Fishing Report Archives - Page 41 of 41

Winter Returns

We are currently sitting at 3 degrees and will warm up into the 20’s today. More of the same for tomorrow with snow on the way mid-week. That being said, with highs predicted to be near 40 on a snowy Wednesday, it might just be a great day to fish. We’ve been getting kind of used to the 40-50 degree days but it is late January in Montana and I suppose we should expect to have at least a taste of winter. Our thoughts are with those in the midwest who are really getting hammered by winter this year. As I look at the pictures of the snow drifts and the vehicle pileups etc that my friends and family back in Michigan are posting on Facebook, I’m very glad to be enduring such a mild winter here in Montana.

The river is in great shape and is holding steady with flows in the 3100 range and water temp at around 33 – 35 degrees. Perfect conditions for winter fishing. There are a lot of great technique reports out there and you should read them but the bottom line is you need to get out there and find the water and the bugs and the techniques that bring you success. I have to admit that I spend very little time changing bugs this time of year. I have a set up I like and a couple of flies I believe in and for the most part I concentrate my efforts on finding the right water and the right depth as the rig seems to get it done more often than not. Pink anything and an assortment of firebeads are usually what you’ll find me using though I have been doing well with rainbow czechs and zebras and weight flies also.

I have not thrown a streamer for a while but after reading an article in the winter issue of Fly Fusion titled “Winter’s Gold” and harkening back to spending countless winter days on the Pere Marquette River back in Michigan chucking streamers with a fair amount of success, I think I will get back at it next time out. The gist of the article being that the reason people aren’t catching big trout by ripping streamers in 33 degree water is because people aren’t doing it. I’ve found the Missouri River to be a completely different animal than what I was used to back in Michigan, especially when it comes to streamer fishing but that being said, if you put the right pattern in the right place with the right retrieve – he’s going to EAT IT! Stay tuned for streamer updates!

If you’ve driven past the shop lately you may have noticed that we have our new sign up. We are anxious to start our remodel inside and we are continuing to work on developing the web site. We’ve been busy on the phone taking reservations for lodging and booking guide trips and we’ve also been meeting with reps seeking out the perfect product mix for the coming season. Give a call anytime with suggestions as to products you would like to see in our shop, services you would like to see us offer, etc. We can’t wait for April!

Frigid on the MO

Well the holidays are FINALLY over. The weekend is coming to a close and tomorrow things begin to get back to normal. Back to school, back to work and back to the business of everything Wolf Creek Angler! I for one am happy to get back to the grind.

The cold weather has put the fishing on hold for most at least for the time being but there is no shortage of things to do. It looks like things are going to start to warm up as soon as tomorrow but in the meantime here are some things I’ve been at least thinking about doing.

1. Organize, Organize, Organize…

When you call a great river like the Missouri home there is very little downtime, especially with the mild weather we’ve been having this winter. This being the case, we tend to just keep throwing our gear wherever it’s convenient rather than taking the time to keep things organized…at least that’s my story. Come January the endless season finds me with fly cups scattered throughout my vehicle/boat/boat bag and in those fly cups are an interesting mix of dry flies, terrestrials and nymphs and maybe even a streamer mixed in here and there. I’ve got baetis mixed with caddis mixed with pmd’s mixed with PT’s and Zebras. It’s utter chaos! A couple of actual winter-like days such as we’ve had are the perfect time to get fly boxes organized and get that pile of gear out of the back of your vehicle and put those things where they belong. Not saying I did this, but I thought about it enough to encourage others to do it and hopefully I will get to at least some of it before I hit the water again.

As long as you are taking the time to sift though flies and gear it’s a good time to clean your fly lines as well. I know many anglers who strip all of their lines off of their reels during the off-season and wrap them around a coffee can or similar item to prevent coiling but since there really is no off-season for many of us a simple cleaning will do wonders.

Just like that the cold snap will come to an end as we reach into the high thirties tomorrow afternoon and on into the 40’s by mid week. Fishing should be fine, especially now that your flies and gear are organized and your line is clean.

Just a reminder – we are doing some work on the shop and lodging and will not be open until April 1st, but we are open for business as far as guide trips go and we’d love for you to put us to work. Give us a call today at 800-800-4350 or email info@wolfcreekangler.com to book a trip at special winter rates.

See you on the water!

Jason O.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:09-06:00January 6th, 2014|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing|Tags: Missouri River, montana fly shops, nymphs, running line, winter, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Fishing Report

Latest fishing report from Wolf Creek Angler Guide Extraordinaire Eric Mondragon.

Gorgeous Missouri River Winter Bow – photo Eric Mondragon

Twas the day after Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even my spouse. The day promised forty degree weather that I couldn’t resist. I grabbed my chest pack and fly rod of choice and headed toward Wolf Creek to rejoice by catching trout.

The last few weeks have been quite cold. Cold enough that even I didn’t care to fish. I tied up a few bead headed midge and some hot bead flies and hit a few runs that I prefer in Winter. I suggest slow inside bends and drop offs that are anywhere from 3 ½ to 6’ deep. During the cold months, fish move out of the fast and moderate speed currents and move into slower, deeper, warmer water. I seek out the slow current and fish the indicator with nymphs. Orange and pink flies on top. Then I drop various midge patterns off of that.

The key to frequent hook-ups is to study the speed of the indicator. Keep in mind that you are fishing slow, moderately deep water. If the indicator even remotely slows down, set the hook. In Winter, trout will generally take flies very softly. Sometimes they eat and reject your flies and the indicator doesn’t even move. Diehard anglers say “Those who strike most, win.”

If you were lucky this Christmas, go out there and try out that new rod. While you fish it up, remember to watch that shelf ice. I like to wear ice cleats when I wade in the Winter. It is icy along the banks, even when the water is flowing. Big R Supply and Big Bear Sports sell numerous styles of ice cleats. Winter fishing can be fun if you are prepared for it. You don’t have to fish all day. Start late (after 10:00 a.m.) and fish until 2:00 p.m. On nicer days, fish until 4 p.m.

Coming soon. . . layering clothes and tackle suggestions as Winter winds on. I plan to start the new year by fishing. See you on the water.

Winter Bugs. What’s in your fly box? Photo by Eric Mondragon

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:09-06:00December 31st, 2013|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing|Tags: Christmas, Fish, fly fishing, indicator, midge, Missouri River, nymphs, Outdoors, Recreation, Trout, winter, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Welcome to Wolf Creek Angler

It’s Official! The ink is barely dry but we are proud to announce that Wolf Creek Angler, LLC is your newest Missouri River full service fly shop, guide service and lodging operation!

It is with great pleasure and much excitement that we announce that we have purchased Craig Madsen’s Montana River Outfitters fly shop and lodging operation located in historic Wolf Creek Montana. My business partner Fred Davison and I look forward to continuing to bring you the friendly service you have come to expect from Montana River Outfitters and we are excited to bring some BIG changes under the new name of Wolf Creek Angler.

The fly shop and cabins will be open for business on April 1st 2014, with the remainder of the lodging opening by mid to late April. Please give us a call at (406) 235-4350 or toll-free at 800-800-4350 or email us at info@wolfcreekangler.com to book lodging, guide trips, drift boat rentals or simply to get up to date fishing reports or just to bs about fishing and hear about our plans for Wolf Creek Angler.

Wolf Creek Angler is definitely a work in progress at this point, and we hope to keep it that way, growing and changing to meet the needs of our customers while keeping up with industry trends.

We want to be your Missouri River fly shop and we plan to do everything we can to earn your business. Please keep an eye on the blog for reports on our progress and don’t be afraid to comment and let us know what changes you would like to see at Wolf Creek Angler.

Remember there is no shop closer to the Holter Dam and Wolf Creek Bridge access sights. We offer guided fishing, shuttles, lodging, boat rentals, a great selection of flies and gear and a friendly laid back atmosphere that we hope will keep you coming back. No need to go anywhere else – we’ve got you covered, which means we can get you on the water that much faster.

We would also like to take this opportunity to clarify that Montana River Outfitters isn’t going anywhere. We have only purchased the Wolf Creek operation – the Great Falls store will remain and MRO will continue to provide guided scenic trips on the Missouri as well as guided fishing trips on other regional waters and exotic destination fishing trips.

We look forward to seeing you in the shop and on the water.

Jason Orzechowski and Fred Davison

jfblog

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:10-06:00December 28th, 2013|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing|Tags: Fish, fly fishing, Fred Davison, Holter Dam, Jason Orechowski, Missouri River, Montana, Montana River Outfitters, Outdoors, Recreation, United States, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

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