Impending doom...

Shaun drifting home from oblivion. He is real near a cold PBR. I was too, thanks Shaun…made the drive back to the shop much cooler.

Guiding daily I am. Getting a little tired, physically. I used to get emotionally beat up by my clients…when I younger, dumber, way better looking…

Now I am far stronger mentally, and cannot be beat down. Not even surgeons or trial attorney’s got anything on me friends. But, at 3pm, you can out row me easy bro. I like using all that kids lingo…it makes me feel cool, and fresh.

Yet another brown cheek

Love catching these guys…on a dry. Not bad on a nymph either.

Afternoon T-Storms that have not really banged us up much…but they are scary. I get off the river, as a fly rod is a good conductor of energy, or so I understand.

Yet to see a trout that I am willing to die for…

I'll take it...

An ant eater. Bloom’s ant is kick-ass. So are any ant of your liking. Tied off behind a big fluffy see-um fly, like a hopper, and drifted down the golden road into a waiting brownie gullet. Strike.

What I love out terrestrial eats on this fine river is the non-crashiness trashiness freestone bite of the take. The fly may just disappear…like the floor just dropped out. Not the toilet flush sort of deal…much more refined.

Yes, sometimes the fish do explode on the fly…and that is fun too. But, most of our fish like the fly with a touch of Grey Poupon…”pardon me, but do you happen to have a jar of…”

The hopper bite is not shit hot yet. And as you all know, our river is not known for tremendous hopper days, with dudes coming in daily with hero hopper stories. But, they do eat it.

When ours, the bite,  is hot we will let you know, or not. We may tell you folks when it is ending, or something. The best way to know is to be here. Just take a short 2 week hiatus from that crappy ball and chain career of yours and join us for the time being. I’ll write you a note to give your boss…and if you are your own boss, shlep the rest of the week and next too to your subordinate and get here. We’ll save a bar stool at Joe’s for you.

Near sunset @ Pelican Isle 8/5 | photo Raisler

Good morning to you all, TGIF, get out of the house this weekend. Pack the Yeti full of ice, Budweiser, wienies…that’s all you need. And drive to a local watering hole, or fishing hole…put up lawn chair and begin.

Anticipation

A few anglers up before dawn and arriving for fishing quite early. Early bird gets the worm, or first shot at the rising feller’s. A few more Trico’s daily. Some fish on the spinner too. Nice.

Geared up

Captain Carp is ready for most situations, rigged and ready. He, as many of our guides are on the water daily and see the many faces of the Missouri…and get to know them intimately. Intimacy with our resource is a life decision. There are many  sacrifices…and local knowledge sometimes comes with dark sides. Good thing we are such positive individuals, or this life would kill us. It damn near does.

It is really all the bullshit around the fishing portion that upsets most of us. The fishing part is where you feel the best. It is where you repair the tears to the fragile fabric or your being. Fishing guides have become so soft. Not me though, I’m tough. Should get some backlash from the local Headhunters gang for such a comment as above.

Pleasant mornings on the Missouri

Take one now, enjoy it, make it last….your boss won’t care, honest.

I take several per day, mental vacations…even while guiding. Sometimes a nap.

July is encroaching August and we at Headhunters are taking a select few days off. Scumliner and J the B are gonna fish with Adair here on the Mo, take some much needed naps, fool around with stacks of paperwork…and enjoy silence and solitude.

Shoving off early in downtown Craig...

Joe Peterson from Spokane is off early this am. SOL was cruising around in the wee hours of the new day camera in hand  and caught these fin-natics as they left the Craig boat ramp. I love the mystery off leaving on yet another journey down the river. The anticipation is generally thick enough to cut with a dull knife…the precision stuff comes later in the day with our casts…sometimes.

You ever had the day where you cannot remember which end of the rod to hold? I have. Those kind of days are sprinkled intermittently thorough out our fly fishing lives. It is as if you have never spoken the phrase ” Dry flies and buggers and eats and CDC patterns and leader design and tales of 2 footers…” Just don’t let the bad mojo interrupt you during an epic battle with Mr Brown.

Back to the mystery and positive vibes. I got totally off track there, above, sorry. Good times on the Missouri these days. Summer is upon us, finally, and we are taking advantage of the long days, long nights, and opportunities to make new fishing friends. We like everybody, honest.

Dry fly sales are strong and dead shit seems to once again be the theme. PMD’s, caddis, and now Trico’s make up the daily dead selection. Nymphing continues to be strong, and short line nymphing is always an option with our fish living near the secondary shelf lines. Some even flirt with the primary, although most of us prefer the cool shit that happens well between the banks. Remember: If we have 5000 fish per mile, we do…then 2500 fish would have be be on each bank to make the math work. Can you see the flaw in this equation? Yes, indeed. There are more fish betwixt the to shores than actually glued to them. Comprende?

First cutting on Sterling Ranch

This morning was awfully nice. 60F and calm. Light clouds on the horizon and the falling full moon. Waning daily now and those damn fish will not eat all night long…wives tale? You tell me.

The traffic was terrific this weekend, lots of splash and giggle gangs roaming the river. Now, quiet, just anglers…with some muffled cursing heard after a missed opportunity. I’m OK with that.

A nice way to finish the day...

Get on the Mental Vacation Bus…it’s leaving soon…catch it brother

An ant is a good idea...

Frank love’s an ant. So do I. He asked me if there were ants in the water, I said yes. He asked if they eat ants on the shorelines? I said yes. He was surprised when I mentioned that our fish will eat them in the middle of the river too. He said, “Really!”

It must have worked, because the photo below is the result of Frank’s presentation. Good work friend. They eat Beetle’s too.

Rainbows love terrestrials...

No rail cars...

No more rail cars clogging up grip and grin shots. Just blue skies and smiles. Cheezy huh.

Cloud cover today for the first time in a millennium. The fish appreciated the scalding sun, as we did too. Threatening T-storms as I write, but nothing a good Simms rain jacket and a couple Budweiser’s cannot quell. Tomorrow: Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs 70 to 80. West winds 5 to 15 mph. Says the weather guessers. I predict great fishing with lots of fish over 20″. I’m not right every day either. But some days…

Fly Fish Chick is in town for a spell. She has completed the canoe race, and was not looking forward to rowing the boat for her mother and daughter. She did say she could cast a fly rod if needed. Check out her BLOG for her post race coverage…

Coming in pal...

SOL’s Fly of the Day: Buzzball

Dry Fly of the Week: Double Duck Caddis

Nymph of the Week: Nitro Caddis Pupa or Hogan’s PMD Military May

Streamer of the Week: Really, with heads up, streamers?

Sleeper Fly of the Week: Etha Wing Caddis, small

Secret Fly of the Week: All Stages Caddis

Popular Float of the Week: WC to Craig

Capt Carp says: I’m high on life.

SOL says: These early mornings are for people with real jobs.

Scumliner says: Stop in for a chat, or 6 dozen flies.

B & E Ben says: Guiding, Bud Light, Izaak’s, short sleep, repeat.

Aquaman says: I like dry fly fishing, small creeks too.

Napa Niel says: Everybody having a good time? Cause I am.

Headhunters Staff says: Come in early for flies, coffee, advice, and lightening quick service. Come in late for anything else.