It’s been a long winter around here, it’s snowing now. My mountain bike just got knocked over on the front porch by the latest snow squall that ripped through the valley, and now it’s sunny. All in about twenty minutes. I can see the next one brewing up Sawtooth and Roaring Lion canyons across the valley from my house. It should be here in the next hour. And so it goes, Montana in the spring.
The Missouri river is a place that will haunt your memories all winter long, and you might even get a whacky idea mid December or January to go freeze your ass off there and watch your guides ice up. You’ll catch fish, but freeze you will. So once the bugs stir for the first time and the nights are no longer freezing deep, it’s time to go see what we can find on the big river.
Nymphs dominate the scene this time of year on the Mo. Until the caddis and baetis get their groove on, really midges are the only thing happening on top, and unless it’s epic, you really will only see a couple random rises throughout the day. Streamers have their moments, as well, and both fish I’m holding ate a conehead bugger while ripping it across flats on a sink tipped number seven Loomis. I love the streamer game when it plays, and once a mile is considered playing by my standards.
So get with us on an early Mo trip, unless you are here chasing the Skwalas around on the Bitterroot with us. The Mo offers the utmost challenge in fly fishing with rewards of rainbows in the trophy class. These fish are big and healthy and do not screw around once hooked: jumps, runs, and more runs until you can finally bring them to hand if you play them correctly. Bring your ‘A’ game and get ready for one of the finest trout rivers in North America.
