Conservation Archives - Headhunters Fly Shop

Conservation, Fishing Report

Today, Montana FWP lifted the “Hoot Owl” restrictions on the Missouri River between Holter Dam and the Cascade boat ramp. Yes, you can again ply the waters of the Mo’ with rod in hand through the afternoon and evening. No…

Missouri River Hoot Owl begins Wednesday 7.21.21

July 20, 2021

Conservation, Fishing Report, Headhunters Life

Missouri River Hoot Owl begins Wednesday 7.21.21 This just in. Missouri River Hoot Owl begins Wednesday at 2pm. Fishing hours are 12am to 2pm. No fishing beyond 2pm. Nothing will change for the guided trips out of Headhunters Fly Shop.…

Clean. Drain. Dry.

July 7, 2021

aquatic invasive species, Cldan, conservation, Drain, Dry

Clean. Drain. Dry. Follow these rules and stop the spread/growth of invasive species here and beyond. Your duty as an angler, boat owner, all around good human being. I pull the weeds from my craft at the boat ramp daily.…

What will happen if the Mo falls under a Hoot-Owl restriction?

July 3, 2021

What will happen if the Mo falls under a Hoot-Owl restriction? If the weather, the water conditions, and the direction/protection of Montana’s resources require Fish, Wildlife, and Parks to enable a Hoot-Owl restriction we will… Respect and adhere to the…

July Missouri River Water Trends

July 2, 2021

Conservation, Fishing Report, Headhunters Life

July Missouri River Water Trends Lots of questions as we move into the month of July here in central Montana this hotter and water starved 2021 summer season. While there is wild and rampant speculation about the possibilities and outcomes…

USGS Holter Dam Gauge Malfunction

May 2, 2021

USGS Holter Dam Gauge Malfunction Spoke with Stephanie Micek of the USBR. She mentioned that the USGS gauge and the NorthWestern Energy gauge are not currently reading the same flows. The USGS flow rate is reading 300cfs-400cfs higher than the…

The Montana Story 40 Years of Success Video

February 25, 2021

The Montana Story 40 Years of Success Video, Trout, video, Wild

The Montana Story 40 Years of Success Video Awesome. A great story about this great state. It is why we have trout like no others. Period.

Paul Roos Dies at 78

November 25, 2020

Conservationist, Legend, Montana, Paul Roos

Paul Roos Dies at 78 Article in the Helena Independent Record Excerpt from Tom Kuglin, Independent Record Ed Note: I did not know Paul Roos, but shook his hand a couple times over the years. But you cannot throw a…

An April Reminder to not Tread on Redd

April 6, 2020

Etiquitte, Rainbow, Redd, Spawn, Spawning, Trout

An April Reminder to not Tread on Redd A reminder today regarding the Rainbow Trout Redds currently in the Missouri River. Don’t step on them. They, the eggs and trout doing the fragile incubation and spawning dance of tomorrows trout…

Upper Missouri River Watershed Alliance Video

November 20, 2019

UMOWA, Upper Missouri River Watershed Alliance

Upper Missouri River Watershed Alliance Video The new video from Upper Missouri River Watershed Alliance. Snowing here in Craig today. This video shot in early August. It was warmer then. Hey if you are looking for organizations to donate monies…

Tonight! UMOWA Annual Rendezvous June 22nd in downtown Craig MT

June 22, 2019

UMOWA Annual Rendezvous June 22nd in downtown Craig MT

Tonight! UMOWA Annual Rendezvous June 22nd in downtown Craig MT Tonight! Plan to attend the Upper Missouri River Watershed Alliance Annual Rendezvous, Tonight! Saturday June 22nd. BBQ, beer, wine, silent auction items, a Missouri River update, and what is happening…

Smith River Comment Period Ending May 10th

May 7, 2019

Smith River Comment Period Ending May 10th

Smith River Comment Period Ending May 10th If you care about the Smith River, Montana’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) needs to hear from you. Until May 10, 2019, the DEQ is accepting comments on the draft Environmental Impact Statement…

Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project Video

February 16, 2019

Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project, conservation

Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project Video We couldn’t say it better ourselves. A film supporting the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act. It truly is a special place. The entire drainage. Love seeing our friend Stefan Larrson in this short. Love seeing the…

Zinke and BLM Lands in Montana

January 29, 2019

Zinke and BLM Lands in Montana Zinke promised something quite different than he left in his legacy. Legacy, a funny concept. I think he promised to leave Montana in better shape than he found it? Editorial from Tony Bynum in…

Your Trout Voice and Concerns Matter

January 10, 2019

The upshot from Walleye’s Unlimited is this: They want more big walleye in the reservoirs and river systems. Catch rates and average size has decreased in the recent past. WU would like FWP to encourage walleye growth. The complaint is…

#TBT Wolf Creek FAS Proposed Improvement Project

December 20, 2018

Comment PEriod, FAS, FWP, Improvements, MArch, Wolf Creek

Wolf Creek FAS Proposed Improvement Project Ed Note: Lots of conversation about the updated, paved, striped Wolf Creek Boat Ramp since completion late October. The WC FAS has been changed, to exactly the proposal below. It is identical to the…

Upper Missouri River Management Plan Scoping Meeting Tonight in Helena

December 19, 2018

Conservation, Future Fly Fishers, Headhunters Life

FWP, Montana Wild, Scoping Meeting, Upper Missouri River Management Plan, walleye

Upper Missouri River Management Plan Scoping Meeting Tonight in Helena Meeting tonight at Montana Wild in Helena at 6:30 pm. Your voice determines the future of our Cold Water fishery. This is the pan for the 3 reservoirs above Holter…

FWP Wants Your Opinion – Upper Missouri Reservoir Plan

December 9, 2018

Conservation, Future Fly Fishers

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is requesting comments that will help them define the future of Fisheries management for the Upper Missouri River Reservoirs as well as the Missouri River from Toston to Holter Dam. 20 years ago, it’s unlikely…

Rally on the Rivers Support I-186

August 23, 2018

clean water, conservation, I-186

Rally on the Rivers! Care about Montana streams, rivers, and clean water? On Saturday, August 25th, join supporters of I-186 who will be rallying and floating on exactly what I-186 is going to protect, Montana’s precious clean water. Come join us…

Clean. Drain. Dry.

July 25, 2018

AIS, ANS, Clean. Drain. Dry.

Clean. Drain. Dry. Every time you leave the boat ramp. Clean. Drain. Dry. That is the rule now. The means every time you pull out. Take time to clean, drain, and dry your vessel. Pay particialuar attention to pulling off…

Upper Missouri River Watershed Alliance Annual River Rendezvous

June 10, 2018

Upper Missouri River Watershed Alliance Annual River Rendezvous Upper Missouri River Watershed Alliance Annual River Rendezvous Saturday June 16th at the Craig Firehall. Come to the annual round-up with food, river information, what UMOWA has accomplished this last year and…

YNP Bans Felt Soles

March 15, 2018

Yellowstone Nat'l Park

MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, WY –Aquatic invasive species (AIS) could have devastating ecological, economic, and recreational impacts on Yellowstone National Park. They are costly to manage and extremely difficult to eradicate. Due to the urgent need to prevent these destructive species…

Press release from Montana TU

February 22, 2018

Press release from Montana TU NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 21, 2018 Contact: David Brooks (MT Trout Unlimited Executive Director), 406-493-5384, david@montanatu.org Chris Schustrom (MT Trout Unlimited State Council Chair), 406-260-1198 chris@gardenwallinn.com Citizen Initiative Filed to Prevent Permanent Pollution…

UMOWA plans Streambank Restoration @ Prickly Pear

February 17, 2018

conservation, restoration, streambank, UMOWA

UMOWA plans Streambank Restoration @ Prickly Pear Ed Note: This just in from UMOWA. Their first stream bank project on the Missouri River. Progress from our local watershed group. Congrats. Look forward to seeing more projects like these here on…

Not Mine, Ours. Smith River Video from TU

February 4, 2018

Save Our Smith, Smith River, Smith River Mine, TU, video

Not Mine, Ours. Smith River Video from TU Super Bowl Sunday. Enjoy the game. Save the Smith. www.smithriverwatch.org

Chasing Coral Trailer

December 30, 2017

Chasing Coral, conservation, Trailer

A great film trailer today about coral conservation. Chasing Coral is dramatic. I will be watching it today on Netflix. Beats shoveling snow here in central Montana with outdoor temps currently at -12F. Got a couple more inches of snow…

Smith River Turnout Helena Scoping Meeting

November 8, 2017

Save Our Smith, Scoping Meeting, Smith River, Smith River Turnout Helena Scoping Meeting, tintina

Smith River Turnout Helena Scoping Meeting Good turnout Monday evening. Lots of attendees. Some interesting points brought up to the DEQ. All surrounding ground water, bonding, economics, and the like. It is not a popularity contest at these events so…

Smith River Mine Scoping Meeting Helena 6pm Monday Nov 6th

November 6, 2017

Black Butte Mine, DEQ, No Mines in Montana, Scoping Meeting, Smith River Mine, tintina

Smith River Mine Scoping Meeting Helena 6pm Monday Nov 6th Tonight in Helena a boat rally along with the Helena DEQ Scoping Meeting at the Radisson Colonial Hotel 2301 Colonial Dr Helena MT tonight at 6pm The boat rally is…

Smith River Mine Scoping Meetings GF Monday Night!!!

October 29, 2017

conservation, Please Attend!, Smith River, Smith River Mine Scoping Meetings, Tintina Resources

Smith River Mine Scoping Meetings Montana’s Smith River is renowned worldwide for its clean water, rugged canyon scenery, and the incredible trout fishery that many Montanans hold near and dear to their heart. The Smith River is a permitted river…

2016 UMOWA Water Quality Report

June 16, 2017

conservation, missouri river, UMOWA, water quality

2016 UMOWA Water Quality Report Yesterday we summarized the 2016 UMOWA Macroinvertebrate Report written by David Stagliano of the Montana Biological Survey. Today we are going to discuss the 2016 UMOWA Water Quality Report. Study Design In 2016, UMOWA began…

2016 UMOWA Macroinvertebrate Report

June 15, 2017

Bugs, Conservation

Bugs, conservation, fly fishing technique, missouri river, Nymphs, UMOWA

2016 UMOWA Macroinvertebrate Report On March 17, the Upper Missouri Watershed Alliance (UMOWA) published the results of the 2016 bug study performed by David Stagliano of Montana Biological Survey. We are late in sharing the results, but with the UMOWA Annual…

Two Mussel Encrusted Boats Intercepted

June 8, 2017

AIS, boat inspections, conservation, Montana FWP, mussel

Over Memorial Day weekend, two mussel encrusted boats were intercepted in Montana. Invasive species pose a constant threat to the quality of our waterbodies in Montana. As anglers, it is our responsibility to be educated about invasive species and our…

UMOWA: The Case For Flushing Flows

June 4, 2017

conservation, flushing flows, missouri river, UMOWA

The Case For Flushing Flows The Upper Missouri Watershed Alliance (UMOWA) recently released their spring newsletter. Within the letter, UMOWA discusses the history of Missouri River flows and the beneficial contribution that flushing flows have upon the health of the Missouri River.…

Kicking Plastic

May 26, 2017

bottle, kicking, plastic, water

After several years of threatening to do so, a few of our guides – myself included – are switching from store bought plastic water bottles to other methods of transporting and distributing water to our guests. Most guides I know…

Please Leave Redds Alone!

April 6, 2017

Conservation, Fly Fishing Technique, Nature

conservation, fly fishing technique, missouri river, redds, Spawning

Please leave trout redds in the river alone! Rainbow trout are actively spawning in the river now and will continue to do so for the next couple months. The Missouri River is one of the best wild trout fisheries in…

Paper or Plastic?

March 24, 2017

Conservation, Fly Fishing Gear

conservation, fly cups, fly fishing gear, fly storage

Paper or Plastic? Soon, you might be hearing this question at your local fly shop as well as the grocery store. AFFTA has announced that they are making recycled paper fly boxes available to fly shops as an alternative to the…

Mussel Update

March 15, 2017

conservation, fish wildlife and parks, invasive species, mussel

Proposed Rule Changes Last night, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks hosted a public hearing on new rules aimed at controlling the spread of invasive mussels. The new regulations include the following: All out of state watercraft would need to be inspected…

Friday Conservation Flicks

March 3, 2017

Eel, Methow

Methow Headwaters The Methow is not an incredibly great fishery, but it lies in an incredible valley in Washington’s North Cascades. If you’re a Washington Resident, it represents some of the best fly fishing for trout the state has to…

Clean. Drain. Dry.

February 25, 2017

Clean. Drain. Dry., conservation, FWP, video

Clean. Drain. Dry. Do this. Commit. Clean. Drain. Dry. Make it part of your daily routine. But only if you like fishing Montana waters. Honest. Do this. Do not spread Aquatic Nuisance Species to non-contaminated waters. Clean. Drain. Dry. Wash…

Case of the Mondays

February 20, 2017

conservation, hawks

Welcome back to the cubicle! Monday morning and we’re all recovering from a busy weekend. The sun came out, and so did all of the Montana anglers who’ve been secluded under a blanket of snow for the last few months.…

Front Lines – Public Land Transfer Win

February 3, 2017

See? It Does Work! This week, public land rally’s were held in Helena, MT and Santa Fe, NM opposing the transfer of Federally owned and managed lands to states. Above you can listen to MT Governor Steve Public rally the…

F3T Time – Convergence

January 25, 2017

Conservation Hawks, Convergence, video

The Fly Fishing Film Tour is starting it’s way across the country, and here’s a trailer for one of the features titled “Convergence” from our friends at Conservation Hawks. CONVERGENCE, the new film from Conservation Hawks, explores the essence of…

The Super Salmon – Worth your 25 minutes

January 13, 2017

peterson, salmon, Super, video

The Super Salmon by Ryan Peterson is a fantastic conservation video featuring Alaska’s Susitna River and threats it faces from a proposed dam. Following the incredible journey made by a Salmon, the film features the people and places that call this river…

Bud Lilly Passes

January 8, 2017

Bud Lilly, Legend, Madison River, West Yellowstone

Bud Lilly Passes I personally did not know much about Bud Lilly. I do know he was revered and loved by many. I have visited his fly shop, sold a few times over the years, in West Yellowstone. Cool place.…

BHA Quiet Waters Initiative

December 14, 2016

BHA, boat, motor, power, Quiet, waters

Above: Headhunters guide Capt. Ryan McCourtney running his powerboat downstream from Cascade. “Montana’s rivers and streams comprise less than 1% of our landscapes, but are valued and used disproportionately by people,wildlife and, of course, fish. They are the focal points…

Yellowstone is more valuable than GOLD!

September 21, 2016

Conservation, Uncategorized

Consevation, video, YellowStone River, Yellowstone Valley Business Coalition

Yellowstone is more valuable than GOLD! We keep saying NO to mining in Montana. We still say NO. Not too much more to it that that. No mining near our National Treasures. Period.

River Nomads Video

September 15, 2016

bull, Trout, video

Pat Clayton – CEO at Fisheyeguy Photography – and I put together another “Life Aquatic” nature video, this time featuring some of the original Montana natives… Bull Trout. Took some work and some bushwhacking but we got some very nice footage,…

UPDATED 9/2: The latest info on the Yellowstone River Fish Kill

August 31, 2016

Yellowstone River Fish Kill

Yellowstone River Fish Kill Here is the latest info. The Yellowstone is open, partially. Read carefully. The latest info on the Yellowstone River fish kill includes updates from the governor, the guides, and FWP. We have spoken to a…

State of the Missouri River Craig Montana 8.26.16

August 26, 2016

Birds Bugs and Wildlife, Conservation, Fishing Report

BWO's, Callibaetis, Fall, Fly Shop HOurs, Hatches, Temps, Trico's, Trout, UMOWA, Water Flows, Weeds, www.craiglodging.com

State of the Missouri River Craig Montana 8.26.16 Bringing you the State of the Missouri River Craig Montana 8.26.16. Headhunters is the information source on the banks of the famed Missouri River. Keep it tuned here for your daily bite of…

Aquatic Nuisance Species Reminder

August 21, 2016

Aquatic Nuisance Species Reminder

Aquatic Nuisance Species Reminder Before moving to a new body of water you must wash your boat, waders, boots, or anything that may carry Aquatic Nuisance Species. This has become habit for many in the last several years with the…

Real Scary Shit

August 20, 2016

Conservation, Fly Fishing Travel

ANS, Scary Shit

Real Scary Shit This developed yesterday. Actually the day before the signs were in place. The entire stretch of the Yellowstone, the trout fishing reach, is CLOSED TO ALL RECREATION. That is serious. Read it all at RT News, or…

Recycled Anchors

August 3, 2016

anchor, recycled

A few years ago Jason Fowler walked in our shop and asked if we wanted to buy some “used” drift boat and raft anchors. When I asked him where he got used anchors, he told me he dove for them.…

UPDATED HOOT-OWL CLOSURES

August 1, 2016

Conservation, Fishing Report

closures, hoot owl, restrictions

Recent warm weather has increased water temperatures and decreased flows on a number of Montana rivers triggering Hoot-owl restrictions. It seems the days of complete closures are over. Here is the most recent update for those wondering which rivers are under restrictions.…

Montana Hoot-Owl Restrictions

July 3, 2016

closures, drought, hoot owl

Here we go. July 1 and we’re already seeing some “Hoot-Owl” closures around the state. That means that June was a little warmer than we like it. Or than the trout do. It seems early, and it also seems like…

Wilderness Cutthroat – Video

June 22, 2016