Fishing Report
     and other news...
April 24,  2008
Note: Julie and I have moved up to Craig for the summer.  The best place to reach me will be at the shop, 406-235-3447, email, or leave a message on my cell phone. - John

MISSOURI RIVER
As we approach the beginning of what I consider the "summer" season (May 1), we find the river is a bit behind schedule.  The first BWO hatches of the season have occurred over the last week, but few fish are up and feeding on them.  As the weather warms and becomes more consistent, look for hatches to intensify and fish to become more active. 

Fishing has been consistently good, but not great.  Streamers and nymphs will produce enough fish to keep you satisfied.  Many anglers are fishing late in the day hoping to find fish up feeding on BWO's.  When you find them, you'll catch them.  Cripple patterns usually produce the best results, especially in colder weather.  Plenty of midges continue to hatch, so don't forget a Griffiths Gnat or other midge cluster patters.

Good fishing is being reported along the entire river, though you'll find some slow sections between Pelican and Cascade.  This is not atypical of this time of year.  The river has come up a bit in the last several days, but is still too low for really good nymph fishing on the Cascade stretch.  The Dam to Pelican is your best bet.

Headhunters Fly Shop & Guide Service
We're open and things have been busy.  Come get flies, shuttles, ice, accessories and free coffee...Mark and I are in there most of the time, and we're open from 8am - 6pm.  The shop number is 406-235-3447.
-JA

June Flush?
Every year state and federal water managers try to line up a pulse of water to help downstream Sturgeon spawning and try to scour the Missouri of sediment that has built up over the last several drought years.  It looks as though they may be able to make it happen this summer.  Much of this depends on weather and the precipitation we receive from now through May.  They are shooting for a 3 day flush at 14000cfs in early June.  Will it happen?  Who knows.  If it does, we should have a week of tough fishing in June, but that should be followed by MUCH better conditions in July and August than we have had in several years.

Give us a call if you're interested in making the Missouri part of your itinerary this summer, or if you have some questions about fishing in the area.   Contact John:  fallsoutfitters@yahoo.com or 1-866-727-2087, 406-868-1951(cell). 

-JA