Jason Orzechowski, Author at Wolf Creek Angler

About Jason Orzechowski

Outfitter, Fly Fishing Guide and Owner of Wolf Creek Angler - Chasing a dream, counting my blessings daily and writing about it in the midst of mountains, rivers and trout in amazing Montana.

The Dog Days of Summer

Dog Days of Summer

The Dog Days of Summer have officially arrived.

It’s the time of the summer season when angling traffic slows to a crawl and most of those on the water are there to keep cool while enjoying the summer sun. If you find yourself fishing on the weekend you will likely be outnumbered by at least 3:1, rec floaters to drift boats.

With daytime highs in the 90’s and nearing 100 over the weekend I’d expect this trend to continue.

Fishing has remained good though it’s been markedly slower as of late with the added challenge of weeds now a part of the equation. They aren’t terrible. We’ve seen them much worse but you’d be wise to prepare yourself mentally for the challenge.

Tricos have been consistent with an abundance of bugs daily. Fish up have not been as consistent but if you put in the time you’ll find some willing players. Evening caddis action has been the better option, particularly at last light and into the darkness.

Small hoppers, Chubbys, Micro Chubbys and various ants have all provided decent mid-day action with or without a nymph dropper and blind fishing a Caddis throughout the day will get some looks as well.

And speaking of nymphs…if you opt for the bobber game Tailwater Sows, Frenchies, S & M’s, Green Machines, Purple Weight Flies, Tung Darts, Peep Shows, PT’s, Black or Olive Zebra midges, Olive or Purple lightning bugs and Nitro Caddis are all good options.

We even tried some night ops this week with the fur balls but were thwarted by the after-dark caddis smorgasbord and later by a howling north wind.

The traffic has been primarily in the Wolf Creek to Stickney section so maybe opt for the canyon or below if you’re looking to minimize contact with other humans. What the lower river lacks in ease of access it often makes up for in solitude and the occasional hopper hunting big brown but be prepared to deal with a fair amount of weed mass.

We’re continuing to open at 6:30 AM for the time being but will likely adjust accordingly as traffic and daylight dictate.

End of Summer Sale on now with 25% off most summer gear as we make room for fall arrivals.

Lodging is plentiful and guide trips are more or less available for the next few weeks as we close out the summer season and shift our focus towards fall. Take advantage of the solitude while you can as it looks to be a busy September/October on the MO. And if fall fishing is your plan we’d advise you book those dates sooner rather than later as we’re filling up fast.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-07-28T08:08:37-06:00July 28th, 2022|Categories: Shop Life|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, green machine, Missouri River, running line, tricos, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Summer Solitude

Deep in the heart of summer here on the MO and all is well in our world.

The hatches have been consistent. The flows are near perfect when they’re not getting bounced around. The weather, while a little unstable, has been pleasant with cool evenings and mornings and just enough heat in the day to remind you it’s our hottest month of the year. The fish are happy and hungry and the crowds have thinned to the point where there is plenty of solitude to be found on the water which isn’t great for us but which should make you drop what you’re doing and head to the MO for one of the better dry fly seasons we’ve had in recent memory.

A good number of inflatables out there on the weekends so maybe skip those days or just get a super early start and be off the water before they get there. Or just fish in the midst of them and be happy that everyone is out there enjoying the resource.

We’ve been starting our trips early (6:30 – 7), leaving the heat of the day to the rec crowd. The heat of summer has started to have an effect on some of our regional waters with the Sun, the Smith and the Madison all on Hoot Owl restrictions. Hopefully with these steady flows in the 4K range, plenty of water in Canyon Ferry and these cool overnight temps we’ll steer clear of the Hoot Owl here on the Missouri.

Tricos are your early morning and daytime target with caddis providing some near-dark evening action. Hoppers and ants should also be in the mix with or without a nymph dropper.

Those choosing to chase the bobber are getting the numbers with sow bugs, Green Machines, Zebra midges, Frenchies, Purple or Gold Weight flies, Nitro Caddis, S & M’s and pheasant tails.

Plenty of lodging available right now and maybe even a guide or two available though that’s definitely been hit or miss.

Rental boats are finally available again after a busy three weeks.

It’s really the perfect time to sneak away to the MO where the fishing has been epic, the weather and water conditions couldn’t be any better and you might just have it to yourself. Whatever you do, don’t tell anybody!!

We’re open at 6:30 AM daily for all of your Missouri River fly fishing needs.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-07-19T13:15:20-06:00July 19th, 2022|Categories: Shop Life|Tags: caddis, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, green machine, Missouri River, running line, tricos, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler, zebra midges|0 Comments

The Shift

And just like that the BLUR shifts to the break as the traffic thins and we’re able to take a breath.

It seems the crowds have gone the way of the PMD’s….waning. Even as Tricos continue to move up river and the evening caddis action is heating up there has been a noticeable shift in angling pressure and while I wouldn’t exactly call the daytime traffic “light” if you wait until evening to fish you may not see another boat.

Many of the out of area guides have headed to their home waters as most everything has come into shape leaving us with a bit of a break in the traffic smack dab in the middle of PRIME DRY FLY TIME.

Tricos, Caddis and Terrestrials all on the menu right now and you can even continue to drown nymphs if you choose though it would seemingly be a shame to do so considering the dry fly madness happening around you. Hunt those heads and deliver the goods to your chosen fish or fish blind with a caddis, an ant, or a hopper and see what happens if the head hunting thing stresses you out.

Unlike the past several weeks we do have a few lodging vacancies. Guide trips are still going full tilt and available guides will continue to be hard to come by. Boat rentals have been at capacity these past couple of weeks continuing through this weekend and then things open up. Shuttles have continued to sell out daily so make sure to get here early or arrange the day before if you want to guarantee your shuttle.

Summer heat has arrived. We’ll be seeing temps approaching 100 a few times over the next few days but whether it’s 90 or 100, it’s going to be HOT regardless. Expect an abundance of rec float traffic this weekend with a high of 97 expected and plan accordingly. Start your day early and take the hottest part of the day off leaving the river to the float brigade. Return in the evening for awesome caddis action.

River flows continue to fluctuate and are currently at 5730 CFS. We should see it settle out at around 4K soon but we’re liking where we’re at for mid-July with good flow and temps holding in the low 60s, especially considering that a couple of months ago we were all but sounding the alarm as low snow pack had us wondering if we wouldn’t be on Hoot Owl in June. As it turns out, the late spring precipitation coupled with cool temps has us halfway through the season with the landscape still predominantly green and the water in great shape.

Weeds are in the early stages. Not bad at this point but a factor from here on out.

The shop is open from 6:30 AM – 5 PM daily with all of your Missouri River Summer Heat Fly Fishing Essentials. Sun Screen, Buffs, Eyewear, Simms SolarFlex Hoodies, shorts and flip flops; Fishpond and Simms sun hats, Ice, Fishing Licenses, Shuttles and of course the largest selection of flies ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek Montana.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-07-12T10:27:39-06:00July 12th, 2022|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, Montana, running line, tricos, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Heat Wave on the Horizon

Following a week filled with scattered thunderstorms and fluctuating but pleasant daytime temps it looks like we’re in for our first sustained heatwave of the summer as the mercury starts to climb early next week into the mid to high 90’s, bumping up against 100 on Wednesday.

Not much in the forecast for precipitation but always be prepared as summer storms are common in the west and often come from out of nowhere. Have some rain gear at the least, preferably something with a sturdy hood to perhaps protect your noggin from the painful hail that can sometimes accompany these summer storms.

These hot summer days on the water are what many come for and there’s nothing quite as relaxing as floating down the river on a blue bird summer day but it’s important to be prepared for hazards like variations in the weather, lightning, wind and hail and the potential for overexposure to sun and/or heat. Keep yourself hydrated and don’t forget the sunblock.

Humans like the heat – so do the bugs. Waning days of PMD’s happening NOW with Caddis action building and Tricos making their way up river. Fishable numbers in the middle and lower sections now should give way to river-wide action over the next week or two.

In the absence of bugs try blind fishing a caddis, you might be surprised how effective the blind technique can be. And while it may be a little early, I never hesitate to give the hoppers a try any time after the fourth of July. Prime terrestrial season is still a ways out but if you spend enough time throwing a hopper or ant you’ll likely find a few willing players.

Rusty Spinners have been effective trailed with a PMD emerger, a CDc caddis emerger or a Buzzball. Double Wing Tricos or Indicator Spinners paired with a Trico emerger will soon be your go to rig. Outrigger Caddis, Front End Loaders, Stocking Foot Caddis, Iceberg Caddis, Missouri River CDC Caddis, Cornfed Caddis and Blooms Parachute Caddis are all good options thrown blind or to mimic what you’re seeing on the water.

Nymphing continues to be amazingly consistent with PMD and Caddis nymphs complementing the sowbug fare. Best bets for nymphing include Split Case PMD’s, Frenchies, PMD Redemptions, S & M’s, Little Green Machines, Gold or Purple Weight Flies, Tung Darts, Nitro Caddis, Rusty Magic Fly, Peep Show, Zebra Midges and black or olive Zebras. The water is still surprisingly clean with weeds just now getting started. Not bad considering we’re heading into the second week of July. Expect exponential growth once the temps skyrocket next week but with the relatively stable flows we’re seeing some of this will be mitigated.

Traffic has slowed slightly and many of those who remain are solidly situated in the DFO camp. A lot of folks wading and more evening angling activity than you’ll generally see on the Missouri.
The season is flying by us, so much so that bookings have seen a seismic shift to fall inquiries over this past week.

August seems a bit busier than usual but will still feel like a ghost town after these past couple of months. And things pick right back up in September so if you’re looking for fall dates on the MO we encourage you to make those plans now. October is fairly wide open at this point and is, in my opinion, the better month for fall fishing on the Missouri. More on that soon.

We’re open at 6:30 AM daily with limited shuttles, unlimited bugs and everything you need for your day on the water.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-07-08T11:31:14-06:00July 8th, 2022|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: caddis, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, green machine, Missouri River, pmd's, running line, summer, tricos, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Summer Days on the Missouri

Summer officially arrived last week and with it The Blur which is how we refer to this portion of the season when days blur together and the busy weeks we anticipate, prepare for and look forward to all year fly past, carrying us to the Dog Days of August and soon after the start of the fall season. Do you have your fall dates booked? It’ll be here before you know it.

We saw some fluctuations in flows last week which left some frustrated, but things have since stabilized and we’re currently looking at flows of 4100 CFS where they will likely hold for the remainder of the season. Water temps are creeping up with summer’s heat having finally arrived, but at 58 – 59 degrees we’ve got absolutely nothing to complain about.

Conditions are truly ideal right now with stable flows of cold clean water, lush green landscapes and happy, hungry trout feasting on PMD’s daily. The long days mean long hours on the water with many dry fly obsessed anglers fishing the last light of the day.

These are the days that define Montana fly fishing in the minds of many. And these are the days we savor every season.

The fishing has been phenomenal more days than not except for those couple of days with the big bumps and drops in flows.

PMD’s are still the main course though we’re approaching the end of the PMD cycle over the next two weeks. Caddis action is somewhat sparse but seems to be gaining momentum. Look for things to improve as we close out the month of June and roll into the 4th of July weekend. PMD’s still here. Caddis gaining steam and Tricos on the way. It’s Dry Fly Nirvana on the Mighty MO. Oh, and don’t forget…hoppers aren’t that far off!

We’ve got you covered with massive quantities of dry fly patterns for all of the above along with a vast array of floatants and a wide variety of general and specialty lines for your optimum dry fly presentation. We’ve got everything you need to make it happen…the rest is up to you.

There are plenty of folks throwing bobbers as well and hooking up plenty. PMD nymphs (split case, magic fly, redemption, Psycho May, etc. ) and caddis nymphs should be your go to bugs but don’t count the sowbugs out. Sowbugs are always on the menu. Best sellers the past week from the nymph bins include Tailwater Sows, Purple Weight flies, Frenchies, Perdigons, Split Case PMD’s, Little Green Machines and PMD Redemption.

Stop in and stock up on bugs and sun protection and ice and whatever else you need for your day on the water. Shuttles have been crazy to the point that we’re cutting off shuttle sales fairly early each day depending on the traffic. Get here early to make sure you can get a shuttle. We aren’t the only ones cutting shuttles off so you could find yourself without a shuttle if you arrive late on a busy day. We apologize for the inconvenience, it’s a BUSY year on the Missouri!

We continue to get a ton of calls daily for guide trips and while we have been able to pull the proverbial rabbit out of the hat a few times chances are slim that we’ll be able to book any additional trips over these next couple of weeks. The same holds true for lodging. We do get cancellations here and there but for the most part we are booked solid through the middle of July. Things open up at the end of the month.

Welcome back to the Blur. We hope to see you soon. We’re open 7 AM – 5 PM daily and will adjust accordingly once the Tricos commence.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-06-27T16:02:07-06:00June 27th, 2022|Categories: Fishing Report, Shop Life|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, green machine, Missouri River, Montana, pmd's, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

NOT the Missouri River NPS / Jacob W. Frank

The calls have been non-stop the past few days with concerned guests calling to check on conditions in response to national news coverage of the devastating flooding on the Yellowstone River and elsewhere in the region.

Our hearts go out to our friends in Gardiner, Livingston, Red Lodge and elsewhere as they pick up the pieces following this historic flood event. Still on the rebound from suffering through the effects of the Covid economy the past two seasons, this is a tough pill to swallow. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected.

That being said, Montana is a BIG state and what’s happening 150 miles away is not happening here on the Missouri. Even so, conditions have evolved dramatically over the past few weeks and what looked like a season of low flows on the MO now looks to be the ideal conditions we hope for every season.

We’re seeing a big bump in flows right now, currently at 8380 CFS, a far cry from the static 3K flows predicted for the entire season just a month ago but nothing to be worried about. Bumps and drops definitely have an immediate effect on the fishing, don’t get me wrong, but we’re looking at the Big Picture here and we’re loving what we’re seeing.

A couple thousand CFS increase carries with it a lot of debris as the waters rise and carry away the accumulation of wood and other objects lining our low flow exposed river bed but once it’s carried said debris downstream things tend to settle and stabilize fairly quickly. We haven’t reached peak flows and I won’t venture a guess where that’s going to end up but we do have a high confidence that flows will recede to a steady 4-5K in the not too distant future, perfect conditions for our summer season.

The bottom line is that if you’re coming to fish the MO you can expect great conditions and great fishing. It may not be that 3K loved by so many of the wade angling crowd but the fact of the matter is 3K is simply not good for the MO.

There may be a few challenging days here and there with bumps and drops in the flows but overall the 2022 water outlook is shaping up to be so much better than we thought possible just a month ago.

We’re happy to take your calls of concern and we’re ready to talk some of you off of the ledge if necessary but rest assured, your 2022 Missouri River fly fishing pilgrimage is not in jeopardy.

PMD’s are here and will be the mainstay for the next several weeks. Caddis in play as well with Tricos just around the corner.

Higher flows are perfect for the nymphers with Sows and Scuds and Worms and Crays on the menu along with those Split Case PMD’s, Magic Flies, Psycho Mays, Frenchies, etc.

Streamer fishing is typically on the wane this time of year but with this unexpected increase in flows and the cool conditions which have kept our water relatively clean and weed free we would most certainly recommend chucking meat if that’s your thing.

We’ve had a few cancellations from the wade crowd, scared off by the flows so if a last minute trip to the MO is on the agenda give us a call, we may just have a room for you and we most certainly have rental boats available most days for the next couple of weeks.

We’re open 7 AM – 5 PM daily with everything you need for your day on the MO. High water nymphs, the best dry fly selection in the canyon, streamers a plenty, Simms waders and boots, Flyagra, Sun Protection, Oros indicators, shuttles, Adipose Drift Boat rentals and so much more.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-06-16T14:00:22-06:00June 16th, 2022|Categories: Fishing Report, Shop Life|Tags: caddis, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, Montana, running line, Streamer Fishing, tricos, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler, Yellowstone River|0 Comments

PMD’s are what’s on the menu. Stop by Wolf Creek Angler for the widest selection of Missouri River flies ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek Montana.

Our steady flow towards PRIME TIME on the MO was interrupted briefly yesterday with a significant bump from 3000 CFS to 5200 CFS reportedly due to dam maintenance. They dropped flows back to 4700 CFS today and we’ll likely see another drop overnight into tomorrow when things should begin to stabilize once again.

Conditions had been prime for the coming BIG PMD SHOW and we should be back on track soon with stabilizing flows and water temps hanging in the mid 50’s. The weather these next few days will be conducive to bug activity with highs nearing 80 through the weekend. We’ll cool down again starting on Sunday, dropping back to highs in the 60s and overnight lows in the 40s but the 10 day shows another warm up late next week.

Judging by the number of bugs we’ve been seeing, particularly in the canyon, we’re expecting good things to happen VERY soon. We can’t guarantee bugs or feeding fish on any given day but we can guarantee that if you aren’t prepared with the latest and greatest PMD patterns from WCA then you’re putting yourself at a tremendous disadvantage every time you hit the water with the potential for epic dry fly fishing looming.

Stop in and see us and we’ll get you set up for the Big Show and also get you lined out with all the must have nymphs you shouldn’t be without. Think SPLIT CASE PMD’s! We’ve got em’ by the bin full.

Crazy Big Snow pack numbers are keeping us perplexed and optimistic for what’s to come. Canyon Ferry continues to fill and is currently at 76.5% full. Tribs are not doing much. Little Prickly Pear hasn’t done much of anything and the Dearborn is on the drop. Still floatable for sure but trending the wrong way at this point. We’ll see what effect the coming mini heat wave has on flows over these next few days.

Water is on the rise around much of the region, making the Missouri River THE destination for fly fishing in Montana at the moment. A fair amount of traffic out there with busy boat ramps but everyone seems to be playing nice so far. Going out of your way to be kind and respectful to your fellow anglers and river recreationalists is the right thing to do and will stack your ledger with good fishing karma!

We’re just entering the outer edges of The Blur right now, that time of year when the rooms are all full, the boats are all out, the days blend together, the weeks fly by and before you know it Prime Time is in the rearview. But, we’re not there yet. We’re settling in and getting acclimated to making the proverbial hay.

We’re open from 7 AM to 5 PM daily with everything you need for your day on the water. Shuttles, bugs, boats, sun protection, Simms wading and rain gear, awesome Lamson rods and reels, SA, Airflo and Rio lines, leaders and tippet, Fishpond nets and accessories, piles of new WCA logo wear and the friendliest shop crew on the river.

Stop in and see us soon.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-06-08T16:51:31-06:00June 8th, 2022|Categories: Shop Life, Uncategorized|Tags: dry fly fishing, Missouri River, Montana, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

The Season is officially unofficially underway

A chilly, rainy Memorial Day weekend has ushered in the unofficial start of summer and while we’re still waiting for that first extended heat wave of the season to bring out the recreational floaters, the daily angling traffic definitely has a summer look about it.

It’s been an interesting season so far with the cool weather seemingly throwing the transition to late spring green off by a week or two. We’re definitely getting there now with the recent moisture but the weather still feels more like we’re headed into May than one day away from June.

That being said, where the fishing is concerned we’re right on schedule. Bugs galore and plenty of hungry, happy trout enjoying our cold clean, albeit LOW, water. It’s a refrain I’ve been repeating since February and I’m not going to stop now.

Spring dry fly fishing has been the best it’s been in recent memory with ample opportunities most days, thanks to the presence of midges, BWO’s, Caddis and now, even a few PMD’s being spotted in the mix in the lower reaches.

We just recently shifted the dry fly bins to highlight PMD’s rather than BWO’s and found that BWO dry fly sales far exceeded anything we’ve seen in the past several years. A good bug year coupled with what feels like a definite continuation of the post-Covid angling traffic uptick has definitely been a boon for the fly shops thus far in 2022.

Despite the rosy picture that is this spring season 2022, we want to be careful about not overselling it. Our observations are based on our experience, year in and year out on the Missouri. Based on those observations, including the ebbs and flows in water and weather conditions and fish populations and bug life etc. we are very comfortable proclaiming 2022 as a markedly exceptional year thus far but we want to be clear that this proclamation does NOT mean you are guaranteed epic fishing. As anyone who’s been doing this for any length of time knows, there are no guarantees.

There are good days and slow days no matter how you choose to fish. Overall the dry fly fishing has been very good for this time of year. Nymphing has been consistently good and those stripping and/or swinging have been finding plenty of success as well. This is the 30K foot view – overall it’s been a REALLY good spring. BUT – there are days the fishing has slowed. Some stretches often fish better on a particular day than others. Sometimes the MO will humble you. You didn’t hear it from me but sometimes there are even days where folks actually get SKUNKED (GASP) on the MO.

Yes, the fishing is good but it’s important to manage your expectations. There are many factors that go into making a great day of fishing, not the least of which is the proficiency of the angler. You can have bugs and hungry fish eating them but if you can’t deliver the cast or get the drift, you likely won’t have much luck.

You can run the exact bug at the exact depth the guide showed you yesterday but if you’re in the wrong water you aren’t going to catch fish.

That doesn’t mean the fishing is slow.

But, that being said, you could also be doing everything right….the right bugs, the right depth, the right water and for some reason the fish aren’t eating. It happens.

All this to say keep your expectation realistic. No matter what the reports say there are a myriad of factors that can contribute to your success or lack thereof.
We’re enjoying a fantastic spring and we’ve definitely had no shortage of smiling faces in our guide boats this spring and we’re looking forward to a continued epic season on the MO.

You’ll be seeing some new faces in the shop this year and we can’t wait to introduce you to our new team.

The shop is open from 7 AM to 5 PM daily and we’re here for ALL of your Missouri River fly fishing needs.

See you soon.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-05-31T12:22:39-06:00May 31st, 2022|Categories: Fishing Report, Shop Life|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Your Mid May Missouri River Update

The outlook for the 2022 summer season continues to improve. Below average temps and above average precipitation over the past weeks have us sitting at over 100 percent of normal snowpack locally with much of the surrounding area looking even better with numbers ranging from 120 percent up to 150 percent of average. And while we’ve normally seen the onset of warm weather by this point things have been noticeably cooler this year with moderate daytime highs and chilly nights. There’s definitely been a warming trend this week with highs in the 70’s the last couple of days but we’re back in the 50’s starting Thursday with overnight lows in the low 30’s and rain and snow in the forecast.

The warm days are nice but we’re thrilled to have the cool spring weather which should have us in better shape for the coming summer season where flows are concerned. There will be plenty of time for shorts and flip flops over the coming months. For now layer up and give thanks that we’re getting exactly the weather we need.

Flows continue to be low and steady at right around 3,000 CFS with temps starting to bump up against 50 degrees but that temps should hold steady for a bit with the cooler weather arriving.

Traffic is moderate with some days definitely busier than others. Those on the early morning program (7 ish) have the river to themselves. If you with until 9 you’ll likely be in the thick of it but if you wait the rush out and plan on 11 ish – you’ll likely be behind the crowds and should have plenty of water to yourself throughout the day.

Holter Dam to Craig has been busier this week with some of that canyon traffic seemingly relocating to the upper stretches. It’s been a bit of a mixed bag but we’re hearing fairly solid reports from all stretches so don’t be afraid to go low or somewhere in between.

BWO’s, midges, Caddis and the occasional March Brown on the dry fly menu. Sow bugs and various baetis nymphs making up the sub-surface selection. Tailwater Sows, Yum Yums, Pill Poppers, Rainbow Czechs, Pederson’s Sow, Soft Hackle Sows and Rays for your sow/scud game with Grey Green Machines, Olive Psycho Mays, Olive 2 bits, BWO Magic Flies and a variety of Spanish Bullet, Jig Crack Back and Perdigon style nymphs covering the mayfly bases.

Most have moved on from stripping and/or swinging, opting for dry fly or bobber fishing but the conditions are still optimal for streamer fishing. Prime has come and gone but you still have time to tempt those big browns with an oversized meal they hopefully can’t resist.

We’re open at 7 AM daily for all of your Missouri River fly fishing needs including, but definitely not limited to, shuttles, bugs, sunscreen, SA lines and leaders, awesome Lamson and Echo rods and reels, waders and boots from Simms and Redington, sunglasses from Smith and Suncloud, nets and accessories from Fishpond and Rising and a boatload of new Simms Solarflex sun hoodies in an abundance of flavors.

The sun is shining, the hillsides are greening, the bugs are hatching and the fish are eating….it doesn’t get any better than late spring on the Missouri.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-05-17T16:45:02-06:00May 17th, 2022|Categories: Fishing Report|1 Comment

An Epic Spring Season Rolls On

We are in the midst of what has been one of the best spring seasons on the MO in years.

Dry fly fishing has been exceptionally good since mid-February with consistent midge action daily and plenty of BWO’s around these last few weeks. Rumor has it March Browns are also now in the mix, albeit sporadically.

Nymphing has been reliably good more days than not with the usual suspects performing as you’d expect. Sows, scuds, assorted baetis nymphs and even some worm action in the mudline for a day or two following runoff bumps on the Little Prickly Pear and Dearborn.

The streamer action has been good with swingers and strippers both proclaiming plenty of success and the big browns are on the prowl as evidenced by a plethora of above average size browns making an appearance on social media as of late.

She truly seems to be firing on all cylinders this season and of course this is the year my ability to fish has been drastically curtailed by various limiting circumstances of my own choosing.

And so this this year, which is perhaps the best spring season in WCA history, I am relegated to living vicariously through all of you and your fish stories. I’m missing my time on the water but this too shall pass and with any luck I’ll be back out there

In the meantime we’re loaded up at the shop with everything you need and more. We’re loving the new rods from Waterworks Lamson and we’re stocked up in all weights with plenty of options for reels at any price point. Come on in and take a Lamson Velocity and Cobalt rods for a test drive, we think you’ll love them and at $399 they won’t break the bank.

We’re also stocked up on your favorite Echo rods including Carbon XL, Trout, Indicator, Streamer X, Boost and Boost Blue which, like the Lamson Cobalt, is a salt offering that doubles as a phenomenal streamer stick.

Simms sun wear has arrived and we’re fully stocked with buffs, Fishpond Eddy River and Lowcountry sun hats, Simms flip flops, Smith and Suncloud eyewear and plenty of sunscreen and more. The weather doesn’t quite feel like it but summer is on the way.

As you’d expect we are the FIRST shop open with FREE coffee on at 7:30 AM daily. No need to wait until the others open, stop in for your shuttles and bugs, hit On The Fly Coffee next to the Canyon Store for breakfast burritos and be on the water before anyone is stirring in Craiglandia.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-05-10T16:44:08-06:00May 10th, 2022|Categories: Fishing Report, Uncategorized|Tags: Boost, Boost Blue, brown trout, Carbon XL, Cobalt, dry fly fishing, Echo, Fishpond, fly fishing, indicator, Missouri River, On The Fly Coffee, running line, simms, Streamer X, Velocity, Waterworks Lamson, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

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