Now that the thaw is underway and I’ve succeeded in kicking cabin fever square in the chops; here’s the short list of calls I’ve been fielding at the shop consolidated into my Top 5 FAQs of March, so far.

  1. How are the ramps?

Holter Dam is still drifted in but if you’re willing to put in some effort you can always slide a boat in from the campground. Is it worth it? That’s your call. On the other hand, Wolf Creek Bridge, Craig, Stickney Creek, Spite Hill and Mid Cannon are all good to go. Mountain Palace and Prewett Creek and socked in with ice and drifted snow. Looking like a few more weeks until we’re hitting the lower river.

 

  1. How’s the MO fishing?

Excellent. Angler’s choice when it comes to tactics. Midges are out when it warms up mid-day and fish and eating them on top. Nymphing is still a great option too, standard winter/early spring fare. Zebras, Sows and anything in the pink or hothead family are all dropping bobbers daily. Still swinging up a few on the bigger bugs as well. Sparkle Minnows, Skiddish Smolt, Polar Leeches and some in house specials paired with a sink tip are all good jumping off points.

 

  1. Any lodging left for June through 4th of July?

Hardly. We’ve got a few rooms open sporadically for prime time, but if you’re looking for a week it’s going to be tough. Remember last year when I told you those dates generally book a year in advance? I wasn’t joking. Is it worth giving us a call to check? Absolutely, if we can’t accommodate you, we’ll point you in the right direction.

 

  1. Will the water be high in June when I want to come walk wade?”

Probably, just like it is every year. Will it be as high as last year? Probably not. Do I have a crystal ball? Nope. Word from upstream is something between 9k-12k last I saw. Bottom line is we’re still a ways out from having a solid guess as to flows for summer. Call a week before you show up and we’ll have a better idea.

 

  1. Are the rainbows running up to the Dam yet?”

No.  I left my soapbox at home so I’ll just leave it at that.

 

~Cheers, Chewy.