050717

Heading back to the Missouri for another week of fun on the water and - I suspect - a whole lot of fish eating. I don't know that the fishing has been any better than any other year so far up there, but it has been pretty damn solid day after day. Wind, sun, clouds, and rain hasn't really seemed to matter so far in terms of the bite.

Plus, the bugs have been thin at most and invisible for the most part. Sure, you can find gobs of Baetis coming off mid-day if you have some clouds, but it hasn't gotten too many fish up. Caddis started flitting around late last week on the lower river, so maybe that will get going more this week and get some fish up. However, looks like this week should be mild so I doubt that will be the case. Maybe the March Browns will get going good though.

It has been great to be back up there after a year off in 2016. Something about that river just feels like a great vacation destination is supposed to feel. Nice to visit, but probably wouldn't want to live there.

In my case, though, it's not really the fishing or the guiding that has been making this so much fun for me. It is the "dudes and dudettes" that I get to share the day with, laughing at bent rods, silly sayings, and shaking my head in awe when they come tight to another hot fish, exploding away from the boat.
Appreciation and gratitude underlie everything for me when I'm immersed in all, day after day.