Headhunters Fly Shop

The guided water is 35 miles of the Missouri between Holter Dam and the town of Cascade, and it splits into three characters: broad, slow runs from the dam down to Craig, a canyon stretch below Craig framed by limestone, and a Great Plains reach of meandering channels on down to Cascade. Drift boats carry most trips, rafts work as well, and the numerous islands are called extremely wadeable. The primary season runs April through November, with hatches coming almost daily from mid-April to mid-November: midges, skwalas, blue-winged olives, March browns and Mother’s Day caddis in spring, then pale morning duns, caddis, tricos, ants and hoppers through summer, then a caddis resurgence, October caddis and baetis in fall. Rainbows outnumber browns roughly three to one and average 14 to 20 inches, browns 16 to 22. Nymphing, dry fly and streamer work are all used, and spey anglers fish both Skagit and Scandi setups.