Curing Boredom.
It does get a little boring during these cold winter months in Craig, MT. We fish, go to Joe’s, and threaten to go ice fishing. Sara seems to have found a thrilling way to make the winter months go by.…
Read More
Do Wolves Change Rivers?
Here’s an interesting video that was sent to me by a person who has no particular interest either way when it comes to Wolves, rivers or fish. He just thought I might be interested in it. The film-maker George Monbiot…
Read More
Newsletter Returns
After nearly a year of laziness – a new record for me – our eNewsletter has returned. We are aware that many of you look forward to our newsletter, and that it is the preferred platform for receiving the latest…
Read More
Cancer Donation Guide Trip Winner!
We want to thank everyone who donated to Jon and Shannon Hardy’s Boston Marathon fundraiser. Great job, Headhunters Community. Sixty-seven of you donated over $2800 for team Hardy, and Dana-Farber Cancer Research. Jon just emailed and he and Shannon pulled…
Read More
Mike McCune & Whitney Gould at Headhunters
Headhunters is pleased to announce that we will be finishing up our Two-handed casting clinics (for this winter) with a visit from famed spey-casters Mike McCune and Whitney Gould. Mike is a longtime PNW Steelhead guide, and was on the…
Read More
Pink. Changing it up.
Another Missouri River trout succumbs to the pink fly. Pink rules in the winter and spring. Some throw it all year and find that they need nothing else. When we use the term “pink” this time of year, we use…
Read More
Last Call! Win a Free Trip and Support Cancer Research.
This is the last call we’ll give you. The drawing for the FREE guided fishing trip (with lodging) is coming up soon. Possibly this week. We are really impressed with the support the Headhunters community have shown to this cause,…
Read More
Stream Access Battles
If you spend even 5 minutes a week surfing around blogs, forums, FB & Twitter, you should at least be aware that Montana and Utah continue to battle small but powerful (well funded) lobbies and individuals attempting to shutdown rivers…
Read More
Sunday Science – Salmon GPS
From WIRED Magazine – by Mary Bates Interesting read from the wires… how those Salmon and Steelhead get back to the creeks they were born in. Salmon Inherit a Magnetic Map Young salmon with no experience of the world, and without…
Read More
Spey Clinic Options for this and next week.
Cold weather continues to interfere with our Spey Clinics, and we’re planning on a second adjustment to this weekends clinic. We’ve just sent out email to those signed up, so check you inbox. Here’s the nuts and bolts: After moving…
Read More
Lower River Fishing Report – Ice
Probably not the best stretch to float today, unless you happen to own one of these. In all seriousness, cold winters like we’re experiencing bring lots of ice to the Cascade stretch of the Missouri River. This winter is no…
Read More
Closed Today… too damn cold.
-21 this morning. Little chilly. We’re going to take the day off instead of forcing our staff to head to work. It’s not like you’re going fishing today. Maybe ice fishing. If you need to call the shop to make…
Read More
Headhunters 2014 Spey Rod Lineup
With another two-handed (spey) clinic coming up this weekend, we thought we’d go over our lineup of two-handed rods. As two-handers get shorter and faster, we have constantly improving models available in that 6-7 weight range we like (385 –…
Read More
Spey Clinic moved to Sunday
Due to the super cold temperatures forecast for the end of the week, we are forced to move our free spey/two-handed clinic to Sunday, instead of Saturday as scheduled. Temps on Saturday are forecast to be 0 degrees when we…
Read MoreWho’s Fishing in the Toilets, Comrade?
We don’t often share social media stuff here on the blog. Social Media stuff is, well, for social media. But this tweet from Canadian Team Snowboarder Sebastien Toutant (SebToots on Twitter) has really got me curious. Apparently fishing is not…
Read More
Damsel in Distress. Super Sick Video.
Saw this a couple of days ago on Vimeo and several customer sent us the link to be sure we saw it. The kind of customers who don’t watch video’s, or at least share them with us. Like Charlie Johnson.…
Read MoreSuperbowl Week at Headhunters
We’re big Superbowl fans around here. When you live in North Central MT in the winter, events like the Superbowl help you mark the time as the long winter passes by. Mark and I are Puget Sound natives, so the…
Read MoreWin a Free Trip with Headhunters guide Ben Hardy and Support Cancer Research!
Help cure cancer and go guided for free? Sounds like a win win. You’ve got a guest blogger today ladies and gents, Headhunters guide Ben Hardy here (picture above), writing from the tropical Bahamas. Here’s the deal. My younger brother…
Read More
In Search of the Grab – Steelhead Video
Here’s some fly fishing for Steelhead from Beattie and Simms. It may help you look occupied at work, instead of thinking about fishing.
Read More
Why Spey Rods are More Effective in the Winter.
Over the last few winters, I’ve spent more time fly fishing the Mo’ with a two handed rod than with a single hander. This is especially true when it comes to streamer fishing. In fact the inconsistent and often slow…
Read More
Pre Runoff Fly Fishing in Montana
Pre runoff is one of our favorite times of year. Montana is blessed with some fantastic early season fly fishing, and pre-runoff fishing can be some of the most reliable fishing over the course of the season. The water will…
Read More
Missouri River Winter Nymphing Techniques
Winter fishing on the Missouri River means that you will most likely be doing some nymph fishing. The water is cold and the fish can be lethargic. The most effective method usually involves putting a nymph right in their face.…
Read More
Silly Sunday Scenery
Our good friend Luca Troiani from Sweetgrass Rods bending some bamboo on the Ruby River.
Read More
Louisiana Marsh Report
You know we love to fish for Redfish in Louisiana. Mark and I got weathered out in December and had to cancel our trip. Fortunately, Headhunters guide JP Basile and his wife Teal are making up for it this week.…
Read More
F3T Opens in Helena!
The first F3T show of the year is this week in Helena, MT. That’s right. Helena. Montana. If you’re in the region you can be the first to view this years selections from the group of video aficionados at The…
Read More
New Breed Chicks Rule: Friday Edition
Our good bud Teal Basile holds a fat Louisianan Redfish caught yesterday. Look familiar? You’ve seen her around the shop, and you saw her in the last issue of the Drake. Way to go Teal! – photo by JP Basile
Read More
Montana Mid-winter Snowpack Report
Time to talk about our Montana Mid-winter Snowpack Report, snowfall and water prognosticating for the upcoming season. Unlike others, Mark and I refuse to tell you what’s going to happen this summer when it comes to streamflows and runoff timing.…
Read More
Fly Tying… not tonight!
No one seems too interested in tying flies tonight, which is fine. You shouldn’t obsess with fly fishing every single hour of every single day. We will see you fer shur next Wednesday night.
Read More
Epic is Right! Swift Fly Fishing via TFM.
A couple of months ago I was reading another great review of the Swift Fly Fishing “Epic” fiberglass fly rods. As with most of the fiberglass fly rod reviews I’ve read, it was good. In fact it was glowing. While…
Read More
Photo Contest Winner – Girl’s Rule, Boy’s Drool
We received over 100 great image submissions for our Girl’s Rule, Boy’s Drool photo contest. Very, very tough to judge with so many great photo’s and great fish. We were really impressed with all of the great shots. If you…
Read More
Next Level Sh*t – Vermillion
A beautiful video for your enjoyment. I haven’t been as impressed with a fly fishing video since “Once in a Blue Moon”. Vermillion from Kitchen Sink Studios ®, INC. on Vimeo.
Read More
Last Chance for the Women’s Fly FIshing Photo Contest!
Tomorrow is the last day we will be accepting entries for our “Girl’s Rule, Boy’s Drool” photo contest. Get your entry in now! You can go to our Facebook Page to see all of the fantastic entries we’ve received. Thanks…
Read MoreFriday Un-fishing Fun: Avalanche Sharks!
Fishing is awesome, but it’s not funny. This is funny: You ready for Ski Season?
Read More
Gearing Up For Fall – Fly Lines
We’ve just had our first big cold-front of the fall. Real cold. The one that brings rain, sleet and snow. Temps in the 30’s. Freezing hands. You forgot the coffee? This is the front that we wait for every year…
Read MoreThomas & Thomas Two-handers
Swing Season is nearing, and the FedEx guy brought us some new toys to play with today. A box of the new Thomas & Thomas DNA-XF two-handers arrived and we are chomping at the bit to get out on the…
Read More
DIY Motivation from Skinny Water Culture
We don’t re-post content from other blogs much anymore. Plenty of other fly fishing blogs do. You can check out Moldy Chum or The Fiberglass Manifesto and pretty much see everything of interest that pertains to fly fishing and conservation. But…
Read More
Holter Dam Boat Launch and Campground Close Tomorrow?
Rumors have persisted for the last few days that Holter Dam and Boat ramp will be closing on Tues. due to the impending Government shut down. I made the call to the BLM office this morning to verify. “True that”,…
Read More
Women’s Flyfishing Photo Contest
Don’t forget about our Girl’s Rule, Boy’s Drool fly fishing photo contest. Yes, it’s still on and runs through October 15th. We’ve received a ton of great submissions from women all over the country fly fishing in both Fresh and…
Read More
WILD REVERENCE – Kickstart Wild Steelhead
A heads up from my good buddy Jim “JP” Schmitz about this important project regarding the plight of Wild Steelhead. Filmmaker Shane Anderson is finishing up a year long project to find out why our Wild Steelhead are disappearing. Jim…
Read More
Swing Season is Coming! Spey Clinics start in December
We’re already getting questions about the free Two-Handed clinics we offered last winter. Hold on boys! We haven’t even had fall dry fly season yet! Blue-winged Olives are yet to come… Starting around Nov. 15th, however, the “Swinging” really starts…
Read More
Invaders – Northern Pike Survey
An interesting photo came to us through our Facebook page this morning. Alexandra Amundson sent us a few pictures for our “Girl’s Rule, Boy’s Drool” photo contest. Interesting, because one was of a Northern Pike. It was caught at one…
Read More
Fall is for Streamers
A shift in the weather has anglers thinking about tossing the big stuff and ripping it through the shallows. Floating lines are replaced with sink tips. The 4 and 5 weights will feel neglected. The 6’s and 7’s are getting…
Read More
Big Sale! And Great Fly Fishing Weather…
Awesome weather will greet you this morning if you’re planning on hitting the Missouri River. Cloudy, cool, and a touch of rain. No wind right now, and hopefully it will stay that way. Bring Pseudo’s. Our big sale continues through…
Read More
Fall Porch Sale! This Weekend Sept. 21-22!
Today is the SALE! Get on out here and save some money. And fish a little. The weather is fall like, and warm. BBQ today with Headhunters Famous Onion and Garlic Burgers! Headhunters is not known as the “Sale Shop”,…
Read More
Fly Fishing Employment at Headhunters
Time to start thinking about staff for 2014. If you think you might want to work in a fly shop, you’re nuts. If your nuts, check out our job listing page. We also have one special job available immediately, but…
Read More
Sayonara Firegirl
You’ll notice a missing element when you visit Headhunters this fall. Jess “Firegirl” McGlothlin has packed her bags and headed off to the west coast to pursue her photography career in a more full time manner. Requests for Jess to…
Read More
Fishy Artist – Dick Lauritzen
Great Falls artist Dick Lauritzen is an old friend of ours, and is the favorite fly fishing artist of the Electric City. Dick has been fishing the Missouri River for many years, as well as just about every other trout…
Read More
Girl’s Rule, Boy’s Drool – Photo Contest!
OK Headhunters Nation, here’s our next Photo Contest. You know all about our “New Breed Chicks Rule” category. Lovely women… who can fish! Well, we want to see some of your shots of your favorite gal-pal, wife, girlfriend, mother, daughter,…
Read More
Missouri River Fishing Report 9.14.13
Hopper fishing is done… not! Here’s guide Peter Skidmore with a nice one JT caught yesterday on a crunchy hopper pattern. A nice shot after I cropped all the fingers and thumbs out of the photo. Yes hoppers are still…
Read More
Restigouche River Lodge
Back in the shop after a long day of travel from the legendary Restigouche River in New Brunswick, Canada. Ben Hardy and I made the long trip back east to experience the fly fishing for Atlantic Salmon on one of…
Read More
Adios Travis Whitfield
Headhunters team member and trout nut Travis Whitfield graduated from Central Michigan University last spring, and has decided to see what he can do with that degree. After spending another summer advising our customer on fly choice, Travis has decided…
Read More
Missouri River Fishing Report 8.28.13
Fishing continues much as it has. Nymphs, hoppers, streamers and risers – in the right conditions – will show you why you love the Missouri. Add a little too much sun or wind, or choose the wrong stretch on the…
Read More
A Tail only a Mother could Love.
There’ s been a little talk about Carp around the shop lately. By a little, I mean a little too much. Anyone who knowsme , knows that any Carp talk is too much Carp talk. One of our employee’s –…
Read More
Evening Fly Fishing – Why Wouldn’t You?
Evening fishing has really picked up over the last few weeks, yet very few anglers are out there. Why? Probably the intense afternoon heat that roasts the brain. By 4pm, you’re fuzzy enough upstairs that you can’t decide if you…
Read More
Craig After Dark
James Vasich is on a trout bum adventure. A big one. While passing through Craig this summer he shot these cool long exposure images of Craig “After Dark”. Very cool stuff you don’t see often around these parts. These were…
Read More