March on the Mo.

The forecast says 60's and low 70's with fishable winds.  While I make brief stops at a spring creek with blue wings and the massively large river it feeds, the pull north is overwhelming.  Dry roads and no headwinds.  Tomorrow I'm waking up in Montana and I'll be on the great river, the one and only, before noon. 3,000 cfs of easy wading and no weeds.

The river is relatively quiet, just an occasional boat every couple hours and a small spattering of wade fishermen.  I can pretty much fish where I want undisturbed.  There's midday midges when the wind isn't blowing, and the evenings are superb with fish up all around me.  There's some Missouri River steelhead I take with a leech during a morning inactivity period and the blustery early afternoons.

A guy could get spoiled fishing here during this off season period, absent of busy and full parking lots, the parade of boats, and any hint of splash and giggle.  Most stretches I have to myself, and if there's someone there, I find a place to myself close by. No other campers either. Sure, there's no big bugs or massive hatches yet, but there doesn't seem to be any lack of rising fish when I find a smooth spot.  And the size 20 flies do present their own frustrating challenge trying to hook these tanks.  But here, on the best dry fly river in America, one does need to stay challenged a little. At this point in the season, I've been fishing little shit hooks since October, so it's not too foreign. And I don't want to get Mo'd out too quick.  

Every day the wind forecast gets modified to more windy, with gusts up in the twenties.  Except for the first two days, the revised 24-hour forecasts are true.  I settle into a lazy morning, windy afternoon, transitioning to a calm evening program.  5:30 p.m. seems to be the magic minute when gusty gales lay down and trout come up to the midges, looking for little clusters or mating pairs on the surface.  18's and 20's are the order of each evening, two and a half hours of Missouri magic. Just gotta find a little smooth spot.

Of course there's this issue of "where do I go from here?" until my impromptu spring trip is over at the end of the week  Southeast Idaho is loaded with good choices right now, some of which I haven't fished yet this year. The Dillon valley doesn't open until April 1st. I'll just stay here until it's time for the long road home.  No since stepping down now.

It's a sign, and maybe not a good one, but it's never been a secret I love fishing the drought years.  The snows will come back and the flows will rise, but for now the wading is oh so easy.

Look at that green would ya?

I call it PhD island, it's just always a lock, and they can be tricky in the side channel.

Piece of cake crossing down to the island right now.

I've taken lots of fish here where it's now just cobblestone.  They're still here, just a little more to the left, and downstream in their winter holding area.

Nightly midges.  The anchor.

gotta love the mirror smooth.

I call it Caddis Channel.  Not moving now, but the fish move in here as soon as the water starts flowing through again.

At 6500 cfs, I've had magic caddis evenings here and caught so many fish right next to that bush on the right, where it's now dry or stagnant.  The whole channel comes alive when the flows come up.

Get some!

Just magic.

The most company I ever see.

These fish aren't as grateful like the ones in the other places I winter fish, they look like they've been eating fine all winter.

This is where I cross the side channel at 3000 cfs to get to the island or fish downstream with the current from right to left.

Trout longer than my forearm

The Craig dust bowl when she really gets gusty.

Blowing off a dirty field.

A little slick spot with a pod of risers every evening.

One of several little midgets I use.

This little year-round spring creek I always pass on my journey north had some baetis on it and small fish rising.  The bigger ones it's known for we're hiding in the weeds I guess.

It's always green and gin clear

This extra large section of the Snake below American Falls was on the hit list during this limited time when flows are low. Soon there will be motorized boats running and floating through here.  It will have to wait until October.

Bear River.  It can wait too.