Fall Fishing on the Missouri – photo by Stephan McLeod

It’s the last gasp of summer this week on the MO’.

Most are shifting their sights to autumn though technically we’ve still got almost a month of summer to go.

It definitely still feels like summer with abundant sunshine and highs in the 80’s and 90’s but those cool evenings and mornings are a sign of things to come and we can’t wait!

The fishing remains fairly status quo with plenty of action in the mornings, particularly nymphing at the dam. Afternoons have been slow river-wide and the evenings haven’t produced much though waking rodents in the dark has had it’s moments.

It’s probably best to get an early start and take the afternoon off. Tossing terrestrials through the mid-day isn’t a bad call but don’t expect fast and furious action. Cover a lot of water and hit the banks and the riffles and you just might land yourself a late summer beast cruising the shallows in search of a meaty morsel.

Traffic remains  light to almost non-existent on some days so if solitude is your thing this is your time. Weeds are abundant, especially down low and can definitely add to the challenge and it’s been on the smoky side but if you can deal with these issues you can have it virtually  to yourself.

Things are quiet around the shop for the most part though we have had a couple of large groups out this past week which has broken up the late summer monotony.

Book your last minute late summer Missouri River getaway this week and take advantage of the last days of our Dog Days of Summer Special. Book a full day guide trip and a night’s stay and get a second night of lodging on us. The offer ends Thursday (8/31) but we’ll extend it through the weekend for those interested in a Labor Day Weekend trip to the MO’. And speaking of booking trips….fall is booking up quickly so don’t wait any longer to book those fall lodging and guided trip dates. It’s also never too early to book for next season. Book now for next year and we’ll hold current pricing which will be increasing for 2018.

The slow slog through August continues.

Crickets!

Speaking of crickets, it might be worth throwing one. Ants and hoppers have been the dry flies of choice but don’t be afraid to experiment when it comes to terrestrial fishing. Sure there are some tried and true terrestrials (Morrish Hoppers, Flying Ants and the like) but there’s no reason you shouldn’t switch it up and try a beetle or a cricket or maybe even a small mammal!

The weather has been gorgeous, the fishing has been steadily improving and as is generally the case in late summer, for the life of me I can’t understand why there’s nobody here.

But so be it, we’ve been making the best of the situation and enjoying having the river to ourselves.

Nymphing has been good and seems to be getting better every day. A #18 Silver Tungsten Bead black zebra midge (maybe even two) is all you need. I’ve been running mine with wire worms and cray fish and getting eats on all of it.

Plenty of lodging and guide trips available through the rest of the month and into early September but then things start to fill up so if you’re contemplating a fall trip to the Missouri then now is the time to make the call.

We’re looking at very comfortable daytime temps in the low 80s for the next while with lows dropping into the low 50’s at night. River flows are stable in the 4400 cfs range and water temps at the dam are in the 64-65 degree range. Yes there are some weeds to contend with but overall you really couldn’t ask for better conditions for late summer. A few clouds here and there would be nice but the fish don’t seem to mind the sunny days so you shouldn’t either.

We hope you make WCA your first stop on the way to the Missouri. We are your one stop shop for everything you need for your day on the water. Open 7 AM daily.