Pseudos, streamers and blue-winged olives, oh my!

Missouri River fall fish put on the feed bags.

It’s late season on the Missouri River and the fly fishing does not disappoint as the Indian summer makes for some unforgettable fishing days. Cold fronts have been few and far between, prolonging the pseudo hatch. Blue-winged olives are on the horizon.

Fall is also an ideal time to fling and strip those streamers to catch a few hogs. Rainbow trout especially like to eat streamers on Montana’s Missouri River this time of year, while the brown trout become a little more reclusive and harder to figure out as they head into spawning. But if you’re lucky enough to land a big brownie, you’ll be mesmerized by his orange belly and bright red spots, which also impress the brown trout ladies and attract spawning partners.

There are even still caddis around as evidenced by this colorful brown trout caught by @prettydamnsweeteva just las weekend.

And don’t forget about nymph fishing – generally insane during the autumn months. If you like to catch lots of fish, don’t poo-poo nymphing, which can be good all up and down the Missouri River this time of year, but the upper ten miles are the best.

While you’re out catching hogs this fall, ponder next year’s fly-fishing plans. Book accommodations and guides early. The best guides are already heavily booked for 2024. Don’t be that last-minute guy or gal who gets relegated to the bottom-of-the-list guides.