Season Opener on the Missouri
Greetings from the Canyon! We just kicked off our season with a full lodge for five days of fishing, which was a great way to start out the year. We covered most of the river this week, from Holter Dam down to the beginning of the plains at the end of the canyon. We’ve seen all sorts of weather this past week, and lots of different conditions, and the fishing has been exceptional.
When this group arrived, it felt like summer here. The first two days we saw temps in the 70’s and touching 80, and this got the fish moving. The increased water temps really got the bugs going, which in turn made the fish feed hard. We put a lot of fish in the boat in these conditions while nymphing. Early spring is a great time as far as numbers go, and this was no exception. The fish are just starting to spread out of their winter haunts, so you see lots of fish stacked in specific areas, so hitting these spots is very effective. When you’re putting big numbers of fish in the boat, you have a good shot at landing some real studs. On the second day below Wolf Creek, Gary hooked into something special. The way the line was flying off the reel told us we were interacting with a different bracket of fish. The fish went straight across the river in a section where it’s 100 yards wide, and we were along for the ride. After this big run, we got the boat close and got it to the net. This rainbow was a real 2 footer, but the girth of it was the most impressive part.
Gary with the big one!
As the week progressed, we saw a day of transitional weather on Wednesday; temps in the 60’s with a little wind, lots of clouds, and scattered moisture. These low pressure systems with cloud coverage usually bring out some freaks of nature, especially the Browns. We decided to run the Canyon this day, as it was our best shot at one of those fish. There were three boats on this trip for our six guests: Craig, Myself, and Caleb. After we all had lunch near the Lodge, we were fishing down the river pretty close to each other. I was in the front with my guys, and we had just put three fish into the net at once (never seen that one before). As we rounded a corner, I looked upstream behind us and saw Jeff, who was in my dad’s boat, hooked up. It didn’t seem like there was much drama involved, so I kept rowing us downstream. As I was crossing the river, I heard a hoot and holler from my dad that I’ve never quite heard before since he’s a pretty even keeled guy. I looked over at their net and understood the situation.
Jeff had put one of those freak Browns we were after into the boat. This thing looked wild in person. It had one of the biggest adipose fins I’ve seen, and just exceptional color for this time of year. Caleb eventually rolled by as well and all 9 of us had a moment to celebrate Jeff’s trophy. We got a couple pictures of the fish and sent him on his way, no worse for the wear.
Jeff and Craig with a wall hanger.
Check out that adipose fin, and the size of his head!
The last two days were completely different. We saw over an inch of precipitation Wednesday night: some rain, some snow. In the morning, temps never got above 30 at the boat ramp. This cold was paired well with gusts in the 20’s, and scattered snow squalls and hailstorms. Springtime baby! We had an ongoing battle with ice in the guides of the rods, but when we weren’t dunking the sticks to get the ice off, we were catching fish. At lunch, it cooled down some more, and we really considered tapping out to warm up. We decided to tough it out and were rewarded with a really special afternoon. The squalls cleared a bit, we saw some sun, and the fish really perked up. We had some good shots at rising fish, and the nymph bite was on fire.
Well fed Brown caught in a snow flurry.
The last day was a little cooler than the snow day, but we had a bit more sun. It got down to 26 at night, and this cold eventually did affect the fish. We saw our slowest morning of the week with just a handful of fish hitting the net before lunch, with some brutal cold affecting our rigs again. The iced guides were a little worse that day. We saw another rebound in the afternoon, with some great fishing to be had when it warmed a touch. A lot of fish moved into the slower waters that day, and they ate hard in the afternoon. We also found some bigger fish willing to eat a streamer on that float. We did the lower canyon, where you exit the mountains into the plains at the end of the float. Looking back at the canyon, with snow topped pines and snow lined ridges was a beautiful scene after a great day on the water.
All said and done, it was a perfect first week at the lodge. We had a wonderful group of people, shared some incredible meals, and got to experience the best of the Missouri in the spring.
The journey through the canyon.
Some other things on my mind in regard to the river. The Blue Wings are slightly early this year due to a milder winter and spring, but this cold snap and some cooler incoming temps should slow our hatch calendar a touch. The mild winter has seemed to really benefit our fish; we’re seeing thick, healthy fish this spring. Also, the canyon is showing some nice sized rainbows as well as the browns, so that’s a good sign for the year. We’re also looking at similar flows this year as last year, so perhaps we’ll see similar levels of hatches as last year. Who knows? Anyways, we’re in full swing now, seeing a super busy spring this year. It’s going to be a great year, and we’ll see ya when you get here!
Cheers!