Missouri River Fly Fishing
Missouri River Fly Fishing is well suited for experienced anglers. Stealth and delicate, accurate casts with tiny match-the-hatch dry-flies that compete with thousands of the real bugs are standard. A drag-free drift is required to catch the huge, wary and finicky Rainbows and Browns rising to Caddis, BWO’s, PMD’s, Trico’s, midge, and a wide array of terrestrials. The hatches of caddisflies, Pmd’s, and Trico’s can be so thick at times it can be hard to breathe without inhaling them!
Can Beginners Enjoy Success Fly Fishing The Missouri River?
Absolutely! Obviously, the more experienced you are the better you will do. That being said, under the instruction of our guides, beginners and novice level anglers alike can enjoy great success nymphing or tossing streamers! From mid-summer and into fall, less experienced anglers can also do very well dry fly fishing floating “hopper” patterns and other large attractors over the weed beds!
When there are few, or no fish rising, nymphs and streamers are the keys to successful Missouri River Fly Fishing. Fishing from a drift boat is by far the best approach. However, when flows are low-moderate, there are lots of wade fishing opportunities. It is still best to move from one wade fishing location to another by boat.
Missouri River Fly Fishing is best from Holter Dam to Cascade, Mt. This is a 30-mile stretch of river designated as a “Blue Ribbon” tailwater fishery! There is an estimated average of 5,000 to 7,000 adult fish per mile! One would assume that with that many fish in the river there is no way you are not going to catch fish, but that is not always so. They get “wise” and become suspicious of what they eat. If your bug isn’t a nearly perfect match they may refuse it. If your presentation is not perfect, they may just “flip you the fin”! Accurate casts and exceptional line control are usually paramount to success!
The challenge it can be at times to figure out exactly what the fish are eating, and then getting them on the end of your line is exactly what keeps many anglers coming back to the Missouri River time after time!
To learn more about the Missouri River in Montana click Here!