Smoky Blue Sky Sunflowers photo by Lasha Turner
The wildfire smoke has settled in on the Missouri making it a little tough to breathe but the fish don’t seem to mind. Traffic continues to be very light and the fishing has been fair most days and occasionally very good.
Nymphing is the way to go if you’re looking for numbers and while there are fish everywhere, the highest concentrations of fish (and anglers) are at the dam so choose your float accordingly. Black Zebra Midges, Red Two-Bit Hookers, Tung Darts, LGM’s, PT’s, Weight Flies, Dark Peep Shows, Crayfish and an array of mayfly nymphs are all getting plenty of action.
We’ve been spending a lot of our time working the terrestrial angle and while the hopper game never really seems to be “on fire” on the Missouri, a day spent throwing big dries will likely result in at least a couple of good eats. Trail an ant or a caddis pattern or go with a nymph dropper to up your odds. We’ve had some luck with #16 purple weight flies and also zebra midges and PT’s dropped off of a gold or purple chubby or a tan Moorish Hopper.
Tricos around on any given day and fish eating them if you really want a challenge. Callibaetis and Pseudos around as well so coupled with the terrestrials there are plenty of dry fly opportunities to be had.
Streamers? There has been some chatter about a good streamer bite but it’s not our favorite time of the year to throw streamers as the weeds make a clean retrieve a real challenge. Not to say you wont move some fish but for me the frustration level resulting from frequent hook ups with large clumps of vegetation outweighs the appeal of the potential of possibly hooking up with a big fish or two.
Come join us for August on the Missouri. The air is a little heavy and the fishing can be hit or miss but the weather is awesome with comfortable days and cool nights and you can have miles of water virtually to yourself if you are willing to leave the dam.
Stop by the shop for all the bugs you need and friendly advice on where to go and what to throw. We’ve also got you covered with lodging, RO Drift Boat Rentals, Expert Guides, fishing licenses, sun protection, Extreme Fishing Gear from KAST, Yeti Colsters, Simms logo wear and much, much more.
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