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.

Summertime

Summer is back in Wolf Creek

What a difference a week makes. Last week at this time we had people cancelling weekend reservations because of high flows. By the end of the week we were under 6,000 and from what we are hearing we will be under 4,000 by the end of the day. The doom and gloom predictions of a repeat of the high water of 2011 were wrong. Hopefully the predictions of average flows in the 5,000 range for the remainder of the year will prove to be true.

The fishing has been good with nymphing still leading the charge but dry fly fishing is definitely ON with a fair amount of caddis around and some downright prolific baetis hatches over the past few days. The lower flows have the fish looking up consistently and you can definitely make a day out of dry fly fishing between targeting rising fish and blind casting a large dry with a trailing emerger.

Nymphing has been good to great with a couple of tougher days during the big volume drop. Wire worms continue to produce followed closely by sow bugs. Soft hackle and tailwater sows have been getting it done as have Little Green Machines, Purple Wild Things, Weight flies in gold and purple and Juju baetis is purple. Lots of different bugs getting eats but we’ve heard more consistency with the sows than anything else but that could change at any time.

We’ve been busy with trips and lodging and people are starting to take notice of Wolf Creek’s best fly shop. We’ve got plenty of great bugs in the bins, including Green Machines, and there are new additions arriving almost daily. Plenty of WCA Logo gear in stock and everything you would expect to find in a first rate Missouri River Fly Shop, including friendly faces and a committment to great customer service. Follow our new signs off the Interstate and find out what the buzz is about!

Eloise Peter rachele colman

New signs bring you right to our door

Wolf Creek MT’s fly fishing destination

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:08-06:00June 12th, 2014|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing|Tags: fly fishing, green machine, juju baetis, Missouri River, Montana, nymphs, Streamer Fishing, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|Comments Off

Stormy weather on tap for this weekend. Streamer fishing anyone?

Showers and thunderstorms on tap for this weekend. Missouri River flow currently at 11,100 cfs. Anglers from around the state have descended upon Wolf Creek and Craig in search of fishable water and we’re happy to report that we have plenty of it. Fishing has been good all week but has slowed a bit with the bump in flows yesterday and today. Nymphing is still the way to go with Hotbead Wire Worms and Sow Bugs leading the charge – especially with the bigger flows. A couple of bb’s and a 6′ – 8′ leash from indy to lead should get you started. Fish the spots you know and adjust accordingly. Other bugs of choice this week have been Green Machines (Back in Stock at Wolf Creek Angler), Bubbleback emergers, dark Peep Shows, Rainbow Czechs, soft hackle sows, Tungsten tailwater sows, Tung Darts, Weight Flies in Gold and Purple and the Blue Faerie Circus in #18. It could be a worm game for a while with the higher flows. We’ve got plenty of worms in the bins though we’ve all but sold out of the hotbead wireworms. More on the way. Streamer fishing could be the way to go this weekend with cloudy skies and rain. We haven’t heard an abundance of reports on this front but we did manage to steal away for a few hours yesterday afternoon to give it a go in the canyon and it was surprisingly productive considering the blue skies and bright sun we had all day. Nothing much to report as far as dry fly action as of yet. Evenings have offered the best opportunities but for the time being it’s still primarily a sub-surface game.

A few vacancies for tonight and Sunday but for the most part the Inn is Full! Monday things open up but we’re rapidly filling up starting Tuesday and running through the remainder of the week. If you’re thinking of coming to Wolf Creek this week and you’re planning on having a place to stay we suggest you call sooner rather than later. Stop by the shop for bugs and shuttles and anything else you might need for your day on the water. RO Drift boats available for rent for $150. At 11,000 cfs we suggest you fish from a boat and we’d love to help you out with that. As long as you’re going to fish from a boat you may as well hire us to take you fishing. Expert guides standing by – ready to work.

Have a great Missouri River weekend. See you in the shop and on the water. ~ Jason O.

Missouri River Rainbow
photo courtesy of Ryan Casne

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:08-06:00May 30th, 2014|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing|Tags: Craig MT, fly fishing, green machine, Montana, nymphs, RO Drift Boats, running line, Streamer Fishing, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|Comments Off

Missouri River Success

Our guests and clients have been getting it done on the MO over the past few days as spring fishing continues to heat up. Still not much to report on top but the nymphing has been anywhere from ok to good to off-the-charts depending on the day. Flows jumped a bit over the weekend and are now holding at around 9000 with a water temp somewhere in the 46 – 48 degree range depending on the time of day. Fish are on the move, transitioning from the deep slow winter water to the faster spring stuff. Work the medium depths and moderate currents changing depths and bugs until you find what works. Hot bugs as of late have been Rainbow Czechs, Sow Bugs, Green Machines, Flux Capacitors, Juju Baetis, Bubbleback Emergers and san juan worms. Firebeads and pinks are still holding on but much lesser so than a week ago. Streamer fishing has had its moments with sparkle minnows and leech patterns continuing to lead the charge.

Stop by the shop for shuttles, bugs, gear, RO drift boat rentals, friendly faces and up-to-the-minute information on flows, hatches, rigging information etc. Shop hours are 7 am – 5 pm daily and if we’re around we’re open – no matter the time!

See you in the shop and on the water… ~Jason O.

WCA Client Lynn Perkins at it again with guide Eric Mondragon

Jan Perkins with a healthy Missouri River bow

Justin Bleazard with a Missouri River hog.

Ryan Casne with a beautiful side channel rainbow

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:08-06:00May 14th, 2014|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing|Tags: fly fishing, green machine, juju baetis, Missouri River, Montana, RO Drift Boats, running line, streamers, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|1 Comment

Wolf Creek Sunrise

We opened the doors a month ago and the response has been overwhelmingly positive as the sun rises on our inaugural season. We couldn’t be more pleased with the way things have gone thus far and we are anticipating a busy season ahead at Wolf Creek Angler.

We are fully operational now with all of our lodging units open, a fleet of RO drift boats for rent and a fully stocked shop with everything you need for fly fishing success on the Missouri. With the secret out about our great guide lodging rates we’ve had plenty of guide traffic as the Missoula, Bozeman and Kalispell crews seek fishable water. We are anticipating much more of this as the weather warms and waters around the state continue to rise. Give us a call to book rooms for your clients and your guides. We are truly one-stop shopping with affordable on-site lodging, a great selection of bugs and gear, shuttle service and much more. With the Oasis, the Frenchman and the Canyon Store just down the road you’ve got everything you need right here in Wolf Creek Montana where you are just minutes from the dam and Wolf Creek Bridge launches.

A moderately busy April has given us a chance to ease into this business of running a fly shop, guide service and lodging operation. Now it’s game time. The crowds will soon descend upon the Missouri in search of insane fishing opportunities and we will be here to do whatever we can to make your trip a success and an experience you won’t soon forget.

The hot topic has of course been the water level and at what flow and for how long it will peak. Flows were increased a couple of weeks ago to around 8500 and have held relatively stable since then with minor fluctuations daily. There have been a couple of tough days out there during this time but there have been more than a couple of off-the-charts days as well so we will take it.

The question remains – where will the flows peak and the answer remains we simply don’t know. There have been plenty of reports out there discussing the topic in detail and these reports are very informative but the bottom line is that we just can’t say. There are simply too many variables, the main one being rainfall amounts. The official word though is that things will max out somewhere between 8500 and 12500. We shall see. From our perspective the river is best fished from a boat right now but that being said, we’ve had plenty of walk/wade traffic as well and it seems that people are getting it figured out. Either way, we’ve got you covered with rental boats, wading gear, shuttles, bugs and anything you might need for your day on the Missouri.

Holter Dam – March 1918

2014 – 8500 CFS. So Far So Good

What we do know is that the Dearborn and the Little Prickly Pear jumped to 875 and 344 respectively overnight following a couple of warm sunny days bringing the Missouri up to the 10000 cfs vicinity down low. What we also know is that it’s fishing just fine, at least from the reports we heard this morning from the pack of guides and guests currently calling Wolf Creek Angler and the Missouri River home.

The dreary skies today had some thinking streamers. Sparkle Minnows, Circus Peanuts, Hibernators and Autumn Offenders all left the bins today destined for big eats from big browns. And speaking of big browns, we heard talk earlier this week from a very credible source about some good numbers of above average size (some Extremely above average)browns in some water you LOVE to fish. Stop by the shop if you are interested in hearing more.

The nymph game has continued to revolve around firebeads and pink stuff for us but we’ve also had varying degrees of success with worms and baetis emergers, specifically Trina’s Bubbleback and Angelcase emergers in #18. Poxyback Baetis, Tungsten Warriors, purple Flux Capacitors, Green Machines, Red Zebras and both Rainbow and Olive Payczechs have also brought respectable numbers to the net over the past week. We’ve still been fishing longer rigs with a couple of bb’s in the deeper water but as the water warms look to the moderately fast water for success. The surface action remains sub-par. There are plenty of midges and BWO’s around but rises are sporadic at best. Stay late for success as most of the consistent activity we’ve seen has been post 8.

We are a month in and fully engaged and ready for a great season. The support we’ve received not only from our customers but from the community in general has been tremendous and we are thrilled to be a part of this Missouri River Thing. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support and would like to give a special thanks to The Trout Shop, Headhunters, Crosscurrents and Trout Montana, all of whom have been nothing but helpful to and supportive of Wolf Creek Angler. We look forward to working with all of you.

See you in the shop and on the water….

~Jason O.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:08-06:00May 3rd, 2014|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing|Tags: Crosscurrents, Flux Capacitor, fly fishing, green machine, Headhunters, Holter Dam, Keeney's Hibernator, Missouri River, nymphs, RO Drift Boats, streamers, The Trout Shop, Trout Montana, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|Comments Off

Friday Gear Review – St Croix Bank Robber

We are proud to be the only Authorized St Croix rod dealer in the canyon. Check out this review from Feather and Fin of the Bank Robber and stop by the shop to see and cast one for yourself. Streamer fishing has been hit or miss as of late but should improve as the water warms. Why not treat yourself to a new streamer rod this season from Wolf Creek Angler?

Gear Review: St Croix Bank Robber Fly Rod

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Spencer Knibbe

St Croix Bank Robber Review

A high performance fly rod that does exactly what was designed to do.

October fly fishing is all about throwing meaty streamers to aggressive brown trout. Unlike the spring where fly fishing is at its classical apex of brimmed hats, pipes, and noble dry fly presentations to sipping trout, fishing during this time of year is a street brawl with fat nasty fish that smash a swinging fly like a crazed linebacker.

I cannot think of a better rig to battle ornery fall browns with than my 6WT St Croix Bank Robber Fly Rod. One of the first truly niche rods to hit the market, the St Croix Bank Robber is specifically designed for streamer fishing…hence the name derived from the term “bank robbing,” or casting streamer flies to undercut river banks where the biggest nastiest fish lie. Made from high modulus/high strain graphite blanks, the Bank Robber is equipped with a fighting butt, anodized aluminum reel seat, and stout lower section that tapers into a sensitive tip. The rod is perfectly suited for making big booming casts, covering a lot of water, and fighting big fish caught on naughty streamer patterns. I’ve used it while fishing for trout, smallmouth/largemouth bass, and schoolie stripers…basically any species for which fishing streamer patterns is the preferred method.

As previously mentioned, I am a purist in matching gear that is appropriate to the task and have outfitted my St Croix Bank Robber with a Lamson Litespeed 2 Reel that is spooled Scientific Anglers Mastery Series Wet Express Sinking Tip fly line. I’ve found this setup to be best pairing and that it really enables me to take advantage of the rod’s power, accuracy, and get my flies down deep to where the big naughties are.

On the versatility front, the Bank Robber was made for one application and one application only. One is guaranteed to find yourself frustrated if you try to tie on anything but a streamer…but like hunting woodcock with a 10 GA shotgun, why would you even want to try? A slight miss that I have to pick with this rod is that it does not have a hook rest which is annoying. I’m told that the reel seat is designed serve this purpose, but it is a miss nonetheless. Bottom line…if you are not into this type of fly fishing, move on, this is not the rod for you.

I always have my 6WT St Croix Bank Robber with me when I’m targeting large trout in big water and would highly recommend this rod over its more expensive competition. Hit your local fly shop or eBay (see article) and check out a Bank Robber for yourself!

Product Page from St Croix

http://stcroixrods.com/products/fly-fishing/bank-robber

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:08-06:00April 18th, 2014|Categories: Product Review|Tags: running line, St Croix, Streamer Fishing, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|1 Comment

Any day now…

Winter returned on Saturday with snow showers and wind and fairly unpleasant fishing conditions overall, at least for this time of year. Consequently we had a lot of traffic in the shop, some curious about the new kid in town, many seeking a respite from the weather which we are always more than happy to provide. The response to the shop has been overwhelmingly positive and we love seeing all of the familiar faces as well as a lot of new ones. Run off is bringing a lot of folks from around the state to our door and we are thrilled to have you here. Lodging has been pretty well booked all week and while it’s a quiet Sunday in Wolf Creek MT we anticipate filling up again this week as we return to more normal spring temperatures and conditions. Our spring special rates on lodging and guided trips will remain in effect through the end of April with lodging starting at $59/night + tax and full day Missouri River guide trips for only $300.

We’ve been getting a lot of calls concerning the river flows and though we are in no position to predict what will be happening with flows come May and June, it seems that those in the know are satisfied with the water management at Canyon Ferry and the general consensus is that it’s going to be a great water year with things running much closer to normal. Last season’s low flows made for some great wade fishing opportunities but also led to some stressed fish, some weedy conditions and some lackluster bug activity. We are excited to see water in the side channels again and the higher flows should mean better bugs, happier and healthier fish and hopefully some delay in the weed development.

Our guides all reported good to great fishing throughout the week. Nymphing has been solid everywhere and the streamer action has been decent in the canyon and below. Dry fly action is fairly limited right now with a few fish being picked up on Skwalas down low. Tons of midges on the water with most of the feeding coming during the last light of the day. This could be the week for BWO’s – stay tuned and if you’re going out have a dry fly rig at the ready. Firebeads and pink stuff remain the go-to where the nymphing is concerned but the transition is certainly underway and we are seeing a lot more baetis nymphs leave the bins over the past few days. Juju Baetis, Juan’s Flux Capacitors, Little Green Machines and purple and pink lightning bugs have all been in high demand and we are happy to report that we’ve got you covered with these patterns and many more. Skiddish Smolts, Sparkle Minnows and Pollar Minnows have all had their days as of late for those willing to commit to the streamer. Keep your nymphing rig on the long side, 7-8 feet from the indicator to the first fly and make sure you are getting the bugs down to the fish with a couple of bb’s. The softer water continues to produce well but don’t be afraid to fish the moderately fast stuff as well as the water temps bump upwards.

New product continues to arrive at the shop daily. We’ve got a bunch of new bugs from MFC and Umpqua, plenty of rods from St Croix and Echo including The Bank Robber and the High Stick Drifter, all the wading and cold-weather gear you could want from Redington, bunches of Wolf Creek Angler logo gear, Hydro Flasks, Ross Reels, everything RIO and much much more. We’ve also got you covered with shuttles and RO drift boat rentals and plenty of gear and gadgets we hope you can’t live without.

It’s going to be a great season at Wolf Creek Angler!

See you in the shop and on the water…. ~Jason O.

Baetis Nymphs are starting to leave the bins

New bugs at Wolf Creek Angler

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:08-06:00April 13th, 2014|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing|Tags: $300 Missouri River Guide Trips, Echo, fly fishing, green machine, Hydro Flask, Missouri River, Montana, Montana Fly Company, Redington, RIO, RO Drift Boats, St Croix, Wolf Creek Angler|1 Comment

Life before Wolf Creek Angler

The other day my 12-year-old son asked if he could interview me for a homework assignment. The interview consisted of half a dozen questions pertaining to a major goal I had as a teen and how I modified my life to meet that goal. Pondering his questions, I felt like a bit of a loser because I really couldn’t think of any big goals I had at that stage of my life. My goals at that time were fairly short-sighted and I guess had more to do with what I knew I didn’t want to do rather than what I wanted to spend my life doing. He was tactful enough to coach me through the interview and we were able to come up with some acceptable answers but it got me thinking about how we, as a society, tend to put a lot of emphasis on having big career goals. Not to say that this is a bad thing, I just think there are a lot of young people who choose their career paths based on financial gain in an effort to secure the trappings of success as defined by our consumer culture. Once again, I am fully engaged in our consumer culture and I have nothing bad to say about wanting to get lots of stuff but I have also reached a point in my life where the stuff doesn’t mean as much as it once did and I think there are many who arrive at this same place but are trapped by the lifestyle they have chosen and long for something simpler.

So back to goals. I chose to pursue a degree (not a career) in journalism because writing came fairly easily to me and I thought it might be kind of cool to be a reporter. It was never really a goal though, just something I thought would be kinda sorta ok to do for a living. With that kind of passion it will come as no surprise that my career in journalism went nowhere. In fact the one goal I had which I referenced above was to not work in the family business which happened to be an iron foundry. Guess where I ended up?

Twenty some years later I found what it means to have a goal and I did what I could to accomplish that goal and here I am – living in Montana, co-owning/operating a fly shop, guiding on the Missouri River, pursuing an outfitting business and as tired and as cliché as it sounds….living the dream, my dream and feeling incredibly blessed to have such an opportunity. It is not lost on me that many may not ever be in a position to realize a dream or pursue a goal such as this, I get it. That being said, we all make choices in life and the choices we make play a huge role in determining where we will end up.

I spent 20 some years on the treadmill and finally set a goal after my dream was revealed to me in the form of an email my wife forwarded to me while I was out on the water one summer night. For some reason she had been poking around looking at ranch properties for sale in Montana and the last listing she found on the particular website she was looking at happened to be for a fly shop. I opened that email the next day at work and it all became clear to me – finally I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I was on the phone with the listing agent that afternoon and shortly thereafter we were on a plane to Bozeman to see if we couldn’t buy ourselves a fly shop. It didn’t happen with that particular shop, but it set in motion the course which eventually led to us leave life as we had known it in Michigan to come to Montana and make a new life for ourselves. We arrived here with a goal and a willingness to do whatever we had to do to accomplish that goal and lo and behold, things happened just as they were supposed to (by no design of our own) and here we are.

That’s my .02 concerning goals.

See you in the shop and on the water. ~Jason O.

Traded it all for this…

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:08-06:00April 10th, 2014|Categories: Montana Fly Fishing, Uncategorized|Tags: fly fishing, goals, Missouri River, Montana, Wolf Creek Angler|2 Comments

Higher flows on the MO are perfect conditions for the worm!

On March 29th I fished the Missouri from Wolf Creek to Craig with a friend. With flows over 6,000 CFS I wanted to get out and do some recon to see where the fish are holding and what they are interested in eating. Well, they were where I thought they would be and with a little adjustment of leaders, indicator and weight, we were busy hooking up most of the day.

I’d be lying if I said the hatch was pretty precise. I spent about a half hour with a silver skittish smolt on the line and moved about six fish. They were hitting that streamer, but I was more focused on nymphs because I have some guide trips scheduled in the near future and I want to be prepared for clients. The fish hit on anything with a hot bead and the infamous extended red-bodied nymph (a.k.a red San Juan worm). We didn’t really try any other nymphs.

We noticed a midge hatch around noon in some of the quiet water back eddies. However, we only saw a few fish up so the midge are nothing to get excited over yet. Water temperature is in the high thirties, but I think when we hit the low forties, we will see more midge and blue winged olive hatches. Then the fish will rise.

I am really excited about what I think will be a nice water year, or maybe a normal water year. There has been a lot of talk about what is the ideal water flow number. I don’t necessarily think there is an ideal. It is sort of like discussing fish counts. In reality, fish need to eat to live. As a guide, it is my job to find out what they are interested in on any given day. The conditions and flows are largely out of my control anyway. When I am out there I am not thinking about flows or counts. I am just concerned about the fish on the end of my fly line.

More recently, I fished with the boys from Montana Fly Company. They were shooting footage for a new short film. The working title is “The Purist” and it is projected to be released in a year or two. A camera operator shot footage from my boat. Another camera operator filmed from a second boat manned by Rob Weiker, a guide from Whitefish, Montana. Montana Fly Company sales representative Stirling Ross Tyler fished from Rob’s boat during filming.

I got to throw a line in the water during breaks. It was cold all day, but fishing was good. We started with green machines and juju baetis nymphs along with some hot beads and black zebra midge and floated the stretch from Holter dam to Craig. It was a busy day chasing indicators. We had so much fun and didn’t even break out the streamer box. We caught quite a few rainbows and a few brown trout and they looked really good and healthy. The MFC film crew were cool cats and I hope to fish with them again.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:08-06:00April 5th, 2014|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: fly fishing, green machine, Holter Dam, indicator, juju baetis, Missouri River, Montana, Montana Fly Company, montana fly shops, spring fishing|2 Comments

Before

After. The new fly cave at Wolf Creek Angler is filled with the patterns you need for success on the Missouri River

What was….

What is. We are fully stocked with new gear from Redington, Rio, St Croix, Echo, Fishpond, Ross and much, much more.

Yesterday was the official opening day of Wolf Creek Angler. It’s been a busy couple of weeks trying to get everything done and ready for the big opening day and while it’s still definitely a work in progress, the doors are open and we are ready to do whatever we can to earn your business and to hopefully become your Missouri River fly fishing destination

Most of our lodging units are open for the season and are available at discounted spring rates of $99/night for a cabin or bungalow and $59 for Cabin #3 which is the only one of the open units which does not have a full kitchen. We are keeping a close eye on the weather but with 60’s in the forecast for next week it won’t be long until our Motel units are up and running and ready to rent.

We are pleased to announce that Wolf Creek Angler will feature a brand new fleet of Montana made RO Drift Boats

We are proud to announce a brand new fleet of RO drift boats which will be available for rent at a rate of $150/day. The first of our three new boats is scheduled to arrive tomorrow with the other two to follow by May 1st. In the meantime whether it’s a drift boat or a raft or a kayak you are looking for we can help!

Last but certainly not least, the shop is open and we are anxious to serve you. Flies, shuttles, terminal tackle, waders, boots, cold weather and rain gear, rods, reels, accessories and plenty of Wolf Creek Angler logo gear and much, much more. We’ve worked hard all winter long assembling our inventory and creating the space in which to present it and we think you’re going to like what we’ve done.

Oh…and by the way, the fishing has been just fine. It’s been a while since we’ve seen the water ourselves, but we’ve had boats out the last couple of days working on an episode of Big Sky Outdoors which will be airing in June. We will keep you posted on this. All reports have been positive where the fishing is concerned, though we are still waiting on the warm sunny days that get the baetis going but it looks like they will be here soon. Pink anything, sow bugs, Rainbow Czechs….you know the routine. It’s all working and it’s just a matter of finding the right depth/weight combination and the right water which continues to be the slower winter fare. Streamers have been producing as well worked slow and deep. Try a swing through the deeper water rather than a strip. Darker colors are working well and you can’t go wrong with the Sparkle Minnow!

Having trouble figuring it out? Book a Wolf Creek Angler guide trip today at the ridiculously affordable rate of $300 for a FULL day through the end of the month.

See you in the shop and on the water! ~ Jason O.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:08-06:00April 2nd, 2014|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing, Uncategorized|Tags: $300 Missouri River Guide Trips, Fishpond, fly fishing, Missouri River, Montana, montana fly shops, Redington, RIO, RO Drift Boats, Ross, St Croix, Streamer Fishing, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|1 Comment

Wolf Creek Angler Co-Owner Fred Davison getting it done with streamers on the MO

Streamer season is here! Wolf Creek Angler Guide Eric Mondragon with a nice brown from last weekend.

Fred Davison and I fished the Missouri just a few days before flows went up. Fred is a new friend and co-owner of Wolf Creek Angler, the new fly shop located in Wolf Creek MT. We spent the week before working pretty hard demolishing the interior of WCA’s new shop. We decided that Saturday would be a great day to get out. All work and no play isn’t good for the soul or the mind, so we loaded up the Adipose and an arsenal of streamer rods and hit the water. We floated from Stickney to Prewett Creek.

The morning started out slow but by 11:00 a.m. or so, we started moving fish on black colored and copper brown shaded streamers. Fred is from Michigan, so he was in his element with an eight weight streamer rod. He has a lot of time invested in the Au Sable, Pere Marquette and Manistee rivers where he stripped streamers for big browns back East. He can get it done, I’ll tell you.

I was surprised at how he was able to move fish. He didn’t really strip the bugs back toward the boat, but let the fly hit the water and then took one or maybe two strips. Then he jigged the rod tip back to an upright position. It looked almost like setting up for a roll cast. Then he would roll back out. I asked him about that technique. Fred explained that is how they roll back home in Michigan because of all the brush and trees overhanging the water. It worked great and I don’t think he got tired using an eight weight rod with a full sink line.

I, on the other hand, like a fast six or slow to medium speed seven weight rod. I prefer either a floating line or an intermediate sink tip line. When the water is cold like it was on Saturday (35 degrees or so), my technique is: small strip, pause, small strip, pause. Usually a hit comes during the pause.

By 3:00 p.m. we were moving fish above Mountain Palace in what I would call “kind of moderately skinny fast water” maybe 18” to 24” deep. In that section, a faster strip was more effective. Fred tied on a smallish black pattern a friend turned him on to and I used that copper colored sparkle minnow thingy. We caught some fish and even chased an indicator with good success. Xavier hot beads and pink lightening bugs were a good choice when we chose nymphs over streamers in the canyon stretch. All in all it was a fine day to be fishing (and not working). I hope to enjoy another day like that before I start making my living on the water this spring when guide season gets started.

Interested in streamer fishing the Missouri? Give Wolf Creek Angler a call at 1-800-800-4350 and take advantage of their $300 full day spring guide trip special through April.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:08-06:00March 24th, 2014|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing|Tags: Fred Davison, Missouri River, Missouri River Spring Special Guide Rates, montana fly shops, running line, Streamer Fishing, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|Comments Off

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