Not a fishing weekend, more of a family weekend. So, Memorial Day is reserved for you and your fishing friends sneaking over to the Missouri River. Friday bight and quiet in town, at the shop, and at the local eateries. Joe’s should be hoppin’ though.

The fishing is good. Very good.

Guides, rec floaters, rec anglers, wade fishers are all having a ball and enjoying the Missouri River May. Get out and fish this light pressure time of year before July rolls around. June will be fabulous too!

Memorial Day Weekend Fishing Report

The entire river is fishing well. Fish your favorite stretch and enjoy. The weather will be variable all weekend long. Pretty standard for the Montana Memorial Day Festivities. You will need your rain gear, sunscreen, sunglasses, muck boots, waders, A/C unit and Mr. Buddy Heater. A YETI Cooler will harbor the beverages for the entire weekend.

Nymph Flies that rule include…Peep Show, Tung Death Metal, Pearl LB, Nitro Caddis, Kyle’s Yellow Sally Little Green Machine, Red Headed Step Child, Bloom’s Tung Dart, Rainbow Warrior, Ruby or Brown Micro May, Quasi Moto PT, Hogan’s Spring Fling Pupa, Rainbow Czech, Tan Czech, BH Bubble Back BWO and PMD, CBH LB, Hogan Miltary May Brown, Tungsten Redemption PMD, Purple Weight Fly…stop in for many more ideas if you need them. How about a Pat’s Rubber LED or a Crawfish?

Streamers that we like include Skiddish Smolt, Coffey CH Sparkle Minnow, Sculpin Clouser, Marabou Clouser, Home Invader, Black Bugger, White Urchin, Super Flash Zonker Yellow or White, and many leeches too.

Dries that have been lighting them up include D & D Cripple BWO, March Brown Cripple, Callibaetis Cripples, Purple Rooster Parachute, March Brown Parachute, Buzzball, Snowshoe Midge Cluster small, Adams, Black Ants, Quig’s Midge Cluster, CDC Hanging Midge, RS2 glass beaded in the film, Hi-Vis Spinner BWO, Salvini’s Click Emergent Pheasant, Hogan’s Sipper BWO, Nymen’s DOA Cripple, Last Chance Cripple, Smokejumper BWO…

Good water temps for the Memorial Day Weekend

This may be the final hurrah for the BWO and it has stayed at the party later than normal. With water temps bouncing around it is hard to keep up with the bugs, Just bring all the boxes and assume the most bizarre and unusual will happen. The dry fly bite, when calm and overcast is just about right. Really good. Be in your dry fly zone if and when this weather event occurs, preferably in the afternoon.

Good wter temps and good weather for angling in Montana. Standard.

Speaking of weather, it will be normal for this time period. Look above. Expect all of it, the rain, the snow, the sleet, the wind, the sun…

Shop open early @ 7am and late til 9pm for all your river needs. Sodas, snacks, flies, shuttles, Dearborn River shuttles everyday, split shot, GINK, Dry Shake, leaders, tippet, new fly lines, rods, ice…

Love Yellow Sally’s.

If you do too, then you will like June.

The dry fly fishing is insane.

Honest.

Trust me, I’m a guide.

Our featured brand this week is Montana Fly Co. (MFC). MFC makes a lot of… flies. As one of the premier fly ting companies in the greater Flathead Lake region, MFC has been tying quality flies for over a decade (I couldn’t find how long on their website, but I know it’s over a decade).

The flies are great, and they tie some of our favorites like the Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow – sculpin (aka Ramp to Ramp, SS Minnow), the true Skwala and Gould’s Western Lady. MFC is the master of “foamies”, in fact. They have one of the largest “large foam attractor” selections in the world, and they seem to bring a few new and effective patterns every year. They also have an excellent selection of nymphs, and dries, and a huge selection of Montana streamer patterns.

Flies are the bread and butter at MFC, but that’s not where the meal ends. In recent years, MFC has come out with a variety of products, and have become leaders in un-fishing/fishing stuff technology. Many of the products from MFC feature artwork from noted outdoors painters AD Maddox, Bern Sundell, Travis Sylvester, Jeff Currier, Josh Udesen and Bob White. Cool stuff, and the “artist series” price is one you can afford. If you’ve ever been dreaming of one of those super cool fly reels with brown trout artwork on it – but can’t afford it – check out what MFC has to offer.

Here’s a few of the most popular MFC items at Headhunters:

MFC iPhone & iPad Case

All the cool kids have an iPhone, and if you want to be accepted by the bro-bra’s at the bar, you need to have some kind of fly fishing art on your iPhone case. These cases seem to fit better than some others I’ve tried, and I like the brightly colored art. Important when you have a habit of leaving your phone on the seat of the boat, bar, rear bumper or boat bag.

If you’re such a tech junkie that you roll iPad style, MFC has you covered as well. It’s a great folding cover and the art looks fantastic on the faux leather cover. Look at that Tarpon. Nice. Now you can watch videos on your iPad while you text on your iPhone and never stop looking fishy. Saaaweeet!

MFC Boat Box

We’ve sold a ton of these this year. These huge, waterproof and well made boat boxes have very high quality slit foam and available center swing leaves. The MFC Boat Box is currently the most requested boat box in the shop, and we have a bunch of boat boxes. They also make “saltwater” versions for larger flies. I’ve used them, and they are legit. They also keep your flies dry, which is nice.

MFC Madison IIa Fly Reels

A very popular reel at Headhunters. These are precision made (overseas) reels that are light and smooth. We’ve used the trout sizes a lot on the Missouri River, and we can attest that the startup inertia and power of this disc drag is great for big fish and long, sudden runs. The price is fantastic, and a wide variety of artwork is available that will match just about any fly rod. You can also get them “un-painted”. The Madison IIa reel is the best bang for your buck reel in the shop.

MFC Flask

If you fish, you need alcohol. At the campfire you have 2 choices. a) break out that silly silver flask you got in the fraternity in college. Probably has your fratboy nickname on it with duct tape over it. Lame. Or b) you can bust our your new MFC flask with sweet Jeff Currier Permit art on it. Your bro’s may even assume you’ve caught a Permit! Salut!

MFC Artist Series Fly Boxes

The MFC Artist series fly boxes come in both aluminum and plastic versions. They both come equipped with quality high density slit foam inserts. The price of the aluminum boxes is outstanding, and even a better deal when you check out the high quality artwork and finish. These are one of our most popular gift items.

So, Montana Fly Company produces a bunch of great stuff you need. While the above stuff is super cool, fun and great for gift time, remember that the great fly selection at MFC is still the heart of the company. Flies. We like flies.

John and Mark spent some real quality time with about 60 youngsters from the Helena School District Monday and Wednesday helping them learn, at least a piece, the art of Fly Fishing.

Grade 3 Peak Guru Jamie A. beckoned John and Mark to attend and lend a hand in the education portion. We couldn’t say no. Teaching kids about the outdoors, and primarily the art of angling is near and dear to our hearts.

Why not learn fly fishing while growing up in central Montana. I understand there are a few fishing opportunities in this great state of angling. The greatest state of fishing in the Union. No doubt!

Rockin’ it on the Little Blackfoot

The students were all part of the PEAK Program in Helena. The Gifted and Talented Peak Program kids are full of energy and questions. We enjoyed hanging out and teaching this group casting, know tying, and fly fishing techniques on the Little Blackfoot River @ Kading Campground.

The kids also learned about Invertebrates while digging around on the stream bottom and seining the river gravel. Fun times. Definitely.

Invertebrate ID Cards

Learning about one of the many cool facets of the flyfishing life while at school. Really cool. I don’t remember that kind of field trip? Do you?

A good knot!