Weekend Tips from Headhunters of Craig
Windy here in Craig Montana this morning. Is it windy here all the time? No. But almost. Average wind speed in our neighborhood is 12.4 mph. Chew on that for a minute. And practice casting in the wind, that is key to your success in the Missouri River corridor. The wind tunnel.
WSW today is the wind direction. Best west wind dodge is the upper river. Canyon for some, although that option may not always work. Normal daily wind from the SSW. That is 5 days a week. One day from the north. One day a week calm. This weeks calm day was Wednesday. It was awesome. Warm, overcast, calm. Bugs, anglers, and fish like that combination!
Sustained winds today 15-30mph. Gusts well beyond. Keep your hats on tight! Currently raining too. Unsettled weather conditions for some time ahead of us in central Montana.
Spring Opener on our local Creeks. The Dearborn River and Little Prickley Pear open tomorrow Saturday May 18th. Mt St. Helens Day for those of you who remember that big event. Both John and I were raised in Washington State. May 18th 1980. I remember the even t. The big blow was in the morning. I was in Mount Vernon WA at my parent’s house. I was 11. The blast(s) shook the house. Rattled the interior doors. Sounded like a sonic boom directly over our house. But that was over everyone’s house! One of those moments you remember vividly.
Flows are floatable on the Dearborn. Two weeks ago we were predicting we would not have a Dearborn floating season. But, hooray, lots of water from the sky, provided us with lots of water in the creek. A good water volume in the stream right now, today. 250cfs is the low mark.
The question for the angler headed to the Dearborn is clarity. Will it fish? Boy, maybe? The rule is that if you can float the Dearborn, you should. Don’t miss the opportunity just based on fishability. The experience and beauty alone is worth the trip. It is a long day. 23 miles of water. You gotta love to row. A couple dicey rapids that the raft can hang up in, but not too much to deter most. If you need some info, we are your Dearborn River fly Shop. Flies for the Dearborn? Caddis, PMD’s, STONEFLIES. A killer streamer river if the conditions are right. Had my best streamer day on the DB last year. Epic. Thin Mints on sink tips. Drizzle all day long. Kind of cold, if we were not pinning them ADL on the streamer. Funny how great fishing trumps the wind and cold!
Come by for the Dearborn tips and techniques. Flies too. Shuttle(s) too. Your Dearborn River HQ here in the canyon @ Headhunters Fly Shop. 406-235-3447
Nymphers looking at the PMD soon. BWO nymphs very good as well. The water temps will be stable for the next couple weeks with the weather forecast. The PMD deal may be postponed, to the. normal emergence dates. Yes, we always wish for the bugs to come early. But, the normal path, which we have been on, will continue.
Canyon anglers liking the caddis bite. March Browns clinging for the next couple days, but pretty much beyond us. Still see a smattering of them. Again, a Para Adams or a big cripple can bring you success.
Floated to Cascade lately? Maybe consider this? Shuttles available the entire local Missouri River reach daily.
Streamer fishing should look better for the fish in the next week. A guess? Sure, but he weather feels more like streamer visions.
Enjoy your weekend in Craig MT. Eat at one of our local eateries, shop at Headhunters, stalk a couple dry fly fish, nymph up a sucker or two, and have a hell of a time.
Bring ranger, wind proof hats, and a smile!
