Missouri River Fishing Report 6.6.2017

It’s really nice out there. Really fishy too. There are also bugs. The kind that make trout rise to the surface. The kind that you can imitate with dry flies. It’s really the best time.

Check out our selection of dry flies.

I’ll admit, I never got any fish on Baetis or March Browns this year. Between variable weather and water conditions, the timing never worked out. It was a major let down after a long winter. I was Jonesing for some top water action. When I finally got some fish up on PMD’s and Caddis last week, it felt great. As my friend Kevin would say, that’s how fly fishing is supposed to be.

We've got floatant and other accessories if you need them as well. 

PMD’s have been coming off for over a week now on the lower river. The hatch should soon make its way up to Craig. You’ll need some good emerger/cripple/spinner PMD’s. We like the TFP Cripple, Mercer’s Poxyback Emerger, Quigley’s Film Critic, Hi-Vis PMD Spinner, Hi-Vis PMD Rusty Spinner and Mercer’s Profile Spinner.

We've got a lot of different PMD options tied up and ready to order online.

The Caddis are also out and about. The TFP series is hard to beat. The Hot Mess, Party on Top and Hi-Vis Spent will get gobbled up by caddis eaters. Other great choices include the Balloon Caddis, the Missing Link Caddis and the Outrigger Caddis. (Our Caddis selection is online here.)

Under the surface, the Nymphing game is strong and many flies are working. The list is long and the key is truly being in the right water with a proper drift. You can be slightly off the mark and out of the game, or you can be in the zone and keeping the net wet for most of the day. That’s fishing. Experience is the key to consistently staying in the zone. The more time you spend on the water, the easier it gets. Keep making adjustments until something begins working.

Now that fish are beginning to focus on the hatches, the streamer game is going to be hit and miss. That said, streamers are always a viable way to chase fish on the Missouri River. The Smoke N’ Mirrors in Tim MacCraw and Cream moved some fish and put a few in the net on a recent float. There are always a few predators out there. This time of year, the sunny days are best for PMD’s and Caddis. The clouds typically bring on the streamer bite.

In short, you can get after the fish any way you want to. June is a great month. Beyond the Missouri, many of the smaller local streams are back in shape. There are also great opportunities on the Stillwaters. The hardest part for me is choosing where to go. One thing is for certain, I will be on the water somewhere.

If you need help choosing your water and a batch of productive flies, someone is always in the fly shop ready to help you.