Greg, Jim, and Jay fishing the Missouri

Our number 1 shuttle driver with a fish on. Jim has been fishing here for nearly 20 years and helping out fly shops for about that length of time too. G Falls on the sticks, giving another 100% day. He is filling his calender and always a requested guide.

A snapshot of the river in the last week. Literally.

Streamer fishing? Better down stream of Craig. Slow and bright has been the key. Not so hot above Craig, from bridge to bridge.

Nymphing? Good at the damn, not good from WC to Craig, good downstream of here. Normal winter bugs still working.

Dry Fly? Yes, good, can hunt heads all day long if you wish. Midges rule. Gnats, clusters, with anything bright and big as a lead fly. The browns will eat the big stuff, the bows want the little stuff.

A good strike on the Missouri this last week.

Like this shot. Did not get the fish. He spit the hook. Disclaimer: Stop reading if you do not like the truth. Fish do not spit the hook. I hear this comment all the time and it drives me crazy. Fish cannot spit a fly out. It just was not hoked all that well. There is my beef of the month.

SOL is guiding tomorrow. First trip of the year. I like it. We had some trips last week for the $300 Spring Special. More booked today for the latter part of the month. The fishing is good now…and will stay good for some time. We will have a winter storm, more likely 3 or 4 or 5, before the summer arrives. A false sense of warmth has set in for a spell. But if it is over 40 F the angling is worthwhile.

John and Mark were at the Fishing Outfitter Assoc. of Montana yesterday. Mostly dry, boring, outfitter stuff…with a great presentation from Bill Wiltshire about Aquatic Nuisance Species. Scary, scary, shit my friends. I will inform in the next couple weeks about what we learned. The upshot is leave your infectious shit in your river…and we will keep our infectious shit in ours. More later.

Craig MT needs this!

Best shot of my vacation. We need this in Craig MT, the Mini-Golf part…and a bowling alley.

Pope and Arnold scouting dry fly water March 4th 2010

Wonderful weather has lead to wonderful fishing on the Missouri this week. If you like to cast at rising fish, with midges of all sizes, come give us a look. We fished with Streamers, nymphs, and dries yesterday. What fun.
We have seen anglers from all 4 corners of the state this last week. Great Falls, Helena, Clancy, Montana City, Havre, Cut Bank, Livingston, Bozeman, Belgrade, Kalispell, Whitefish…do I need to go on? Boy, when it rises above 40 degrees, the Montanans come out to play. Where are you?

Kickin' Back in Sterling...nice!

An update in regards to the Spring Special. Yes, this $300 daily guide rate has been well received. A few takers this week and guests/anglers for the April slot are in the books already. We will run this Spring Special until the last day of April, with cheap lodging too. Give us a shout to book your inexpensive early season dates.

Things I saw this week:

• Eagles: lots and lots…golden’s and balds abound.
• Gophers: They are out and grubbin’
• Midges: Covering the water, mating, swarming, and available for trout consumption.
• Capt. Carp: Guiding and Happy!
• The Boss: Back in MT and fishing. HE will be to work soon…until then, fishing.
• Skidmore: Fishing
• Scumliner: Booking trips, fishing, to Bozeman for FOAM annnual meeting.
• Squeeky Oar Lock: Photos, wandering, fishing, Bozeman too this weekend.
• B & E: Building….? Bozeman too.
• Craig MT: Warming up…all the mud is gone. Now just firm dirt. Folks around and fishing.
• HH Fly Shop: Open and good March business. Montana is opening her eyes after a short winter.
• Joe’s Bar: Open and cozy. Not a bad place for an afternoon beer.
• Izaak’s: 3 mere weeks form today…OPEN!
• Missouri River: Dishing up a healthy portion of Trout. Thanks Mom, I’ll have another!
• Fly of the Week: Midge Modger used as a dropper from the Dry. JC Special has been our best top-water specimen.
• License Plates: From all over Montana.

A Midge Midger Fish...Hung below a Wilcox's JC Special PT sz 10...had a few eat the big top fly too!

Rainbow Czech Nynph at HEadhunters Fly Shop...

I know, this has been talked about before…it still works well. Our #1 selling Fly. The fish are rising too. Adams, Griffith’s, Cluster Midges…stop in for a n up to the minute report.

Stalcup's Hopper. A dyno-mite mid winter dream.

Like seeing an oasis, meeting a genie…or like getting the Sport’s Illustrated I read it for the sports news Swimsuit Issue a week early. That’s dreamy.

Only 5+ months until Hopper Time. Late July/August will be here in a snap.

For now, spring like temps…winter like water temps, almost. Midges abound and the dry fly fans are occasionally succeeding.

Nymphers are having a tough time, but it will change as soon as tomorrow. Bobber fishermen unite.

Morrish's Hopper a little chewed on...August 9th 2009

One last image to get you through the day, or until late summer. Hopper-tastic fantasies. Sweet Dreams my friends…

Just the back of a beauty… submerging after inhaling another Trico spinner. You can see a pile of dead bugs near this fish. Have you booked your trip for the 2010 year? This is an official reminder.

Procrastinators almost never prevail. Having said this, do not know how I made it this far in life…cause I am the worst. The only positive aspect of waiting is trout fishing. Waiting, watching, and planning is not a bad way to catch fish. Make the perfect cast and hope that he eats the fly. Just don’t wait too long…he may get full.

Headhunters guests with yet another summer dry fly fish. Lance Gleason gets the job done. He says "I got time"

Whether you enjoy fly rodding from a boat, stalking sipping browns on foot, or just kicking back and watching the day go by…we can accommodate. The river is in such great shape coming into this 2010 season. The phone has been literally ringing off the hook…and we are booking trips daily. Headhunters employs many great guides and they too are eager to fish with you. They have the fire and are all terrific teachers. As I age, I believe I am more of a counselor…or maybe need to be counseled? I have never lost the desire to spend countless days on the water.

The Missouri is our counselor, our mother, our wonderful playground. It gives so much to us and we can only remain thankful for its tremendous wealth, its bounty, its fat bows and browns.

Hooking up in the canyon. Missouri River Madness yet again.

This is the Trout Wrangler in early June 2009. He represents the growing contingent of under 30 anglers. Fit, fun, and fishy. These guys are eager to learn…and learn they do. Thsi type of client will sacrifice numbers for pearls of wisdom.

The new breed is full of energy…and poise. They truly enjoy the entire experience. They want to improve their reach cast, their rigging techniques, leader building and design…anything that they can apply to their fishing at home. But they spend an increasing amount of time on the Magical Missouri. The Trout Wrangler above is a relatively new angler…and he improved daily.

Coming for a week is the norm for these guys. They may not be guided for the entire week, but 3 to 4 days is standard. Rent a boat for a day or two…bank angle for an afternoon…head up to Augusta for a beer or 3 and check out the incredible beauty of the Eastern Front. This demographic is impressive. The real deal…and we encourage their development. It is a refreshing breath for fly fishing.

Give us a shout if you need some information or help on designing an entire vacation complete with varied fishing opportunities, relaxation, education, and the like!

Mystery Boat Ramp....are you familiar?

Have you put in here. Do you recognize this area. Can you identify those Pelicans in the distance? In the recent years Scumliner and SOL have been fishing in this stretch lots. Many of the out of area guides and outfitters have discovered the lower river and are living down stream. I’m not saying that Headhunters guides  don’t fish lower, as we commonly do, but local knowledge is king. There are a few great non-local guides that do quite well here…arriving a few days before the trip and pre-fishing. I respect and appreciate this behavior. These are also fellas who have been fishing and guiding here for well over a decade. They do well and do right by their clients. I can say in all honesty that not all adhere to this theory.

The Mo is a catch all. When the freestone rivers of Montana blow out…every spring…we see an incredible amount of guides from other rivers. We are so damn fortunate to live here on the Missouri and not have to travel. When we do get time off, we love to visit the Yellowstone, Madison, Bitterroot, Clark’s Fork, and the like for a change of pace. But often times we just drift down this wonderful river and enjoy the freely rising trout in our own back yard. Boy, we are spoiled…sshhh, don’t tell anyone.

There is a buzz about town, the Craig town, in regards to this season. Foreshadowing the coming year…I can hardly wait and am already losing sleep in wild anticipation.

This guy and his pop are coming for year number 11...I wonder why? They are DFO's and proud of it!

A nice Brown near Craig Montana…caught on a Buzzball, or a Milarzo’s Caddis…one of the two, or not.  Maybe on Raisler’s Spent Caddis, or an X-Caddis…possibly a Rusty Spinner? Who knows, and who cares…

Walleye fisherman Mike angling @ Holter Dam for Walleye. Summer 2009

Winter, spring… and sort of the early summer…the hardcore fly fishing locals get out and fish a little…not for trout. Catching anything beyond the ubiquitous trout is a treat.

“Walleye, carp, suckers, burbot…anything that jiggles the end of the pole is acceptable.”

The locals, meaning the Great Falls and Helena residents, fish all winter long. While many of them fish in the summer too, there is a contingent that we only see in the shoulder seasons and winter.

All disciplines, for our local residents, are executed for our trout, but they are not always fishing for trout either. There are a good number of walleye caught here all year ’round and many of them in the spring. Deep shelves and fall offs hold our resident population of walleye. Gear guys catch the majority of them and are very effective. Much more so than the gang who enjoy fishing with flies. I have not had the delight yet of participating in this pursuit…and would never turn an opportunity down.

I want to catch them with gear. I think it makes much more sense.

Winter, spring, and even late night covert activities can be very successful if you know the Wizard of Walleye…and when I meet him I’ll let you know.

We are soon coming into the heart of the Ling season. They spawn in late February thru March. Many are caught during the spring frenzy. We will circle the troops at some point this spring and rally for a limit of Burbot.

Spike shows off a trophy Burbot in Mid-Summer

Andrew, Pete, Ebitty, Carp, Scumliner, the Chef… and the cast of thousands trapped in the canyon this winter will be proving once again that even fly fishermen can get skunked with spinning rods in their hands. It  levels the play-field. Just toss more wood on the fire and re-bait that hook my friend. Something will impale itself on one of our hooks.

Scumliner, the “Lord of the Lings”, will be hosting a  Clinic at Headhunters soon. We all need to attend, and learn. I think we should bring in another authority on the matter. Who knows who it could be…there are several, countless, canyon dwellers that are more proficient than myself  at Ling Angling!

Cap'n Carp warming his hands @ a Ling Fire...Missouri River fun 2010

Love this shot of Mike Kuhnert on the Missouri. Campfire for Ling Cod, the landlocked kind. Captain Carp is one fine trout and Carp guide, but Burbot…not so much dude.

This weekend the Mo has seen a ton of anglers. We love it and we wish you were here. Thanks to all for the positive comments on our TV show. We appreciate it greatly. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

We have a great opportunity for a inexpensive trip this spring…maybe you should take advantage of it. Your choice.

Capt. Carp: Enjoying the winter fishing. The Spring fishing…the Missouri River…all of it! Thanks for your continued help and support Mike. We are a big fan of yours!! New fly tying videos coming soon from Capt Carp and Scumliner.

Scumliner: Making friends on the Missouri daily…lots. Making friends on many rivers…for 24 years. Return clients again… I know it is a short track record…but he will come around.

J the B: Guru, all day long. Thanks Julie! The most important and integral member of our staff. Bar none!

THE BOSS: Returning to Montana from his winter hiatus in Napa Valley…we look forward to his return. Andrew with even more responsibilities. Our best phone and front end fellow. 3 years in the store…let’s hope we don’t have to pay him more…although he is worth every penny.

FNG:…aka Sara: Coming back in April, May?: Whenever it may be…come back baby…energized and happy!

B & E: Year 3, same as Andrew. We love having these guys back for the third year. They are the backbone of Headhunters. Ben has transformed the shop this winter…he will be guiding full time…with a strong cadre of return clients. Great job Ben. Still in the store when he is not building boats, teaching, chasing trout, girls…

SOL: Back from Colorado and skiing, snowboarding, nordic skiing, boozin’, hanging with Danielle. Ready for the best year of Headhunters, his 19th year on the Missouri…20 more to go.

The Missouri River: Big Fish, low water, dry flies…status quo.

Craig Montana: Busy this weekend, Monday can be your day. Call in sick…we won’t tell.

Dry Fly of the Week: Parachute Adams…size, your choice.

Wet Fly of the Week: Gray Hackle Peacock

Nymph of the Week: Pink Ray Charles

Fly Line of the Month: Rio Nymph Line

Yahoo of the Week: Circus-Kir-Patricka

Andrew and Sara in November fishing for steelhead out of state. photo Ben Hardy While they did not catch a fish on this day, they certainly enjoyed the experience. Getting away from the home river is important. At least for a while.

Squeeky Oar Lock is in Colorado skiing with Danielle for the week and is enjoying the break for m Craig. After the week, he’ll be ready for the homecoming. Scumliner, J the B, and Adair may be visiting AZ in the coming weeks for a warming of the blood, bones, and soul.

“It is great to get away for a period of time…but not nearly as great as returning to Big Sky Country.”

Ben, above, with a Florida Keys Tarpon. A fella can catch them during the day too, and that is about as much fun a s one can have with his clothes on. I like trout too. For a Keys fix with a kick ass Captain…look at our good friend Captain Scott Yetter’s web site and start planning your winter get-away.

This is probably the same many of you feel about coming to the Missouri and Craig Montana. Great place to visit, but could I live there? Hell no. Getting away is really terrific. We all enjoy the time. We look forward to seeing you away from home, here on the Missouri. Give us a shout if there is a anyway we can facilitate your upcoming Off Season Pursuit.