Are there any bugs you ask? Ummm….just a few! photo by Luke Koerten

As we close out the month of April and head into the heart of the spring season things are shaping up nicely on the Missouri with plenty of water (but not too much), plenty of bugs and plenty of hungry trout.

The fishing has been tough on some days, pretty damn good on others. Overall I would still call it “spotty” but there are stretches which are consistently fishing pretty good and some go to areas within said stretches which are holding good concentrations of fish as you would expect them to in mid to late spring.

We’ve still seen better numbers of fish being caught in the canyon but we’ve also had some fair days in the dam to Craig stretch which seems to be improving by the day.

Flows have stabilized in the 7000 cfs range but we are still seeing drops and bumps of a couple of hundred cfs on a fairly regular basis which may be contributing to the spottiness. Water temps are on the rise and are currently holding in the 45 degree range which has the trout on the move.

Streamer fishing has been inconsistent but if you hit it right you can expect plenty of chases and some aggressive takes. The  same could be said for the dry fly action. There has been no shortage of bugs with gobs of midges and plenty of BWO’s in the mix but finding feeding fish has been a challenge on most days. Again, if you hit it right you could be in for some epic dry fly fishing….the best of this young season. Obviously “hitting it right” is the key and therein lies the challenge. Our advice….fish early and fish often. You may or may not hit it right but we can say with 100 percent certainty that if you aren’t on the water you aren’t going to catch fish. It’s as simple as that.

Nymphing has been less of a roll of the dice and will continue to be the best bet for numbers. With the increase in flows some of the slots you may be used to holding fish may have moved so if you come up empty fishing your usual line go back and do it again, changing your path rather than the depth of your rig, generally moving towards the bank a foot or two to find your desired water column.

We’ve found most of the fish in the top section are still concentrated in slower, deeper, winterish water which has been producing good results river-wide however we have definitely begun to see a transition to shallow, faster water in the canyon stretch. Fish the slow stuff down there and if you can’t  find them then try shortening up your rig and fishing the faster shallow summer water.

Sow bugs have been our go-to as of late with the Tailwater sow leading everything else in my box. We’ve also had good luck with soft hackle sows, yum yums and Firebead sows. Caviar Scuds, Bubble Yums, Rainbow Czechs, LGM’s, Rainbow Warriors, black zebras, Pink Amex, Radiation Baetis, S & M’s , Juju’s, pink or purple Lightning Bugs and hot bead wire worms have all been good options depending on the day.

Keep your midge clusters and BWO’s at the ready as well just in case you happen upon some heads. A hi vis parachute Adams or a Purple Haze paired with a Griffiths Gnat or midge cluster is hard to beat but we’ve also had BWO rigs at the ready. Sprout Baetis, Nyman’s DOA Cripple Baetis, BWO Film Critic, Wilcox’s Micromay BWO’s , No Hackle BWO’s, Flash Cripples and Hackle Stackers are all good dry fly options you have at your disposal.

On the streamer side we haven’t seen any one bug leading the charge. It’s kind of been all over the place but greys, whites and olives have been producing in various sizes. I’ve had good luck lately  with ZK’s Bunny Wailer in olive and in white and we’ve also been moving fish with brown Dirty Hippies, Sculpin and JJ Sparkle Minnows, Godzilla Sculpins, Baby Gongas in rust, tan and olive Circus Peanuts and black and olive Dolly Llamas. I say it all the time…fish what you like because you’ll fish it with confidence and if you are fishing with confidence you’ll up your odds. Give it a solid hour or more. Change colors, change patterns, vary your retrieve. Streamer fishing requires a commitment which often times leaves you blanked but when you see that chase or feel that slam you’ll definitely want more.

Come on by the shop and check out our much talked about amazing fly selection. We’ve got bugs you won’t find anywhere else as well as plenty you’ll find everywhere else. We pride ourselves on our extremely well-stocked fly bins and we’re confident that if you’ve never shopped our bins you’ll likely be shocked and awed by our selection and if not shocked and awed than at least pleasantly surprised. Buy your Missouri River flies where many of the best guides on the river  do…Wolf Creek Angler!

We’re open daily at 7:30 am for all of you Missouri River fly fishing needs. Shuttles, Adipose and RO Drift Boat Rentals, LOOP rods and reels, Redington wading gear, Simms outerwear and accessories, clean and affordable lodging, the best guides on the water, the aforementioned biggest and best selection of bugs ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek MT and much more.

We’ll be looking at cloudy skies and a chance of precipitation (rain and snow) most of this week. BWO and Streamer weather to be sure. We did have a couple of cancellations for the weekend which has been booked solid for some time. If a last-minute trip to the MO sounds like something you’d be interested in give us a call and book today. It’s the final weekend to take advantage of our spring lodging and guide trip special….2 nights and a full day on the water for the ridiculous price of  $500.  You heard right. Don’t let this opportunity slip away. Starting Monday this same trip will cost you over $750.