Raise a glass and toast to the fish gods- PMDs are upon us once again. Time to grab a pocketful of spinners and hunt for trout snouts along the Mighty MO. It really feels like summer out there, and we couldn’t be more excited for the dry fly bite. With some smolderingly hot weather ahead, make sure to stock up on water and sun protection before doing battle with the river. Grab some flip flops, your favorite 5 weight, and go look for rises.
Dry flies: Yep, we’re back at it. The last few days have had decent to darn good numbers of targets to throw at. And we’re still early in the hatch so lots of the fish are pretty catchable. Feed ‘em spinners and cripples in 14-16. Save the small techy stuff for the latter part of the PMD hatch. There may be the most number of fish up in all the classic stuff between Wolf Creek and Craig, but don’t rule out the canyon for a full day of dry fly fishing. The caddis are out and about, and provide a fun opportunity to blind fish the dry through all of the skinny fast water. I like the standard Corn Fed Caddis in a 14 or 16. As ever, stealth and presentation are as much a part of this game as the bug at the end of your tippet. Take your time, measure out your casts, and pick your angle carefully.
Nymphing: The bugs are moving fish into the banks and onto the flats. Remember, our fish will hold on minute divots and buckets over a gravel bottom. The gravelly composition of the flat is effective cover. Anywhere the water moves at decent speed and the surface boils and swirls is likely water right now. The go to one-two punch right now is a caddis pupa to a PMD pattern. Not to say that the ol’ sowbug won’t pin a trout, especially earlier in the morning before the bugs start to pop. The best nymphing has been mid morning through the early afternoon. There’s lots of variety out there in weight and depth; we’ve had fun with everything from a short leash rig to 5’ to a BB. Personally, short leashing the shallow flats is a heck of a lot more fun now that the fish are up on them. 3X and 4X fluorocarbon tippet are the standard for rigging. Essentially, most tactics are effective right now and the whole corridor is fishing. Pick your favorite style and roll with it, just be sure to have the best equipment, you can visit online websites to find great prices, see it now by clicking here.
Other bulletins: It’s busy out there. Be relaxed, be courteous, and be friendly. Stressed out fishers don’t catch fish, consider taking with you a weed cartridge to loosen up. Shop is open here to set you up for success everyday from 7-7. We’re out there on the water every day, so swing by for the most up to date info and some top notch customer service.
