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Fishing
Report
May 13th, 2008
Missouri River, Montana
Shop Hours
Headhunters hours are 8:00am until at least 6:00pm...we're
often here until 8:00pm, so if you're arriving late don't be
afraid to stop by and see if Mark, John or Julie are at the
shop. If you're on the road and want us to stay around,
give us a call from the road, and we will accommodate.
Fish love
flies!
The fish are eating, and eating, and eating. Those who know the
Missouri well can locate rising fish, but they are not
everywhere. Cloud cover certainly helps. We have had variable
weather, per usual for Montana, but looks like it is warming
throughout next week. More spring like temperatures and the
water temp rising. We love the primary trout zone of 54F-57F,
but do not want it too soon. It is fishing
very well and don't hesitate to call for an up to the minute
report.
shop
406/235-3447 toll free 877-DRY-FLYS
River
flows jumped sharply to 4440cfs and temperatures in crease to
46º on Monday. Warm weather is expected for the weekend
and we will probably see some dirty water from all tributaries.
Should not be enough to affect the fishing, however.
Surface
Activity
Inconsistent weather continues to affect the dry fly fishing.
Warm weather (80º) is forecast for the weekend. We expect
that to improve hatches, triggering more March Browns and
possibly some Caddis. Look for smaller tributaries like
Stickney and Wagner Creeks to put a little color into the river,
but not enough to effect your fishing opportunities.
Make sure and carry a proper assortment of BWO and March Brown
dries. BWO spinners have been important in the evenings.
A Hackle Stacker works great, and we carry the Fly-H20
Stackers in every variation imaginable. March Brown
Cripples will also be important in the following days. If
you're floating, make sure and have some ant and caddis patterns
for prospecting as well as the occasional ant fall.
Nymphing
Report
Nymph fishing continues to be the most productive all day
method. Patterns that imitate BWO nymphs (PT's, Roaring
Fork Nymphs, Bubblebacks, etc.) are working great. Scuds
and sowbugs in both pink and gray are great options. The
Arnold Sili-Scud is working well on the lower river.
Mark's DC Scud continues to catch fish river wide...and there's
no need for split shot!
Remember to rig deep enough when boat fishing, especially in the
mornings. Lots of fish are stacked in deep slow seams, and
you need to have your flies down where the fish are. As
the day progresses, the fish will move higher in the water
column as the naturals become more active.
Streamers
Streamer fishing has been hit and miss lately. Yesterday
we heard terrible streamer reports from the Canyon, on what
appeared to be a perfect day. Stick with it and you should
see some big fish. A little more color in the water will
help, and we should see that this weekend.
As the river rises and warms in the next several days, we expect
the fishing to really take off. Now the time to get out
here and bend your rod. Give us a call if you need:
-Shuttles
-Drift Boat Rentals
-Fishing Maps
-Licenses
-Lodging
Fishing Forecast...will we see the "big flush"?
State and Federal managers have a proposal on the table to
release a large amount of water in the first two weeks of June.
The reasons for this are twofold. The first is to provide
ample water for downstream Sturgeon to spawn. The second
is to flush the Missouri below Holter Dam, hopefully removing
large amounts of sediment that have built up over the last
several years. Sediment buildup has a detrimental impact
on insect life and spawning habitat, and a flush is long
overdue.
The big question is whether they will be able to hold off runoff
until mid-June. We very well may see it sooner...or not at
all. Water managers have stated that they won't be able to
announce a flush until 4 or 5 days before they pull the plug.
new local
number at the shop:
406-235-3447 |
