Up, up; up go the flows-where they stop nobody knows! The “rise of the MO” is now occurring. Flows have come up to 150cfs., & you can expect them to keep moving upward for a while. Conditions will be ok until they get over 200cfs. At this point the water will become very turbid and filled with debris. Wading the wild trout section at flows over 250cfs. is tough. The cold water mayfly called the “blue winged olive” thrives on the MO, & it’s emergence peaks in late winter through early spring. We are seeing the last generations pop now, so use those smaller #18-20 profiles to match the hatch. The spring caddis, & little golden stoneflies are now emerging as well. The caddis adults are larger than the summer profiles. Have some #14/16 high-vis, or natural elk caddis imitations handy when it gets warm. When air temps are above freezing at daybreak, look for a significant hatch to begin late morning. It can last as long as 4 hours; but typically peaks after 90 minutes around mid-day this time of year. The wild trout really focus on this cycle, and fly fishers who consistently get into double digit numbers in the wild trout section have BWO adult profiles in the #16/18 range, with nymphs like Assassins, flashback pheasant tails, & birds nest patterns for the periods before, & after the hatch. Small crystal olive larva patterns, #20/22 gillies or crystal midge pupa/emerger imitations, & #18 broken back tiger or zebra midges are good calls for colder days. Have some parachute midge adult profiles when it gets cold, the fish will look for midge clusters if the BWO’s don’t come off. Streamer fishing is the right call for off colored, rising water. Predatory fish take advantage of small baitfish that get washed into the stronger currents as they seek refuge in slower pools. Streamers are also a higher visibility pattern, & stand out amongst the debris that is associated with rising water levels. Drift boat trips have been fair/good with numbers of planted rainbows, and a few wild browns in the counts.

Guided drift boat trips are a great way to get into secluded sections of the river, & fish the higher water levels. We fish streamers, casting sinking tip lines with a unique, user friendly method called the “dip & strip”. I strongly suggest this program for novices, and those wishing to learn how to fish streamers. Hot flies this week are smaller Punk Perch & Loebergs.