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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.

Thanksgiving Week on the MO

Late Fall Colors on the Missouri River – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

You could do worse this Thanksgiving week than spending some time on the MO’. The weather is certainly tolerable, especially by late November standards, with daily highs in the 40’s and nearing 50 this weekend. It’s been breezy and will continue to be so but that’s to be expected. Sustained South Southwest winds in the 14-16 mph range with higher gusts up to 28 mph, not ideal but definitely fishable.

Flows continue to be low, currently right around 3500 CFS with water temps holding above average for late November but continuing to slowly drop. We’re currently sitting at 41.5 degrees so you’ll definitely want to add some layers if you plan on spending any extended time wading.

Traffic has been very light. A few wade anglers around most days doing the swing thing and generally a couple of boats in the mix with the nymphing set working the dam stretch leaving most of the rest of the river unmolested.

Conditions are ideal for those late fall streamer trips on the MO and while the Trout Spey swingers are growing in numbers staking out their claims daily, the old-school single-handers are covering the miles and enjoying the lack of competition and some decent fall streamer fishing (depending on the day).

Many of the brown trout are post-spawn and looking for high calorie targets as they prepare for winter’s cold. The perfect storm of events and conditions for the fall streamer angler. That being said, there are plenty of active redds out there so please leave those fish alone and watch where you step when wade fishing. 

A slow retrieve with plenty of pauses has been effective generally working the banks and drop-offs. We’ve been moving a few off of the banks but most of the action seems to be mid way between the bank and the boat in medium fast, moderate depth water. Much more so than the slow deep stuff at this point. Don’t overlook the swing either. Sometimes a swing/strip hybrid retrieve can be deadly.

Best colors vary depending on the day. Black, natural, grey, yellow, olive and white have all had their moments. Conventional wisdom says dark colors and dark days but don’t be afraid to buck convention. Mini Dungeons, MK Ultralights, Kreelex, Sparkle Minnows, Swim Coach, Dirty Hippies, Peanut Envies and Circus Peanuts have all been getting noticed as have smaller buggers and polar leeches. Switch patterns and colors often until you find something that works.

Wolf Creek Angler is your Missouri River Streamer Fishing Headquarters with an unrivaled selection of the big bugs, a streamer line for any and all situations and a deep passion for and knowledge of the sport which we absolutely love to talk about. Stop in for tips and techniques, your favorite bugs or anything and everything Missouri River Streamer Fishing.

Don’t care for streamer fishing? That’s ok too. Nymphing is providing plenty of action right now as the fish make the transition to winter conditions. As it’s been with the streamer bite, we’re still picking up fish on nymphs in medium fast water but they are starting to stack up in the traditional cold weather spots, deep and slow.

Target both starting with the faster water and then getting down into the slow depths if need be. Tailwater sows, black Zebras, Soft Hackle Sows and Rainbow Czechs are all standard fare for late fall and it wouldn’t hurt to start working some of the winter fare into the mix. Pill Poppers, Bubble Yums, Cotton Candy, Pink Rays, UV Crush, Caviar Scuds, Hot Bead anything….you know the routine. All available now at WCA.

And speaking of WCA, we’re changing things up again with our hours. We apologize for the frequent changes but Covid continues to dictate our operational status. Effective immediately our hours are Tuesday – Saturday 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM, CLOSED Sunday and Monday. Lodging will continue to be closed for the time being but don’t let that prevent you from calling to book your 2021 dates. It was brought to my attention last week when I announced we would not be taking any new lodging reservations that readers might construe that as us not taking reservations for next season which is absolutely not the case. We’ve just decided to close lodging for the time being while Covid continues to rage. We fully intend on being 100 percent open for business for the 2021 season so by all means, call now and book those dates.

We have suspended our shuttle service for the winter but will resume with vehicle shuttles in the spring.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to do our best to navigate through these strange times.

By |2020-11-24T12:48:42-07:00November 24th, 2020|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: , , , , , |0 Comments
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Mid November Update

If you would have told me in March when this Covid crisis started to take hold that we’d be sitting here in the middle of NOVEMBER with case numbers blowing up state-wide to their highest levels of the pandemic I would’ve told you you were crazy.

My wife and I were at a concert in Missoula on March 6th, the week before things really started to go south. As we settled in to the shutdown we had a discussion about when live music would return. She said 2021. I told her she was nuts. I was certain we’d be attending concerts again this fall. Obviously I lost that bet.

I will refrain from an in-depth Covid discussion here. I’m all talked out on this subject. I don’t want to discuss it anymore. I just want it gone.

So without discussion I just want to announce that due to the uptick of cases locally as well as the continued explosion of cases in Montana we are suspending new lodging reservations until further notice effective immediately.

No lodging and no shuttles until further notice. The shop will still be open for winter hours Wednesday – Saturday 8 – 4 though it’s all kind of up in the air at this point.

We’ll be strictly enforcing limits on the number of customers in the shop at one time (4) and customers will not be admitted without masks period. None of it is a social statement. It’s just the way it’s going to be for now.

WCA Online Store is now LIVE.

We’re happy to do curb-side delivery if you’d like to call ahead and let us know what you need and we’re excited to announce that our online store is now live. It’s definitely a work in progress as it’s a fairly time consuming task building an online store but you can currently purchase WCA logo gear and gift cards and I’ll be adding more items regularly.

As always, a huge thank you to all of you who’ve been continuing to support us through these trying times. It’s been a struggle and will continue to challenge us but so far we’ve made it through and we’re confident we will continue to do so. So thank you again for shopping small and supporting the little guy, we are truly blessed to have you as customers, clients, guests and friends.

By |2020-11-17T17:27:11-07:00November 17th, 2020|Categories: Shop Life|Tags: , , , , , |2 Comments
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THOUGHTS ON OPENING DAYS

Returning from the hunt circa 1975

Here in Montana we are nearly three weeks into the firearm deer and elk season and it’s been over two months since archery season opened on September 5th. This state is a hunter’s paradise with plentiful game, long seasons and an abundance of access to an expanse of productive lands both public and private. As in many parts of the country, the hunting culture runs deep in Montana.

As I’ve discussed here before, I was raised in that culture and I hold it near and dear to my heart. That being said, since moving to this hunter’s paradise my passion for the sport has diminished. I hunted hard for the first several years we lived here and was able to harvest a couple of animals however I felt less and less compelled to hunt each season. I attribute that to a lack of knowledge about and comfort level with the places I was hunting and more importantly to the fact that for whatever reason, I haven’t really cultivated relationships with folks with whom I might have the opportunity to hunt, due in part to the fact that I’m simply not that passionate about it anymore.

My son was going into the sixth grade when we moved to Montana, an ideal age to get him interested in the sport despite the fact that my attempts to spark his interest in hunting back in Michigan were mostly unsuccessful. It’s simply never been his thing and that’s ok. Credit to him, he did take hunter safety and he did take an interest in archery and he did hunt with me on occasion but it just never really took. Had he formed a real interest in hunting I’m sure I’d be writing a different story today but as it is, his lack of interest likely contributed to my waning enthusiasm for the hunt. Just to clarify, he’s not a fan of fishing either but that has not curbed my enthusiasm for and obsession with trout fishing in Montana.

I share this with you as background for my thoughts today regarding opening day of firearm season back in Michigan.

November 15th will always hold a place in my heart as opening day and unlike what I shared last week regarding Election Day and not having ever taken a day off of work or school to vote, I took many November 15th’s off of school and work to hunt on opening day.

I know this OPENING DAY thing is a part of the hunting culture shared by all of those who grew up in hunting families and I know this sentiment is alive and well here in Montana but my experience with this is from my past and not so much a part of my present. It’s for this reason that every year around this time I can’t help but think about the past. I can’t help but think about all those opening days spent in the Michigan woods with my dad and later with our circle of hunting friends after my dad was gone.

It makes me happy to think about those days and there’s a part of me that very much misses those experiences but I’m ok with that. It’s a part of my past I wouldn’t trade for anything, a part that I doubt will ever be replicated here in this hunter’s paradise of Montana but again, I’m ok with that.

Last year was the first year I did not hunt. This year was the first year that I didn’t even buy a hunting license. My hunting outings here, especially those last couple of years I hunted, felt forced and my heart was simply not in it.

That being said, if I had the opportunity to go back to Michigan to hunt with my life-long hunting friends as I did a few years back, I’d do it in a heartbeat and the spark would be rekindled. So obviously, as it is in so many cases, it’s not the activity itself but rather the relationships that make the experience.

So to all those arriving at deer camp in the Michigan woods this weekend, to all those all around the country to whom fall hunting is a highlight of the year, and to all those who’ve spent the last two months afield here in Montana and who’ve got a couple of weeks yet to go….best of luck and happy hunting.

We share a passion for traditions I pray we never abandon and while I’m at peace at this point on the outside looking in I will always have respect and reverence for the sport and I’m hopeful that at some point I will return.

By |2020-11-13T18:26:08-07:00November 13th, 2020|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: , , |2 Comments
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The Quiet

Quiet on the MO’ photo by Wolf Creek Angler

We’ve definitely reached that time of year when angling traffic all but ceases on the MO’. The cold and snow have ushered in The Quiet and while you may find the occasional trout-obsessed, hard core angler out there swinging the tail outs or driving up and down the Recreation Road praying for BWO’s as they comb the side channels in search of rising trout, there is no shortage of solitude to be found on the river these days.

The same can unfortunately be said for the confines of the shop where we’ve been engaged in such year-end pleasantries as counting flies and FINALLY completing those pre-season orders. The season is now over for shop staff which means it’s just yours truly and usually the dog here as well to keep me company.

So while it is indeed The Quiet Time, it’s also that time of year when my job description is expanded to include ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that needs to be done. Housekeeping, laundry, maintenance, snow removal, security, phone calls, emails, dog walks, website work and more. And on the rare occasion a customer darkens the door, I may even get the chance to sell stuff.

Mid-November through the end of the year are by far the quietest weeks of the season. Hunters are afield and the holidays are approaching which means we simply don’t see much in the way of traffic. It’s a perfect opportunity to take stock of the season and think about how we can do things better next year and it’s also the perfect opportunity to get out and enjoy the solitude of the season.

All that being said, I do expect there may be a slight uptick in traffic next week as we see things warm up early in the week with temps in the high 40’s though mid-week. The rest of this week doesn’t look terrible though temps remain in the 30’s and winds are forecast to increase with the least desirable day looking to be Saturday with sustained west winds 22-28 mph, gusting to 44 mph.

River flows are currently 3560 CFS with water temps hovering around 43.5 degrees. Water conditions are favorable for BWO emergence, weather conditions maybe not so much though Monday looks like it could shape up to be one of those quintessential fall BWO days with overcast skies and rain and snow in the mix. If the wind allows for it perhaps Monday will be the day you DFO’s have been waiting for.

If you’re swinging or stripping, weather and water conditions aren’t nearly as critical though overcast skies are certainly your friend as well. And those looking to chase the bobber will also welcome the cloud cover. Again, it won’t be busy even if we do see a few more folks around so if you haven’t had your fill of fall fishing next week looks like a good time to be here.

I’ve not heard of much happening on the dry fly front so I won’t waste your time with a report about how nothing is happening. If you’re a fall BWO angler you know the game, you’re not looking to us to tell you HOW to get it done, just maybe WHEN. We’ll keep you posted though if you find yourself reading about how great of a BWO day we had yesterday then it’s likely too late!

Nymphing reports have been on the sub-par side overall these past couple of weeks but any day could turn out to be the best day of your season. You won’t know if you don’t go! Your go-to bugs should be Rainbow Czechs, Tailwater Sowbugs, Zebra midges, Soft Hackle sows, Pill Poppers etc. and you might keep some baetis nymhs (Green Machine, split case BWO, BWO Magic Fly) in the mix though we are definitely entering winter nymphing conditions. Bring on the Pinks and Firebeads!

Streamer fishing has been decent depending on the day and should continue to produce. Swingers are getting them on Polar Leeches, Kreelex, Fruit Rollups and the like and while those work on the strip as well we’ve been getting plenty of action on Sparkle Minnows, Swim Coaches, Mini Dungeons, JJ’s and MK Ultralights.

Swing the tail outs and strip off the bank or through the flats and tail outs. Don’t overdo it with your stripping action. The water is getting cold so keep it on the slow side with plenty of pauses.

Just to remind you, our winter shop hours go into effect next week. Wednesday – Saturday 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM, CLOSED Sunday – Tuesday. The days we are open and our hours will fluctuate with the weather conditions. Please call ahead to make sure we’re here when you need us but expect that if the weather dictates it we will be here, at least in the mornings.
And once again, we have discontinued our shuttle service for the season and will resume shuttles in the spring. Please contact Headhunters Fly Shop for winter shuttles.

Steer Clear of the Covid, enjoy The Quiet and find the good in each and every day.

By |2020-11-12T17:08:04-07:00November 12th, 2020|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments
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Winter is Upon Us

Winter getting an early grip on the MO’

The calendar says early November. The snow covered ground and the thermometer say otherwise.

Yes, it seems as though winter has arrived and despite the fact we may still have another couple of weeks of fishable weather it feels like it’s time to put the wraps on our 2020 season.

We did see temps actually break into the 70’s last week with plenty of wind to go along with the warm weather. Things changed over the weekend with a winter storm arriving Saturday night. Temps in the teens with blowing and drifting snow made for an interesting drive out yesterday and an easy call to keep things closed for the day.

Winter Hours are always a challenge as we try to strike the balance between being here when you need us and not wasting time and fuel to come out and open the shop if we aren’t going to do any business. It’s even more of a challenge this year with the early arrival of winter weather and the continuing challenges of operating during a pandemic.

We did pick up a couple of last minute guide trips last week with the mild weather and lodging has actually been on the busy side all things considered but with the winter storm in the forecast we made the call last week to close much of our lodging for the winter. From here on out we will have our bungalows available all winter long for $99/night plus tax. We generally do a fair amount of business in those units over the winter with hunters, hard water anglers and the occasional hard core fly anglers when the weather is right. We shall see what this year brings with below average temps and above average precipitation predicted for the winter.

Lodging and guide trips are easy – we’re always open for them. The shop is a little trickier. It won’t surprise you that business really drops off during these winter months and there are plenty of days we are pleasantly surprised if we see customers. That being said, there is always plenty to do with inventory, bookings etc. so it makes sense for me to be here.
What doesn’t make sense is staffing the shop during the winter months so herein lies the challenge with winter shop hours.

At this time I’ve decided that Winter Hours will officially go into effect next week. Starting 11/15/20 our shop hours will be Wednesday – Saturday 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM. We will be closed Sunday – Tuesday. These will be our published hours but you can rest assured that if we hit a stretch of amazing weather we will likely be here Sunday through Tuesday as well. Likewise, sub-zero temps and/or hazardous conditions occurring Wednesdays – Saturdays may result in us being closed on those days. Your safest bet? Give us a call prior to coming out just to make sure we’re going to be around.

One other announcement regarding winter operations…as much as we regret to do so we are suspending shuttle service until spring. Between our abbreviated winter hours and the continued threat of Covid, staffing is just too much of a challenge. We appreciate your patience and understanding and we will resume shuttling likely in mid to late March. In the meantime please contact our friends at Headhunters Fly Shop for winter shuttles.

In an effort to offer you the convenience of online shopping we have been busy constructing our online store which will hopefully be going live very soon. The site has been built and we’re just working through the technical issues now so with any luck you’ll soon be able to purchase WCA Logo gear and other select items from the comfort of your home. We’re starting out with logo gear because that is what we get the most calls for. We will expand the store in accordance with the traffic we get but the hope is that we will continue to add items throughout the winter months building towards a complete selection sometime in the not too distant future.

So there you have it, another one in the books. One we won’t soon forget. As always, a huge thank you to all of you who stayed with us, fished with us, shopped with us or simply followed us here or on social media.

2020 will be remembered for its challenges but as we close in on the end of this year there is of course much to be thankful for. Even so, we’re very much looking forward to 2021 and our EIGHTH season at Wolf Creek Angler.

By |2020-11-09T19:28:14-07:00November 9th, 2020|Categories: Shop Life|Tags: , , , , , |0 Comments
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Election Day

It’s finally here, Election Day 2020. And while I live for this stuff as an off and on political junkie, I can’t wait to put this one in the rearview.

I’m weary of it all. The flyers that fill my mailbox daily. The non-stop commercials telling me why the other guy sucks. The insults and outrage and hostility and divisiveness fed by our respective echo chamber media consumption. The fact that some people are actually choosing adherence to political alignment over having a broad spectrum of friends representing a diverse assortment of opinions and political ideologies. Everything is STUPID right now.

Campaign spending is expected to exceed $150 million in Montana this year which comes out somewhere in the neighborhood of $200 spent per vote cast, and that figure assumes high voter turnout, exceeding 80 percent which looks to be accurate this election cycle.

Think of the things you could do with $150 million aside from bombarding the electorate with ads to which they’re likely paying little or no attention.

I know in our house those flyers go directly from the mailbox to the trash and the commercials are always a perfect opportunity to change the channel so yeah, money well spent.

Voting is our single best opportunity to participate in our democratic process and to let our voice be heard so yes, by all means, get out and vote.

That being said, I’m not sure everything needs to grind to a halt on Election Day, especially in this age of mail-in ballots and early voting. Considering that by some estimates over 70 percent of registered voters in Montana had already cast their ballots by this morning I feel like we could probably manage to execute our civic duty without the interruption of business as usual on a Tuesday in November.

Maybe it’s just me but at 50 years old I’ve been voting since 1988 and while my voting record may be a hodgepodge ideological evolution of ebbs and flows, there are two things that are constant….one – I’ve never not voted and two – I’ve never taken the day off from work or school or life to cast my vote.

General Election Day is a holiday for state employees which is not a shock. Election Day is NOT a Federal Holiday. The banks are open. The post office is open and for all intents and purposes it is business as usual. However, many college classes have reportedly been cancelled and some businesses are closed, I guess due to the gravity of the situation on this day. LOL 

It’s a beautiful November day. Blue skies and sunshine. Maybe not the best fishing conditions but a great day to cast your vote if you haven’t already and then get out and soak it all in.

It’s good to be alive this day. In spite of Covid. In spite of who is or isn’t in office. In spite of who wins and who loses any of these races. And that’s not to minimize the importance of this moment in history. As previously stated, I am an absolute junkie about this stuff and I’m very well aware of the political and social goings on around me and I have thoughts and opinions about ALL OF IT.
BUT – you know what’s more important to me than this election? About a billion things and counting. Namely my family, my faith, and my friends of any and all political persuasions and the rich tapestry of life I will continue to enjoy no matter what happens out there.

Happy Election Day! I hope it goes the way you want it to and I hope that even if it doesn’t, that you will look around you and remember how little all of that actually matters in the scope of your day to day life, the people you love and who love you back and the things that make up the rich tapestry of your being.

Yes, it’s an election of Critical importance….they all are. Yes, the results of the election will have some effect on all of our lives and the lives of those who come after us but ultimately the sun will set this evening and will rise again tomorrow and we will keep on keeping on.

By |2020-11-03T19:01:33-07:00November 3rd, 2020|Categories: Shop Life, Uncategorized|Tags: |0 Comments
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Fall Returns

 

 

Winter Recedes and fall returns this week on the Missouri

Following a weekend that felt more like late January than late October it looks like fall returns starting today as temps climb back into the 40’s today and 50’s tomorrow through the weekend. It looks like we could even be bumping up against 60 degrees early next week so hopefully you hadn’t given up on 2020 fall fishing just yet.

Friday’s winter storm dumped over 20 inches at my house in Helena. Wolf Creek didn’t see quite that much snow but slippery roads, single digit temps and dangerous wind chills kept all but the most hard core anglers off the water this weekend.

Every fall there seems to be a day where it’s just abundantly clear that fall fishing is over. And while it’s generally considerably later in the fall than this I have to say that after fishing the front end of that system on Friday, battling sketchy roads driving home as the storm settled in, spending the better part of Saturday morning digging out, spending most of the weekend on the couch watching the snow fly and white knuckling it to Wolf Creek on Sunday to make sure the plumbing hadn’t frozen, I had a difficult time not proclaiming the season over.

Even with the warm up in the forecast I was having a hard time getting past the fact that my vehicles were buried under literally feet of snow and it’s only October!

Warm breezes this morning however have me thinking differently. The snow is disappearing as I write and the forecast looks good. Not fall Baetis good mind you, but if you weren’t quite ready for winter and want a few more of those pleasant autumn days before we descend into winter’s cold then you should like what’s coming. An abundance of sunshine and moderate temps on tap for the next 10 days will likely bring a substantial bump in angler traffic though with hunting in full swing I still wouldn’t expect it to be overwhelmingly busy.

Izaak’s has closed for the season. Shotgun Annie’s will reportedly be open through Thanksgiving and I believe The Oasis is still serving food but this time of year your best bet might just be stocking up on groceries and staying with us. All of our remaining open units with the exception of Cabin #3 are equipped with kitchens and there are gas grills available for your use.

The warm-up has filled our available lodging starting tomorrow through the weekend but it looks like the nice weather will extend into next week. We’re tentatively planning on closing the cabins late next week but we’ll let bookings (or lack thereof) dictate that decision. The Bungalows will be open and available all winter long. 

As you might expect, the warmer weather has brought with it a fair amount of wind so be prepared for that. 15 – 21 mph out of the south today with gusts as high as 29 and a little better tomorrow with sustained south wind at around 11 mph, gusting to 20. Expect similar conditions through the weekend.

Once again, between the sunshine and the wind I wouldn’t expect much on the dry fly front though last light could be good but nymphing and streamer fishing should be good. We’re hearing some solid reports from those swinging as well so keep that in your repertoire.

Shop Hours 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Monday – Saturday and 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM on Sunday.

Web Store coming soon to wolfcreekangler.com. Stay Tuned….

By |2020-10-27T18:13:27-06:00October 27th, 2020|Categories: Shop Life|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments
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10 20 20

Fall Fading Fast in Wolf Creek

All is quiet on the Missouri as we cruise through October with the end of the 2020 season in sight.

Traffic has slowed to a crawl and will likely stay that way with more winter weather on the way. A very pleasant autumn day today with highs nearing 50 but that’s all about to change as we’ll see a cold front arrive tonight.

Tomorrow looks like it could be that Baetis day we’ve been waiting for with rain and snow in the morning changing to all snow in the afternoon with a high of 38. We may see up to four inches of accumulation tomorrow night as lows drop into the teens and it will be more of the same for the remainder of the week with a chance for snow each day and highs in the 20’s with overnight lows plummeting into the single digits.

Things warm up starting the first part of next week but the forecast is extreme enough through the weekend that we’ll be closing/winterizing our motel rooms tomorrow. We’ll have cabins available at least through the end of the month and the bungalows are open all winter long.

Fall is never as busy as you might expect but it’s particularly quiet this year which should be music to your ears if you don’t mind a little cold weather and you’re looking to extend your 2020 season. Fishing is worth your while on all fronts with solid nymphing, the potential for silly dry fly fishing any day now and streamer fishing good enough and only getting better from here on out.

All of this AND you can have it virtually to yourself.

We are running our last guide trips on the books this week but expect they’ll trickle in as we close out the season. Give us a call today and book your fall guided fishing trip on the Missouri or if DIY is more your style we’ve got plenty of lodging available and the shop is fully stocked with everything you need for fall fishing. Cold Weather gear, shuttles, bugs, Adipose drift boat rentals, Simms waders and boots and a bunch of cool new logo gear just in time for holiday shopping either in store or very soon to be online with our web store which is currently under construction and expected to be live in the coming days.

We are your streamer specialists on the MO with a full assortment of specialty lines for any and all sub-surface scenarios and the expertise to get you dialed in with the perfect streamer set up. We’ve also got what has been proclaimed by many to be the best streamer selection on the river so look no further than WCA.

Nymphing or dry fly fishing? We’ve got you covered too with fully stocked baetis bins and the best selection of Missouri River nymphs ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek Montana.

We are your Missouri River full service fall fishing one stop shop ready to serve you.

Fall shop hours 7:30 – 5:00 PM Monday – Saturday and 7:30 – 4:00 PM Sunday.

By |2020-10-20T18:24:43-06:00October 20th, 2020|Categories: Shop Life|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments
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Early October on the MO’

Fall fishing at its finest. Mom with the assist, netting this Missouri River beast hooked and fought solo by Emma Lawrance. Way to go! Photo by Matthew Lawrance


A couple of weeks into autumn and we’re still waiting for some hint of fall weather.

We’ve had an abundance of sunny, cloudless days with temps holding in the 70’s which is not exactly what you would expect for the first week of October. It definitely feels like fall in the mornings but we’ve yet to have a day where you need a jacket past 10 am.

Water temps are dropping slowly but still hanging in that 58 – 59 degree range and flows are as low as I’ve seen them, currently just shy of 3300 CFS, well below what we normally see this time of year which is somewhere in the 4000 CFS range. Last year at this time we were seeing flows of 4500 CFS with water temps at 54 degrees and dropping. It’s definitely a different year in more ways than one, not the least of which is low water on the MO.

Not to despair though as fishing should do nothing but improve from here on out.

We’ll see a cool down starting Sunday with highs only in the low 50’s and overnight lows dipping into the high 30’s. There’s a chance for some rain and snow showers as well so keep your fingers crossed, we could see BWO’s next week. In the meantime keep those nymphing rigs at the ready or suck it up and commit to throwing the big stuff, weeds be damned.

As stated, nymphing has been the go-to for numbers with most of the traffic concentrated between Holter Dam and Craig. Best bugs have been black or purple Zebra midges, Red 2 Bit Hookers, Brown S & M’s, Little Green Machines, BWO Redemption, Jujus, Tailwater Sows, Frenchies, Pill Poppers and Rainbow Czechs. The crayfish bite seems to have come to an end though I wouldn’t necessarily rule it out completely. Always worth at least a try.

We’ve had a lot of inquiries about dry fly fishing the last week or so and even had a few trips out who were pretty intent on hunting heads. Unfortunately that’s really not a thing right now. That’s not to say there aren’t some opportunities out there if you really work at it and put your time and your miles in but we are definitely languishing in the in between as we await the more fall-like weather and hopefully the bugs that accompany it.

The warm temps and lack of a freeze mean there are still plenty of hoppers around so we are still encouraging folks to blind fish hoppers and ants and October Caddis are a good call as well. Drop a nymph, trail a smaller terrestrial or fish it solo. It’s certainly not as productive as straight up bobber fishing but it’s hard to beat that take on a big dry.

The streamer bins have been getting a lot of attention this past week and it sounds like things are improving daily out there. Like I said, if you’re going to fish streamers you ought to commit to doing it all day long. Like the dry/dropper, it’s a low-percentage method but the return is well worth the investment. The weeds are frustrating to be sure but once you work though all of that and find the right water and the right bugs it’s game on! A few chases, a few takes and you’ll be hooked. Or maybe not, but most of the streamer crowd with whom we run are fully committed (or in some cases should be committed) and passionately addicted and live for fall streamer fishing. I don’t think I know anyone who merely dabbles in the streamer game. You’re either all in or you’re out.

Stop in and check out our streamer selection. Some have proclaimed it to be the best on the MO’. And while you’re at it, if you are in the market for a new streamer stick we’re wheeling and dealing during our annual fall rod and reel sale with 25% off all rods and reel…now until they’re gone.

New shop hours are in effect this week. 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM Monday – Saturday and 7:30 – 4:00 PM Sundays. We are your one stop destination shop on the Missouri River. The hardest working, most professional guides on the river, clean and affordable lodging, Adipose drift boat rentals, shuttles, bugs, Simms boots, waders and accessories and much much more.

By |2020-10-07T22:01:56-06:00October 7th, 2020|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments
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Closing Out A Busy September

Autumn Days on the Missouri – Photo by Nancy Thouvenell


Another month in the books which ended up being surprisingly busy for September. And now on to the heart of fall fishing in Montana. October really is the most wonderful time of the year!

Aside from some Labor Day snow showers September turned out to be a very pleasant month weather wise and while the fishing could have been better, it also could’ve been much worse.

Terrestrial fishing was on the slow side, a bit below average I’d say, but nymphing was solid throughout the month and the crayfish bite, while perhaps not the shoo-in of some Septembers past, was good enough to keep things interesting.

Streamer fishing is just getting started and while we did have some decent days in September throwing the big stuff, now is the time. Weeds have been, and will continue to be an issue throughout the fall but from here on out the potential payoff makes the struggle worth the while.

We had one of our busiest months of guide trips in September, due in large part to the annual Schultz Outfitters group which kept us busy on the MO as well as the Blackfoot and Clark Fork Rivers. It’s always nice to have Michigan folks around and it’s been awesome hosting this group these past two seasons. We can’t wait to have them back next fall. A huge shout out to Mike Schultz and James Hughes for working so hard on putting this thing together and for trusting us to provide your clients with an exceptional Montana fly fishing experience.

Good Times with the Schultz Outfitters crew on the Blackfoot – photo by Brad Turner

It also just so happened that the Schultz group coincided with a first-time visit from our friend Tommy Lynch (aka The Fish Whisperer) so it was indeed a Michigan invasion in and around Wolf Creek last week.

Boat full of Michigan on the Stone with Dan White, Jeff Jennings and Tommy Lynch.

I love hosting new visitors to the Missouri River and it’s especially gratifying when they’re friends and colleagues from back home making the trip to check out Wolf Creek Angler and to see what I’ve been up to here in Montana. I feel incredibly blessed to be here and while it sounds extremely cliché it isn’t lost on me that I really am living the dream, doing what I love in this amazingly stunning place I’m so blessed to now call home.

While this season has been a gut punch in so many ways, it’s also been a season filled with visits from friends, some of whom had never been to Montana. So in spite of the Covid Shit Show that has defined 2020 it’s been an awesome summer of connecting with friends and sharing our amazing state with them.

Looking ahead to October we’ve got a busy couple of weeks ahead and then things really open up. This is a change from the usual as we’re typically fairly slow through September, picking up in October and into the first part of November.

In talking with other outfitters and shops around the area it appears as though we’re all in for a different October with the lodging and guide calendar clearing about the time things should start really getting good. We’re hoping for a continuation of the last minute bookings which have become the norm this season but as we start pushing up against the season’s end and the imminent change in the weather conditions our current plan is to start shutting lodging down around the third week of October. Mind you we will once again have limited lodging available all winter long but if we don’t see a huge influx of bookings in the next few days we will be closing the majority of rooms down before the end of October.

Keeping in mind that the BWO’s should be happening around the middle of October and that streamer fishing could be lights out into November, it would behoove you to book your fall dates today to insure we have guides and beds available for you.

It’s been a surreal year for everyone, guides included, and while we’re all very grateful for the days we were able to salvage this season there is a general sense of doneness which has been creeping in and I wouldn’t be surprised if many of the guides began to migrate for the winter, perhaps a few weeks earlier than normal.

That’s not to say we won’t have guides available…some of us aren’t going anywhere. But as we close rooms and guides depart the MO it will become more of a challenge to accommodate your plans so book those dates now and get them locked in.

Fall Shop Hours will go into effect on Monday, October 5th. We’ll be open from 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM Monday – Saturday and 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM on Sundays.
Stop in for shuttles, bugs, Simms waders and boots and much more and don’t miss our annual fall rod and reel sale happening NOW.

By |2020-09-30T18:40:48-06:00September 30th, 2020|Categories: Shop Life|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments
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