Fall on the Mighty Missouri


Summer is soon to be but a memory as we close out August and welcome September and the arrival of autumn fishing on the MO.

Looking back, it was really a great spring and summer. Sure the high temps and low flows were not ideal and having Hoot Owl Restrictions placed on the Missouri was something we’d not seen since we’ve been in business and it definitely took a toll but aside from this the 2021 season started strong and was exactly the return to normalcy we’d all been craving since Covid hit.

We had a record spring, our strongest start ever and in spite of the challenges of the late summer season we’re still on track for one of our best seasons to date.

These last couple of weeks have been very quiet but as always happens in conjunction with September’s shift to cooler weather, shorter days and the return to the Grind for most everyone, an uptick in traffic is underway.

Fishing is what we’ve come to expect during the summer to fall transition. We’ve had some off-the-charts days and some really tough days. Hit and miss to be sure.

Conditions have improved drastically, as least as far as water temps go. We’re currently holding in the low 60’s and will continue to do so thanks to those cool nighttime lows in the 40’s and fewer hours of sun heating the water.

Trout are responding accordingly trading warm water lethargy for cool water energy so you need to be on your game with those fish fighting skills if you hope to land even a portion of them.

Dry fly opportunities are somewhat limited right now with hoppers, ants and beetles being our go to. Pseudos and callibaetis in the mix as well as the occasional trico opportunity but those days are definitely waning.

Best bets for dry flies – More or Less Hopper, Donkey Kong Hoper, Panty Dropper Hopper, Stealth Ant, Cinnamon Parachute Ant, Sparkling Ant, Foam Beetles, October Caddis, Parachute Adams, Buzzball, Trico Indicator Spinner, Drowned Trico Spinner, Olive Pseudo.

As always, nymphing will be your best bet for numbers with the fish still concentrated in the faster, mid-depth runs. The Black Zebra Midge is king during the fall, especially in the grass flats below the dam. Run in tandem with your choice of BWO nymph or Sowbug or roll the dice and run a cray fish with your zebra. It’s not always the ticket but when it’s on it can be absolutely ridiculous. We like a tan or olive zirdle or a throwback like the Snapping Cray or Claws R Cray. And if you’re one of those who likes to mend CONSTANTLY – this is your rig. The erratic fly movements caused by incessant mending mimic exactly the natural movements of actual crayfish so mend away!

Not so with any other nymphs. Keep them on a dead drift with the current as indicated by your INDICATOR. They call them strike indicators, we also refer to them as drift indicators. Skating and dragging are not desired, a dead drift is what you’re looking for and the occasional mend up or downstream (depending on the situation) can accomplish your goal. When that goal is accomplished LET IT RIDE. No mending necessary. LESS MENDING = MORE FISH

Best bets for fall nymphs….Black or Olive Zebra Midge, Tailwater Sow, Tungsten Tailwater Sow, Little Green Machine, BWO Magic Fly, Split Case BWO, Psycho May Olive, Jig Crack Back Bullet Olive, Spanish Bullet Black, Redemption BWO, PT’s, Pearl or Olive Lighting Bug, Thurman’s Zaddis October, Soft Hackle Sow, Micro May, Tan Czech, and more.

We’ve seen some traffic around the streamer bins as of late and while it is perhaps a little early, from what we’re hearing it sounds like it may in fact be time…..streamer time… which is, in this author’s humble opinion, the most wonderful time of the year.

I will confess that spring is my favorite time for streamers due to the lack of aquatic vegetation at that time of year but I throw them every month of the year and despite the challenges of fishing through salad, I will say that you really can’t beat fall if you’re looking for aggression.

The Big Browns are on the move, they’re coming into spawning colors and they’re pissed off and hook-jawed and ready to do battle. These are the fish every streamer junkie dreams of.

Again, we’re on the early side of it but there’s no time like the present. Let the games begin!

Sparkle Minnows in all flavors will of course be a staple from here on out. Autumn Splendors, JJ Specials, Peanut Envy, Dungeons, Circus Peanuts, Swim Coach, ZK’s Inflated Ego, Dirty Hippies, Wedge Heads and smaller buggers and minnows all worth a try.

Convention dictates smaller streamers on the MO and if you decide to go that route you’ll likely move plenty of fish. We at WCA however prefer the unconventional where streamer fishing is concerned and for that reason you’ll find our streamer bins full of bugs you’ll likely not find anywhere else on the MO. We prefer the bigger and flashier bugs and while it’s true that articulation and stinger hooks make fishing the salad exponentially more difficult it’s all part of the game. We’re driven by dreams of 30” browns hunting down and smashing our offerings, a life-long pursuit residing in our DNA.

So sure, we’ll sell you buggers but in our world, life is way too short to waste your time playing with wooly buggers. That being said, we’re well aware that people fish what is effective so we won’t be surprised (or deterred) if you happen to land a River Monster on a Wooly Bugger.

We sincerely hope you make us your one stop shop for fall fishing on the MO. We’ve got it all from affordable lodging to drift boat and equipment rentals to a shop full of essential gear to the hardest working guide crew on the river. Wolf Creek Angler is truly your one stop Missouri River Fly Shop.

Open daily at 6:30 AM, earlier than ALL the rest.