All bundled up and hitting the river in Mid-December. These trips are certainly a bonus and with the weather the way it's been, entirely worth the effort. And if the ducks aren't moving, you might as well fish, right?
I've guided 12 years now and this trip makes it official. I have guided on the Missouri in every month of the year. Granted, in January, February and now December, it's only been one day each but with the climate changing, maybe the season will be shifting as well. The days, however, are still pretty short and when the sun sets behind the canyon, it does get cold so there is that.
So how was the fishing? It was decent. We didn't see very many fish up as the midge things didn't really happen but the nymphing was good in spots. The water is 36.5 degrees at the dam. With sun, the water warms up a little bit down stream but not much. Fish are pretty lethargic and won't move more than a few inches to eat so you have to bonk them in the head. Depth is really important and you have to fish the slow, deep pools. That also means fish get a long time to suck in a fly and spit it out before the indicator even moves so you have to be quick on the draw.
I'm sure some of you are asking, "Is it really worth it?"
That, my friends, comes down to perspective. We caught about 20 fish yesterday. We spent a day out of the house, on the river with a couple good dudes doing what we love and I got paid. So yeah, I'd do it again.
Keep 'em where they live...
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