The Missouri River Ranch is officially shaking off the winter cobwebs, and it’s time for anglers to dust off the waders and locate those long-lost fly boxes. Early April snow has finally given way to rising trout, a trade the Ranch staff is more than happy to make. With Opening Week quickly approaching, the river is transitioning from a quiet winter landscape into a premier dry-fly playground. From hunting “heads” in the film to dredging the deeper pools, the fish are regaining their Spring form and getting down to business. Here is the Ranch’s official lowdown on the flows, the bugs, and why “one last cast” might make you late for dinner this week.
With Opening Week at the Ranch quickly approaching, the trout seem just as excited as the staff to welcome everyone back to the Missouri. After some much needed snow to start the month, the weather and fish are starting to find their Spring form with hatches being found up and down the river. Flows have been holding in the 3000-3500CFS range and water temps in the low 40s°F.
Midges are still the name of the game, with anglers being rewarded for persistence and having the dry fly rod at the ready. BWOs are starting to pick up with hatches working their way up from the Canyon. With more heads starting to appear along the Ranch, it will surely make that “one last cast” before dinner harder and harder to achieve. Griffith’s Gnat, Midge Clusters, and small attractor flies have been the go-to’s along the Wing Dams of an evening.
Nymphing with sow bugs, zebra midges, and baetis patterns have continued to produce the most consistent fishing. Trout seem to still be holding in the deeper, slower pools and generally, where you find one, there will be more. As the hatches start to come off more prolifically, don’t be afraid to hang a nymph below your attractor dry to cover both levels of the water column.
