“If you can’t take the heat, put your fly rod down and get off the river.”
Woo baby, it’s a hot one. The temps are incredibly high but when I stepped in to the Mo’ this morning I was surprised how cool the water was. The temps are hovering in the low 60s which is ok for our trout friends. The trico spinnerfall happens around 10 am and that will be your window to crush fish. Look for fast water and shallow riffles. These stretches will be cooler and hold more oxygen. Perfect for Trout in the warm midsummer. Mornings have been relatively cooler, so get to your fishing spot early!
***Nymphing is really good in the morning with it slowing down in the afternoon. Six feet to a size B split shot will get your nymphs where they need to be. Dry fly fishing right now is world class if the wind is not blowing too fast. Anchoring above a pod of rising fish will give you the best shot at hooking one. Keep in mind these fish have seen plenty of flies by now. Be stealthy and make sure that fly is landing first on your drifts. Afternoon hopper fishing is a viable option if you do not want to stare at an indicator all day. It’s not going to be a numbers game but, if you’re looking for an explosive top water strike, run a Hopper/ Chubby Chernobyl. Tie on 4-5 feet of 3x to a dropper nymph of your choice.
***Pods of fish are rising all over especially in the morning. The trico fall is happening 8A to 10A so the waters of the Missouri are boiling with fish during that time.
Streamers: Kreelex, Sparkle Minnow, Sparkle Yummy, Skiddish Smolt, Doc’s Articulator, Lil Kim, Polar Minnow
***Streamer fishing will be tough as the warm temperatures have created a salad overload in the Missouri River.
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