Summertime on the MO'

Summertime on the MO’

In the thick of it here on the Missouri this hot and sunny July 21st.

We’re looking at sunshine and 90’s for the remainder of the week and into the weekend cooling to the low 50’s at night…perfect summertime weather though perhaps not the perfect fishing weather.

The weather is hot, the mid-day fishing…..not so much. Consequently, you’ll notice plenty of activity at the boat launches in the early morning hours. 6 AM starts are a go right now and since we’ve had people waiting outside the shop as early as 5:30 AM the past few days I don’t think there’s such a thing as starting too early!

6 AM to 10 am  is the perfect time slot and will get you out in front of the crowds and back to port in time for a morning nap. Tricos have been the game in the mornings and the general consensus seems to be that there are plenty of bugs but that the fish have been inconsistent. The weather has been a little weird this week. We’ve had some cool mornings and some evening storms, some producing large hail. None of this leads to consistency where trico fishing is concerned but regardless you should see good spinner falls in the mornings, sometime between 8:30 and 10 am. There have been plenty of bugs for the most part from top to bottom but where pods of rising fish are concerned we’ve seen better action in the canyon stretches.

It’s been the usual mixed bag of reports with some having the absolute worst trip they’ve ever had to the Missouri and others having epic outings (likely while standing within casting distance of one another). Most have found the fishing to be somewhere in between. There have been some very good days, some very average days and some downright slow days. This is Missouri River Fly Fishing.

Our go to Trico patterns have been Indicator Spinners, Double Wing Tricos, Drowned Tricos, Griffiths Gnats, Buzzballs and Bucky’s Midge Clusters. We also like a beadless #20 black zebra trailed off of the Indicator Spinner or a Rusty Spinner.

Caddis action has been good at last light and we’ve also coaxed plenty of fish into smacking an Outrigger Caddis fished blind at all times of the day. As long as you’re going to throw blind why not opt for an ant, a beetle or a hopper. A chubby and a dropper? We’ve got miles of foam and  all kinds of Caddis and Trico patterns filling  the bins at WCA. Come check out the ever-expanding fly selection at the up and coming best fly shop you never knew was here.

Mid – day may not be the most productive but it’s a great time to prospect for trout with terrestrials while sipping cold beverages and enjoying summertime in Montana.

We’ve got plenty of vacancies over the next few weeks and some great fishing ahead even during the month of August when you will likely find that you could have the river virtually to yourself on any given day.

Fall is rapidly booking up so if you’re looking for those October and early November guide and lodging days don’t wait any longer. Book today!

We are open at 6 am daily for all of your Missouri River fly fishing needs.