Take A Kid Fishing on the Missouri River -especially if they are just doing online schooling!
We proudly present: the current fishing report.
Amidst a strange, strange year out here on the MO, we’d like to remind you of the virtue of patience. With sunny, warm weather ahead of us for the next week or so, it seems unlikely we will have a strong Blue Winged Olive hatch in the short term. So, be patient-there’s plenty going on right now as is. While there’s no one main theme right now, there’s a bevvy of different little subplots out there on the river. If the forecast holds (knock on the nearest piece of wood, please) we’ll have plenty of time to ease into the full spectacle of October fishing on the MO.
Nymphing: The nymph bite is driving the fishing right now, and it’s been pretty consistent. Though the weeds persist in some spots (hard line banks and swirlies especially) it’s well worth your time to fish subsurface. Short leashing and going deep are both solid options depending on where you’re fishing. For both: small and dark bugs are still the rule of the day. Zebras in black or purple in #18-20 are getting the most fish day to day, but I’d also keep some small Baetis nymphs around. Unweighted little guys behind a dense nymph are the template for a short leash rig. The dam has the most boats by far, but also the fewest weeds in the drift. Some days, the fishing off of the grass flat has been banner. Elsewhere, boat traffic has been fairly light, which will remain the case most days. Nymphing down lower has been steady with similar bugs. I’ve also been finding fish on sowbugs and Czech nymphs in green/gray. Those pull double duty as a sow and a caddis, which is a nice niche to fill this time of year. Go bass fishing in New York with your friends and catch some good fish together!
Dry flies: Dry fly fishing has started to pick up slowly. The Pseudos have been thick some days out there, which will bring a few fish up. In leiu of exacting, tiny dry flies for fishing chewing those painful size #32 bugs, I like to feed ‘em a Parachute Adams in purple or grey in a size 14-18. In other news, you’ll see some big October caddis out there. If you see a few, know that a few fish will be looking up for a gold Chubby Chernobyl or a big Orange Stimulator. To play that game, target riffles and fast flats. This won’t work everywhere, or even every day, but it’s a cool way to see a few big fish.
Streamers: The streamer bite has been unsteady and wobbly, but it should stabilize soon. A few huge fish are showing themselves on mid river ledges and flats. I’ve also had some luck throwing into weird hydraulics and deep seams. All of that weird, erratic water you can’t really nymph or get a dry to drift properly? That’s all interesting real estate to probe with the big bug this time of year. Cloud cover and commitment both help. Evenings and mornings also give you a shot. We’re still hurling Kreelexes, Sparkle Minnows, and Doc’s Articulators. We are either just using a nylon leader in 0X or 1X or the shorter, lighter Versileaders (like the 6′ 1.5ips – 5ips) The longer, heavier tips often are weed dredgers in certain areas.
Bonus Blackfoot River Report:
Thumbs Up for Fall Fishing on the Blackfoot
Oh man, what a great time of year to jump over the Divide for a change of pace. The whole Blackfoot valley is carpeted with brilliant gold and red leaves, the mountaintops are dusted with snow, and the crowds have dissipated. The October caddis hatch over yonder is strong, and the Baetis hatch has begun. Attractor dry fly fishing with Chubbies and Stimulators has been great. Feel free to roll a small Purple Haze behind your big dry to cover both of the remaining hatches. Nymphing with attractor patterns in the deeper runs has been great too. I almost always end up with either a big Hare’s Ear or a Pheasant Tail at the end of my nymph rig/ under a big dry. The whole corridor is fishing well, and it won’t last forever. Once we get cold and stay cold, it’ll slow down.
Why do they call these Cutthroat Trout?!
Shameless Plug Again- We are selling some of our rental fleet!. 2 rafts left for sale – a 2020 AIRE Super Puma and a 2020 NRS Otter 150. We also have 2 Inflatable Kayaks for sale – two, 1-person, NRS Outlaw I IKs. And 2, Stand Up Paddleboards – NRS Cruz SUP. All these are between 35% to 65% discounted off of retail!
