Tips For Dry Fly Fishing the Missouri

For many anglers, there’s nothing quite like the thrill of seeing a trout break the water’s surface and sip a carefully placed dry fly. But achieving success in dry fly fishing requires more than just luck. It demands skill, patience, and practice. Whether you’re a seasoned dry fly angler or just starting out, these dry fly fishing tips will help you elevate your game and catch more fish when headhunting on the Missouri River.

Clean your Fly line: Cleaning your fly line is an easy task that should be done before you step in the drift boat. Clean lines can pay dividends in your dry fly game. They float, mend and cast better. I like the Rio towelette for a quick cleaning on the go.

Sit down: Seriously, stealth is paramount. For this very reason you’ll see most Missouri River fly fishing guides have removed the front leg braces from their drift boats. Sitting lowers your profile and is much safer. Remember you don’t use your legs to cast.

Time the rise form: It may sound extreme but some days these fish have a cadence to their rise. Try to time it. Casting the fly in the fish’s lane and timing the rise can really make a difference on those days the fish are finicky .

Make the first cast count: Cast just above the rise form. The further the fly lands from the fish the more difficult it is to manage the drift in varying currents. Not to mention the chance of picking up weeds or your fly sinking.

Use ariel mends: Deploy the reach cast. The reach cast is fundamental when dry fly fishing the Missouri river. Click the hyperlink above for more on ariel mends.

Move on: If the fish are not picking up what you’re putting down and you made adjustments to the flies and prestations. Leave, move on. Go find another pod of rising trout that may be more cooperative.

Dry fly fishing the Missouri River can be challenging, thrilling and rewarding. I do hope these tips for dry fly fishing the Missouri helps you put more fish in the net.