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Double Browns

It’s hard for me to believe but we’ve already reached MID JUNE!

Things are in full tilt mode to the point where we’ve lost track of time. If it weren’t for the local dining schedule we’d have no idea what day it is! No dinner at the Oasis? It must be a Tuesday or Wednesday. Dinner at the O but not at Izaaks? Gotta be Monday. Thursday – Sunday blend into one and the next thing you know you’re smack dab in the middle of prime time on the Missouri.

How’s the fishing you ask? Well every day is a little different but the word from the past several has been PMD’s – GAME ON!

Lots of bugs…..lots of fish up…. and most importantly plenty of fish willing to eat a well presented fly.

For perhaps the first time this season it sounds like the dry fly fishing has been exceeding the nymphing in terms of success rates. Nymphing has been good though somewhat inconsistent so if that’s your game don’t despair. Just because it’s slow today doesn’t mean it won’t be on fire tomorrow.

If it’s dry fly fishing you seek then this is your time! Anyone who follows this blog and others pertaining to the Missouri knows that the dry fly fishing on this river is technical. We’ve got plenty of fish. Plenty of ultra-selective, uppity fish who will laugh at your poor presentation all day long. Casting practice is for the back yard not the MO’. Dial it in before you hit the water or you’ll likely come to be very well acquainted with a thing called frustration. DRAG  FREE DRIFT….think it, practice it, live it! Often times not an easy task on the tricky MO’.  Need some coaching? We’re more than happy to help!

Best bets on the bugs? We’ve done well with Rusty Spinners, Brooks Sprout PMD, Quigley’s Film Critic, Wilcox’s Micro May PMD, Flash Cripples, Nyman’s DOA Cripple, CDC Winged Emergers, buzzballs, Parachute Adams and more.

Flows in the 9000 CFS range have been fine for dry fly action and nymphing alike. Not the best wading conditions but perfect conditions for fishing from the comfortable confines of a drift boat. Flows are back on the rise and will reach near 12000 again tomorrow as a result of the major rain events we experienced around the region this week. Canyon Ferry is filling quickly so it’s time to dump some water. Think Flushing Flows. We like flushing flows.

What should you expect for the second half of June. Expect a drop in and stabilization of flows soon barring any major precipitation events and expect continued amazing PMD action though we may experience a bit of a lull with the big bump in flows today and tomorrow. Back to the wire worm and the sow bugs. We’re having our best action on sow variations paired with a Fishfinder or Wire Worm. I would expect this to hold true through these bigger flows (10,400 as I write).

Should you choose to switch it up and stray from the sow we’ve been doing well with split case and Crack Back PMD’s, Magic Flies (Rusty or PMD), Little Green Machines, Brown or PMD S & M’s, Psycho Mays, Military Mays, Peep Shows, Gold Weight Flies, Purple Lightning Bugs, Rainbow Czechs, Rainbow Warriors, Doc’s PMD, Tung Darts and plain old pheasant tails among many others.

Streamers? Yes. Pick your poison. Sparkle Minnows, Dirty Hippies, Space Invaders, Buggers. Stun Guns, Circus Peanuts AND MORE. Come by the shop and check out what some consider to be “the best selection of streamers on the MO'”.

Lodging is full for the most part but we do have a few vacancies on Saturday due to cancellations.

The shop is open daily at 7 AM for everything you need for your day on the water. Stop by and see us today.

With current flows on the Missouri holding at just over 11K it’s a different river than what you might be used to this time of year but it’s fishing just fine and there’s no reason you shouldn’t have successful days out there provided you make a few basic adjustments to your game.

Before we get to that however the big question on everyone’s mind is “how high are those flows going to go”? We’ve been getting plenty of calls on a daily basis regarding the current flows and where they might be headed and what that might mean for June/July Missouri River fishing plans.

As is always the case, first off the disclaimer. We here at Wolf Creek Angler are ill equipped to give any sort of qualified professional predictions as to what the flows on the Missouri will or will not be over these next several weeks. We know what we’re seeing out there now, we know what the SNOTEL looks like and we know what the “experts” are forecasting….beyond that we are not hydrologists, climatologists or meteorologists so our guess is as good as yours.

This morning we received a notice from the Bureau of Reclamation calling for a DECREASE in flows on the Missouri. The notice included the following;

COMMENTS:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Operational plans indicate releases need to be reduced in order to gradually fill Canyon Ferry Reservoir to the top of the joint use pool.  Flows on the Missouri River below Holter Dam will be near 10,000 cfs.  In response, the following operation changes are required at Canyon Ferry Dam and Powerplant.   

CANYON FERRY RELEASES AND OPERATIONS: Times are Mountain Daylight Savings Time 

At 1600 hour on Wednesday, May 24, 2017:    Maintain releases through the river outlet gates at 0 cfs.  Decrease releases through the spillway gates to 4,750 cfs.    Maintain turbine release at ≈ 5,100 cfs (≈52.0 MW-Hrs/hr using 98. cfs/mw). Maintain releases for Helena Valley Project at 700 cfs (350 cfs pumped to Helena Valley and 350 cfs discharged to the Missouri River). Decrease release to the Missouri River to 10,200 cfs.  Decrease total release from Canyon Ferry to 10,550 cfs

At 1600 hour on Thursday, May 25, 2017:  Maintain releases through the river outlet gates at 0 cfs.  Decrease releases through the spillway gates to 4,250 cfs.    Maintain turbine release at ≈ 5,100 cfs (≈52.0 MW-Hrs/hr using 98. cfs/mw). Maintain releases for Helena Valley Project at 700 cfs (350 cfs pumped to Helena Valley and 350 cfs discharged to the Missouri River). Decrease release to the Missouri River to 9,700 cfs.  Decrease total release from Canyon Ferry to 10,050 cfs

Meanwhile, flows on the Dearborn are on the rise again (currently 1,020 cfs) while Little Prickly Pear continues to drop. The SNOTEL is still looking blue (and sometimes more blue by the day as spring storms continue to deliver snow to the high country).

So what’s it all mean? Those in the know are well aware of the snowpack and they have decided to reduce the outflow from Canyon Ferry in order to fill the reservoir. This tells me that the current contributing conditions are such that those calling the shots feel Missouri flows maintained in the 10K range below Holter Dam for time being will allow for sufficient fill rates. Above average precipitation over these next few weeks could definitely change this but if things remain average or below where precipitation is concerned we expect flows will be maintained at this level for the time being and will gradually be reduced as runoff peaks sometime in early to mid June.

We are getting calls about June and July conditions and what we are telling people as that our best guess is that we will see flows stabilize somewhere in the 6K range for the season once the peak flows have been reached. When exactly this will take place we don’t know but my gut is telling me we mid June…..I could be way off, it wouldn’t be the first time.

So how does all of this affect you and your Missouri River summer fly fishing plans? It all depends on how you fish. If you are a wade-only angler you may be challenged by the conditions this spring. If you fish from a boat you will likely LOVE the flows if they hold in the 10K range.

Last week the river was as muddy as I’ve ever seen it following Wednesday  night’s rain storm which pushed Little Prickly Pear into the 700 cfs range and the Dearborn to over 1500 CFS providing plenty of muddy inflow to the MO’. Muddy water has it’s own set of challenges but we still caught plenty of fish.

When you are fishing high or muddy water it’s important to keep in mind that the fundamentals remain the same. You need to find the fish and determine what it is they are eating. This is the case for any and all water conditions. Don’t overthink the challenges.

Generally speaking the fish move with the increased flows in order to maintain the type of water in which they like to reside. Changes in rigging are sometimes necessary to address the new location of the fish but if you have been having success with a certain rig (depth/weight/bugs) then leave it exactly as is and find the water for which you built it. We had pretty good success doing this with bumps of a couple hundred or even up to 1000 CFS but now that we’re double the volume we were a short time ago it has changed things a little more drastically.

The bugs have been the same but most are finding those fish in the deeper, slower water. These aren’t necessarily the slow, deep spots you are used to however because everything is bigger/deeper etc so you have to prospect a bit to find the fishy water.

Sow bugs and worms have been the recipe for success with Tailwater Sows leading the charge. The run on these has been nothing short of staggering over the last two weeks. We received a restock order last week and had to place another order yesterday. It looks like the bins should be full again by Thursday at the latest.

Some have been getting them to go on Little Green Machines, S & M’s, Peep Shows and other mayfly and/or caddis pupae patterns but I haven’t had any real reason to abandon the worm/sow combo aside from a few times a Tungsten Rainbow Czech beat out the worm on point.

The dam has been extremely busy this week as you might expect and reports have been good. Wolf Creek to Craig has been hit or miss but there are definitely hot spots in there which are worth your time. We’ve heard a mixed bag of reports from the canyon and not much from down low but overall it’s been decent to good depending on the day.

Streamer fishing has been solid during low light with black and olive both producing well. Stow the streamer stick during high sun and stick to nymphing.

Dry fly fishing opportunities have been few and far between. Plenty of bugs…sporadic rising.

The bottom line? Don’t be intimidated by the flows. This is more water than we’ve seen in quite a few years but it’s definitely fishable and may be your only option for the time being if you want to fly fish in Montana.

Don’t fall into the Dam Trap.  There are fish EVERYWHERE!

A great way to get a handle on fishing higher flows is to spend a day on the water with one of our expert guides. There’s no doubt you can figure it out on your own but what you learn in a day with a guide might take you years to learn on your own.

We’ve got plenty of lodging and plenty of guides available through the end of the month and the shop is FULLY STOCKED with all kinds of big water bugs and anything else you need for fly fishing the Missouri and beyond. We are your Missouri River Fly Fishing Destination!

It’s Go Time on the MO’.

Mid May has arrived and with it increased flows and increased crowds on the Missouri, chocolate milk on the freestones and plenty of precipitation in the form of rain and snow in the immediate forecast.

We’re actually under a Winter Weather Advisory beginning at 3 AM tomorrow morning and running through 6 AM Thursday for accumulations of  a foot or more of snow above 7,000 feet and 2-4 inches of slushy wet snow on the mountain passes. Down here we’re in for a wet day tomorrow with 100 percent chance of rain. They’re calling for between a half and three-quarters of an inch of rain to fall tomorrow so if you’re coming out to fish (and why wouldn’t you be) don’t forget your waders and rain gear. Should you happen to forget  we’ve got everything you need to keep you warm and dry.

Flows bumped to over 9000 cfs today which sounds like a lot but don’t be deterred. Wade fishing is still an option but you’ll want to use extreme caution and choose your spots wisely. Fishing from a boat is preferred by many and we of the drift boat brigade are loving these flows. We highly recommend fishing from a boat for the time being and if that sounds appealing it just so happens we’ve got plenty of RO and Adipose drift boats for rent so you can do it yourself. Better yet, book a guide for a day and watch how the pros do it. We encourage you to take notes, mental or otherwise. Navigating the Missouri is fairly easy, even for a novice rower. Navigating the Missouri in a manner which allows your buddies to fish with some chance for success while you row is a little more difficult, a little more involved. We’d be happy to teach you or just do all of the rowing for you. It’s your call.

Nymphing and streamer fishing should be your methods of choice for the time being but keep that dry fly rod rigged and at the ready. You never know what you’ll find out there.

We’re still playing the sow bug game more often than not but there are a bunch of other options coming in to play as well. Wire Worms, Gold or Purple Weight flies, Tungsten Tailwater Sows, Caddis UV Czechs, Ninch’s Bubble Yum scud, Tan UV Czechs, Rainbow Czechs, Tungsten Pheasant Tails….all fine point fly options.

Pair any of the above with a tailwater sow, tungsten zebra midge, LGM, Psycho May, 2 Bit, S & M, MicroMay, BWO Bubbleback Emerger, Rainbow Warrior, Yum Yum, BWO Magic Fly, Split Case BWO, Juju or Radiation Baetis, Dark Peep Show….etc. Lots of bugs working right now, you just need to find the right ones and put them where the fish are which at these flows is typically going to be deep. 9 – 11 feet overall from indicator on is where you want to be and more than likely you’ll want to add some weight. I’m generally running a single BB but I’m also sticking with a heavy tungsten point fly as well. Do whatever it takes to get your bugs down where they need to be.

Streamers? Yes.

Again, this is not the best streamer river in the world by any stretch but those who have been committing to it are finding success. Coffey’s Sparkle Minnows, Dirty Hippies, Dolly LLamas, Circus Peanuts, ZK’s MK Ultras and Bunny Wailers, Space Invaders and plain old black or rust buggers are all good options. We’ve done well bombing the banks and coaxing fish off the rock walls and out from under the vegetation but don’t overlook the riffles and don’t be afraid to fish tha middle water that you’d typically not even look at. The fish are everywhere. Like most, I tend to work those banks and any structure that is present but in the absence of any “obvious water” I’ll pick apart the water on both sides of the boat and just see what happens.

It’s Caddis Fest weekend and it looks like the weather is going to clear up on Friday and Saturday so we expect it’s going to be a busy weekend in Wolf Creek and Craig.  Caddis Fest always draws a good crowd but when the MO’ is virtually the only fishing option in the state right now we’re thinking it could be one of the busiest yet. Lots of great food and cool silent auction items and a great cause with proceeds going to the Craig Volunteer Fire Department. We hope you join us Saturday starting at 4 pm.

If you’re thinking of making a weekend out of it give us a call sooner rather than later and book a room. We’ve got just a couple left and they will more than likely be gone soon.

We are your Missouri River Fly Fishing Destination with clean, comfortable and affordable lodging, the hardest working guide crew on the river and a first-rate Full Service Fly Shop with everything you need for your day on the water.