Some say this is the best time of the year. The weather is warm, the days are long, the wind is light, the bugs are popping…
All good things to have on your favorite trout fishery.
June is 2/3 of the way gone. Already! We have passed the summer solstice and now the days get shorter. Not for a while though. We will enjoy the warmth, the not too hot warmth throughout the week ahead realizing that the summer heat generally comes in the month of July. It is coming!
Missouri River Montana Fishing Report 6.22.15
The State of the Missouri as it stands is as follows. Some may call it a fishing report, and they would be right. But here are the latest and greatest updates as we see it in downtown Craig Montana fishing the world famous Missouri River.
Familiar Faces in Craig Montana
The non-local locals have arrived in force. That only means one thing. It is game on. The dry fly fishing is good enough to fish all day long with the bottle of GINK staining your shirt from the time you roll out of your cot on the banks and look for early morning coffee. Go as early as you wish and find a few sipping before the hatches of the day get going.
Fish as late as you want as well. The caddis will keep you entertained until you cannot see you fly. Black and dark winged patterns will get you some bonus time after that sun falls behind the Rockies to the west.
Need something late in Craig? Headhunters Fly Shop open later than the rest til 9pm daily. Your late shuttle folks in town is Headhunters.
Missouri River Caddis Explosion?
The caddis are nearly everywhere. But if you have to fish the caddis all day long you should find yourself in the canyon section. Stickney Creek to Pelican is your best bet. Fish the down winged versions we love so well. X-Caddis, All Stages Caddis, CDC Stocking Wing Caddis, Para-Caddis, Translucent Emergers, Twightlight Caddis, Hot-Wing Caddis, Henryville for the classic anglers int he bunch, Missouri River Special or King’s River Caddis…the lower wing profiled stuff is good. Fish the Troth if you are so inclined. We like to clip the hackle from the bottom of those high floaters here on the Mo. The Buzzball is a good option too!
The upper river has yet to see the caddis explosion during the day but they are showing int he evenings and the daytime excitement will soon follow. The mid to lower reaches are on fire in the evenings. Head on down there and see for yourself. Actually the upper is good in the evenings too. Just not the shit hot bite we like to see int he summer. But that traditionally comes in July. June is reserved for the PMD.
PMD Love
PMD’s are on the upper and throughout the middle sections of the Missouri River. Most anglers are all hopped up on this bug. We are too. We have the Missouri River’s most extensive PMD selection for all your frustrations, your successes, and in-between as well. Read John’s article today about Fishing PMD Hatches.
The emergence happens about 9, or 10, or 11, or 12ish. The fish will eat some emergers as the bugs come off. Transitional duns, cripples, knock downs, and captive duns are all in the mix. How about a soft hackle or something that looks like a pheasant tail just below the surface? Good for a fish, or 5.
The spinner fall can happen anytime. Get out the flat winged spinners and have a ball. The Buzzball here is a good idea too. How about a sunken spinner? How about a beaded sunken spinner? All good ideas wen you are pulling your hair out, diving into your box several times, then tossing the whole box into the water.
Pretty good PMD fishing in the morning until sometime int he afternoon. Not a great evening pasttime. Caddis are made for that fix.
Yellow Sally’s
Not a great top water bug for us. Having said that the trout can get on them slashing in riffles and runs throughout the day in the early stages of the hatch. We have a few patterns that can get it done. The Outrigger Sally is the key though. You cannot have the wing profile too low on these insects.
The middle on the river and the lower reaches are seeing evidence of the Sally with this coming week getting stronger upriver too.
Terrestrials
The Missouri River has long been an ant river. Try any flying ant int he red, cinnamon, or black varieties and let ‘er ride. Long leaders with a dropper can add some entertainment when the hatch you are after is waning.
Missouri River Flows and Water Temps
4320cfs and 57F. Nice for the remainder of the summer. Cooler water temps for the time being. We want them to stay lower for a while. The air temps will rise later this week and the water temps usually follow suit.
The weeds have begun to move toward the surface. Weeds may be a problem this summer as they have been in the past. Some do not like them and find them annoying. I agree. Will they be problem this summer? Probably. Call us. We will say something like this…“Yep, weeds are here. Yep, nymhing can be tough with the weeds in the water column. Maybe you should just dry fly fish?”
Rental Boats, Guides, Lodging, Vet’s Boats, Demo Rods
We have it all here in Craig including Project Healing Waters boats for rent, free of charge. Call us up if you are a vet, a retired vet, active duty…you all qualify for use of two Adipsoe Flow Driftboats any time. Call in advance and ask about our vets boats. You tow, you put in, and you choose if you want us to do a shuttle for you or not. We will facilitate this Project Healing Waters program fora ll vets from all branches of service.
We have DEMO Rods from SAGE, Orvis, G. Loomis, Echo, and Sweetgrass. Take one or two out Free for a day and let us know if you like it. We have DEMO Fly Lines too. Try it before you buy it. Take a few out and compare and contrast. That is the sure fire way to get you old or new rod lined up properly. And remember that we have a money back guarantee on nearly every product in the store. Get a line and you don’t fall in love with it? Bring it back and we will make it right. Replace it, or refund it. We got your back here in Craig.
Check out our Missouri River Montana nightly lodging site www.craiglodging.com for the Craig Trout Camp Rainbow, Brown, Sutton, and Craig Houses with 20+ others at your fingertips at Craig Lodging dot com.
We have rental boats too from Adipose Boatworks in Helena. Check them out here. After rowing the Adipose Flow you will understand why most of our guides row this craft daily!
Headhunters Fly Shop & Guide Service
Headhunters is open daily @ 630am for all your river needs. Helpful staff can guide you through the morning session with ease. Fill your coffee cup to the rim heading off to the river only a couple false casts away.
Call us anytime day or night for info, fly suggestions, shuttles, booking your guide and lodging needs here in Craig. The epicenter of the trout fishing world!
