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Fishing Report and weekend forecast 3/19/15

Reports are that things are still hit or miss out there this week but there are plenty of fish being caught and with that water temp creeping ever upwards it’s just a matter of time before things really turn on. We’ve heard more consistent reports from the water below Craig but you should be able to find fish everywhere with some work. It sounds like streamer fishing has been decent but still a painfully SLOW retrieve. We can’t wait to start stripping and twitching again and it won’t be long now. Stop in and let us get you set up for streamer fishing on the Missouri. Whether it’s advice on streamers or sinking lines or techniques you need or perhaps a complete rig we’re happy to help.

We’ve got a bin full of proven patterns and we will tell you everything you need to know to make them work for you. We are streamer addicts from WAY back and while we don’t spend as much time throwing streamers on the MO we’ve spent countless days and rowed hundreds of miles of water in our past lives throwing and stripping and swinging the Big Ugly Bugs. While our methods may be a little different than what is typically done here on the Missouri they have proven to be just as effective here as on the Pere Marquette, the Manistee, the Ausable, the Snake, the Yellowstone, the Limay, the Manso and many more.

Nymphing continues to be decent with fish still holding in the predictable spots and eating the predictable bugs. Winter fare is still on the menu ( pink stuff, firebeads, soft hackle sows etc) but don’t be afraid to experiment with some of the springtime stuff. Again – it could blow up any day now with the warming water.

The browns are definitely making their presence known with the rainbows beginning to move out as they heed nature’s call. Please be mindful of the redds and watch where you wade out there.

An abundance of midges on the water daily and fish up on them when the conditions are right. Cloud cover is definitely the ticket for top water success.

Blue skies and sunshine today will give way to considerable clouds early tomorrow and a high near 70 with SW wind at 5-10. Mostly cloudy Saturday with a high of 64 and SSW winds at 10-20 mph. It’s a great weekend to fish the Missouri. We’ve got limited lodging available for the weekend and it looks like it’s going to fill up so don’t wait too long to book those rooms. Make Wolf Creek Angler your one stop on the way to the Missouri for shuttles, bugs, boats, lodging, guide trips, cold weather gear, warm weather gear and much, much more.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:58-06:00March 19th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: brown trout, fly fishing, Missouri River, nymphs, running line, Streamer Fishing, streamers, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Canyon Fishing Report 3/17/15 – guest blog from WCA Guide Jim Murray

Luck of the Rubber Legs happening NOW in the canyon.

As we stated yesterday, Spring fishing has been a little inconsistent so far. Some good days, some REALLY good days, and quite honestly, some days that have been a little, well, on the slow side. With the majority of our Spring fishing taking place between the Dam and Spite Hill, we decided to head down into the Canyon and try some different water. While the high winds definitely made fishing a challenge,(and caused us to call an audible on our shuttle) we were greeted with some pretty good fishing. The fish were where you would expect to find them. Slow, deep runs. We didn’t have much luck fishing the hard banks, but when we would find the softer water, we would pick up a fish or two or three. The fish were definitely in an eating mood, and we caught fish on our usual winter/spring time patterns, as well as some larger bugs too. Don’t be afraid to experiment down in the Canyon. You just may be rewarded!

We also threw some streamers, and while we had some chases and tugs and a couple of fish brought to the boat, it was much slower than the nymph fishing. Again, not much love on the hard banks, with the softer water being the key. Notice a pattern?

While the majority of people fishing this time of year concentrate above Craig, don’t be afraid to try a different float down low. You might like what you find. All in all, it’s shaping up to be a great Spring, and this river feels like It’s about to really catch fire. With the water temperatures approaching 40, it’s Game On on the Mo. Along with that is the reminder that the rainbows are starting to spawn. Keep this in mind as you head out to fish this Spring, and be aware of where you are fishing.

Remember, $300 Spring Special Guide Trips start on Friday the 20^th and WCA has everything you need to make your day on the Missouri a great one: lodging, shuttles, bugs, boat rentals, advice, and the best cup of coffee in Wolf Creek. Stop in and say hi on your way to the river. We’d love to meet you!

WCA Guide Extraordinaire Jim Murray with a canyon beauty. Book your trip with Jim or any one of our expert guides today.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:58-06:00March 17th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: $300 Missouri River Guide Trips, Missouri River Spring Special Guide Rates, running line, streamers, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Mid-March Fishing Report

The first half of March has been a little tough around here. A couple of good days but hit and miss for the most part. The weather has been awesome but as winter comes to a close we’re happy to see some precip in the cards today and through the first half of the week. It could be really good out there the next couple of days with clouds and snow and light winds and temps in the 40’s.
Water temps are creeping upwards towards 40, we’re thinking streamers but we’re also thinking that the nymphing may turn on and it’s a safe bet there will be fish up on the midges under cloudy skies. This could be the week it turns on and the timing couldn’t be better with our $300 spring special guide trips commencing on Friday – the first day of Spring!
As of yesterday we’ve doubled our lodging capacity and rooms are filling quickly. In addition to the bungalows, we now have Cabins 1 and 2 available, each with its own full kitchen and bath for $99 and we’ve also got Cabin #3 back on the roster at the ridiculously reasonable rate of $69. No kitchen in #3 but two beds, a private bathroom, fridge, microwave and coffee maker. Get it while you can!
Make WCA your destination this week. We’ve got everything you need. Rooms, boats, shuttles, cold weather gear, warm weather gear, cool River Steel tools from Montana Fly Co, all kinds of indicators including Strike Foundry’s Lil’ Nuggets, Loon Aquel, Flyagra, leaders and tippet from RIO and Trout Hunter, a bunch of awesome clearance items and of course, the largest selection of Missouri River flies ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek Montana. Outfitter Owned and Operated and open EVERY DAY from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
See you in the shop and on the water.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:58-06:00March 16th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: $300 Missouri River Guide Trips, fly fishing, Missouri River, Missouri River Spring Special Guide Rates, RIO, running line, streamers, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Spring Fishing this week on the Missouri

Spring is on the way – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

Looking at the 10-Day forecast it looks like daytime highs in the 60s all this week and right on through next weekend. Is winter over? It’s hard to say. Do we have enough snowpack? Time and weather conditions over the next couple of months will tell.
What we do know is that the sun is shining, the water is warming and there is no place we’d rather be than floating the Missouri on days like this.
The fish have been up on midges, mostly in the early afternoon, in most of the spots you would expect and we’re hearing some solid streamer reports from down stream way. Nymphing is producing the numbers and should continue to improve as we move towards spring. Firebead soft hackle sows in pink,pink Lightning Bugs, Pinkalicious (notice a trend here?) and black zebra midges have all been effective.

A couple of ticks up on that water temp and the streamer fishing could blow up so there is definitely something for everyone right now.
Lodging available this week though the weekend is starting to fill. Things get serious next week with lodging coinciding with the start of our $300 Spring Special Guide Trips on March 20th. We will be opening up more lodging this week to accommodate.
Take advantage of the nice weather and the off-season lodging rates and come out and enjoy the river before the crowds arrive. We love this time of year due in large part to the relative solitude, especially during the week. Crowds are not an issue and the fishing just keeps getting better from here on out.
Book your cheap guide trips and rooms now. Both the spring special and the winter lodging rates run through the end of April.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:59-06:00March 9th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: $300 Missouri River Guide Trips, fly fishing, midge, Missouri River, Missouri River Spring Special Guide Rates, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Weekend Report 3/8/15

Missouri River Necessities always available at Wolf Creek Angler

As you would expect it’s a busy weekend on the Missouri, at least by early March standards. Our lodging is full and we had all of our rental boats on the water yesterday. A lot of guys in from Bozeman and Missoula and Kalispell gearing up on their way through. We sold more flies yesterday than we have in a while with winter nymphs still leading the charge. The cloudy conditions had a lot of people thinking streamers as well and we moved a fair amount of Polar Leeches, Kreelex and Sparkle Minnows. That’s an itch I’ve been needing to scratch lately and it looks like I’ll be able to get a fix on Tuesday – full report to come.
The reports I heard from the last few days were a bit of a mixed bag but it sounds like continued success on Pink and firebead stuff and some strong midge action depending on the day. What I’ve heard on the streamer side is that it’s been a little slow but we wouldn’t really expect much with the water being as cold as it is. We should start to see that water warm up a bit with the change in the weather and sometimes it doesn’t take much to flip the switch on the streamer bite so keep at it! I’m psycyhed to get out and give it a try.
The weather looks incredible for the coming week – into the 60’s every day. We are anticipating a busy week at the shop and I expect the lodging will fill quickly for next weekend so don’t wait too long to make your plans…we had to turn away severl people this weekend. We will look to open more lodging this week so hopefully we will have a few more units available by the weekend.
The shop is open daily for all of your Missouri River Fly Fishing needs. Shuttles, bugs, boats, bobbers, lodging, licenses, WCA logo gear and much, much more. Make Wolf Creek Angler your one stop on your way to the MO.

Crazy Spring Weather on the way

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:59-06:00March 8th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: $300 Missouri River Guide Trips, fly fishing, Missouri River, Missouri River Spring Special Guide Rates, nymphs, RIO, running line, Streamer Fishing, streamers, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Missouri River Fishing Report 3/4/15

The Icy Solitude will soon be gone as spring weather arrives – photo Wolf Creek Angler

Fishing traffic has been essentially non existent for the past week but all that’s about to change with spring-like weather in the forecast for the weekend. Not that the fishing hasn’t been good – I’ve seen plenty of fish up each day I’ve gone out to scout the river but there is no amount of Stanley’s Ice Off Paste that can overcome the almost immedieate freeze-up that happens with temperatures in the teens and low 20’s where they’ve been camped for the last little while. Not to mention the ever-present flirtation with frostbite that occurs when fishing in these conditions. A sunny day with little wind certainly makes things tolerable (for a while) but we are anxious to leave the handwarmers and balaclavas behind and get back to some serious fishing rather than the two cast-pop ice out of guides-warm hands repeat routine we’ve been doing.
Looks like partly sunny skies with a high of 50 tomorrow, cloudy and 52 on Saturday and sunny and 55 on Sunday. It looks like we may see 60 on Monday and Tuesday! We’ve still got one vacancy for Friday and Saturday night and a couple for tonight. We will be full this weekend so don’t hesitate, make the call right now and claim your spot at Wolf Creek Angler. We will definitely be opening more lodging soon weather permitting.
The fishing should be good out there as the water warms back up a tick or two. It dropped back below 34 yesterday with the subzero nighttime temps. Flows remain steady at right around 4900. My go-to nymphing rig remains the Pinkalicious trailed by either a soft hackle FB sow, a pink or purple lighting bug, a black zebra midge, a tailwater sowbug, a Rainbow Keller’s Payczech or any number of similar options. Other good options for a point fly if the Pinkalicious for some reason isn’t working would be a Tungsten Tailwater Sow, A Rainbow or Purple Weight Fly or a Hotbead Wire Worm. I simply don’t change my bugs much this time of year, especially if it’s below freezing. Any and all of the above usually work if you find the right depth though I have seen a few patterns really heat up and really shut down depending on the day.
My recommendation would be to have your dry fly rod rigged up and ready with a buzzball or griffiths gnat or midge cluster etc. and be on the lookout for rising fish. It’s also never a bad idea in my opinion to throw a streamer and while you may not want to commit your entire day to it just yet, you never know when the streamer bite is going to turn on.
We’re anticipating a busy weekend at the shop. Call ahead for lodging and guide trips. Stop in for shuttles, drift boat rentals, hats and gloves, leaders and tippet, hot coffee, great buys on clearance items and of course, the largest selection of Missouri River flies ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek Montana.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:59-06:00March 5th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Missouri River Fishing Forecast for 2015

March seems to be the time of year when people start getting serious about the coming fishing season. We did see plenty of anglers around during late January and early February but it is early March, as winter’s grasp begins to loosen everywhere, that those who have already planned their trip to the Missouri or are in the process of doing so really begin to go to work. It’s the time of year to assemble and evaluate gear and to purchase new gear if need be….we can help you out with that. It’s also the time to inventory your fly boxes and replenish your supply. We can definitely help you out with this as well. This is the time of year when we start to get a lot of calls about what will be hatching when and while we can’t give you specific dates and we can’t guarantee anything – the following will give you some idea of what’s happening when.

Have you booked your guided fishing trip on the Missouri yet? Wolf Creek Angler is Outfitter Owned and Operated and ready to book you and guide you on the trip of a lifetime.

March means midge madness on the MO photo by Wolf Creek Angler

March – It’s the month for midges if you are seeking a late winter dry-fly experience. The past couple of weeks have provided some awesome midge days out there and while it’s sometimes tough to find the fish eating them with any regularity if you know where to look and you are patient you will find that opportunities will present themselves. Griffiths Gnats, Buzzballs and various midge clusters are a good call and if you’re having a tough time seeing the fly try a Hi-vis parachute Adams as your point fly and trail your midge pattern off of it. Nymphing is good and will continue to get better. We’re still sticking with the pink stuff and the FB’s but we’ve heard of success on some small baetis nymphs. Black zebra midges both with and without beads have been effective as well, especially around the dam. March 20th marks the start of our $300 Spring Special Full Day Missouri River Guide Trips which runs through the end of April. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity for a guided day on the Missouri at a fraction of the regular season price.

April – The dry-fly game in April continues to be about midges but BWO’s typically also enter the equation at this time. Nymphing heats up with mayfly nymphs replacing the colorful winter fare. A double zebra rig can also be very effective in the spring. Streamer action also starts to heat up in April. With many of the rainbows in the tribs spawning, the browns are on the move gorging on nymphs and dries and chasing down streamers.

May is BWO time on the MO

May – BWO’s are the May staple with midges still on the menu and larger March Browns (up to #14) and, depending on the location, Caddis also making an appearance. May also tends to be the most popular month for streamer fishing and the nymphing is always strong. It’s an awesome time to fish the Missouri with things greening up and the ability to do it all in one day. Longer days mean longer floats ripping streamers or nymphing – while always on the lookout for bugs on the water and pods of fish eating them.

Mid to late June brings the PMD’s

June – Caddis gaining strength, nymphing strong and by late June PMD’s! Streamer fishing still an option but coming into the true dry-fly season on the Missouri.

July – By far the most popular (and crowded) month on the Missouri. It’s a dry-fly Nirvana with PMD’s, Caddis and Tricos as well as terrestrials like hoppers and ants and beetles all coming into the mix.

August – More of the same but less crowded, a fair amount of weeds to deal with and more emphasis on the hopper fishing. Last season we saw little in the way of crowds in August and had spectacular days of Trico fishing throughout the month with the river to ourselves.

Are you ready for the 2015 season on the Missouri? Much of June and July are already booked solid as you might expect with rooms and guides very difficult to come by. That being said, part of the advantage to being an Outfitter Owned and Operated Shop is that we have a deep guide roster which includes your humble owners. Fred and I try to keep our summer schedules somewhat open to accommodate last-minute requests so if you haven’t yet booked your prime dates and you think it’s too late – give us a call – we may just be able to help you out. (406)235-4350 or Toll-Free 1-800-800-4350.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:59-06:00March 4th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: $300 Missouri River Guide Trips, brown trout, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, Missouri River Spring Special Guide Rates, nymphs, rainbow trout, running line, Streamer Fishing, tricos, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler, zebra midges|0 Comments

Updated Fishing Report 2/27/15

Despite the cold temps I couldn’t resist the pull of the river yesterday. It was pretty quiet at Wolf Creek Angler so I dusted off the old Simms Extreme waders, grabbed some hand warmers and donned my Wind Pro Balaclava from Outdoor Research (available at Wolf Creek Angler) and headed out. Surprisingly I was the only one at each of the couple of spots I fished.
Blue skies and sunshine and very little wind made for an awesome afternoon of fishing – even in 17 degrees, and while it was far from EPIC it was a pretty good couple of hours both sub surface and on top. I nymphed a couple up (a couple on the Pinkalicious and one on the soft hackle sow) and noticed a mess of midges on the water and more than a few eats. I decided that three fish was plenty as the big drawback to fishing in these temps is getting your hands wet and I headed off to find some heads.
It took a while but eventually I did find some fish feeding somewhat consistently and I made my way to them but failed to reach them before Jake swam through their feeding lane and put them down. I waited for a while and eventually they started eating again and this time I was ready. My second cast brought me my first fish of 2015 on a dry fly – not a big fish – but a fish on a dry fly in February in 17 degrees…I’ll take it!
Hiking back to the truck my waders were icing up, as was Jake’s coat and my hands had had as much as they could take so we called it a day.
It looks like it could be another slow day at WCA so I may just do it again….

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:00-06:00February 27th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: dry fly fishing, Missouri River, Missouri River Winter Fishing, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Missouri River Fishing Report 2/27/15

Cold and lonely on the Missouri right now. Not near as cold as some other parts of the country but cold enough to shut down the fishing for a while. We’re seeing highs in the 20’s and lows in the single digits for the forseeable future – no surprise for late February/early March in Montana but since we had grown accustomed to temps in the 40’s and 50’s and even into the 60’s over the past month it’s a little bit of a shock to the system.
It’s good for the long- term but we were sure enjoying the fishing and enjoying the business we were doing in the shop. Fishy weather will return soon enough – in the meantime enjoy the Montana winter!
We plan to be open our regular winter hours for the next couple of weeks (Wednesday-Saturday 8:00 am – 4:00 pm) but may opt out depending on what the weather is doing. If you are hardcore enough to fish in below freezing temps and you’re planning on a stop at Wolf Creek Angler give us a call first just to make sure we are around. Whether we’re in the shop or not we are ALWAYS open for lodging and guide trips. If you are planning to fish this weekend remember Saturday is the last day your 2014 fishing license is valid. 2015 licenses available at Wolf Creek Angler.

Speaking of licenses – don’t forget deer and elk permit applications are due on March 16th. Everything you need to know is right here;

http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/licenses/buyApply/newDeadline/

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:00-06:00February 27th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: Missouri River, Missouri River Winter Fishing, winter, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Weekend Report 2/21/15

More traffic this morning than I’ve ever seen on Recreation Road, unfortunately the result of an accident on I-15 in the canyon rather than hordes of anglers heading out to fish the Missouri and making WCA their first stop of the day.
A little bit of winter back for this weekend with temps hanging in the mid 20’s today and tomorrow before we return to 40’s on Monday. I wouldn’t expect much traffic on the river today based on what we’ve seen over the past week but we will be in the shop this morning for those willing to brave the cold. The roads from Helena aren’t great so please use caution if you are coming out.
Nymphing remained on the slow side yesterday, at least in the Wolf Creek to Craig stretch. We’ve seen an uptick in streamer sales over the past week and the streamer action, though often hit or miss, has been pretty decent throughout the winter. Streamer fishing should only get better from here on out as the water begins to warm a bit. I plan to devote a day to it this week and will give a full report at that time. We’ve sold piles of polar leeches over the past couple of months and the copper/olive version has been our go-to all winter. Stop in and pick a couple up and fish them – they will make you a believer! Other good sellers have been Kreelex in brown/gold, Clousers and Squirrel Leeches in Olive and Black.
At this point Monday and Tuesday look like your best bets weather-wise but it will be tolerable all week. Lodging available anytime for $99/night. Just a reminder – you’ve got one week left on your 2014 Montana fishing license. New licenses available at Wolf Creek Angler! The new license year means spring is coming soon – we will be opening up more lodging by mid March – including the much sought after Cabin #3 for $69/night through the end of April. $300 Full Day Spring Special Guide Trips beginning in March. We’re anticipating a busy spring at Wolf Creek Angler and we’re excited about a bunch of new stuff we’re going to be carrying in the shop this season. Stop in and see what’s new!

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:00-06:00February 21st, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: $300 Missouri River Guide Trips, Missouri River, Missouri River Winter Fishing, running line, streamers, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments