November Browns on the MO’
We’re continuing to take advantage of some extremely mild November weather this week on the MO’. Yesterday saw record highs pushing 70 degrees and it looks to remain unseasonably warm through the weekend and heading into the early part of next week.
Those who are anxious for winter to arrive will be glad to hear that the forecast is calling for colder temperatures and a pretty good chance for some precipitation in the form of snow starting on Wednesday of next week.
Cloudless blue skies and sunshine are not exactly the best for fishing but you can’t help but enjoy it out there right now as you soak up the sun knowing that soon enough you’ll be fighting the elements and battling ice in the guides with cold hands and numb fingers while you continuously reevaluate your decision to float the Missouri on a semi-arctic day.
Don’t get me wrong. We are anxious for some fishier days to arrive and when they do we’ll be out there, regardless of the weather but in the meantime we’ll enjoy what is likely the last gasp of Indian Summer.
And speaking of fishy days, we’ve got no complaints about the fishing this fall. Nymphing has been off the charts most days and while we would certainly benefit from some darker skies the streamer fishing has been good enough to keep us coming back.
Bugs and techniques have not really changed much over the past few weeks. Your best bet for numbers is going to be nymphing a medium to long rig with some sort of sow or scud combo. Tailwater sows, soft hackle sows, Rainbow Czechs, Ninch’s Bubble Yum Scuds, Pink Amex, UV Czechs, Rainbow Warriors, Rainbow Weight Flies….you know the drill. You also might not want to overlook pink or purple lightning bugs, grey Little Green Machines, Dark Peep Shows, Juju Baetis, Zebra Midges and Firebead anything.
Dry Fly fishing continues to be an elusive prospect though nobody would fault you for running a dry dropper rig with an October Caddis or something along the lines of a parachute Adams. BWO’s? So far pretty much a bust this fall but don’t give up….it could happen.
If streamers are your game this is your time. As I’ve stated many times the Missouri is not the best streamer river in the world and bright sunny days are not ideal for streamer fishing but that being said there is no reason you shouldn’t make a serious effort at it. There are plenty of big browns (and bows) willing to chase a streamer and if you cover enough water and are willing to change bugs as necessary you might just find yourself having a great streamer day on the Missouri.
Some like to swing and thoroughly work a piece of water. My preference is to fish from the boat, covering a lot of water and working the banks and the seams, switching bugs and varying the retrieve until I find something that works. You can definitely catch fish either way and while I know some who measure success by numbers (fish to the net) even when streamer fishing, I’ve always considered the number of fish moved to be my measure of a successful streamer day. Obviously fish hooked and better yet landed go a long way in making a good streamer day great but moving a few giants should definitely be counted as a success in my book.
JJ Sparkle Minnows, Black Circus Peanuts, Brown or Black Dirty Hippies, Dolly Llamas in Olive/White, ZK’s Ragnar in black, Hot Head Kreelex, Olive/Black Space Invaders and Polar Leeches in various flavors have all been moving fish. We’ve picked up a few in the bright sun but your best bet on the sunny days is to find the banks cloaked in shadows. Trout like to hide in the shadows on sunny days so you should fish them where they are most likely to be and then fish them where you wouldn’t expect them to be because they don’t always follow the rules.
Stop in for all the latest intel on the when/where/how and don’t forget, we are your destination for late fall and winter fly fishing on the Missouri River with more on-site lodging than anyone and a shop packed full of everything you need for your day on the water. Winter lodging rates are in effect now at Wolf Creek Angler.
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