Missouri River Montana: Fly Fishing and Floating
September is officially here in Craig, bringing with it refreshingly chilly mornings and rejuvenated trout. Some serious-sized fish are out there snatching up streamers. The nymph bite/ boat hatch is in full effect up at the ol’ concrete river-blocking wall (the dam). The hopper bite continues throughout the whole corridor. It is a choose your.. read more →
Fall is knocking on the door and that means better fishing ahead, wearing waders once again -and selling off some of CCFS’s Rental Fleet! Every year at this time, we move out about half of our Rental Rafts that we rent for the Smith River and the MO and Blackfoot. It’s such a win-win for.. read more →
My personal favorite thing about this time of year is the quiet weekdays. While the quality of the fishing might not always match up with peak season, the overall quality of experience on a slow day is great. It’s nice to have a quiet ramp and a big, wide river ahead of you with just.. read more →
Well, we had some nice cool weather but it doesn’t seem like it’s going to stick around. We did see a dip in water temps this week, which has us all excited for fall. However, early next week is going to be a scorcher with highs in the upper 90s. Get on early and get.. read more →
It’s official folks: the MO has entered its late-summer phase. Early on, early off floats rule the day right now, with the morning Trico fall and a midday terrestrial bite providing the highlights. PMDs are still coming off in ever-smaller numbers, but the fish seem to be happy to snack on the odd Rusty Spinner.. read more →
Greetings, Missouri River anglers near and far. Today’s post comes in two volumes, concluding with a feat of research compiled by campingfunzone.com, who have been combing the ranks for weeks, interviewing the brightest minds of the Craig and Helena shop, notebooks in hand. We’re calling it the Master List—a compendium of the 6 must-have flies.. read more →
The big Missouri River headline on this sunny morning: the flows are dropping. We get below 6,000 CFS within the next week. Wade anglers, rejoice. Dry fly anglers, rejoice. No frowns out here in mid-July. The fishing has been very good and should ramp up another notch as the river drops into shape. The caddis are out in.. read more →
Independence day is upon us and the Mo’ is cranking (currently 11,200 CFS). With mostly sunny skies and a few mid-80s highs in the forecast, get ready to navigate a river that’s full of bugs, boat traffic, and swift current. Don’t worry, though. Despite blown-out tribs and the recreational pressure of the holiday, there’s still.. read more →
Y’know, I can remember a conversation I had earlier this month when there was a serious debate about whether the river would ever go over 7000 cfs. Hindsight is 20/20 (or at least 9,800). Our flows are quite high for this time of year, and with more rain on the way this weekend it seems.. read more →
Here on the Mo’ we are proud to report that bugs are hatching, fish are looking up, and dry fly season is in full swing. Consistent cloud cover and mild to absent winds have made for ideal conditions for spotting—and casting to—rising trout. Despite the rain, flows are hovering nicely around 7K (7170 CFS currently)… read more →
