Big smiles over the Rainbows on the MO this September!
The first couple cold mornings have arrived in Craig at long last and that means fall is on the horizon! The fishing has been pretty good as of late and looking to improve as the water temperature starts to decline out of the stress zone for the trout. As the weather turns colder in the coming weeks, make sure you dress appropriately for your fishing adventures. It never hurts to check the weather more than once! For the best fishing opportunities, target the faster sections of water and the drop offs along riffles and banks. You’re going to be competing against the weeds for a while longer, so regularly checking and cleaning your flies is a must at this point in the year. The smoke has been pretty heavy the last few days which will limit the normally awesome scenery, but don’t forget to keep an eye on your pic-in-ic baskets as we’ve been seeing a few bears around!
Nymphing: Shortleash rigs are working pretty well right now. Fish 3-4 feet from your bobber to your first fly and another 18 inches below, add your second fly. If you feel you aren’t getting down in the right zone, try adding a BB split shot 12 inches above your top fly. Try a big bug, small bug combo with a Zirddle or Czech Nymph followed by a Green Machine, Tailwater Sowbug, Scuds, Zebra Midge, and Frenchies.
We’ve been seeing a lot of these critters along the river this late summer / early fall!
Streamers: Pulling a streamer across some of the slower flats and in the moving riffles has been producing large fish lately. For those with the wherewithal and arm strength, try throwing a Zirdle, Wooly Bugger, Kreelex Minnow, or a crawfish pattern. Another technique with streamers is to use them as the top bug in a nymph rig and dead drift it along with a small, flashy fly underneath of it. Whichever method you want to try, hold on for the ride and let ‘em run!
September Streamer Eaters on the Missouri. (Yes, the weeds are a thing!)
Dry Flies: For the truly dedicated, pods of rising fish can still be found to actively target. If you can’t find those pods, try blind fishing with some hoppers and dry flies along the banks and over the shallow riffles. A double dry fly is one of my go to rigs for fishing when you can’t see a consistent rise. Throw a yeti hopper, water walker, or Cornfed Caddis with a Cluster Midge, Hi-Viz CDC Spinner, or Trico Spinner about 18-24 inches behind it for some good shots at hungry fish on the surface.
September is also the month we sell off some of our Rental Boat Fleet! Our boat are in good to excellent shape and are offered to our customers at excellent prices. Here’s what we’ve got this year. (FYI- They won’t last long so if you’re interested in one of them please contact us ASAP.). Boats on SALE (click on links to see photos and full descriptions): 13’9″ NRS Dodger #1 for 6700; 13’9″ NRS Dodger #2 for $5100; 13’9″ NRS Dodger #3 for $7400; 14′ NRS Otter 140 for $5650; 14′ AIRE Tributary #1 for $5900; 14′ AIRE Tributary #2 for $5950.
