. Some are fishing an intermediate tip or a Skagit line with a MOW tip of some sort. Strippers are out there too. They are getting them on a slower retrieval rhythm than they were a couple weeks ago. The trout are certainly in slower paced water as we continue the downward temperature spiral to the mid 30’s. Still some time until we reach that benchmark.

Missouri River Dry Fly Report

Dry fly guys? A few BWO’s on the surface on Saturday. Did see some fish moving near the surface and taking the first of the winter midge flies. Already exhibiting the winter like sporadic non sequential totally frustrating style of rise form. Total bullshit is what it is. As the winter progresses that will make more sense. After staring at the bobber for the next few months we will become coaxed into tossing the dry fly out there and letting it sit in pond like back eddies hoping for a lucky strike.

Missouri River Water Levels & Temps

Water levels holding at 3210cfs. Seems like a common flow for us this early winter. The fall, for the last couple months, has shown us that the lower than average water levels still are producing higher catch rates. The great nymph bite this autumn was enjoyed by many. While it didi not produce the historically good streamer bite in the fall like we are accustomed to. So, how do you balance all of that? Boy, if you figure out that equation give us a shout and we will pass it on to the masses.

Missouri River Montana Monday Fishing Report 11.30.15
Falling fast.

Damn close to the 40F mark. I have always though that we are truly into the winter realm when the wage temps fall below that 40F mark. So winter here we come. Are we ready for that kind of action? Well, bring it. A long way off from spring now. We will settle in for along winter ride.

The next couple weeks may be two of the softest angler pressure weeks of the entire year. The other two may be the first couple weeks of February. So if you like the pressure on the light to non-existent side of angling…you may like the next two week session.

Cyber Monday @ Headhunters Fly Shop

Order yourself up some kick ass Cyber Monday fly fishing gear today. Operators standing by if you want to call it in. Shop open daily 8am-6pm.

 

 

Fluorescent Flies

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As Mark recently pointed out, water temps are falling and we’re moving into winter. Scuds and sows are king and pink flies or flies with firebeads will continue to gain popularity as winter progresses.  Popular winter flies include the Pink Lightning Bug, Amex, Rainbow Czech, Pink Ray Charles, Pink Scuds, Worms, Rainbow Warrior, Sows, Zebras, Ninch’s Pill Popper Scud and Bubbleyum Sow, Mason’s Peep Show, and Ju-ju Baetis.

Why do these particular patterns work so well during the winter? If you don’t care why they are working and only that they do, stop reading this now, get some of these patterns, and go catch some fish. If you are curious, read on.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]What do these flies have in common? Most of them incorporate fluorescent pink or orange materials. A lot of anglers might tell you that these flies work because they are being taken as eggs. This might be the case. However, independent of the egg hypothesis, the fluorescent materials in these flies make them very visible to the fish.

Fluorescent materials have some unique optical qualities. When light of any wavelength hits fluorescent materials, these materials continue to reflect light of their own color. This means that fluorescent orange firebeads will appear bright orange regardless of depth or water clarity. Additionally, fluorescent materials are able to absorb ultraviolet (UV) light and continue to reflect their original coloration. In other words, fluorescent materials look bright and are visible from a long ways off even in deep water.

Fish facing upstream will notice a fluorescent fly coming downstream sooner than any other colored object, and if the fish is able to quickly notice the fly, the chances of the fly getting eaten improve dramatically. If you check out the photos at the bottom of this post, you’ll see what I’m talking about. They show the fly under regular light compared with how it looks under UV light. The fluorescent hot spots really stand out.

Some of you might be ready to call bull at this point and claim, “I’ve caught millions of fish with non-fluorescent flies!!!” I’m not going to argue with you.  I’m only suggesting that adding a fluorescent firebead or hotspot to a fly will make it easier for a fish to notice it. And isn’t that what we all want, to get our flies noticed?

Now, let’s take another look at some effective winter nymphs and try to interpret their effectiveness in the context of fluorescent materials. I examined the fluorescence of these flies by shining the shop’s UV light on them and noting what parts glowed. You can check out the fluorescent qualities of your own flies by shining a UV light into your fly box.

  • Pink Lightning Bug – The pink antron tail is somewhat fluorescent.
  • Amex – The pink dubbing in the abdomen is fluorescent.
  • Rainbow Czech – The pink hotspot is fluorescent.
  • Pink Ray Charles – The non-bead versions have a fluorescent orange thread head. The bead-head versions have a fluorescent orange firebead. Check out the photos of the firebead version that accompany this post.
  • Ninch’s Pill Popper Sow – The pink firebead is fluorescent.
  • Ninch’s Bubble Yum Scud – The thread is fluorescent orange and there is a fluorescent pink dubbing hotspot.
  • Worms – Some patterns are tied with fluorescent thread. Other patterns incorporate a firebead.
  • Rainbow Warrior – The underbody and thread collar are both tied with fluorescent orange thread.
  • Sows – Many patterns incorporate fluorescent thread heads.
  • Zebras – Often not fished with fluorescent materials, but why not?
  • Mason’s Peep Show – The orange thread collar is very fluorescent. Check out the photos accompanying this post.
  • Ju-ju Baetis – The Flouro-Fiber material that the wing case and legs is tied out of is fluorescent.

If you’ve already been fishing these flies, hopefully this post will help you understand why they work so well. If you haven’t been fishing these patterns, give a few of them a shot the next time you go out. Or maybe some of you have your own secret killer patterns with fluorescent materials in them? If you have a UV light on your fly tying bench, I’d recommend shining it into your fly boxes. The results are pretty interesting. We also have a UV light in the shop if you want to go to town on our bins. Or you can come in and find plenty of fluorescent threads and beads in the fly tying selection that Ninch has put together in the shop.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

Firebead Pink Ray Charles
Firebead Pink Ray Charles under regular light.

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Firebead Pink Ray Charles Under UV Light.
Firebead Pink Ray Charles Under UV Light.

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Mason's Peep Show under regular light.
Mason’s Peep Show under regular light.

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Mason's Peep Show under UV light.
Mason’s Peep Show under UV light.

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Craig Trout Camp Open All Winter

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The entire Craig Trout Camp at Headhunters will be open for the entire winter for those who spend just as much time fishing the Missouri during swing season. The Rainbow & Brown, Craig House and Sutton Place will all be available at discounted winter rates from Nov. 15 – March 15.

  • Rainbow & Brown – $125/nt (2)
  • Sutton Place – $200 (4)
  • Craig House – $250 (4) – $350 (6)

Now you probably don’t have to book a cabin well in advance. But, we’ve had some of the cabins open the last few years, and our booking crew will tell you that there are times when everyone seems to try and book. Even in the winter. That’s why we have them open! So if you and your buddies have a plan, book it. It’s easy to change it later.

Also, remember that dining options get a little limited around here in the winter. Your best bet is to bring your own grub. The Craig House and Sutton Place have full kitchens. The Rainbow and Brown have mini-fridge/microwave setups. We do have BBQ’s that you can use to grill up some steaks – or Marks fav – hot dogs!

Call the shop to reserve or if you have any Q’s. 1-877-379-3597[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

El Nino Impacts Montana Winters

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]excellent images and video from NOAAclimate.gov

We’ been reading all summer that a potentially big El Nino event could impact North America this coming winter. It looks as though that forecast will prove correct. The Pacific is warming rapidly creating conditions that could create the strongest El Nino event on record:

“The forecast for us is to be anywhere from 2 to 2.5 degrees (Celsius) above normal. What that translates to is one of the strongest El Niño’s experienced since we’ve been keeping records dating 50 to 100 years ago.”
-Bob Nester, NWS

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT NPR

According to Nester, when this happens Montana always receives 75-90% less snowpack than average. Bummer.

“Statistically for example in Missoula, anytime we’ve had a moderate to strong El Niño, snowfall has been anywhere from 75 percent of normal or less. Each time.”
-Bob Nester, NWS

Here’s an excellent video from the NOAA explaining how El Nino works:[/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/_Tuou_QcgxI”][us_separator show_line=”1″ line_width=”default”][vc_column_text]Of course this news bums us out considerably. Drastic drought conditions will have an impact on our fly fishing conditions for 2016. And while low water sucks for both fish and fishermen, when combined with warmer than average weather, it can damage the resource.

We’re not all fly fishing nerds around here. Many of spend the winter searching for fresh lines at our local ski areas. No snow means no skiing. No boarding. No backcountry.

The only bright side is that we may have an exceptional winter (Nov-Apr) fishing season. We’re out there regardless, but you may be as well if things are warm and dry.

The impacts I mention above are all about recreating. But El Nino can have huge financial impacts as well, especially in a state like Montana that relies heavily on agriculture to drive local and regional economies.

2016 Fishing

How does this affect your 2016 plans for fishing in Montana? It really doesn’t. I always stress that air temperatures can often have a greater impact on the quality of your fishing. The water can be really low, but if it remains cool, both fish and fisherman remain happy.

For example, if everyone who reads this decides to move their fishing trip to June, the rivers will be empty in August. If the weather is cool, fishing in August could be stellar. And you could be the only one on the river!

I Like to gamble, and the above scenario would intrigue me. realistically, you should consider the weather forecast, although it does depend on where you fish. Drought conditions could mean tough August fishing on a SW Montana Freestone, OK fishing on the Missouri and Bighorn Rivers, and great fishing on the Kootenai in NW Montana.[/vc_column_text][us_separator show_line=”1″ line_width=”default”][vc_column_text]MORE INFO:

NOAACLIMATE.GOV

IN MONTANA EL NINO TRANSLATES TO LOW SNOWPACK

WARMER AND DRIER WINTER AHEAD FOR MONTANA

EL NINO BRINGS SEA SNAKES TO CALIFORNIA COAST[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Headhunters Missouri River Fishing Report 4.2.15

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Missouri River Montana Fishing Report reporting some of what happened this last week on the Mo from the Dam to at least Pelican Point. Some anglers below towards Cascade as well.

Lodging in Craig is booming and Izaak’s is open for the season! Izaak’s open daily @ 3pm for cocktails and dinner at 4pm. Stop in Craig for your full service experience. They will be closed Mondays through April but open the rest of the week. Joe’s is always open for your late night hang!

The fishing is getting better as the days pass by this spring. Consistent fishing is arriving as the the grass becomes greener. Nearly all businesses open in Craig. Almost. The Taco Cart not up to speed quite yet.

The weather sours starting today while the trout wear bigger smiles.

Headhunters Missouri River Fishing Report 

Hot hatches on the horizon include our generally good spring baetis and the continuance of midge flies. Both will be gracing us with daily emergences this coming week. A few BWO’s out and about this last week. Meaning a few, like 3 seen recently. More to come soon. In conduction with the snow flurries panned for the week ahead? Maybe. You’ll just have to be here to witness it.

Bigger flies on the surface as well as our spring stones can be found under rocks too. Still a month out from the March Browns. Let’s play with the existing insects first.

Nymphers are out daily fishing all the way from the dam to ? How low can you go…

Streamer anglers stripping as well from top to bottom. Dry lines, intermediate tips, and some who like to go deeper yet. Hickman’s and Coffey’s and Kraft patterns are getting it done. Come by for the streamer super store in Craig. Open daily for your streamer fantasy at 8am.

Water temperatures continue their climb and stall occasionally. Like today, tomorrow.

Flows are in the lower 4K’s. Hiccuping this week is what we may see.

On the rise.
On the rise.

The weather will screw with us in the next few days. Check out the forecast and/or call us for the up to the minute fishing and weather reports.

I for one am packing a few Thermos’ products in my boat today along with hand warmers and a few pair of KAST gloves. W shave both the Raptor and Steelhead models for your spring fishing pleasure. Try the SIMMS ProDry as well. The HH staff love these as  well!

Lots of winter and early spring pieces in stock at Headhunters. We truly are your Missouri River Spring Specialists! While the rest are still ramping up we are in full spring swing. Stop in for a hot cup of Joe and fill your Thermos on us. See you before and after your wintery weather

Missouri River Montana Fishing Report 2.27.15

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Winter is back. Temps this weekend may not creep above freezing.

Not many anglers out at all. Should you come? Should you tie flies at home? Should you draft your fantasy baseball team or get prepped for Spring Training? Your  choice. We will be here in the shop hanging out bullshitting about fly fishing and such.

Headhunters Spring Special Guide Trips $300

Spring Training should remind you that our Spring Special is active beginning March 15th  and running through the end of April. Call today for $300 Guide Trips and discounted Craig Are Lodging beginning with the Craig Trout Camp. Call the shop for our list of cheap spring lodging.

For those headed to the Missouri River this weekend…dress warmly. Stop in for fee hot coffee in you are int he neighborhood. Joe’s Bar has got a little something stronger if you like.

We have all of the killer new SIMMS cold weather stuff in stock. Socks, base layer, jackets, Slick rain jackets, gloves,a nd hats! Voormi high speed warm layering at the shop too. Stop in to try one on. Warm as shit!

We have more gloves in stock than all the rest put together! Honest.

Sale items left over from the fall. CHEAP! Make on offer and walk away with an armload of heavily discounted fly fishing gold!

Missouri River Montana Fishing Report

Flies? Here they are…Fish Finder Worm, Pink LB, Ninch’s Lucent Rainbow Scud, Ninch’s Thunder Bug, Rainbow Warrior, Caviar Scud, Little Green Machine, Frenchie, Peep Show, Purple Weight Fly, Red Headed Step Child, S & M Brown, Poly Wing Zebra Black, Amex, Rainbow Czech, FB Weight Fly, Pink Beaded Tailwater Sow, Barbie Nymph…over 200 winter specific flies in stock!

Streamers? Dali Llama Black/White, Kreelex, Coffey’s Olive Sparkle Minnow, Brown Bugger, Simi Leech, Schmidt’s UV 2 Bugger, Micro Zonker in any color, Olive Pig Pen Leech, Arnold’s, Mozurri Minnow, Warpath’s Egg-Sucka Whammy, and JJ Urchin Bugger.

We have the Spey Demo Section stacked with rods too. In now also RIO UniSpey 6/7 and 7/8 with a 54′ head and total length of the line 120′. The RIO Short Head Spey with head length of 44′ and total of 110′. Come in and see what we have going in the Spey/Switch Trout arena.

Dries? Buzzball, Snowshoe Midge, Royal Stacker Midge, Griffith’s Gnat, Quigley’s Cluster Midge, Dun Midge Cluster, Parachute Adams in many post colors, Harrop’s Hanging Midge, and much more.

Shop open daily @ 8am for any of your last minute fly fishing needs. Shuttles, flies, info, coffee, and generally good time bullshit form us here in Craig MT.

 

 

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]

Missouri River Montana Fishing Report

Missouri River Montana Fishing Report 2.7.15

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Cliff above on the water with long time friend and HH Guide Mark this last week. Today Peter is on the water with a a couple guests. This warm weather gets some folks in the guide boat and why not.

The weather continues to be the story.

Warm and quite windy on Friday and leading into today.

Today? Warm and windy, with some rain, maybe. If you are coming, call first if you are concerned about the weather.

Fishing? Good. Bring your big rod for the wind, or stiff, or what works best in sometimes difficult conditions.

Most are nymphing and finding success in soft inside bend type water. Split shot, bobber, and winter techniques will get you through the day.

Nymphs that rule: Pink LB, Ray Charles, FB Ray, FB Scud, FB Caviar, Depth Finder Worms, Purple LB’s, Little Green Machines, Zebra’s, red midges.

Some are tossing the streamer and stripping it. Try your luck with the big rod and see if some follow it? You gotta throw to know.

Streamers that are getting bit: Clousers have been all the rage. Black and blue buggers, olive buggers, Space Invaders, Skips’ Minnow, Skiddish, and the like. Brown Skiddish is on the way back along with the Kreelex.

Check out the Just Add Vise tying kits at the store for some of our favorite winter patterns. A perfect kit for tying 20+ flies with pattern and video included.

Missouri River Fishing Report

Water temps are creeping a bit higher during the warm spell. But with ice still on the lake, we won’t wee much improvement past the 36F mark. Water flows are @ the 4750cfs level. Normal.

Shop open daily @ 8am for all your trout fishing needs.

 

Hey Mister, got some info over here.

 

Midges on the water too. But don’t get your hopes up yet…sometimes they fake us out.

 

 

Missouri River Montana Fishing Report 2.4.15

Missouri River Montana Fishing Report 2.4.15

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Daily air temperatures are coming back out of the cellar. Although Tuesday we saw some flurries and temps back in the teens. Snow over the weekend cooled things off a bit, but it will comeback rapidly.

Temps in the 50’s again as the weekend approaches.

Headhunters events this week include our Fly Tying Night in America Wednesday@ 6pm at the shop. A casual affair with tying and fellowship. Our February Free Spey Casting Clinic is this Saturday the 7th. Sold Out again. Try getting in our our overflow back up list. We may entertain one more free clinic on March 8th. A Sunday. If you would like to get in on this call and get on the list. Clinics limited to 12 participants.

Kick Ass Winter nymphs include Rainbow Czech, Amex Czech, Ninch’s Pink Hot Head Sow, Pink LB, FB Pink Ray, FB Grey Ray, FB Caviar Scud, Choi’s Spicy Scud, Zebra, Red Zebra, Depthfinder Worm Pink, Red, Rose…some mayfly nymphs have been reported as usable like the Red Headed Step Child, Little Green Machine.

USGS.06066500.15.00010..20150126.20150202..0.

Some tougher fishing this last week with the fish not really all that energized until the afternoon. Could be the cold water temps. 35F is not all that comfy. Although it is up a bit.

Flows at 4900ish cfs. A common winter flow.

Swingers are out daily catching some fish up and down the river. Stop in for an up to the minute fishing report from one of the fishing staff at Headhunters. Ninch, Sara, Braden, Max, John, Mark, Dewey, and Julie. All fishing all the time.

The weather ahead looks good. Highs in the 50’s for the weekend. Some rain, no snow.

Cabins available for rent for a mere $125. Stay and fish in Craig this weekend.

 

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]

Monday Morning Fishing Report 1.26.15

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All kinds of people around this weekend fishing Montana’s Missouri River. A bunch of anglers.

Why? The warm weather. Temps in the mid 50’s kept most interested all day long. Saturday the wind let down and remained dead calm most of the day. Remarkable. Windy in the am, then perfectly dead calm and overcast the rest of the day.

Sunday. A touch breezier! 59.6F is what the mercury topped on Sunday. Still warm out there! Water off color below Prickly Pear Creek. For miles. Check it out before putting in @ WC or Craig. It settles below the Dearborn River? GO figure. Dearborn frozen still. LPP running brown.

Today Monday. Nice and quiet, winter style. The phone is still ringing with 2015 summer guide and lodging bookings.

Looks like nice weather all week ling and into this coming weekend. See here in Craig daily if you are coming fishing or traveling through. We would love to chat about the winter bite.

Flies? Pink

Techniques? Nymph, swinging, or single handed stripping.

Where? Deep and slow.

Reach? Anywhere Dam to Prewitt Creek. Pelican Boat Ramp is still off limits, unless you got a long rope and 4WD. Dearborn can be sketchy too. The rest are in great shape.

DSC_9314
Clayton and the gang rigging for Sunday fishing affair.

Lots of DEMO Rod action as many are trying several of our Two Handed Rods Demo selection. Top to bottom all you need in the Switch and Spey game for Montana and the west coast Steelhead Rivers. We have all kinds of Spey Lines too. VersiTips, Scandi, Skagit, VersiLeaders, PolyLeaders, and much more for the two-handed angler. The only place to get hooked up on the Mo’!

Craig Trout Camp is on sale all winter long. Rainbow and Brown Cabins for $125/night and the Craig House begins @ $150/2 anglers and $50/head beyond the first two. Beach House and Trout House on a seasonal discount too. Call our crack booking staff today to get in on super deal.

Most of the shelf ice is gone and the shore access is quite easy. A good time to come out and enjoy this mid winter winter break. We will surely have much more winter like weather ahead of us. More snow, sleet, rain, etc.

Shop open daily @ 8am for all your Missouri River needs. The only full time fly shop on the river. Book your 2015 reservation today if you would like to visit the Missouri this year. June and July are almost gone. Honest. September fading. Book today.

Whitney Gould Mike McCune Spey Clinic

Food for thought...

Food for thought…

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Boat ramps are pretty sketchy as of late.

Several fellers have been stuck. For lengths of time. Be sure you are prepared to be stuck. Liquids and food. A beer or two and a bag of jerky.

Chains have been seen this last week several times.

This photo at the Craig Boat Ramp Saturday afternoon. Needed chains for many river extractions.

Check closely your boat ramp before you get stuck.

Unless you got plenty of beer and jerky…

SIMMS Winter @ Headhunters

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[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Some say summer is for SIMMS.

SIMMS WInter
Super Slick SIMMS Jacket is our winter favorite!

We say, don’t forget about winter my fishy friend.

We so often find ourselves thinking about summer fishing behaviors when we fantasize about fishing. Flip Flops, some shorts and a SIMMS fishing shirt. I know that is where my mind often drifts. Thinking of warmer days as we trudge through the mindless winter here in central Montana.

Well the reality is just this. There simply are more days when you need to include cold weather gear here in Montana than the polar opposite.

Waders lead this winter tale as we pull them on more often in than not September thru May, sometimes even June. We live in our waders. The SIMMS G3 is our clear choice. Mid priced and bombproof. Every angler knows that SIMMS makes the only wader Made in America, the only one, and the quality of the product is guaranteed. The G3 is the warrior. You can get into the G4, but for us here on the Mo, with very little barbed wired jumping and not much bushwhacking we like the comfort and ease of the SIMMS G3 Wader.

The SIMMS Slick Jacket is our go-to winter shell. Longer for covering your SIMMS ExStream Jacket easily. “Propelled by GORE-TEX® Pro Shell fabric, with stretch, the Slick flows with your body for superior mobility, while the ultraclean outside-in design delivers snag-free performance from hood to bottom hem.” This truly is your best bet for tromping around Montana winter waters.

A simple SIMMS Zip Top Fleece is one way to go. The SIMMS ExStream Jacket is yet another. Why not be warm. Comfy in fact. Fishing is not supposed to be chore. Nope. More fish are fought when we are comfortable.

We are constantly wandering around with 2 handed rods in the winter and the Slick/Kinetic combo fits the winter Missouri River bill perfectly. Reach though pockets on the Slick allow you to find that lip shit in your interior pocket. And that flask? Oh, keep that in your outside Slick pocket for convenience.

SIMMS Winter
SIMMS Kinetic Jacket @ Headhunters

If your blood runs a little warmer you may enjoy the SIMMS Kinetic Jacket. A great outerwear piece that you can wear out or hide under your Slick Jacket. Your choice. The new Simms Kinetic Jacket is just what we’ve been waiting for. A “puffball” on steroids. We love the hood for super chilly mornings and windy fall days. It’s has some stretch, which makes casting easier. It’s lightweight and the combination of synthetic materials means that when your arm gets wet while releasing that trophy, you’ll stay warm. This jacket is perfect by itself, or under a rain shell. A “must-have” for off-season trout fishing Montana’s Missouri River, or your local winter fishery!

SIMMS is for much more than just summer. It has so many more uses than just one season. SIMMS can outfit you for your other season wear. We got the goods in downtown Craig for your winter, and summer, fishing pleasures![/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][us_grid post_type=”ids” no_items_message=”” columns=”4″ items_layout=”shop_trendy” items_gap=”” ids=”6650″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][us_grid post_type=”ids” no_items_message=”” columns=”4″ items_layout=”shop_trendy” items_gap=”” ids=”8879″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][us_grid post_type=”ids” no_items_message=”” columns=”4″ items_layout=”shop_trendy” items_gap=”” ids=”8910″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Missouri River Winter Flies

Missouri River Winter Flies

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I don’t know the names of all of the flies in these images. I just don’t anymore. Ninch is the fly mastermind with some suggestions from John and I. But it really is his deal. So as the bins change as the trends change I find myself finding new killer flies to try all the time. Changing it up is fun. Nothing in nature stands still  for too long.

That is the argument for changing flies too. Static behaviors are lame.

So I lost the list of the flies in this post. I know 2/3 of them. So while I do not know the proper names I do know that they all work when you toss them into the Mo.

Add a split shot and a bobber and hold on.

Find slower water too.

Missouri River Winter Flies
Dirty Winter Flies

The dirty winter flies above include Peep Show, some derivation of a Zebra, Zebra’s, FB Sow, Ninch’s Pearl Ninja, Pink Lightening Bug, Tungsten beaded SJW, Rainbow Czech Nymph, Ninch’s Pink Beaded Sow.

Really super slutty stuff works well. Pink or orange or red flavors will get you through the cold months. Black works too.

Dry flies? Check them out below.

Missouri River Winter Flies
Midges.

Buzzball, Dominick’s Reneball, Griffith’s Gnat, Harrop’s CDC Hanging Midge, 2X posted Cluster, CDC Cluster, and more. Any thing you like that looks good on the water. A crap shoot real is the deal. Tie on some sort dropper for a better shot. If you can go that way.

Happy Holidays and we will see you on the river. Or in the bar afterward.

Missouri River Winter Solstice Fishing Report 12.21.14

Missouri River Winter Solstice Fishing Report 12.21.14

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The shortest day of the year. Not a bad day to fish the Missouri River near Craig Montana.

The fish gotta eat, even on the shortest day.

Terry Armstrong casting a 2 handed rod this last week on the Missouri River. Terry loves to fish. And fish he does with his 2 handed rod, a bamboo from Sweetgrass, and a few other favorites he has acquired over the years. You can commonly see Terry fishing the Mo a couple days a week.

Headhunters open daily, and today at 8am. We will be open for a short day on the 24th and closed, the only day of the year, closed on Christmas Day. Back open at 8am on the 26th, Canada’s Boxing Day. We will have a few guide trips out the week following Christmas. You could get on board with a post Christmas week guide trip. $300 Spey trips and $400 regular guide trips. Give us a shout for a timely guide trip this Christmas season.

The fishing? Good. Nymphing is really quite good in the winter months. The fish are only in specifically painfully slow water. Deep and slow. When you find them, you got them.

The weather for the week ahead is normal. Some snow, some clouds, some wind, and you. Highs in the upper 30’s and into the 40’s.

Missouri River Winter Solstice Fishing Report 12.21.14
Pink Flies Rule.

Pink is the word. The latest word on the street, or river, is Pink Lightening Bugs in the am and moving toward the AMEX Czech, Firebead, or Caviar type flies. Sows are still in fashion with Zebra’s never falling from grace.

Find the slowest stuff and ply your trade. Use the right amount of split. You can go split less if you desire. The slower water allows the flies to be int he zone a while, slower water more time in the water sinking…keep them in and hit ’em hard if the bobber hiccups. Stop in and we can get you pointed in the right winter direction. We got it all from bobbers to split shots to the right flies and a clue about the right kind of water.

The water temps are holding at their historically normal levels. 36.5F is quite normal. When it gets colder than 36F things do slow down a bit. But if it stays in this range warming a quarter of a degree once in a while the fish stay pretty active. They gotta eat.

Water flows are below the historical average but that is quite common in the last decade. Lower snow packs and levels have required the water managers to err on the safe side. Flows are 4400cfs with the norm being nearly 5000cfs. A nice wade fishing level. Anything near 5K is a good winter flow and makes for easy access.

Rainbows are quite healthy in the winter. They do gain weight as the winter moves towards early spring. They spawn in the spring and hence the weight gain. Browns are losing the fat as the winter progresses and the rainbows are going the other direction. Rainbows lose fat in the summer months post spawn.

Missouri River Winter Solstice Fishing Report 12.21.14

The streamer and 2 handed anglers are faring well this week too. The river didi have a green tint to it the last couple weeks. Still does.

Smaller flies have been the theme. Black buggers, black leeches, bastardized buggers, Skip’s Minnows, Skiddish Smolts, R2R, Superflash Zonkers, Micro Zonkers, and many more. Come in for a great streamer selection, best on the river.

Missouri River Winter Solstice Fishing Report 12.21.14
Headhunters has all the winer secrets

Your streamer store on the Mo with a plethora of sink tips, VersiLeaders from RIO, cut to length Airflo sinking leaders, Scandi and Skagit lines, several different running lines, and reels to boot from Abel, Nautilus, Hatch, Echo, Orvis.

Dry fly fishing? Not so good this week but the weather can get the bugs excited. Snow and sleet can get the midges all worked up. But every day is a new day. Clusters with a tiny Zebra dangling from it can be great. Our midge selection is up to date and filled with goodies for winter and spring midging.

We have a ton of DEMO Rods for you to try this week. Kick ass sale items like fly lines, SIMMS wading boots, HH Logo’d items like long and short sleeve shirts, hats, SIMMS Logo’d fishing shirts, flip flops, a nice selection of sale flies, and accessories galore!

Remember the store is open daily 8-5. Short hours open til noon on the 24th and closed on the 25th. Happy holidays and safe travels as you make your way to friends and family this week.

Too Many Bugs?

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There can be, and I’m not talking about mosquitos. When the weather does the right thing and the bugs go nuts, Missouri River trout often get so focused on emerging insects that they start to ignore everything else. That includes my streamer? Hard to believe you can rip a Kreelex through a group of big Borwns rising in 8 inches of water and not get a response – or blow them up – but you can.

While we generally think of fish focused on hatches as a summer thing, it can and does happen in the winter. Things go dark, midges start to hatch in respectable numbers, and the fish that were pounding your streamer go dark as well.

When we’re swinging the Missouri during the winter months, as a general rule you do not want to see a bunch of midges hatching. The more fish you see rising, the less likely that you’ll get that pull you’re waiting for. Not always true, and not on all sections of the river (the Dam always seems to have it’s own set of rules). But I have experienced this enough over the years that I feel alright calling it a “rule”.

This sceanario is not typically a problem for us right now. Our big midge hatches are a couple of months away. But recently we’ve had some ideal hatch conditions and the bugs went off. And the two-handed fishing went south. Why? The fish have switched gears. No longer looking for that occasionally baby burbot to swim by. They are gorging on the millions of midge pupa rising through the water column.

Trout also move during a good winter midge hatch. It’s not uncommon to find them cruising slack water and back eddies. Midge larva are trick in those silty bottom spots with no current. Not where you want them to be when you’re swinging. If you think about it it’s really not any different than conditions you encounter during the summer months. The fish are shallow, or up in the water column where emerging bugs are available.

While you’re out on the river on those nasty, snowy days, pay attention and adjust accordingly. We love to swing, but there’s nothing wrong with a Midge Cluster/Zebra dropper either…

Headhunters Fly Shop Sara experiencing winter drift boat fun!

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You may have seen this short 1 minute film with Sara having some winter fun.

She wanted to go faster. But in the name of safety, and lack of Fireball, we kept the speeds under 30mph.

This is SOL’s favorite film by Scumliner. Short and sweet. And funny!

Enjoy this nice quick winter break from an early 2014 Scumliner Media Short Film.

Somewhere Out West from scumliner media on Vimeo.

Silly Sunday Scenery

Silly Sunday Scenery

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Cold and snowy here @ Montana’s Missouri River.

The holiday weekend is nearly over. Good football on today. Better on your couch than here on the river right now.

Although we have seen a few anglers out there. Bearing it. Grinning?

Look at the forecast for the week ahead and plan accordingly. Warming as we move through the week.

Hope you enjoyed the holiday.

Check out the SIMMS Sale here. We got a bundle of other fishy stuff on sale too…

Down and Across Video. Sara Swings the Missouri River

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[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]This very popular video from Scumliner Media featuring Headhunters very own Sara Roholt 3 years ago swinging a two handed rod in the dead of winter.

The Missouri River is the winter playground that many of you may recognize.

More from Scumliner Media here on Headhunters TV.

Enjoy your Wednesday afternoon with this winter reminder that fishing does not have to end…if you don’t want it to.

Enjoy.

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Storm 1

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Fall no longer exists. We go from flip-flops to Muck Boots in a day. Yesterday Mark, Chad and clients got caught out in it. They new it was coming, but you never believe the temp is really going drop 40 degrees in an hour. North winds. Snow in your eyes. Push.

Iced up guides.

Max Matioli and I hit the river quickly yesterday afternoon. Temps around 20, dropping. Snow increased quickly as the afternoon wore on. The skies were absolutely loaded with waterfowl, and and it was obvious that every Swan in North Central was headed south. Our guides were icing up like it was 20 below. Super fast and super hard ice. Teeth and slobber were the only solution.

The trout were tailing all over the place. Whatever it is they root around for in the late fall. Scuds or Crawdads I’ve always assumed.

We stayed out long enough to hook some fish and get 1 or 2 to hand.

Storm 1 has arrived. Winter is here.[/vc_column_text][us_image image=”7440″ size=”full” link=”” onclick=”lightbox”][us_image image=”7439″ size=”full” link=”” onclick=”lightbox”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Friday Foto Fishing Report

Friday Foto Fishing Report

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The water is up since the last report, since the last weekend, since the last snow and wind and rain events. Tonight? The Fly Fishing Film Tour stops into Great Falls at the Hilton Garden Inn @ 7:30pm. But the action gets t-rolling about 4:30pm with beers, contests, the best deals on gear all year … Read more

Missouri River Presidents Weekend Fishing Report

Missouri River Presidents Weekend Fishing Report

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Is winter over here in central Montana? No. But Old Man Winter is giving us a break this holiday weekend! A lighter weather report will allow fishing this weekend without too much pain. The boat ramps are pretty much cleared. Earlier this week we saw drifts and tough ramp conditions but the snow and ice … Read more

montana fly shop

Closed Today… too damn cold.

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-21 this morning. Little chilly. We’re going to take the day off instead of forcing our staff to head to work. It’s not like you’re going fishing today. Maybe ice fishing. If you need to call the shop to make lodging or guiding reservations, no problem. Give Julie a call at 406-868-5473. She and I … Read more

Missouri River Montana Fishing Report

Missouri River Montana Fishing Report 1.23.14

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Great reports from all anglers. Anglers are out on a daily basis too. Many nimpers, some swingers, and an occasional dry fly Nazi’s. Cabins all full for the week, yet open for the weekend. Yep, fully booked here in this month of January. Our local winter discounted lodging is rocking. Why not. Stay at Joe’s way … Read more