Friday the 13th - will this be your lucky day on the MO? photo - Wolf Creek Angler

Friday the 13th – will this be your lucky day on the MO? photo – Wolf Creek Angler

What’s in store for you on the Missouri River this Friday the 13th? You won’t know until you get here but a couple of things are guaranteed.
The first is that it is going to be a ridiculously nice Mid-March day with sunny skies and highs near 70. The second is that there is no better way (in our humble opinion) to spend your day than floating or wading the Missouri. Whether watching the bank go by from the confines of a boat or watching the river and the boats go by from your favorite wade spot – there is nothing better than a day on the water, especially this water.
I speak for myself but I’m sure many of you would agree that few things in life provide the level of mental therapy of a day on the water with a fly rod in your hand connecting with the environment and the experience and hopefully with a trout or two.
Not that there aren’t frustrating moments and even frustrating days on this river but in the grand scheme of things regardless of your hook-up rate your success rate should always be 100 percent as measured by doing something you love and reaping the rewards of that activity. Whether it is solitude you seek or a time of camaraderie – our sport provides it and while the Missouri River is our go-to, it’s not the particular river that makes the experience but the simple act of our interaction with the water and the surroundings – wherever it may be.
Anglers in general and guides in particular tend to be on the superstitious side. We all have our routines, our lucky articles of clothing, our lucky spots on the river etc. and we make a habit of these things because we believe they contribute to our success. I’ve never been too concerned with Friday the 13th but some are – this is what Wikipedia says about that;

The number 13 is considered an unlucky number in some countries.

[7] The end of the Mayan calendar’s 13th Baktun was superstitiously feared as a harbinger of the apocalyptic 2012 phenomenon.[8] Fear of the number 13 has a specifically recognized phobia, Triskaidekaphobia, a word coined in 1911. The superstitious sufferers of triskaidekaphobia try to avoid bad luck by keeping away from anything numbered or labelled thirteen. As a result, companies and manufacturers use another way of numbering or labeling to avoid the number, with hotels and tall buildings being conspicuous examples (thirteenth floor).[9] It’s also considered unlucky to have thirteen guests at a table. Friday the 13th has been considered the unluckiest day of the month.

So should you avoid the Missouri River on Friday the 13th? Absolutely not. I count my blessings no matter the date and to be here in Wolf Creek Montana where I am able to fish the amazing Missouri River anytime I want, to be able to pursue this dream of co-owning a fly shop and being an outfitter and guide and to be able to do it all with the enthusiastic support of my amazing wife and our family…I don’t know that I could feel much luckier on this day.

See you in the shop and on the water. Lodging and guide trips available for the weekend and in honor of this day buy a dozen flies and get the 13th for free. And don’t forget – $300 spring special guide trips start one week from today!