Monday November 6th Missouri River Fishing Report
All good here in downtown Craig Montana.
Most local businesses in partial operation or closed for the season. But not House of Headhunters near the banks of the Mighty Mo. Nope. No way. Open daily 8-5 all winter long!
Water temps 47.5F and falling rapidly. Will the temps this week hold it int he hi 40’s for a spell?
Water flows 3700-ish. Normal.
BWO’s? Not really. Meaning none at all. Tiny olives in the 24-28 size hatching nearly daily. Cripples and emergers seem to be the key to fooling a few of these rainbow rising to the tiny olive insect.
Swingers are tossing both Skagit and Scandi lines with 7.5′ float x 2.5′ intermediate or 5×5’s. Some tossing the Skagit dry tip as well. Scandi casters enjoying the time near the surface. Many, many, many fish are being caught in the thinner areas of the river. Overcast skies coupled with light traffic midweek allow the angler to really concentrate on the skinny slice of water that many larger fish tend to enjoy. Headhunters is your Two Handed Source in Montana! In Helena, in Great Falls, certainly in Bozeman, Missoula, Billings and beyond. Truth here today on the HH Blog.
We have the expert two handed advice, trout spey products IN STOCK, guides and educators. You ever ask a Chinese Chef for a French recipe? Do you hire a tour guide for Philly, that lives in Sacramento? Nope. Why, why would you do that? Go directly to the source in Craig Montana @ Headhunters Fly Shop. And we are open everyday 8-5.
Nymphers are tossing short rigs with total lengths averaging 2′-3′ total length from bobber to bottom fly. Come in if you want additional knowledge nohow to hang ’em on the Mo. Scuds, sows, BWO olive/brown flavored patterns, Zebra’s and the like. Not rocket science for this discipline in the next month. Fish towards banks if you like. Much of the year we do not catch lots on the bank. But, now you can actually have a few on the banks before the bugs find their way after lunch to the seam lines and such. Knock yourself out bank huggers.
Strippers fishing in not much water. Light rods, light lines, and light streamer patters allow you to access waters that many do not fish. Get out of the boat and walk. waders, fish that water you generally walk through on the way to good water. Do not discount the flats. Focus on those trivial locales as you hunt around for big buttery boys.
Headhunters has some big flies for the meat checkers out there. Yes, we do have those large and clunky patterns. But what we have that many other shops do not is a plethora of thin water streamer patterns and wet flies. Tons of soft hackles, classic trout spey wets, and lots of leeches! Already bulked up on Keely Gallup Chokers? Yeah, we get it. Now fill yup your box with flies that interest more trout. Not just the fatties. A handful of 16″-20″ trout will fill the cup of most beyond the youthful years.
