Fishing Report and Water Update June 10th Mo River in Craig Montana

Higher water this year. Higher than in several years. Complainers complain about high water, low water, too many people, not enough restaurants, shuttle prices too high, not enough bugs, too many mosquitos, too may fly shops, not enough parking…

But we here @ HH of Craig like to see the positives. We take the positives, not the negatives. If you like to complain, well, that is on you. Practice your cast before you complain.

Water flows allowing some flushing and gravel migration in this river proper. Hissing and sizzling and popping and effervescing of the water is a great sound. Moving away some silt and detritus that is covering the aquatic nest producing weeds in the Mighty Mo. The Goal of ever River is the Movement of dirt, rocks, trees…downstream. The #1 Goal of all Rivers.

And, that is happening.

Good water this time of year means good water in the latter parts of the year.

Dearborn up yesterday to 1200cfs. Doubling in size in 24 hours. Now on the fall. Some m ud coming in to the river proper. Not bad downstream. Recently 75%+ of the boats are above Craig. So, if you like the boat traffic, head upstream. Time to try fishing below Craig? Nah, head up river. Easier for us to the play the shuttle game if all the rigs are in one reach. Nymphers Unite.

Dearborn been fishing quite well with the average days of about 10 to hand. A few unreal days have been had up there with the clouds obscuring the sun. Streamer Valhalla. Olive, flashy, brown.

White has been the color of the year for Streamer anglers here on the Mo. Deep tips. Come by for your new streamer line today at HH. The largest selection of fly lines on the Mo by a wide margin. 1000+ in stock today! The Headhunters Dry Fly Line still selling like hotcakes. Come by and pick up a couple. Dry Fly Fishing all day long when the water recedes.

When will the water recede to 6K. Wadeable levels? Oh boy. We do not know. We like to guess, but are wrong 50% of the time. Our latest guess? Last week of June. After the fill of the lake. But, remember, that lots of rain, after the last week of June, will push waters trough the system as well. Mother Nature is a strange gal. Unpredictable.

Nymphers? Deep. Lots of split shot, lots of mending, sows, PMD nymphs available from HH, worms, bobbers. Those who hit it the most, catch the most. Why anglers do not set the hook all the time, is beyond this writer. If the bobber moves, something has happened. Those who like to postulate about what happened, like it couldn’t be a fish, do not use the net as often. And that is fine. Those who say silly phrases like, “I don’t think that was a fish”, are in the novice range of anglers. Those who set the hook every time the thing pauses, moves, hiccups, or otherwise, do not like to catch them, the trouts. You can be a novice, and catch a lot of trout on a deep nymph rig.

P.S. The bobber does not move by itself. It only Indicates things that have happened. Only 1 of 3 things have happened when the bobber moves. A trout, a bottom, a weed or stick on the water column. And the latter, not that often. So, you gotta set the hook on a fish, or set the hook on the bottom, to remove it from the bottom.

P.S.S. To those who think that the bobber will miraculously release itself from the bottom without angler involvement…try golf bro. You seem lime a golfer to me. A thinking mans sport. Nymphing is not about thinking, it is about reaction to a Indication, of something that is happening.

Golf. They’d love to see you there at the club.

Dry Fly Anglers: Search man. You know they are in soft shoreline locales. PMD Cripples and Emergers. Duns will work for another week? Maybe?

Swingers? Done till the water recedes or Fall.

Shop hours daily at 630am.