The Troutshop Missouri River report

What's wrong with the picture? Not the picture above; it was just a source of amusement today. Not every fly shop has a concierge like this guy. What's wrong with the fishing picture? Perfect fly fishing weather greeted anglers today - calm, mostly cloudy and moderate temperatures. River flows...

Federal Agent Eliot Ness would not pass up the opportunity to take take in the beauty of it all before chasing Al Capone over the Untouchables Bridge. The drinks would be cold and overflowing. He couldn't resist could he? Surely, the anglers headed this way won't. Rose colored glasses...

"He wasn't entirely wrong. Really. I'm sorry". "You could have at least brought us a treat; an attempt at gaining forgiveness. Next time, you tow that wooden wreck to Craig. We've had enough of your weather predictions", they said. "Are you ready to head back up the hill?" "Hell no. It's...

You have until 11:00 AM to hitch up your wagon and seek the safety of Craig on the marginally maintained Seven Mile Road. He means it this time. Old Man Winter will remind you of who's the boss. His temper tantrum will be brief, but harsh. We like the abuse. West of Craig will feel his wrath...

Have you ever wondered what Forrest Anderson did that was so worthy of naming a bridge after him? Here's a few reasons: Dustin Hoffman starred in the movie "Little Big Man". Since the movie was filmed in Montana, he hoped that Governor Anderson would declare the movie's premier date as...

While Boston is tired of living in less than a winter wonderland and likely is revising Old Man Winter rants to something a little less friendly, we're cautiously optimistic that spring has left our area and winter will return to Montana. In 30 days, it will be spring. How about something normal...

Quiet continues on the river. A switch has been flipped somewhere that is keeping anglers off the river. Pleasant and sunny are good reasons to be on the river yet something is keeping people away. Perhaps it's the lake. If you simply want to catch fish, reach back to your childhood and try...

Very few anglers have been on the river for the last couple of days. Perhaps work is more important. Fishing reports have been mixed (positive spin). Bright and sunny brought back the need for pink, flashy, Mardi Gras flies. A battle of wills is shaping up. While anglers have taken it easy...

Today: Scattered snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 40. North northwest wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. At 8:00 AM, you could hear Craig from Lookout Lodge, 3 miles to the north. Craig was as...

A picture like this is worth at least 1000 fly fishing words. Heavy clouds can't get much closer to the river than they were today. Low, low, low pressure was in the atmosphere and on the river. A few lucky anglers had the river mostly to themselves. Wild Missouri Rainbows and Browns loved it....

If this ice hut was at Holter Lake, that's exactly what it would be. Warm weather took its toll on the lake. Rather than seeing ice fishermen catching boat loads of perch, you'll see boat fishermen catching perch and throwing them into their ice-filled cooler. Anglers below Holter Dam...

"Check it out, Doris, he said. It's only February and those fly fishermen are already chasing those funny looking baloons". "Not all of them, said Doris. Some of them are casting small minnows and a few of them are looking really hard at the water's surface. I think they're casting...

Much of this soup settled over the river today. Along with the soup came little-to-no wind. There was a slight chill to the air from the moisture within, but the fish didn't care. Wild ducks kept rising throughout the day. Our rainbows and browns kept looking at the bottom and didn't notice...

Much of this soup settled over the river today. Along with the soup came little-to-no wind. There was a slight chill to the air from the moisture within, but the fish didn't care. Wild ducks kept rising throughout the day. Our rainbows and browns kept looking at the bottom and didn't notice...

Northern California Severe thunderstorms will lash Northern and Central California with up to 3 inches of rain through Monday morning, and accompanying winds could produce small tornadoes in the region, according to the National Weather Service. The storm system warm enough to blow out the...

Northern California Severe thunderstorms will lash Northern and Central California with up to 3 inches of rain through Monday morning, and accompanying winds could produce small tornadoes in the region, according to the National Weather Service. The storm system warm enough to blow out the...

The weatherman, well, blew it. What was supposed to be winds from 10 to 13 mph today turned into about 100 mph. It roared. Tomorrow's another day. It may not be as windy as today, but the forecast has been wrong before..... Perhaps being a road warrior is in order. Saturday A 20 percent chance...

OK, it's not quite spring yet, but it will feel like it this weekend. If you're north of Pelican Point, you may find the wind to be a little harsh. The upper river is relatively? calm. There's hope. Football is over for the year. With high temperatures slated to be in the upper 50's...

Fly-Fishing with Frozen Fingers Think Warmth Unfortunately, winter is not the best time to attract trout to a fly. The icy water slows the cold-blooded creatures' metabolism, making them lethargic. Trout move less than in summer and aren't as hungry. (From Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks) At 34...

Think warm thoughts.....While it's not quite summer yet, local residents are welcoming the warmer weather that promises to be here for the next week or two. We live in Montana, but we're not used to the steady challenge of getting past the snow on the ground. The Chinook Shovel we're...

Somebody thinks the fishing is good. Both the boat ramp and the streets of Craig are packed with vehicles belonging to fishermen. At 5,000 cfs, 59 F and PMD's and Caddis and......, the river is in prime shape. People have heard. No tricos yet. Canyon Ferry Lake is 99% full. Inflows are...

Fishing reports are pretty rosy and a little wet. We've had decent rainfalls over last couple of days - soakers for sure. We've also had PMD's and Baetis bringing fish to the surface. Customer fly cups for the longest time were filled with wire, tungsten and pink. While you can still catch...

So....When will it happen? Dry Fly Nirvana? Perhaps it already has - it's that close. At 4,500 cfs, 56 and clear, the Missouri is perfect shape. When the bugs really arrive......Caddis are starting to swarm over the Craig Bridge. Cool weather may hold things back a little. Daytime highs...

A picture is worth a thousand words. Only days after the Bureau of Reclamation adjusted the river flows upward from 8,000 cfs to 11,000 cfs in an effort to make room for runoff, they became concerned that they would not fill Canyon Ferry Lake and adjusted the riverflows downward...

When will it happen? That's the question. It's not a question of whether significant spring run off will happen; it's a question of when. With statewide snowpack levels at 140 to 180% of normal depending upon the drainage, you have to expect a significant increase in river flows when runoff...

With a 36 to 23 vote in favor of the $1.3 million general obligation bond, the town of Craig has made outhouses obsolete and initiated a ban on vehicles such as these. Starting in August, a new sewer system will begin to be installed after a 5-year effort to bring modern infrastructure to town....

Don't let the sign fool you! The flows we're having now bode well for our spring fishing. At 8,000 cfs, the river below Holter Dam is very fishable, wadeable in places and clear. Our local tributaries are pretty tame and are not having any impact on clarity. Inflows at Toston are hovering...

Our yearly Spring visit from our friends in Lethbridge has come to a close. We had several boats out over the weekend enduring a wide range of weather and fishing conditions. Even in the driving snow and a biting North wind on Friday, anglers were able to put a good number of fish in the...

Signs of spring....warming temperatures have brought some boulders down to Recreation Road. Or, perhaps, it was these guys - spotted between Mountain Palace Boat Ramp and Prewett Creek Boat Ramp. We'll opt for the positive - warming temperatures. Wednesday started out calm and yielded to a...

Signs of spring....warming temperatures have brought some boulders down to Recreation Road. Or, perhaps, it was these guys - spotted between Mountain Palace Boat Ramp and Prewett Creek Boat Ramp. We'll opt for the positive - warming temperatures. Wednesday started out calm and yielded to a...

Pink is not a 4-letter word. It may be a worn out story, but it continues to produce results. You'll have to reach deep. You won't rack up the numbers with streamers the way Pink AMEX do, but you could find a toad or two lurking in the depths. Smile. Fishing is very good (with nymphs). ...

While we received plenty of rain yesterday and woke up to a dusting of wet snow, it appears things have stabalized and turned quite pleasant. High temperatures in the low 50's and moderate winds will greet you on the river for the remainder of the week. The Missouri received enough local...

Along with the warmer weather, you'll find: More people on the river. Why not? Increased flows out of Little Prickly Pear - See Below: Impressive flows coming out of the Dearborn River. We can't tell you what they are because the gauge is broken. Increased flows out of Holter Dam: 4200 cfs - due...

Steady as she flows - the Missouri that is. Both Little Prickly Pear Creek and the Dearborn River couldn't hold back. The light fluffy snow we received over the last week couldn't stand the heat (mid 40's) and ran down the tributaries' channels. Fishing was quite good despite the mud...

It will be -32 and said Pebble would continue to make its case with EPA. McCarthy told reporters on a teleconference that EPA is initiating the process under the Clean Water Act to determine how it can best use its authorities "to protect Bristol Bay rivers, streams and lakes from the ...

Out with the cold and in with the warm. Soon, you'll have to chill your drinks the old fashioned way - ice cubes. Warmer weather is welcomed after a prolonged cold spell. Still, we feel spoiled considering what much of the U.S.A. has endured this winter. Along with the balmy weather in the...

Not much to report on the river. Anyone that was out and about with today's snow and frigid temperatures was likely at one of Uncle Joe's two locations. The Craig Bar and the Oasis both reported a few hearty patrons. Not a sole was on the river. The geese and ducks had the river to themselves...

Missouri River Trout Populations for 2014 These show why the Missouri River will be on fire this summer. There are a bunch of big fish in the river. They are waiting for you. There's a bunch near Cascade too. From Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks 800x600 In 2013, the population estimate for rainbow...

Could it be that we're finally going to see a change in the weather- a change from gale force winds? It wasn't flat calm today, but was decidedly more calm than it has been and from what was predicted by the weatherman. At times, it was flat calm. It was warm enough where a few midges came off....

Hey Cliff (commentor from Jaunary 17 post), Here's what the snowpack presently looks like. Right now, we're looking pretty good. Craig has been balmy without much snow. It's a good thing we get our water from down south.

The weatherman was right, but anglers didn't care. Wind was pervasive on Saturday, but there were plenty of anglers on the river. For sure the 23mph threshhold was reached. More of the same is on tap for Sunday. It will be 50 with 20+ mph winds. At least it will be at your back. Most likely,...

While it's pretty tempting to be at the vise this time of year, the weather has another idea. It's mid January and it feels like spring. High temperatures will reach into the mid-to-upper 40's for the next week. Along with the warm temps, expect to find some midges on the water. You have to...

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We don't normally post messages like this, but must admit it provided us with a little chuckle.....

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