A Very Merry Christmas from all of us at Wolf Creek Angler.
A huge thanks to everyone who shopped, stayed or fished with us this year. We are sincerely grateful for all of your business and we look forward to seeing you back in 2017.
We’re closing in on Christmas….just a couple of days left to pick up those last minute gifts and to make final preparations for whatever you’ll be doing this weekend.
All it takes is a quick call to the shop and we can help you wrap up your shopping with WCA Gift Cards or if you happen to be traveling to Wolf Creek today or tomorrow stop in for free coffee and free cookies and let us help you pick out the perfect gift for the fly fishers on your list. While you’re at it why not treat yourself to something new?
What do I want for Christmas?
I’m hoping for a trip to the playoffs for the Detroit Lions via their first NFC North Title in 23 years but we’ll take it any way we can get it. So this is my wish list for the weekend….Vikings over Packers and Lions over Cowboys and just to keep that wildcard option viable, Saints over Bucs. These outcomes would be an awesome Christmas present though not a likely scenario so looking beyond this weekend we may have a very big showdown on New Year’s Day in Detroit between the Packers and the Lions for the Division.
Go Lions!
It sounds like we could see another winter storm rolling in on Friday night and lasting through Sunday so safe travels to all of you who will be traveling. The shop will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Happy Wednesday!
Today is the Winter Solstice, the first official day of winter and the shortest day of the year.
You know what that means. Starting tomorrow the days start to get longer. We’ve made it the other side and before you know it spring and then summer will be here and we’ll be enjoying long warm days on the Missouri casting to sipping trout.
In the meantime enjoy the sunshine today and tomorrow and prepare for another blast of winter arriving Saturday. The timing really couldn’t be better.
A couple of not quite spring-like (but close) days on the river leading up to a cold and snowy Christmas Eve and Christmas. Just as it should be.
We’ll see 30’s through Friday and back to cold and snow for the weekend with temps dipping back into the 20’s and teens. The gale force winds with which we’ve been contending have diminished to a more tolerable 10-15 mph and should continue to decrease over the next couple of days.
We’ll be here through Friday for all of your Missouri River winter fly fishing or last-minute Christmas gift needs and we will possibly be here for a spell on Christmas Eve morning though with the forecast being what it is we are leaning towards being closed both Christmas Eve and Christmas. Game Time decision for Saturday but we will definitely be closed on Christmas Day.
While you are thinking about those warm summer days on the horizon it’s the perfect time to give us a call and book those summer fishing and lodging dates. Prime June/July dates are filling quickly so don’t wait too long if prime-time is what you are after and by prime-time I am speaking only of the highest concentration of anglers.
As far as we’re concerned it’s Prime Time from about April 15th – November 15th and while we do see a lull in traffic for the entire month of August and into the first part of September there is no reason you shouldn’t make plans to be here during those months as well. The weather is great, the fishing is fine and the traffic is light. We typically do the majority of our large group trips during this time because of lodging and guide availability and they keep coming back if that tells you anything so if you’re looking to book a large group this season think about early spring and late summer.
A few days on the Missouri and maybe a day or two on the Blackfoot…..what could be better? Wolf Creek Angler is your base camp for Missouri River Montana fly fishing and beyond.
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Have you reached your wits end searching for the perfect gift for the fly fisher on your list?
Why not leave it up to them?
A Wolf Creek Angler gift card is the logical choice.
WCA Gift Cards can be purchased in any amount, they never expire, and they can be used for absolutely ANYTHING we sell.
Flies, shuttles, waders, Simms sportswear and accessories, Smith Sunglasses, Loop Rods and Reels, Fishpond packs, lodging, guide trips on the World Famous Missouri or Blackfoot Rivers, ARC, Rio and Airflo fly lines, Yeti coolers and drink ware, WCA Logo Gear…..ANYTHING and EVERYTHING we sell.
And they’re super easy to purchase. You needn’t leave the house. Just pick up the phone and give us a call and we’d be glad to send your gift card anywhere in the world.
You really can’t go wrong with this one.
What a difference a couple of days makes! We’ve gone from “feels like” temps of -50 a couple of days a ago to highs near 40 today and tomorrow and it appears as though we’ll be above freezing all week until the next blast of cold air arrives on the weekend.
Unfortunately with the warm up we’re getting the wind. We’re under a high wind warning today with periods of 35-45 mph southwest winds with gusts as high as 65. Expect sustained winds of 20-24 mph.
I expect there may be a few folks out there today taking advantage of time off and moderate temperatures but the winds will keep many off of the water. Personally I would rather fish in below freezing temps with no wind than what we’re seeing today and tomorrow but that’s just me.
Water temps have dropped into the 35 degree range so I would definitely plan on shifting gears into winter fishing mode if you’re going out. Firebeads and/or anything pink should be coming into play and the assumption would be that the majority of the fish have made the transition to the slow deep winter water. I don’t have a recent fishing update as it’s been just too cold to fish or to do much of anything outside but we’ll likely be out later today and will post what we know as soon as we know it.
In the meantime target that winter water with a deep nymph rig, be patient and stay warm! I also wouldn’t hesitate to swing as it’s getting to be prime time for Polar Leeches and the Hot Head Kreelex!
It’s been tough trying to put together a consistent schedule in the shop with the weather being what it’s been. We had settled on regular hours of Wednesday – Saturday 8 AM – 2 PM, closed Sunday – Tuesday but then we ended up being closed most of last week because it was insanely cold. We’re here today and tomorrow because it’s warm and because we figure there may be some people around with the college crowd home from school and looking to spend some time on the MO’. We’ll be around all week if the forecast holds with limited hours on Saturday which is Christmas Eve and closed on Sunday for Christmas.
As we move past the holidays and get into the heart of winter we will try to stick to that Wednesday – Saturday schedule for the most part but once again if the weather returns to what we saw last week with treacherous temps we probably won’t be here and likewise if we have really fishy weather on the days we’re supposed to be closed we will more than likely be here, at least in the mornings. The best thing to do would be to give us a call before you come out if there is any doubt and if you’re coming out regardless of who is open when, you can see the shop from the Interstate so you’ll be able to see if we’re open or not before you hit the Wolf Creek Exit when traveling from the south.
Thank you for your patience with what has been a screwy schedule thus far this winter and remember if you happen to be out here to fish on a day we are closed we encourage you to see our friends at Headhunters in Craig for shuttles and bugs and more.
Looking at the long-term forecast for the winter months it looks like we’re still expecting below average temperatures for the most part but as we hit these periods of warmer weather keep in mind we’re offering our winter guide trip and lodging special all winter long. Two nights lodging in one of our cozy bungalows and a full day on the water with some of the fishiest, hardest working guides on the Missouri. Regardless of shop hours we are open EVERY DAY for lodging and guide trips…just give us a call. We can do it on extremely short notice but if you do choose to book ahead of time and are worried about the weather, worry no more. Rest assured there are NO CANCELLATION FEES for winter guide trips.
We hope you make Wolf Creek Angler your Missouri River Winter Fly Fishing Destination.
Cold and snowy.
There’s not much else to say other than we are happy to see next year’s water flows continuing to develop.
Expect continued cold weather for the remainder of the week with temps in the teens for the next couple of days and bitter cold returning for the weekend. We’ll see a high of -2 on Friday with a low near -20 Friday night. Saturday looks similar but we begin to warm back to the mid teens on Sunday and it looks like we may see a bit of a warm up next week with temperatures back in the high 20’s.
We’re under a winter storm watch beginning tomorrow evening and running through Thursday night for widespread snow and gusty winds, something we thankfully haven’t seen much of recently. 4-6″ of snow possible with up to 18″ expected at higher elevations. Keep it coming!
We don’t expect much in the way of traffic on the river this week but there will definitely be some anglers joining the waterfowl hunters out there next week with the warm-up and with the college crowd home for the holidays.
If the weather cooperates we will be in the shop every day next week, at least first thing in the morning and may just get out and do a little fishing ourselves as we’re already starting to exhibit symptoms of withdrawal.
If you’re looking for last-minute Christmas gifts we can help and you don’t even need to make the trek to Wolf Creek. Give us a call and let us know what you need and we’ll get it shipped out in time for Christmas.
A Wolf Creek Angler gift card makes the perfect gift for all the fly fishers on your list. You can purchase them in any amount, they never expire, and they are good for absolutely everything we sell.
You don’t need to know what weight Loop, Echo or Redington rod; which Nautilus, Ross, Loop, Echo or Redington reel; which flies; what size Simms or Kast gear; when to book the guide trip and lodging….you don’t need to know any of it, all you need to know is WCA Gift Cards cover it all!
Enjoy the snow, stay warm and start making plans for a great 2017 on the World-Class Missouri River.
Time to bust out the flip-flops and sunscreen.
Highs will reach near 30 today and tomorrow before we return to single digits on Monday.
I expect there may be a few folks out there taking advantage of the warm up though all the rigs I saw parked along the river this morning had kennels in the back so it appears as though the focus has turned to waterfowl hunting rather than fishing.
We won’t break single digits next week and from the forecasts I’m looking at it doesn’t appear as though we’ll make it above freezing for the remainder of the month so it really could be your last chance to fish the MO’ in 2016.
I’ll pass.
We’ll be here for a spell this morning wrapping up the fly count and taking care of some other year – end chores so if you’re planning on fishing today stop in for some bugs and maybe knock out the last of your Christmas shopping. We’ve got some great gift ideas for all of the fly fishers on your list and even if they don’t fly fish but love to spend time floating the river we’ve got something in mind. How about a WCA Gift Card they can use for vehicle shuttles all summer long?
Zach will be in tomorrow morning to handle the warm Sunday rush but we’re going to adjust our hours for the deep freeze conditions as there simply isn’t much of a call for us to be open when it’s this cold.
After tomorrow until further notice our normal hours will be from 8 AM – 2 PM Wednesday – Saturday. We’ll be closed on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays for certain and let’s just say that if the temps are in the single or negative digits and/or road conditions are hazardous we may or may not be here so please call before making a special trip out and as always if we are closed and you need shuttles or bugs or other shop stuff we encourage you to visit our friends in Craig who can take care of you.
It won’t be long before the lake freezes and the hard water anglers arrive so keep in mind that we’re open EVERY DAY for lodging…..just give us a call. And don’t forget our winter lodging/guide trip special if we get another heat wave. Two night’s lodging and a full day of guided fishing for one or two anglers for just $500 with no cancellation fees. It’s the best deal on the river.
Flows have been cranked up to 5500 cfs to keep things moving in the cold weather and the water temp is currently sitting at just over 40 degrees and dropping rapidly. It’s a safe bet the fish will be in full on winter mode whenever we get back out there.
We’ll keep you posted on weather conditions, zebra mussels, snow pack and more and we’ll let you know when there is ice on the lake.
At some point we’ll be back with a fishing report but for now we suggest you continue to enjoy the holiday season and maybe start making those plans for a 2017 trip to the Missouri.
Winter continues to tighten its grip on the MO’.
We’re currently sitting at -1 with snow on the way tonight and tomorrow and looking at the 10 day it doesn’t appear as though we’re going to make it above freezing anytime soon.
We’ll see a slight warming trend this weekend as temps reach into the high 20’s on Saturday and Sunday but the bottom drops out again on Monday with a return to single (and negative) digits and more snow on the way for next week.
Once again, we’re happy to have it. We’re building snowpack and hopefully we’re on our way to an awesome 2017 water year.
Current SNOTEL snow water equivalent (SWE) shows we are well below average at this point but not to worry, we’re just getting started and these numbers will all change over the next weeks as snowfall continues to accumulate, especially in the high country.
Current “Most Probable” projections look good for the 2017 water year on the Missouri with a nice steady 4000 cfs through the winter months and a peak of around 8,000 in June followed by low 4’s for the remainder of the season. Max probable shows something closer to 5K for the winter with a peak near 12K and evening out around 6K for the remainder of the season while Minimum Probable essentially mirrors what we saw in 2016 with steady flows at 3500 – 4000 cfs and no real peak to speak of in the spring. Fingers are crossed for Max Probable!
So how does all of this affect your 2017 fishing plans? Hard to say for sure but the long and short of it is that at this point is shouldn’t really have any bearing on your plans. Sure if you are a wade angler you might want to think about not coming in early June when we generally see our peak flows but we’ve got a long winter ahead of us and nobody knows for sure what that winter is going to hold in store for us. We say it every year, there will be water. How much or how little we don’t know but what we do know is that regardless of whether we see minimum or maximum or most probable flows (or none of the above for that matter) we will be fishing and we hope you will be here fishing with us.
As all of you who regularly fish the Missouri know, we are somewhat isolated from the challenges of extreme high and low flows. Regulated flows keep us fishing all year long while other waters around the state are unfishable due to high water (runoff) in the spring and low flows/high water temps resulting in Hoot Owl Closures in the summer as we’ve seen each year during the current drought conditions.
That’s not to say it can’t happen here. If we end up getting an above average amount of snowpack coupled with a wet spring then we’re obviously going to have an above average amount of water to contend with. It has to go somewhere! And while the folks in charge of managing the water do a pretty good job (and a thankless one at that) of regulating the reservoirs, if drought conditions persist and we don’t get adequate precipitation then even the Missouri will suffer from low flows and increased water temps. I’ve yet to see Hoot Owl hit the MO’ but it’s not out of the question.
All that being said, we’re looking forward to another spectacular season on the Missouri and while our fishing has been shut down by the weather for the time being we’ll gladly sacrifice December nymphing for more water in the spring. In the meantime stay inside, keep warm and think happy thoughts about summer days on the MO’…we are.
Summer Days on the Missouri
Looking for stocking stuffers?
We’ve got all kinds of goodies and gadgets that will fit the bill.
Here are just a few ideas…..
Flasks from Stanley and Simms and Montana Fly Co.
$27.99-$29.99
Flasks make great gifts and they are the perfect size to fit into stockings. We’ve got several sizes and styles to choose from including the 5 Oz Stanley Adventure Flask engraved with the WCA logo.
Super Size Loon Aquel or Top Ride
$39.95
Surprise the guide in your life with a supersize container of Loon Aquel Gel Floatant or Top Ride Powder Floatant. The Aquel is 4 Oz and the Top Ride is 10 Oz. We’ve got the normal sized ones as well if that is a better fit.
Fly Boxes
$29.99-$149.99
We’ve got all kinds of fly boxes, one to fit every budget. We’ve got nymph boxes, dry fly boxes, streamer boxes….wood boxes, plastic boxes…unlimited options. The boxes pictured above are handmade my Al Swanson in Helena MT and range from $129.00-$149.99. Maybe not the box you would choose for everyday use but definitely an awesome gift and one that will likely be passed down from generation to generation. How about a box filled with flies? Give us a call and let us know what you have in mind or if you don’t have anything in mind but think it sounds like a great gift idea let us figure it out for you.
Hats, Gloves and Socks from SIMMS
Good hats and gloves and socks are a must this time of year and you won’t find any better than those made by Simms. We’ve got plenty of options to choose from.
Leaders, Tippet, Tools and Accessories
Wolf Creek Angler is your full service Missouri River Fly Shop – photo by Wolf Creek Angler
Terminal Tackle is our bread and butter, meaning everybody needs it all of the time. Maybe a pack of leaders or a tippet spool aren’t as glamourous as a Yeti Cooler or Simms Guide Jacket (both of which we can set you up with as well) but I don’t know of anyone who wouldn’t be absolutely thrilled with a bunch of leaders and a couple of tippet spools….again these are things we always need. If you’re not sure what they need we can probably figure it out for you fairly easily with just a few quick questions. Our walls are filled with tools and accessories as well and while these items start to lean towards the personal preference category we’re confident we can get you set up with stuff they’ll love!
WCA Gift Cards – The Ultimate Stocking Stuffer
Whether you’re not sure what to get them or you want to treat them to the Ultimate Missouri River Fly Fishing Vacation a WCA Gift Card is the right call. You can purchase them in ANY amount and they are good for absolutely anything we sell. A dozen flies? A Season’s worth of vehicle shuttles? A new pair of waders or boots or both? A weekend getaway with lodging and a day of guided fishing? A week retreat with lodging and guided fishing on the Missouri and the Blackfoot? The possibilities are endless and can all be covered with a WCA Gift Card.
Give us a call and let us know what you have in mind. We’ll be happy to send gift cards (and anything else for that matter) anywhere you would like.
We are your one stop Christmas shop for the fly fishers on your list.
Too cold to fish? Nah….Tire Tracks on the ramp at Holter Dam.
Winter has finally arrived in Wolf Creek and we’re happy to have it!
It’s not likely to be a banner week in retail sales but that’s to be expected in December in Montana.
The bright side is that we’re building and maintaining snowpack and we would love to see it continue to dump snow in the high country to bring us a great water year in Montana in 2017.
And speaking of water, flows on the Missouri are cranked up right now during the extreme cold. We’re just shy of 4600 cfs with water temps currently around 43 degrees and plummeting.
Expect to fish “winter water” when the warm up comes. Whenever that might be. We’re looking at highs in the teens and lows in the single digits or below for the whole week and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get above freezing anytime soon so you can expect the fish to finally retreat to the slower, warmer winter depths.
Stock up on pink and on firebeads and prepare to dredge the still water.
I did notice a set of tracks on the ramp at Holter Dam this morning so there are in fact some hard core types crazy enough to fish in this weather. We’re holding off at least until it hits the 20’s! If you do go please use EXTREME caution. The ramps can be slick and the wind chill can make a 10 degree day feel like 20 below.
We’re open for a spell today working on year-end stuff and the plan is to be here tomorrow but it would be a good idea to give a call before you come out as -11 tonight warming up to 6 tomorrow with -20 wind chill may very well keep us home.
While we haven’t seen many folks in the shop for a while the phones have been busy with people booking 2017 dates, some of which are filling quickly. If you are thinking about a June or July trip we would suggest you make that call sooner rather than later.
Still shopping for the fly fishers on your list? Give us a call or stop in and we’ll help you find the perfect gift. WCA Gift Cards are a great option. They can be purchased in any amount and are good for ANYTHING and EVERYTHING we sell. Save yourself a trip and just give us a call, we’re happy to send gift cards (or anything else for that matter) anywhere in the world!
Stay Warm!