We are in the midst of the spring roller coaster yoyo run-off season. Rivers are up and down with rain/cold/warm/rain…. Some opportunities will present themselves to those who watch and get on it when the time is right. The weather is supposed to get really warm this week so the rivers are likely going to rage. The Missouri will be about the only option as far as moving water goes. Even the Mo might see the tribs add some more color to the river as it hits 90 degrees this week for a couple days. The upper river will get busy if that’s the case. Actually, it will be busy either way with all the guides in the state trying to scratch out a few bucks from one of the very few fish-able resources in MT during run-off. All good though. Just be polite, yield to the bank fisherman, take your turn and don’t do too many row-arounds / hole hog. You know, common sense river etiquette stuff.

Locally we are stuck in the pond game. But it’s actually been pretty fun. There are plenty of lakes in the area that are fishing well. Pick one and give it a whirl. Do something different and gamble a little. Get out of your comfort zone and try a new spot. No risk no reward… Bass and pike fishing is also a great option. Watching bass chug poppers doesn’t suck. Neither do the visuals from a pike taking a large streamer. All good stuff if you want to get out locally.

Salmon flies have shown themselves in a few areas already and the Big Blackfoot will be littered with them in a few weeks. The Thompson River also has a great early salmon fly event that is usually fish-able during the high water season. Looking at the graph today and it looks worthy for and outing before the next bump. Sounds more fun than mowing the lawn anyway.

Pro tip of the day – put the beer in the koozie before opening it.

Oh, and we have some new logo koozies in the shop.

Jason Lanier
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