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It’s been an awesome early spring on the MO’ with cooler temps and plenty of overcast skies, ideal conditions for BWO’s as well as for streamer fishing…two of our favorite things about spring.

We continue to see precipitation in the form of both rain and snow and with the cooler conditions continuing to persist around the state the snowpack is being maintained and is actually increasing in many drainages.

It looks like it’s going to be a good water year in the region and it looks like the Missouri is going to be a busy place once runoff ramps up and brings us all those seeking fishable water.

It appears as though we’ll get our first real taste of warm weather this season as temperatures hit the high 70’s and into the 80’s beginning on Thursday and lasting through most of the weekend before things return to more normal temps for early May. We’ll see plenty of sunshine throughout the week but expect the overcast conditions to return on Saturday.

Good BWO activity being reported daily though the fairly consistent abundance of bugs has not necessarily meant consistency where rising fish are concerned. When you do find rising fish they’ve been fairly willing to take a well-presented fly so keep those dry-fly rigs at the ready. I’ve been running a parachute Adams along with a Wilcox’s Micromay BWO and haven’t had any real reason to abandon that setup though a Brook’s Sprout Baetis and a Quiqley’s Film Critic is another combo that’s hard to beat. There are still gazillions of midges out there as well so midge clusters should definitely be a part of your dry-fly arsenal right now.

Nymphing is still in the transitional stages. Wire worms, Rainbow Czechs, Pink Amex, Ninch’s Bubble Yum Scuds and Rainbow Weight Flies have all been good options trailed with a sowbug or a mayfly nymph. Tailwater sows, Ninch’s Pill Poppers and Firebead soft hackle sows have been more consistent for me but Green Machines, 2 bits, S & M’s, Psycho Mays, Juju’s, purple lightning bugs and the lot have also been getting plenty of attention.

The canyon still seems to be a better option for numbers right now but there are plenty of fish throughout the system. We’ve been skipping the dam to Wolf Creek stretch as of late but there are plenty of fish being caught up there in the places you’d expect them to be. The same can be said for the Wolf Creek to Craig stretch which has been consistently solid though perhaps not as productive as you would expect it to be but it should only get better from here on out.

We’re continuing to have better luck fishing longer rigs in the deeper slower water but the short leash in shallow fast water has definitely gained momentum over the past week (especially in the canyon).

It’s a great time of year to do it all. Chase bobbers or chuck streamers until you find rising fish.

There have definitely been some tough days and the flows have undoubtedly contributed to this but overall it’s been good enough to make it worth your while. We’re currently looking at 7510 CFS with a water temp of 45 degrees.

We’ve been slammed at the shop this past week with a lot of last-minute spring special trips as well as the start of the arrival of our spring regulars. A huge thank you to all of you who took advantage of our spring lodging and guide trip special. This was by far the busiest we’ve been with spring special guide trips.

We’re booking up weekly with the majority of our guests doing the Thursday – Monday routine leaving plenty of availability both for guides and lodging during the mid-week. We shouldn’t have any problem getting you booked for lodging and/or guide trips for the next couple of weeks but once we hit late May things tend to get challenging. That being said, we do have openings here and there and cancellations do happen so please give us a call and we’ll do our best to get you in.

Official shop hours are still 7:30 am – 5 pm daily though coffee is generally on right around 7 am. If the blinds are open and the lights are on come on in.

If you’re looking for sunny and 70 degrees this probably isn’t your weekend to fish the Missouri but if your idea of spring fishing includes rain and snow showers and scattered thunderstorms (and streamers) then you should be here.

We’ll see some storms roll through today with gusty winds this afternoon but tomorrow and Sunday are looking good with plenty of clouds, a chance or precipitation and highs in the 50 degree range.

Current flows are cranking just shy of 4600 cfs and the water temps are looking good at right around 41 degrees. Great nymphing conditions for sure but even better streamer conditions. If streamers are your thing this is what you’ve been waiting for all winter long!

Most are fishing the canyon right now with not much good happening between the dam and Craig but if you want to stay away from the crowds I wouldn’t hesitate to fish the top. It’s got to turn on sooner or later and with everyone crushing in the canyon you could have it all to yourself.

Status quo on the rigging with pink still leading the charge. Rainbow Czechs, Pink Amex, Pinkalicious, Pink or Firebead Rainbow Weight Fly are all good options run in tandem with pink or pearl lightning bugs, rainbow warriors, zebra midges, tailwater sows, Firebead Rays and the rest of the usual suspects. We’ve also heard of the mayfly nymphs starting to get some attention. Try a Little Green Machine, S & M, Juju or a plain old Pheasant Tail. They should all be on the menu right now. And don’t forget to try the Cotton Candy Little Green Machine hand tied by the man himself, Vince Wilcox, available now at Wolf Creek Angler.

Streamers? Yes. Black, Olive, Grey. Small, medium, large. Shallows, middle, banks. Yes. Throw them. Commit to it and you may be surprised what you find lurking in the waters of the MO’.

Midges daily. Fish feeding occasionally. The dry fly opportunities will increase from here on out. Griffiths Gnats, Parachute Adams, Buzzballs and Bucky’s Midge Clusters are all great options right now. Keep your dry fly rig at the ready.

We’ve got a few trips going out tomorrow and would be happy to have a few more going out so if a cloudy and possibly rainy day on the Missouri sounds good to you give us a call. Plenty of lodging and guides available all weekend long. Don’t forget our spring special, $500 for two night’s lodging and a full day on the water. It’s the best deal on the river….bar none! If you don’t need the combo you’re looking at $350 full day guide trips and $99 lodging through the end of the month.

We’re loaded up in the shop with tons of new bugs and all kinds of new spring gear. Rods from Loop, Redington and Echo; Reels from Loop, Ross, Nautilus and Redington; wading gear from Korkers and Redington; outerwear and layering from Simms and Kast and all kinds of new logo gear. Don’t miss our sale rack with amazing clearance prices on clothing from Simms, Kast, Rep Your Water, Redington and more.

Shop hour are 8 am – 4 pm daily.

March Midge Madness on the MO’

It will likely be a BUSY weekend on the MO’ with nice weather on tap and spring fishing starting to come into shape.

It’s still been a mixed bag of reports throughout this week but it seems like the good ones are starting to edge out the bad ones, if ever so slightly.

The fish are where you would expect them to be and they are eating though not with quite the reckless abandon we love in the spring.

Concentrate your efforts on the slow winter water as well as the slightly faster transitional water. Stick with the pink stuff and the firebeads and maybe throw a zebra midge or mayfly nymph into the mix and see what happens. We heard of some good action on the Little Green Machine from a few folks but that being said, it’s primarily been a sow and scud game with the worm performing well in the mud.

The streamer bite has been decent and should only get better as that water ticks up towards 40 degrees. Current water temp is just shy of 38 degrees and flows are at 4180 and should stay in that 4100 range for the time being.

The key as of late has been to spend plenty of time working the spots you know the fish should be. They are there. Park the boat and get out and pick that water apart.

The majority of our lodging is now open and we do have a few vacancies for the weekend if you’re looking for a quiet place to stay. Next week looks as good as any for a spring trip to the MO’ with the current weather pattern holding through the end of next week. Expect daytime temps in the 50’s and nighttime lows in the low 30’s. Not quite shirt sleeve weather yet but it’s on it’s way and will be here before you know it.

Give us a call at the shop for up to the minute reports on weather and fishing conditions and we’d love it if you made us your first stop on the way to the river for everything you need for your day on the water.

April is booking quickly as folks just can’t pass up the best spring lodging and guide trip special on the Missouri but we’ve still got beds and guides a plenty so treat yourself to two nights lodging and a full day on the water with some of the best guides on the river for just $500. Operators are standing by.