18
Apr 2024
April 18, 2024
Mighty Mo’ Fly Fishing Report
“The Return of the BWO!”
Current Flows: 3,600+ cfs
Weather Forecast: Saturday — Upper 50s & sunny Sunday — Upper 50s & cloudy
Hatch Report: Midges, BWOs
Guess who’s back? BWO SZN! That’s right, that ole baetis has finally arrived on the Missouri River. For the past four to five days, anglers have been very successful dry fly fishing for the BWOS. The fodder in the river is changing from sow bugs and scuds to those special bugs the Mo’ hangs her reputation on. As those water temps warm into the mid 40s/upper 40s, that’s when they the BWOs really start to turn on. Last night was a cool night so the water dropped but as the week progresses into the weekend, look for the water to tick up a few degrees.
Nymphs: Pill Popper #12 – #16, Caviar Scud #12 – #16, Poxyback Sow Bug #12/#14, Tunsim Fire Bead Sowbug #12 – #16, Zebra Midge #16 – #20, Tailwater Sow, Cotton Candy, Amex
***As the water temperature starts to increase, the baetis will come on even more and that’s when the nymphing will really start to turn on. Go deeper in the morning and more shallow in the afternoon (Matt Pederson’s tip of the day)
Dry Flies: Hi-Vis BWO Spinner size 18, Hi-Vis Rusty Spinner size 18, Parachute Adams, Smoke Jumper, Buzzball, Cluster Midge, Griffins Gnat, Cornfed Caddis
***On windy days, the BWOs are getting blown off the water so dry fly fishing is tough. But for those more calm days, take advantage of those BWO hatches especially in the afternoon.
Streamers: Lil’ Kim, JJ Special, Sparkle Minnows, Flash Fry Zonker, Kreelex, Docs Articulator, Sparkle Yummy
***Fish what you’re confident in. Toss some brown or yellow out there and focus on Doc’s Articulator, Sparkle Minnow, Sparkle Yummy, or a plain Kreelex.
