Beat the Heat and Fly Fish During the Cool Mornings: Helena Area Outdoor Report
By Matt Schauer

Posted: July 14, 2012

Hi, it’s Angie from Bob Ward & Sons, & if you aren’t getting out EARLY for fishing on the HELENA area waters, you ought to be!

The cool of the morning is certainly the most comfortable time to fly fish, & we hear by FAR the most productive as well…PMD action (we like that LipstickButt in a 14-16), Sallies (like a Headlight Yellow in a 16), Caddis, Tricos & even some Drakes are all fishing GREAT on the MISSOURI (shown in the picture above)…there’s even a scattering of young green hoppers if you want to dig out a new bug! Reports are sailing in that Nymphing is pretty darn successful as well, but if you’ve been waiting all year for this weather and these hatches, you’re probably not going to do much subsurface right now on the MO! We don’t blame you! If Streamers are your game, hit the river early, use a nice White Ugly like a Pearl Bling Minnow or a White Jawbreaker in a 0 to 1, & go very deep for the hot action!

Hit the deeper outcrops in CANYON FERRY with Leech patterns or a Pheasant Tail for solid trout action…otherwise the carp spawn is on, & the way they’re stacking, you should have great success with these guys! The Walleye catch is better on HOLTER & HAUSER right now, get your leeches or woolies on a sink tip & cruise for the big ones! Below the Dams is a particularly good place to cruise in the summer months for Walleye…bet you knew that! The trout are deep as well with their spawn pretty much over, but you could nail a few Carp during their spawn on these two lakes!

This Saturday, the Helena Bob Wards holds a Calling Clinic at 1:30 to 3:30 pm, sponsored by Weston Clark of Mossberg Game Calls…fish in the morning and stop by in the afternoon to get a jump on your fall hunting! Stop by the Fishing Dept and see what’s on sale…we’ve got long days & evenings of excellent MT fishing still to go! We’ll update you again next week, anglers!

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