Montana Fly Fishing Archives - Page 5 of 7

February on the Missouri

February Midge Madness on the MO – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

February can be an excellent time to make a trip to the MO and while the weather can sometimes be a challenge if you hit it right you could experience some absolute spring-like conditions and some great fishing. While nymphing is by far the most productive and widely utilized technique during the winter months don’t overlook the streamer action (swung or slowly stripped) or the dry-fly action as the fish target the tiny midges that are present more often than not when the sun is shining on the Missouri.

It looks like we’re in for a pretty decent stretch of weather starting on Thursday with temperatures climbing into the 50’s and near 60 on Friday. As it stands now the long-range has us holding in this weather pattern through the middle of the month so it’s the perfect time to plan a trip to Wolf Creek Montana. We would love to take you fishing.

As if the spring weather weren’t enough to bring you here, we’re offering an awesome deal this month only where if you book a full day guide trip at our ridiculously reasonable winter rate of $395, we’ll throw in a night’s lodging in one of our bungalows for $59! A guided day on the river includes expert instruction from one of our world-class guides, all the flies you need, a hot lunch and hot and cold beverages and transportation to and from the river. Take advantage of this offer while it lasts and don’t worry about being locked in. If the weather is unfavorable or if you just decide you don’t want to do it you are free to bail with no penalty.

Not looking for a guided trip? Come stay with us at Wolf Creek Angler and do it yourself. Our warm and cozy bungalows are priced right for the winter at $99/night. Start your day with a hearty breakfast at The Frenchman and then stop in the shop for a shuttle and whatever you need for your day on the river. We’re loaded up with winter bugs, cold weather gear, terminal tackle, licenses, RO drift boat rentals and some great deals on merchandise we need to move to make way for spring shipments.

No need to rush – you are just minutes from Holter Dam and the Wolf Creek Bridge. Spend your day on the water and return to your home-away from home where you can either utilize the full kitchen in your bungalow and make your own meal or head to The Frenchman for a night out in Wolf Creek. Don’t miss Uncle Joe’s Oasis for a night-cap and stop by the Canyon Store for provisions including an excellent selection of Montana Microbrews.

Wolf Creek is the place to be for winter fishing in Montana and Wolf Creek Angler is proud to be your full service Missouri River fly shop. Book your trip today!

Wolf Creek Angler is your full service Missouri River Fly Shop – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:01-06:00February 3rd, 2015|Categories: Montana Fly Fishing, Uncategorized|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Holter Dam, midge, Missouri River, Missouri River Winter Fishing, Montana, RO Drift Boats, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

The Missouri River is a year-round fishery – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

We’re just a couple days into a bit of a cold snap which has brought with it some much needed winter precipitation but it looks like a warm up underway for the remainder of the week. It doesn’t take long to grow tired of the cold and while we appreciate the fact that many love Montana for the winter activities it offers, we love to fish. We love to fish any and every month of the year and it just so happens that we have a year-round fishery here on the Missouri River.

We love the summer crowds and the hustle and bustle on and off the river but we also love the solitude afforded us by the colder months. Traffic on the river is minimal but the fishing can be downright spectacular depending on the day. The first time I fished the Missouri was a February day with temps in the high 30’s and lots of sunshine and we had one of the best days of winter fishing I’ve ever had anywhere.

Winter nymphing is nearly always productive on the MO and the late fall and early winter can offer some of the best streamer fishing you will have on this river. Add to this the the ever-present midge hatches offering dry fly fishing opportunities and you have everything you could want no matter what your game.

Well into the winter fishing season, we’ve entered the time of year when nymph selection is a no-brainer. Firebeads, pink anything, sowbugs, lightning bugs…you know the drill. I should spend more time trying different patterns out in the winter but since cold hands are kind of part of the deal and since one double nymph rig often works for weeks at a time, I usually leave things alone for as long as I can.

Some of our favorite winter nymph patterns. Top – purple lightning bug. 2nd row Rainbow Weight Fly with firebead. 3rd row left to right pink san juan worm, Rainbow Czech, Firebead Soft Hackle Sow Bug, Keller’s Payczech Rainbow, Hot Bead Wire Worm. 4th Row Firebead Rainbow Czech, Pink Scud, Tungsten Tailwater Sowbug. 5th row Casne’s Pinkalicious, Rainbow Warrior, Firebead Pink Ray. 6th row PInk Lightning Bug, Black Tungsten Zebra Midge, Purple Tungsten Zebra Midge. All available at Wolf Creek Angler. Photo – Wolf Creek Angler

Wolf Creek is your year-round Missouri River fishing destination – photo Wolf Creek Angler

So where to stay?

There is a common misconception that EVERYTHING shuts down in Craig and Wolf Creek once winter sets in. This is simply not the case. While things are quiet you can still find everything you need from flies to shuttles to boat rentals to lodging to dining…it’s all right here in Wolf Creek. With Shotgun Annie’s open for food and drinks, The Oasis serving up plenty of strong winter libations, the only gas station and only grocery store between Helena and Cascade (The Canyon Store) and Wolf Creek Angler, your 12-month full service fly shop, guide service and lodging operation you need go no further than Wolf Creek. And since most of the winter fishing on the Missouri River takes place between Holter Dam and Craig, by staying in Wolf Creek you are just minutes from both the dam and Wolf Creek Bridge launch sights.

Winter really is the secret season on the Missouri and while there are some hardcore anglers who will fish in single digits we prefer 30 and above. Fortunately we see a fair amount of these 30 plus degree days over the course of the winter so watch the weather and find time to come fish the Mighty Mo this winter. We typically fill our weekend lodging up by mid-week when the forecast is for nice weather so keep an eye on the 10-day and don’t wait. We understand that the weather can change quickly and we wouldn’t expect you to fish through a polar vortex so don’t worry about cancellation fees for lodging or guide trips due to cold weather. Book your trips and worry not – we get it! Take advantage of our off-season lodging rates ($99/night) and guide trips for $400 while the snow flies. Better yet, book your winter guide trip and lodging special for just $500. That’s a full day Missouri River guide trip for one or two anglers AND two night’s premium lodging for just $500. It’s the best deal on the Missouri River Hands Down. Nobody…and I mean NOBODY can touch this one.

We look forward to seeing you in Wolf Creek this winter.

The Canyon Store is the only gas station/convenience store between Helena and Cascade and has an awesome Montana Microbrew selection.

Winter Solitude on the MO’

By Jason Orzechowski|2019-01-22T19:51:05-07:00November 18th, 2014|Categories: Montana Fly Fishing, Shop Life|Tags: Missouri River, Missouri River Winter Fishing, Montana, nymphs, RO Drift Boats, running line, Streamer Fishing, streamers, winter, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler, zebra midges|0 Comments

Team Wolf Creek Angler toasting our inaugural season at our first Craig Caddis Festival. – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

The theme for today’s photo 101 challenge is CONNECT. This was a cool shot from the 2014 Craig Caddis Festival where Fred and Sheila and myself toasted Wolf Creek Angler which has certainly connected us as partners but which has also connected us to a community, a lifestyle, a state of mind and to a bunch of awesome people. It was a great first season and we learned a lot about what it takes to run a fly shop and lodging operation. We’ve got all kinds of ideas for the coming seasons and we will implement them as our budget allows. Stay tuned….

~Jason O.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:05-06:00November 10th, 2014|Categories: Montana Fly Fishing, Uncategorized|Tags: connect, photo 101, photo101, running line, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Fall nymphing on the Missouri River – photo by Wolf Creek Angler, LLC

Guest Blog by Wolf Creek Angler guide Jim Murray

It’s not just the golden rule of real estate, but of nymph fishing the Missouri as well.

There’s a lot of fish in the Mighty Mo, and those fish like to eat (shocking I know). Luckily for all those fish, the Missouri ecosystem produces A TON of food for them to eat. And while this is great for the fish, it can sometimes be less than ideal for the fisherman. Let me explain.

This great amount of food (insects, worms, crustaceans, etc.) flows through the river constantly, giving these fish a buffet table of food to choose from. As a result, these fish don’t have to travel very far to get a bite to eat. What this means for the fisherman, is that this river fishes very differently from many of our great freestone rivers in this state. Fish in small streams, and even some of the larger freestone rivers are very opportunistic feeders. They will move, sometimes even a few feet, to eat a morsel of food that they see pass through their window of opportunity to get a bite and fill their stomach. The residents of the Missouri do not need to do this. They tend to stay in their prime feeding lies, rarely moving unless forced out. As a result, they will not travel far to eat your fly. They don’t have to.

When fly fisherman, myself included, start struggling to get a lot of eats on the river, the first instinct is often to change the fly. Micro May not working? Let’s try a Green Machine. Size18 not working? Let’s go to a 20. Worm? Sow? What are they eating?!?

More often than not, it’s not the fly, but the location of the fly. The next time you aren’t catching the amount of fish you feel that you should, change the location. This means both depth and range. If you are fishing deep, shorten it up. Already short? Go deep. Add some weight. Take some off. One of my good friends, and probably the best nymph fisherman I know, Bob Glassen, states that he “changes depth constantly”. He’s not satisfied until he’s found out where they are in the water column. Also, if you float through a good run that you are sure is holding fish, don’t be afraid to go back up, move over 3 or 4 feet and run it again. You will often be surprised by the results. A few feet on this river can be the difference between a great day in the boat and a slow or average one.

This isn’t to say that fly choice doesn’t matter at all, but It’s been my experience that if you put the fly in front of the fish, they will eat it. So the next time you aren’t getting into them like you should, remember the old real estate adage, Location, Location, Location, and adjust accordingly. You’ll be happy you did!

Give us a call at (406)235-4350 and book a trip with Wolf Creek Angler today.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:06-06:00October 27th, 2014|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing|Tags: fly fishing, green machine, indicator, Missouri River, nymphs, running line, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Perfect Autumn morning at Wolf Creek Bridge. Photo by Wolf Creek Angler

Fall colors are in full swing on the Missouri River. Photo by Neale Streeks

Fishing has been improving steadily over the past few weeks as we make the full transition to fall. We’ve had summer-like weather for the most part save for one day of snow showers early in the month and while it’s made for some beautiful days on the water we would prefer some cooler, cloudier weather to get the bugs going. Tomorrow could be the day with a chance of rain and snow showers and highs in the low 50’s. Sunny skies return on Monday and Tuesday but with temps dipping into the high 30’s at night hopefully we will see a drop in the water temp which should usher in the big bugs everybody is waiting for.

The fishing has been pretty solid depending on the day throughout the system with the possible exception of the Holter Dam to Wolf Creek Bridge stretch which, after giving it up consistently for many weeks, has gotten relatively quiet. The usual suspects (zebras, sow bugs, pt’s, green machines etc.) will still pick up a few fish on any given day up there but we haven’t seen the consistent action like we were seeing a few weeks ago. The cray fish has also gone quiet after a spectacular run, though I wouldn’t hesitate to try one if nothing else is working.

Below Wolf Creek Bridge it’s a different story with dries, nymphs and streamers all getting it done. The browns are on the prowl and will hammer a streamer right now. Good patterns for us have been Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow in Sculpin, polar leeches in black, copper and olive/copper, olive smolts and the gold/silver Kreelex. Change your bugs, change up your strip and be patient. The Streamer game is not a numbers thing and you may go a long time between chases and may go all day without a hook up but the anticipation and the occasional hog on the chase will keep things interesting, at least for those of us who are into that sort of thing. We are stocked up in the shop with a great selection of streamers that work and we are always happy to share our secrets with you.

Big Autumn Browns colored up and on the chase on the Missouri photo by Wolf Creek Angler LLC

The nymphing game below the bridge has been good with the Little Green Machine leading the charge most days. Other hot bugs have been WD 40’s, Rainbow Warriors, Chezch nymphs, sow bugs, PT’s, Dark Peep Shows and all kinds of baetis stuff including Angel Case Emergers, Bubbleback Emergers, Magic Flies and juju’s. Some days it’s a short rig – other days not so much. Air-Lock Strike Indicators continue to fly off the shelves due to the ease with which you can change depths in no time by simply loosening the nut and sliding the indicator to the desired depth. Long known for our skepticism of gimmicky products – the WCA guide crew has fully embraced this technology and we are proud to endorse Air Lock Strike Indicators as our official indicator of choice on the MO.

Air-Lock Strike Indicators always available at Wolf Creek Angler

Plenty of fish up on any given day as well and many willing to play. We’ve been liking a Parachute Adams or a Purple Haze with an RS2, CDC Caddis emerger, zebra midge or Juju trailer but a #14 Sloan’s Outrigger Caddis coupled with a #22 pseudo isn’t a bad call either. Plenty of options as we await the BWO’s. Stop by the shop for all of these bugs and more along with as much or as little instruction as you would like on the where’s, when’s and hows.

Lodging is busy right now but we’ve got a few vacancies here and there so give us a call. We are the only full service fly shop in Wolf Creek with lodging, guides, shuttles, RO drift boat rentals and a shop filled with everything you need for Missouri River fly fishing success including the greatest selection of bugs ever to be assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek Montana. Stop in and see us and find out for yourself if all the things you’ve heard are true. You’ll be glad you did.

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

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:06-06:00October 11th, 2014|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing|Tags: Air-Lock Strike Indicators, brown trout, fly fishing, green machine, Holter Dam, Missouri River, RO Drift Boats, running line, Sloan's Outrigger Caddis, streamers, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler, zebra midges|0 Comments

Our favorite time of year. Cool fall mornings at Holter Dam on the Missouri River photo by Wolf Creek Angler LLC

Autumn is starting to take hold on the Little Prickly Pear – photo Wolf Creek Angler LLC

Fall day at Wolf Creek Bridge photo Wolf Creek Angler

Join us all this weekend as we bid farewell to our first summer with huge savings on everything in the shop where we are clearing space to make room for new fall merchandise arriving daily. Twenty percent off everything storewide. Flies, rods, reels, waders, hydroflasks, Simms logo wear, fly lines, leaders, tippet – everything is on sale!

It’s been a great inaugural summer for Wolf Creek Angler. We’ve met so many great people over the past 5 months in the shop and on the water and out and about at various community and industry events. We’ve learned a lot since April about what works and what doesn’t and we’re making changes as we go. Look for constant growth and constant improvement and a constant committment to customer service from Wolf Creek Angler.

The cool weather and the rain last weekend flipped the switch on the MO and the fishing has been crazy good – downright ridiculous at times. The crayfish craze has been in effect for a couple of weeks now and we’ve done extremely well dead drifting various crayfish patterns in tandem with zebra midges at the dam and a whole host of bugs below the Wolf Creek bridge. Peep Shows, Little Green Machines, Micro Mays, Soft Hackle Sows, Shop Vacs and flashback PT’s have all had some strong showings over the past few days. The fish are where you would expect to find them and also where you might not expect them to be. Hit the water you like and the water you don’t – it’s all good right now.

There are still plenty of tricos around and there have been a few heads up here and there for the DFO’s to target. We’ve also had moderate success on hoppers, especially below Craig. We like to trail with an ant or drop a weight fly to bump the odds.

Fall lodging and guide trips are booking up quickly – especially for October so don’t wait too long. We are a little sad to see summer go but we’re ready for fall in Wolf Creek. Awesome days of fishing the MO followed by dinner and libations at the Oasis and/or the Frenchman followed by a good night’s rest at Wolf Creek Angler – does it get any better?

Rooms, boats, bugs, shuttles and all the terminal tackle you need along with rain gear, wading gear, layering gear and more all at Wolf Creek Angler – minutes from Holter Dam and Wolf Creek Bridge. Nobody is closer!

Axel with one of the prettiest Missouri River rainbows I’ve seen

Brad Turner aka The PM Angler from Baldwin Michigan got a good taste of what the Missouri River has to offer

Father and Son Dan and Paul had a great day on the Missouri River with Wolf Creek Angler guide Jim Murray

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:06-06:00August 30th, 2014|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing, Uncategorized|Tags: fly fishing, green machine, Holter Dam, Missouri River, nymphs, rainbow trout, running line, tricos, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler, zebra midges|0 Comments

The famed Blackfoot River

Being that things are a little slow around the Missouri right now, Fred and Matt and I have all taken the opportunity to get out of the canyon and visit some different waters. We love the Missouri but it’s always nice to get out and see other parts of this beautiful and amazing state we call home. I was able to spend a couple of days this week fishing west of the divide with my son and spent the day Thursday in Yellowstone checking Slough Creek off of the bucket list.

Last summer I convinced my son to go wandering with me so we threw the tent and the sleeping bags and the rods in the car and ventured west. We ended up camping at River Junction on the Blackfoot and had a great time despite the fishing being a little slow. I worked on my teaching skills and he worked on his casting skills and we were able to tolerate one another for the most part. I had hoped it was the start of fishing together with some regularity but once school started a week or two later things got busy. Once we bought the shop things got even busier so here we are a year later, summer is waning and we haven’t fished much so we decided we would at least continue the tradition of a day of wandering and fishing and a night of camping. We again found ourselves drawn to the Blackfoot, this time camping at Russell Gates. As we watched the rafts taking out that night and launching the next morning we talked of an overnight on the river next summer. We shall see! My son is not crazy about fishing, in fact I think it would be fair to say that he tolerates fishing. We don’t have a lot in common right now. He is a 13-year-old kid with 13-year-old kid interests and we don’t spend a lot of time together so to have the opportunity to hang out together meant a lot to me and hopefully to him as well. We fished some great small waters, caught some cutthroats, worked on casting/mending/line control and were lulled to sleep by the soothing sounds of the river flowing outside of our tent. We fished a bit the second day but spent most of our time exploring the back roads in and around the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

Worked in the shop Wednesday morning and then made my way south to Gardiner to meet up with some friends from back home. On Thursday we headed into Yellowstone to fish the legendary Slough Creek.

The Legendary Slough Creek. Everything you’ve heard is true!

Brad Turner www.pmanglercom and his wife Lasha hail from Baldwin Michigan where Brad guides on my home water, the Pere Marquette River. Brad taught me much of what I know about fly fishing years ago and has been a huge influence on me over the years. Time spent on the water with Brad over the years certainly contributed to the decision to pursue this dream here in Wolf Creek MT and it’s always a pleasure to fish with the Turners.

Today marks two years since my wife, our son, our dog and I walked out the door of our home in Ludington MI for the last time and headed west to pursue our dream. It was shortly after we arrived in Helena that the Turners came out to Yellowstone on vacation and I met them there with intentions of fishing Slough Creek. Being new at that time to living in a state where we share the land with critters like grizzly bears I was a little apprehensive about venturing into the wilds of Yellowstone. As luck would have it we had no grizzly encounters but did have an encounter with a bison who decided to charge us to keep things interesting. We did not venture beyond the road accessible parts of the creek and the fishing was challenging to say the leas. I left Yellowstone having failed to catch a fish.

The Turners didn’t make it out last year but we’ve been planning our return to Slough for over a year now. We did the research and discovered that the only way to fish Slough is to hike into the meadows. As we began our trek yesterday morning I commented that there was no way I would have made this hike the first year because of the aforementioned critter anxiety so I feel like I’ve come a long way. Over six miles each way, we did a BIG hike through some very Beary looking country. The plan was to hike until we found water we would have to ourselves. There were several anglers at the first meadow so we hiked on to the second where we found a great stretch of water where we had a couple of hours of outstanding cutthroat fishing. With a several hour hike ahead of us we cut the fishing short and headed out. It was a day I won’t soon forget.

Beautiful views of the valley on the hike out

So what’s happening on the Missouri? Steady as she goes. Tricos in the morning, nymphing coming back into shape and hoppers getting it done. More details to come as I shift gears and get back on the MO in the next couple of days.

Stop by the shop and see what’s new. We’ve got everything you need for the Missouri and beyond. Bugs, shuttles, terminal tackle, rods, reels, rooms, guides and all kinds of Wolf Creek Angler logo gear to suit any taste. Friendly service and honest reports and advice always.

See you in the shop and on the water.

~ Jason O.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:07-06:00August 15th, 2014|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing, Uncategorized|Tags: Blackfoot, fly fishing, Gardiner MT, Missouri River, Montana, Pere Marquette River, running line, Slough Creek, tricos, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler, Yellowstone National Park|0 Comments

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|0 Comments

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|0 Comments

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.