It’s Trico Time on the Missouri – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

We’ve been enjoying this brief respite from the scorching heat these last two days with daytime temps only in the 80’s but it’s about to heat up again and we’ll be pushing 100 beginning on Thursday and running right on through the weekend.

Early starts are a good idea, something in the 6:00 – 6:30 AM range. Be off the water by early afternoon and refresh and refocus for the evening hatch. The hours spent in the hot sun can be exhausting but nothing a good old fashioned afternoon nap can’t fix.

It’s prime time for dry fly fishing right now with PMD’s, Tricos and Caddis all in play. PMD’s wont last much longer but not to worry. Tricos and caddis are going strong and terrestrials are about to become a major part of the mix. Bring your A game and come experience some of the best dry fly fishing in the country, if not the world.

Like you, we’ve got our favorite dry fly patterns. Unlike you, we’re happy to share them. Best sellers from the dry fly bins this season include Rusty Spinners, PMD snowshoe emergers, PMD smoke jumpers, Hi-Vis PMD Spinners, Nyman’s DOA Cripple PMD, Brooks Sprout PMD, Blooms Parachute Caddis, Cornfed Caddis, CDC Caddis Emergers, Outrigger Caddis, Extended Body Caddis, Trico Indicator Spinners, Barrs Trico Emergers, Double Wing Tricos, Quigley’s Trico Hackle Stacker, Eric’s Trico Spinner, Bloom’s Stealth Ant, Micro Chubby, Purple Haze, Parachute Adams and WCA Trudes. These are all great patterns to be sure but don’t get hung up on what’s HOT. Take some time to explore the countless other patterns we stock for every hatch. Show them something different.

The focus this time of year is obviously on dry fly fishing but there’s  no shame whatsoever in nymphing so have at it. Zebra midges at the grass flats below the dam have been money. Pair them with a gold or purple weight fly or a Tan UV Czech Nymph. Other hot nymphs have been Little Green Machines, S & M’s, Magic Flies, Psycho Mays, Peep Shows, Nitro Caddis, Doc’s Summer Bug, Purple Lighting Bugs along with a host of other offerings. Once again, don’t get hung up on what’s HOT. Get creative and show them something they haven’t seen. You could also go the other direction and show them something they’ve seen since the start. Pheasant Tails, Hares Ears, Copper Johns…..there’s a reason they’ve been around forever. Never overlook the classics.

Streamer fishing has been getting tougher as the weed mass continues to build but it’s definitely still worth your time.

Stop by the shop and stock up on leaders, tippet, bugs floatant and anything else you might need. We’re still officially open at 7 AM daily but more often than not coffee is on and we’re milling about the shop  by 6 or 6:30. Stop by if you’re getting an early start.

Traffic is down considerably this week, particularly of the drift boat variety. Plenty of wading anglers out there but overall expect fewer anglers then we saw throughout last month.

Missouri and Blackfoot Guide trips are available and while it is getting easier to find guides on short notice we still recommend you book as far in advance as possible. We’ve got limited lodging available for the next couple of weeks and then things open right up for late July and the entire month of August.

Fall is a different story. If you haven’t booked your fall dates yet we suggest you do it now.

Stay cool and stay fishy my friends.