Dry Fly brown

I’ve been finding myself telling folks calling asking for a river report that “this is my favorite time of the year”. It’s kind of become a cliche, as I have a couple of other “favorite times of the year”, just like the PMD hatch is my “favorite hatch”. It is my favorite, but so is the BWO, caddis, and trico hatch. Clear as mud?

Late June brings PMD’s, it also brings warmer weather and some rainy days. These are the days we long for in the depths of Winter. These are the “shoulda been here yesterday” days. You never know when it’s going to happen, but you really should be here when those big size 14 PMD’s pop and the trout get absolutley dumb on them.

June is a dynamic time to be here. It’s a transitional stage where the river is starting to get into its summer shape. For the most part the river fishes well all month long. Of course early in June the best tactic is nymphing…not for everyone, but lots of fun to be had. Towards mid-June (depending on water levels) you can expect scattered days of excellent dry fly fishing. As we roll into July, the dry fly bite becomes stronger and more reliable. And of course July is July–there’s a reason why lodging and guides are booked a year in advance.

Flies fish are eating…

Dries
#14-16 PMD Dun…take your chance on the dun, I don’t have faith in them but others do.
#16 Helen Keller…great name, great fly. Cripple pattern that produces.
#14-16 Rusty Spinner…classic proven pattern.
#14-16 Flash Cripple…another killer cripple pattern.
#16 Hackle Stacker…Quigley pattern, need I say more?

Side note: Not a lot of caddis around, but they’ll eat caddis patterns. A few yellow sallies around, they’ll eat those too, riffles and slackwater.

Nymphs
#18-20 Little Green Machine (pt or grey)…that bug that keeps on getting them.
Pick your favorite size Worm…STILL!
#14 Tung Dart…Caddis pupae, buggy, riffles and grass flats.
#14-16 Weight Fly (Gold)…another caddis pupae, hmmm some kind of pattern is forming.
#18-20 Red Headed Step Children…trout eat them becasue they like shop guys to tell customers that fish are eating red headed step children.
#16-18 Trina’s bubbleback emerger…trout are moving into faster zones eating pmd nymphs.

Streamers
There’s a barbourous group of anglers roaming the Missouri throwing meat into pods. It’s working. They’re also throwing them at banks and stripping hard back to the boat. My advice for streamer selection…go small, clouser style with dark colors. I’m thinking floating line with 5 feet of 12lb tippet should get it done. Shallow, fast, choppy water.—Matt