Missouri River Report 7.29.16

July is coming to a close. It’s been hot this past week.  Too hot.  Hot weather is generally not great for trout fishing.  They like cold water.  Fortunately, the Missouri River has still been staying near or below 65 degrees.  Still fishable conditions and likely to remain so.  Many other waters are either under Hoot Owl restrictions, or they should be.  That said, you still need to be extra careful with late summer fish. They fight really hard in 65 degree water, but then can have trouble recovering if not released quickly.

Trico’s are the daily show. Some PMD spinners are on the water early and a few are hatching late in the afternoon.  Caddis are present, but can be spotty.  More Caddis above Craig it seems.  A Purple Haze still catches fish.  Ants and Hoppers can draw and eat here and there.  A Chubby in the right place can move a big fish.  Flashy streamers can be good if you successfully dodge the floating weeds on your retrieve.  Lots of options on the table.  Come by the fly shop anytime to talk strategy and select edible flies.

When it gets too hot for trout, I like to bother the carp. August is carp month.  Carp are heavy feeders in the warm waters of late summer and they eat a lot.  This makes them grow really fast and get rather large.  Damsels, Crayfish, Minnows and nymphs are all on the menu.  They eat the same food as trout.  They simply eat a lot more of it and they are much less discriminate.  Carp are very wary, but they are also opportunistic in their food choices.  If you can deliver them a fly that looks like it might be edible, they will likely eat it.  Of course your delivery must be perfect.  That’s the challenge with carp.

If you want to give them a try and have questions, let me know. If you want to join me August 13th for Carp Class, I’ve got a couple slots left call us here at the shop.

Want to try out some of these flies? Check out our fly selection here.

Check Out The Current River Flow & Temps Here