Late October Missouri River Report

Late October Missouri River Report

A quick report from your friends here at Headhunters Fly Shop of Craig Montana.

Yes, we are open all winter long! The only day we close, besides below ZERO temperature days, is Christmas. We do need to rest! Guide trips, lodging, fly fishing gear, all you need for your trout spey addiction, and our Spey Especial too!

Flows and water temps are just right. Flows in the 4K range, temps in the 50F range.

Nobody around. A couple of the shops are closing for the season. Izaak’s, Trout Shop Cafe, and Papa’s all closed for 2018. Shotgun Annie’s open located in Wolf Creek daily for Breakfast thru Dinner.

Yes, very few anglers. Time to come out and enjoy the river with very little pressure. Call today for your Headhunters fall guide trip.

Dry Fly Report

Not too good. Not a lot of bugs. There were some good BWO’s showing yesterday on the upper river. Localized hatches though. A good amount of bugs in a section, then none in the next, and so forth. Saw a couple zones of good hatching BWO’s. The fish were chowing them in this short specific zones.

Better bugs in the canyon reaches. Will fish that today and give you a report soon. I have heard, and have witnessed the caddis still clinging to life in the canyon. The lower reach, Cascade, not as good either. Although good streamer fishing has been had down there.

So BWO’s, not many, and caddis, not many…to toss at. There are all kinds of juvenile fish out there clogging up some of the historic feeding lanes. Recognize the shallow, quickly dissipating rings that follow the rise of a smaller fish. Curly is how I describe it. Quick and splashy and curly.

Cripples, spents, and the ever popular Translucent Pupa for the caddis. The BWO pattern of choice is the Cripple. Be sure to pick up a few dark posted flies, cripples, for those glare ridden flats that you so Loe to fish!

Streamer Anglers

Good to great depending on the day. Not a “10” though. More like a 7. So not great. But moments of greatness can be had. White, flashy, dark…all depends on who you talk to. Leeches, black, Flesh Eating Sculpin, Dali Llama’s, Kreelex, Skiddish Smolts, Buggers, Sparrows, etc.

Some sink tip lines with some considerable weight in them can work well in those deep buckets. Most are tossing intermediate tips or just the dry line. Add weight with the fly accordingly.

Trout Spey Report look back one day…

Nymphing Report

Sows, scuds, BWO nymphs, some caddis nymphs, Zebra’s, Little Green MAchine’s, Two Bit’s, Micro Mays, Frenchie’s…etcetera.

Deep in the morning, and sometimes shallow in the afternoons. Some stay deep, and if there are no bugs showing, that is the route to take.

Fall on the Missouri River

Good times, not too many anglers, quite time on the Mo. Come out and enjoy the solace of fall in Montana. Headhunters open daily 8-6. Full services all year long!

Late October Missouri River Report
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