Best Gear for Spring on the Missouri River

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Date: 01/01/2025

I’ve spent the last week up here in Craig, guiding on the Missouri River stretches below Holter Dam. This has long been one of my favorite times of year and places to fly fish for trout in Montana. The water stays clean during the runoff and the trout are always healthy and hungry as the water begins to warm with the arrival of spring. Although the fishing is almost always good, having the right gear makes a world of difference when it comes to actually landing all those fish we have been finding as of late.

Higher water brings with it some unique challenges, which catch most anglers off-guard this time of year. For starters, wading is almost impossible on these stretches of the river at typical May water levels. The dry fly and streamer fishing this time of year is typically lackluster as well due to cold-water temperatures, high flows, and the fact that many of the Rainbows are either spawning or starting to wind down. So, nymph fishing from a drift-boat is almost always the most effective method this time of year.

I have long preferred fishing with a 9’ 6” fly rod during these high water times on the Missouri River. The issue with these rods has always been that they tend to be just a little much on fine tippets we need in this relatively clear water.

The Sage Pulse 697 and Sage X 697 have both been fantastic solutions so far this year. The Pulse is a medium-action rod that easily loads well into the butt section, making it ideal for handling the long leaders and heavy weight often associated with the style of rigs we are fishing right now. The Sage X version is lighter in weight and feels much stiffer than the pulse, yet easily loads deep into the butt section as well. Each of these two rods are ideal for helping anglers quickly land the Missouri River fish while protecting the 5X tippets that I usually rely on for more hookups.

The Rio Extreme Indicator fly line has been my “go-to” choice for the challenges of nymphing the awkward fly rigs that I fish the most during high-water. The overweighed head of these lines are high-floating and enable quick loading of modern fly rods. The “Connect Core” of this InTouch fly line has remarkably little stretch to it, which makes for a quicker connection to the fish on long-leaders. This is one of the easiest mending lines that I have ever fished as well.

If you are heading to the Missouri this spring for a few days of fishing during one of the best times of year, do yourself a favor and invest in some new gear which will help you have more fun and more success. Put that extra money that you were going to spend on new waders into a Rio Extreme Indicator fly line and a 697 Sage Pulse or Sage X. These are awesome solutions for deep nymphing out of a drift boat, no matter where you spend your time fishing and will be great additions to the “quiver” of any angler. Stop by our Bozeman fly shop and check these rods out or pick up a new line and you won't be dissappointed!