Out here on the MO the fishing has been stellar. The PMDs continue to be in the driver’s seat of the dry fly game, with caddis riding shotgun. The Tricos have not happened yet, but the ten day forecast (hot and no rain) has us anticipating them arriving soon. Flows are right in the mid-5000s, which has opened up wading for everyone. All in all, it’s an excellent time to get out here and chuck some bugs at big, picky trout.

By this point in the PMD hatch, most of the fish could write a thesis paper on dry fly presentation. The same bugs continue to catch fish (my favorite remains the Hi-Vis Rusty Spinner in an 18), but a drag free drift on your first shot is key. Other dry flies to keep in the arsenal: the CDC Rusty Spinner, the Sunken Spinner, the D&D Cripple, and the Snowshoe Emerger. Above all else, confidence in your pattern and a good cast catch fish. Feel free to mix in your caddis pattern of choice, especially in the afternoon and evenings. I’m partial to the Caribou Caddis and the classic Corn Fed.

The subsurface bite has been great. Fish are up in the water column, so lots of us are using nymph rigs set no deeper than four feet. Often, we’re fishing shallower than that! The fish seem keyed into PMD nymphs, so throw Frenchies, Psycho Mays, Lightning Bugs and CVPD PMD nymphs in 16-18. The morning bite is definitely strongest- afternoons the fish can be tough to come by.

We’ve got everything you need for your MO river outing, so swing by the Craig shop from 7-7 any day of the week. See you on the water!