Latest trip to the Missouri (pics)

[huntfishnv]

Started off slow but finished the last hour off well.

[Mornin Beef]

Nice rundown on the chrome.

[Olly]

Very nice. I'm sitting here jealous.

Sent from my phone

[huntfishnv]

Nice rundown on the chrome.

No chrome, just some nice Montana bows.

That one with a hooked jaw put up quite a fight, best fish of the year so far for me.

[Mornin Beef]

I call every strain chromes. Too confusing and pointless to differentiate between skamania, west coast, rainbow, freshies and that jaw is a nice kype

[banknote]

I call every strain chromes. Too confusing and pointless to differentiate between skamania, west coast, rainbow, freshies and that jaw is a nice kype

Not when you're in 'em.

Nice trouts. Catch them all on streamers? And cool bamboo fly box!

[huntfishnv]

No, mostly on midges and Ray Charles. Rather fish streamers but its been real hit or miss with them. One day the fish are aggressive and go after them and the next they wont even look at them.

[assateague]

Is a Ray Charles when you just blindly cast into the river hoping to snag one?

[Mornin Beef]

Is a Ray Charles when you just blindly cast into the river hoping to snag one?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

[Bulldog0156]

Is a Ray Charles when you just blindly cast into the river hoping to snag one?

That is awesome.

I slayed yesterday on a San Juan. The colors on the fish are pretty prime right now.

[Bulldog0156]

Yo huntfish, have you been out fishing recently? I've got a friend flying in this weekend to do some serious fishing. My last two outings have ended in a lot of frustration. As of right now, I'm hoping we can spend a day on the BF and then probably two on the Mo.

You should check out the middle fork of the Flathead this summer on your weeklong fish trip. Bull Trout.

[huntfishnv]

Yeah I've been out on the Missouri pretty regularly, keep meaning to get out to the BF... Should be epic fishing for you guys on both rivers.
Whats been frustrating you?

Maybe you noticed this stuff also but, some things that I've picked up on lately on the Missouri,

Now that the water temperatures are rising and above 37 degrees the fish are still holding in the slack, barely moving water, but also up the runs a little and into the medium-slow speeds and even though it feels a little weird with the river so low right now I've been using at least one, usually two little split shots. Mainly just to keep it down there for as long as possible but also because I feel like it just wont get down far enough with out it. Also, the midges are everywhere right now, deffinitly have at least one of your rods set up with a zebra, dam midge, or any other small midge pattern as a dropper when your nymphing. Most people have been fishing between the dam and Wolf Creek (like always) and it's great fishing up there but, if you cant find a spot up there which isn't weird on the weekends, below the bridge is just as hot. I did the same last weekend and I didnt see a single person wade fishing around me about halfway between craig and the bridge, and still got into plenty of fish. The streamer bite is getting better and the dry fly fishing is crazy on the overcast days and consistent on others. Nymphs that have been catching fish, pink scuds (my hottest fly), firebead ray charles, pink lighting bugs,rainbow czech nymphs, and of course zebra midges and WD-40's, also, egg patterns would slay them right now. Streamers, small and black or small and flashy. I haven't really done much dry fishing yet because I snapped my 5 weight winston but buzzballs, renegades, pretty much any midge pattern will work.

[huntfishnv]

Bull trout are deffinitly on the hit list for this year, I'll have to check out the Middle Fork of the Flathead for 'em.

[Bulldog0156]

Thanks for the info! I have tied a ton of flies recently in anticipation of my friend coming out. Most of my frustration recently has come from tying my leaders into amazing knots due to wind, weight, and my awesome casting skills I really struggle to get good casts in with so much weight hanging off my leader. I also had some jackass snipe the hole I was planning on fishing one afternoon. Walked right into it while I was on the bank tying up my shit. Fucking douche! I'll let you know how we do over the weekend. I'm really hoping he won't mind camping out on the BF one night.

[huntfishnv]

Thanks for the info! I have tied a ton of flies recently in anticipation of my friend coming out. Most of my frustration recently has come from tying my leaders into amazing knots due to wind, weight, and my awesome casting skills I really struggle to get good casts in with so much weight hanging off my leader. I also had some jackass snipe the hole I was planning on fishing one afternoon. Walked right into it while I was on the bank tying up my ****. **** douche! I'll let you know how we do over the weekend. I'm really hoping he won't mind camping out on the BF one night.

I do my best not to cast, especially with weight and a bobber I try to only roll cast. Last weekend I tried a false cast, got stuck on an electric fence that I thought was just wire, went to grab my flies and got my ass zapped! I can't believe you got spot jacked though, I question some peoples logic out there.

[Bulldog0156]

I'll have to try the roll cast! I've been zapped before by the electric fences down by Craig. Not really sure why they have electric fences other than to fuck with fishermen.

[banknote]

I'll have to try the roll cast! I've been zapped before by the electric fences down by Craig. Not really sure why they have electric fences other than to fuck with fishermen.

If you open your loop up a bunch, all that weight and shit is way less prone to tangling. When I'm nymphing, most of the time I just let the line swing all the to way straight down stream, let the water load the rod and just flip it back up river for another drift, AKA the ol' chuck-n-duck. A little single haul helps a lot, too.

[huntfishnv]

Just heard a report that the dry fly fishing this week has been slower than expected. Nymphs still killing. Highs of 36 over the weekend so the dry action might change, very little I hate more than guide ice though.

[Bulldog0156]

No kidding. If I had the choice I wouldn't even fish this weekend but since my friend is jumping on the plane in a few hours I'm gonna have to freeze my dickballs off all weekend. On the plus side, every time I check the weather report the daily highs forecast increase by 1 or 2. I saw that the skwala hatch is going strong on the Root, so we might head over there but I anticipate it's going to be a complete shitshow since there was even an article about it in the Missoulian.

Hit the Mo wednesday and did decent but all the fish were big. I ended up breaking off on 4 with rio tippet which pissed me off something fierce, gonna go back to Maxima cuz I've never had a problem with it. Hot bait for me was anything pink with the hotbead ray charles doing most of the damage. Last fish I lost felt huge but I never saw it. I think it may have been a brown just because of how it reacted when I set the hook. They definitely have more fight in 'em!

How are you liking the new waders? I got to break in my new simms gear a little wednesday and so far I'm loving it. They updated their designs a little this year to remove seams in the crotch and it definitely makes 'em a little more comfortable and I would imagine far more durable.

[huntfishnv]

This is the busiest time on the Bitterroot. I havent seen it myself but apperently with the Skwala hatch comes the boat hatch.

Catch any?

[Bulldog0156]

Did decent. We were having some trouble sticking the hooks on fish when were using smaller stuff, probable went 1 to 4 or 5 on hooked fish/hits. It was the most I have struggled to bury the hook in a long time. Definitely had some hot and very cold streaks. Ice on the guides all weekend which was a pain in the ass. We had a great time though! I think most of the fish we landed came on the San Juan or pink ray charles.

[Bulldog0156]

Wrecked it on the BF today.

[huntfishnv]

Wrecked it on the BF today.

Lower or upper?

Im in Ohio all week or I'd be out this entire week.

[Bulldog0156]

Lower. Why are you in ohio? Ohio sux dix.

[huntfishnv]

Just visiting, going to a cavs game. I'd rather be fishing though.