For many a visit to the Missouri River is a one-time  Fly Fishing Bucket List trip. Some immediately fall under her spell and end up returning year after year. We routinely host guests who’ve been fishing here for much of their lives. It’s always interesting to hear their stories and to hear their perspective on how things have changed over the years.

Occasionally we like to feature some of our guests here on the pages of our blog.  In the case of the Coopers, I’ve been wanting to feature their story here for as many years as I’ve know them and just had never gotten down to putting pen to paper. The annual Cooper visit  to Wolf Creek Angler for two weeks each June always marks the onset of primetime at WCA. This year was no different and I actually made it a point to get together with David Cooper and let him know what I had in mind. Not only did he like the idea but being a newspaperman by trade, he offered to do the work and write the piece himself.  I couldn’t turn down that kind of offer.

It’s been a great pleasure getting to know this family over the years and we look forward to more adventures with the Cooper Clan for many years to come.

The following is a guest blog by David Cooper.

The Coopers and Fly-Fishing in Montana, 1984-2017

We first fished the Missouri River in 1984 with Montana River Outfitters’ Neale Streeks and Craig Madsen. With only a few years’ exceptions, we have been back every year since.

June 2017 was our latest visit, with Wolf Creek Angler, which bought MRO’s Wolf Creek fly shops, cabins, rooms and operations from Madsen several years ago. Jason Orzechowski, the owner, has made improvements each year.

We were a family party of 10 our second week, with grandsons Kendall and Gray Cooper, Kendall’s fiancé, Kristi Elkins, nephews Andrew and Mike Whinery, Mike’s wife, Meghan, and Bridget and Stan Durham, Kendall and Gray’s mother and stepfather.

It was a great week of fun, laughter, sightseeing for newcomers to Montana, and some good fly-fishing. Kendall was top rod with a hefty 23-inch brown trout, but everyone caught some trophy fish, held back only by high upstream winds on several days.

Between 12 and 15 years ago, Joanne and I brought each one of our five grandsons to Montana so they could learn to fly-fish for trout. They included my other grandsons, Steven and Daniel Cooper, and James Perry, Joanne’s grandson. We delighted in camping at River Junction on the nearby Blackfoot River in expeditions outfitted by Craig Madsen’s MRO.

MRO also introduced us to the wild beauty and rugged limestone canyons of the Smith River, and we made seven or eight guided trips on the Smith over the years with family and friends, catching and releasing trout and enjoying gourmet meals and wine at our riverside campsites. We have fond memories of our Smith trips and the guides we got to know well over the years, including Neale Streeks, Brian Neilsen, Brian Scott, Joe Aanes, Mike Reitz, Dan Kelly and others.

As we’ve grown older—I turned 84 in 2017—we have stuck with the Missouri and our base in Room 12 at Wolf Creek Angler. And we have delighted in fishing with new guides, especially Justin Lawrence and Jerrell Beougher. Jason has always made sure that everything is just right for our visits.

The Missouri from the Holter Dam to Cascade is a special place for us. Whenever we fish it, we always think of the 1805 Lewis & Clark Expedition and what its stalwart voyagers must have thought and marveled at as they made their way upstream from what is now Great Falls and into its magnificent canyons, etched and tossed toward the sky millions of years ago.

The trout in the Missouri are large, strong and numerous. We have great memories of those landed and released and those that somehow got away, even right at the net. But the landscape itself, the river, the wildlife and Montana’s Big Sky are also what have kept us coming back year after year. Health permitting, we hope to do so again.

As we bid a fond farewell to a great June it’s time to look ahead.

It’s Fourth of July Weekend and you know what that means….it’s going to be a busy weekend on the MO’ due in no small part to our second annual Make America Fly Again sale happening Monday July 3rd and Tuesday July 4th. 25% off ALL regularly priced flies and CLOSEOUT DEALS on some of our slower movers you don’t want to miss.

Additionally we’ll likely be hanging out celebrating our Independence on Tuesday while enjoying an adult beverage or two and maybe even throwing some burgers and dogs on the grill. Nothing official this year….just gonna let it happen, whatever “it” may be.

PMD’s are on the wane. Trico sightings happening daily and caddis proving they are still on the Missouri River Dry Fly Menu.  With sunshine and highs near 90 in the forecast the biggest hatch this weekend will likely be of the splash and giggle variety and that’s ok, the river will be yours again come Wednesday.

We’re all booked up with our summer regulars….one more time around. It’s my favorite time of the lodging season re-connecting with old friends and making a few new ones too. Afternoon and evening fishing reports a plenty right now on the porches at WCA during cocktail hour.

Enjoy the height of the season on the MO with us this weekend at WCA.

It’s that time of the year again, high water and inclement weather in the woods of upstate New York, have driven Umpqua Signiture Fly Tier Vince Wilcox and his motley crew of feather-flingers west to the Rockies. Between checking out the MO and some local freestone, Vince will be joining us again on Friday April 28th at 6 p.m for a tying demo. He’ll be showing off a few patterns this year including some warm water bugs and a new twist on a Missouri River standard, the Little Green Machine. If you’ve fished the MO at all over the past few years, you’ve probably fished the LGM and if you haven’t, well I don’t know what to tell you. Other than you should probably get with the program, its been a top seller the past 4 years for a reason.

Same deal as last year, this is an informal event, wet waders and cold beverages are welcome. The shop’ll  have a cooler of some drinks but feel free to bring something to share. We’ll be hanging out until about 8 o’clock or until the party moves to the Oasis.

~Cheers, Chewy.

Spring underway in Wolf Creek MT

Two of the most frequently asked questions I get from our guests and clients is “What is the best time of year to fish the Missouri” and “When is your favorite time to fish the Missouri”?

My standard response to the first is that the best time to fish the Missouri is whenever you are here. The MO’ fishes year round and while there are definitely some months which fish better than others there isn’t a bad time to fish here provided you have the proper gear.

The second question is tougher and the answer tends to fluctuate depending on when the question is being asked but mid April – mid May definitely ranks up there for me as one of my absolute favorite times to fish period.

Spring is a great time to experience Montana as the state awakens from its winter slumber. Warm sunny days (and some cold rainy ones too), greening landscapes and hungry trout bring back the crowds and we return to our busy season schedule. The long winter wait is over. It’s GO TIME.

The sights, sounds and smells of spring are one of a kind. The buds on the trees, the daily serenade of songbirds, the smell of rain and soil….it’s an awesome time to be on the water.

Did I mention hungry trout? These first weeks of April on into May can’t be beat as the fish become more active and aggressive. If you like to fish streamers THIS IS YOUR TIME! Not only have we had some of the best streamer fishing in recent memory on the Missouri, but we’ve also had some epic days on other waters.

Spring also offers some of the best nymphing opportunities of the year as well as plenty of BWO’s and midges (and the occasional skwalla) to keep the dry fly enthusiasts engaged.

Nymphs, streamers, Dries, Dry/dropper…..all effective and all on the table right now.

The weather can range from sunny and 70s to rain/snow and 30’s so be sure to bring it all. Layering is definitely the key for spring fishing comfort. More days than not you can expect at least a slight chance of a passing shower or two so good rain gear/wading gear should be a critical component of your spring  gear bag.

You’ve got 11 days left to take advantage of the best deal on the Missouri River. Two nights lodging and a full day on the water for just $500 (plus tax). Availability has become somewhat limited with the popularity of our spring special but we can still make it happen…give us a call today.

The reports from the last couple of days have been less than stellar but we did see a big bump in flows yesterday (currently 6480 cfs) which more often than not has a short-term negative impact on the fishing. That being said if you cover enough water and make enough changes you stand to piece together a decent day.

We’re going to see a continued increase in flows over the next 24 hours bumping up near 7000 but don’t let that deter you. The fish aren’t going anywhere, you just need to find them. They will likely be in the same water you found them in at lower flows but the location of that water column has likely changed with the increased flows. Whether you’re fishing from a boat or wading think less about changing your setup to compensate for higher flows and more about changing your location to find the water where your setup works.

Full rooms, a full parking lot and three coffee pot days in a bustling shop…the season is underway!

By the time I publish this, Jason should be somewhere around 39,000 feet, cruising east on his annual trip back to the Mitten in search of steelhead. I’m taking this opportunity during his yearly home visit to unload the back-stock and clear off some shelf space. With new merchandise showing up everyday, there’s a lot to get out the door. So here’s the deal; For the duration of Jason’s trip, I’m putting it all on sale. Damn near the whole shop will be discounted starting this morning, until the boss is back behind the counter on April 1st.   8 DAYS of deals from the windows, to the walls. Oh, and if it’s already on the sale rack, we can negotiate.  Here’s the straight up savings that’ll be happening….

• 40% off all Redington winter gear
• 20% off all 2016 SIMMS outerwear
• 50% off all Outdoor Research winter gear
• $20 T-Shirts
• 40% off select rods

In addition, if you’re looking for a new rod/reel combo, we can talk. Just checked in new rods from Redington and LOOP including some bigger guns;  7 & 8 weights in both brands. On the opposite end we’ve also got a few new killer creek rods in 3 & 4 weights available across the board, Echo, LOOP & Redington. And as always we’ve got a slough of solid MO bug guns.

To balance them on the back end, a case loaded with new reels from Nautilus, Ross, LOOP, Echo & Redington. And of course lines to match. Streamer lines from RIO including their new award winning big bug tosser the InTouch Big Nasty and next level dry lines from ARC Fishing including the 99 & 99+ for the faster action rods.  So if you’re looking for a new stick or full setup to toss into the mix we’ve got you covered.

So far the forecast is looking pretty solid for the upcoming week, warm temps with a chance of moisture and cloud cover. Typical spring fare for the Rocky Mountain Front. Looking forward to seeing everybody over the next week until Jason gets back to trade places for a bit. I’m already planning my next O.T.R Report, lets just hope the river gods cooperate!

~Cheers, Chewy.