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Why Wolf Creek? 10 Reasons you should make Wolf Creek your Missouri River fly fishing destination

 

10. Location, Location, Location

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Wolf Creek is located just 3 miles from the Wolf Creek Bridge and 4.5 miles from Holter Dam. Chances are if you are traveling by car to fish the Missouri from much of Western, Southwestern and Central Montana and beyond you will be passing through Wolf Creek before you reach the river. Whether you are coming from Helena, Missoula, Kalispell, Billings, Bozeman, Butte or a host of other cities Wolf Creek is your first access to the Missouri River. Since Holter Dam to Craig is the most popular section of the river to float/fish it only makes sense to exit at Wolf Creek, buy your flies and arrange your shuttles at Wolf Creek Angler and proceed to your adventure on the MO. We will shuttle your rig to Craig or wherever you choose to float and you will have saved yourself all kinds of time and substantial mileage. If you choose to bypass Wolf Creek and start your day in Craig you have already added eight miles to your trip. Not the end of the world but by the time you travel eight miles back to Holter Dam or Wolf Creek Bridge you’ve added roughly 15-20 miles to your trip and shaved 30 minutes to an hour off of your fishing time. If you come out once a week to fish you are looking at 60-80 extra miles and a loss of several hours of fishing time over the course of the month. If you fish every month of the year it could be costing you up to several hundred dollars (depending on gas prices) and up to two days of lost fishing time over the course of a year! That’s a steep price to pay and we would love to help you save your time and money.

9. Food, Gas and Lodging

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Wolf Creek Lodging

Looking to have access to amenities during your trip to the Missouri any time of the year? Wolf Creek is your destination. With two bar/restaurants and the ONLY gas station/convenience store and the ONLY US Post Office between Helena and Cascade, Wolf Creek is your first choice. Need lodging? Wolf Creek Angler has you covered with affordable lodging options year round. We’ve got units with full kitchens and full baths which sleep up to four comfortably and during the warmer months we’ve got no-frills motel rooms for under $70/night. We are dog friendly, we offer guide discounts and all of our units are clean and comfortable and right next door to a first-rate Missouri River fly shop.

8. A River Runs Through It

Much of Norman MaClean's A River Runs Through It ws set in and around Wolf Creek.

Much of Norman Maclean’s novel A River Runs Through It takes place in and around Wolf Creek. Wolf Creek is mentioned in the story many times – other Missouri River fishing destinations are not.

7. Little Prickly Pear/Wolf Creek Canyon

Postcard view of Little Prickly Pear Canyon

Postcard view of Little Prickly Pear Canyon

Our awe-inspiring canyon goes by both names. Whatever you choose to call it it’s an amazing place. Please keep your eyes on the road as you wind your way through the canyon along Little Prickly Pear Creek. More than a billion years ago,during the Precambrian Era, an ancient inland seaway deposited these shales and sands, which over time,became these vibrant red and green mudstones called“Spokane Shale”. Many of our guests enjoy relaxing times on the porch gazing at the rugged hillside across from the shop where we often see mule deer and big horn sheep and the occasional black bear.

6. The Oasis

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Located within walking distance of Wolf Creek Angler, The Oasis offers dining during the season and is a great place to unwind anytime of the year with a game of pool or just watching the game and relaxing in the bar.

5. Welcome to Wolf Creek MT

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Wolf Creek is made up of an eclectic mix of residents, some with deep Montana roots spanning generations, others who’ve arrived here from anywhere and elsewhere and have fallen in love with all that Wolf Creek has to offer. It might get a little weird around Wolf Creek sometimes but that’s part of what we love about it. Come discover for yourself the charm of Wolf Creek MT.

4. Wolf Creek Bridge

 

Thinking about summertime... photo by Wolf Creek Angler

 

To call the Wolf Creek Bridge iconic is an understatement. Everyone who has fished the Missouri knows the bridge. It is probably our most photographed local landmark and images of our bridge often appear on the blogs and facebook pages of local fly shops and outfitters. We love our bridge so much we made it a part of our logo and while we love to see pictures of our bridge on social media, Wolf Creek Angler is the only shop with a rightful claim to the Wolf Creek Bridge.

3. Shotgun Annie’s

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A Wolf Creek institution, Shotgun Annie’s (formerly The Frenchman and Me) is the only year-round restaurant between Helena and Cascade. It is a classic small town Montana saloon and is a favorite amongst our guests. Enjoy breakfast, lunch and  dinner and Shotgun Annie’s. They serve up great steaks, ribs, burgers and more.

2. Montana Microbrews at The Canyon Store

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Rivaling the Montana-Made beer selection of large grocery stores in the bigger cities, The Canyon Store has fully embraced the Montana Microbrew craze. Check out their great selections from Lewis and Clark, Bitterroot Brewing, Bayern, Mighty Mo, Bozone and more.

1. Wolf Creek Angler

Wolf Creek Anglers Services

On the move and at your service since April of 2014, we are here for the long haul and fully intend to do our part to put Wolf Creek back on the map as a Missouri River fly fishing destination. We are your full service Missouri River fly shop offering lodging, guided fly fishing, drift boat and equipment rentals, shuttle service and a first-rate shop with an ever-growing inventory of everything you need for success on the Missouri River including the largest selection of Missouri River flies ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek Montana.

This season make Wolf Creek your Missouri River fly fishing destination!

Mid-Week Report – 2/18/15

Another gorgeous daybreak on the Missouri - photo by Wolf Creek Angler

Another gorgeous daybreak on the Missouri – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

River traffic remains very light this week though lodging has filled for the next couple of nights so expect to see at least a few folks out there today and tomorrow. It’s going to be another bright and sunny day with a high near 50 and it sounds like it may get a little breezy with SW wind 8-14 mph. More of the same tomorrow but with a WSW wind 18-22 gusting to 31.
Snow in the forecast for the weekend with temps in the 30’s and back to sunny skies and 40’s next week. We do have lodging available for the weekend. $99 + tax gets you a bungalow with a full kitchen and bath which sleeps three very comfortably.
Fishing wise I would continue to stick with the winter fare (pink stuff, soft hackle sows, firebeads) and I would still recommend Wolf Creek to Craig as being your best bet. Bring along a dry -fly rod rigged with a midge cluster or griffiths gnat and search the side channels for rising fish. Streamer fishing is always an option as well. We continue to have pretty good action depending on the day on the olive/copper polar leeches as well as the Kreelex and clousers.
The shop will be open from 7:30 am – 5:00 pm at least Wednesday – Sunday and we’ll be here on Monday and Tuesday as well if the weather calls for it. Please call ahead on Mondays and Tuesdays for the time being just to make sure. We are open EVERY day for lodging and guide trips and soon the shop will be open EVERY day as Fred will be returning sometime in early to mid March. We will likely open up more lodging in March so count on staying with us throughout the late winter/early spring.
We’ve got some great deals going on select items in the shop as we clear space for new merchandise arriving daily. We’ve got some awesome new product lines coming for spring which we are extremely excited about as we continue with our commitment to offer you the products you expect from your Missouri River fly shop.
See you in the shop and on the water!

Missouri River Fishing Report – Tuesday February 17th

Presidents Day Solo Mission on the MO - photo by Wolf Creek Angler

Presidents Day Solo Mission on the MO – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

We were expecting things to be at least a little busy yesterday with the holiday and the near perfect weather conditions on the Missouri but apparently Presidents Day is not a big fishing day. With mostly cloudy skies and temps hanging in the mid 30’s and no wind to speak of I opted to fish in the afternoon and had an outrageously good couple of hours floating Wolf Creek to Craig with not another boat to be seen. A couple of wade anglers and a couple of pontoons – that was it – essentially the whole thing to myself with plenty of fish willing to play.
I chose two spots to nymph – one at the beginning of the float and one at the end, and spent the rest of the day exploring the slow banks and side channels looking for heads as I had not yet fished dries this year. I managed to stumble into a couple of different pods of feeding fish and while my first fish of 2015 on a dry-fly eluded me, I did have my first dry-fly refusals of 2015 and I was just thrilled to be out there throwing the 5 weight again to rising fish. The midges covered the water much of the day and the fish I found eating them were predictably in the slow spooky side channel waters. It was a great time and I’m looking forward to spending more time doing this in the weeks to come as it’s a major part of the winter fishing experience on the Missouri which I have, for the most part, overlooked.
On the nymphing side both spots I fished produced a lot of fish – many to hand and probably just as many missed. Nothing new here – Pinkalicious trailed with a firebead soft hackle sow bug. I fished the pink sow at the first spot until it was destroyed and having no more switched to the grey for the remainder of the day and did just as well. Only one fish on the Pinkalicious so I would highly recommend going with at least one firebead soft hackle sow.  Fish the sloooow deep water and hit any movement of the indicator. Some aggressive takes but mostly on the subtle side. Overall a tremendous day on the water.
It looks like a couple of nice days ahead and then a little colder with a chance for some snow over the weekend but not so cold or so snowy that you shouldn’t be fishing. We are closed today but will be back in the shop tomorrow for the remainder of the week. Lodging has started to fill for the weekend but we do still have some vacancies so book your room now and make Wolf Creek your weekend destination.

Plenty of these and not a soul to be seen - photo by Wolf Creek Angler

Plenty of these and not a soul to be seen – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

 

Snowy Sunday 2/15/15

Winter returns to Wolf Creek - photo by Wolf Creek Angler

Winter returns to Wolf Creek – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

It’s looking a little more like February out there today with the snow coming down though it’s still great fishing weather with temps in the mid 30’s going up to 43. More of the same tomorrow with little to no accumulation and little to no wind.
Reports this morning are that things turned around yesterday and that it fished very well, “incredibly well” by some accounts. No surprises – pink scuds/firebeads/zebra midges and tailwater sows working like they should where they should.
Hopefully that trend will continue today as I’ve got an instructional trip this afternoon with a very demanding client who expects to not only learn to fly fish but also to land her first Missouri River Rainbow. It should be a fun day!
The shop will be closed Monday and Tuesday but we will be back in on Wednesday as spring weather returns with temps back in the 50’s. Lodging and guide trips available every day.

Weekend Report

Valentine Sky at Holter Dam - photo by Wolf Creek Angler

Valentine Sky at Holter Dam – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

Lots of people out and about and enjoying the 60 degree weather yesterday but from what we’ve been hearing this morning things were on the slow side, at least between Holter Dam and the Dearborn launch. Sounds like a few fish being taken here and there but nothing like the reports from Thursday which was good to great for many and bordering on epic for some. I was not able to get out during the day on Thursday but I did walk in for an hour or so at last light and cleaned up with all but one fish coming on the pink firebead soft hackle sow.
It’s another April-esque weekend with lots of people around, full lodging, a couple of boat rentals out, a decent stack of shuttles to run and lots of bugs going out the door.

The day started on the cloudy side and they are calling for a chance of rain this afternoon but we are currently looking at sunshine and blue skies and 53 degrees. It’s a perfect day to spend on the water with your valentine.

A chance of snow tomorrow but still nice with a high of 43 and calm winds. Snow and a high of 36 for Presidents Day and then back to 40’s and 50’s later next week. You’ve got a couple of weeks left to take advantage of our February special. Book a full day guide trip at the $395 winter rate and get a night’s lodging in one of our bungalows for $59! Our guides have been out on the water getting things dialed in and they are ready to show you what an awesome winter fishery the Missouri can be.  Nymphing has of course been the most effective method of putting fish in the boat but streamers are having their moments as well and there are just enough fish rising to midges on a daily basis to make things interesting for the dry fly guys. Spend a day on the water with one of our expert guides and enjoy the solitude offered by the winter months. Your full day trip includes a delicious hot lunch and hot and cold beverages as well as all the flies and the use of any equipment you may need and transportation to and from the river. Take advantage of this great deal and enjoy the unseasonably warm weather we’ve been having all month.

Not looking for a guided trip? That’s ok too – we’ve got rooms available for $99/night, each with it’s own full kitchen and bath. Rooms sleep up to four very comfortably. Wolf Creek is definitely the place to be for winter fishing on the Missouri with the only restaurant and the only gas station/convenience store between Helena and Cascade and since you will likely be fishing somewhere between Holter Dam and Craig this time of year why wouldn’t you stay at Wolf Creek Angler considering that we are closer to Holter Dam and Wolf Creek Bridge than ANYONE? We’ve got plenty of parking space for your boats and our shop has everything you need for fishing the Missouri including shuttles and the largest selection of Missouri River flies ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek Montana.

We hope to see you in Wolf Creek soon.

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

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

 

Mid Week on the MO – 2/11/15

Winter fishing has been heating up on the Missouri - photo by Wolf Creek Angler

Winter fishing has been heating up on the Missouri – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

I closed out a three-day trip yesterday with another good nymphing outing. We fished Holter down as opposed to the Wolf Creek to Craig run we’d done the previous couple of days and found things to still be a little lackluster up there. My hopes were high after connecting on the first drift of the day but our hookups ended up being spaced out enough that I was wishing we had skipped the dam as we battled a cold north wind most of the way to Wolf Creek Bridge.
We caught all but a couple of fish on the pink firebead soft hackle sow bug and didn’t really try much else. It was midge madness for a few hours in the early afternoon and while we didn’t throw a dry fly we did run into a couple of guys from Missoula who had cleaned up and hadn’t thrown a nymph all day. I prepped a midge rig after we talked to them but didn’t see anything other than sporadic rises the remainder of the day but I will definitely be keeping the dry- fly rig in the arsenal from here on out.
Cold and foggy in Wolf Creek this morning but we’re headed for a very nice couple of days with temps in the 50’s and maybe near 60 on Friday and Saturday before winter returns Monday with snow and lows in the single digits Monday night. High in the teens on Tuesday. Based on the forecast we will return to our winter schedule this weekend. The shop will be open at 8 am through Sunday but will be closed on Monday and Tuesday. As always we are open for guide trips and lodging every day and we do still have a couple of vacancies for the weekend though I would expect those to fill by tomorrow. $99 + tax gets you a great room in Wolf Creek just minutes from Holter Dam and Wolf Creek Bridge and don’t forget Wolf Creek is the place to be for  Missouri River winter fishing  with the only restaurants, bars, gas station and convenience store between Helena and Cascade. Wolf Creek Angler is your Missouri River winter fly fishing destination!

Wolf Creek, Montana

Wolf Creek is your Missouri River Winter Fly Fishing Destination – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

Tuesday Fishing Report

February fishing on the MO

February fishing on the MO

Ran out of time to do the dam to Craig yesterday and just did the usual Wolf Creek to Craig. As has been the case as of late we started a little slow but things really picked up in the afternoon, our best time slot being 4 – 5 pm.
Switched things up a little on the rigs trying some different bugs we haven’t been using but soon returned to the Pinkalicious/Firebead Soft Hackle Sow combo with good results.
We’re heading back out this morning – wrapping up a great group of days with a fish obsessed client from Michigan. Full report tomorrow. We’re looking at snow and a high of 32 today with a NNE wind around 10 mph. Back to sunny skies and 50’s and maybe even 60’s by the weekend. A couple of vacancies left for the weekend, and don’t forget – during the month of February when you book a full day guide trip you get one night’s lodging at the ridiculously reasonable rate of $59.
We are closed the rest of the day today but I will be back in the shop bright and early tomorrow and for the remainder of the week.
See you out there.

Monday Missouri River Report 2/9/15

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It’s felt like April around here for the past several days, both temperature wise and traffic wise. Our lodging was full all weekend and Saturday and Sunday were by far the busiest days we’ve had in the shop in 2015. Throw in some boat rentals and a couple of guide trips out this week and it’s shaping up to be an outstanding week, especially for early February. We’re loving it!
It was a busy day on the river yesterday with a bunch of boats out and a lot of wading anglers. The couple of reports I’ve heard today were that it was not a stellar fishing day but when you’ve got sunshine and 55 degrees on a February day in Montana who needs fish? The majority of the traffic seemed to be in the Wolf Creek to Stickney section with things being a little tough at the dam for the past week or so. We will fishing the dam today to see if anything has changed. Full report tomorrow.
The bug report is sounding like a broken record but that’s generally the case with winter fishing. Best sellers yesterday included Firebead Sows, Pinkalicious, Rainbow Payczechs, hot bead wire worms, pink lightning bugs and soft hackle Rays. On the streamer side Polar Leeches in Olive and Olive and Copper and Kreelex in Brown and Gold have been our go to’s and we’ve been hearing of people having some pretty good streamer days on Clousers as well.
Rain today, rain and snow tomorrow and back to sunshine and 50’s for the end of the week. Lodging available this week with a couple of vacancies for the weekend. What better place to spend Valentine’s Day Weekend than in Wolf Creek and on the Missouri River?

By |2016-10-25T16:16:01-06:00February 9th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: , , , , |0 Comments

WCA K9 Crew

Jake - WCA's Official Shop Dog

Jake – WCA’s Official Shop Dog

Those who follow our blog and our posts on Facebook and Instagram know that we LOVE dogs and welcome them at our shop. These are a few of our regulars you may be lucky enough to meet next time you are at the shop. We offer dog friendly lodging and welcome your pet with complimentary treats and a comfy dog bed during your stay. Many of our regular guests travel and fish with their dogs – we do too. Bring your dogs, we’d love to meet them!

Tater can be found around the shop most morning during the spring. He does not suffer fools gladly.

Tater can be found around the shop most mornings during the spring. He does not suffer fools gladly.

Nacho has been around the MO for a while and is well known by many guests at WCA

Nacho has been around the MO for a while and is well known by many guests at WCA

 

We met Georgia Mae last season as a puppy and look forward to seeing her again this spring. Book a trip with Chad DuBose to meet her.

We met Georgia Mae last season as a puppy and look forward to seeing her again this spring. Book a trip with Chad DuBose to meet her.

Roxie

Grizwald and Roxie LOVE to fish and are as at home in a drift boat as they are anywhere. Wherever you find Luke Koerten you'll find Grizwald and Roxie.

Roxie and Grizwald LOVE to fish and are as at home in a drift boat as they are anywhere. Wherever you find Luke Koerten you’ll find Grizwald and Roxie.

 

By |2016-10-25T16:16:01-06:00February 7th, 2015|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

Thursday Fishing Report 2/5/15

February fishing on the Missouri River

February fishing on the Missouri River

Spring-like weather continues here in Wolf Creek and with it some very good days on the water. We haven’t heard any reports this week of off-the-charts numbers but there is plenty of action to be had, certainly by early February standards.
Reports we’ve heard from the dam to Wolf Creek have not been great and many are opting for the Wolf Creek to Craig stretch and below. I spent a couple of hours wading the Bull Pasture to dam section on Monday and picked up a few fish in the dead slow frog water but it was on the slow side. The usual spots between Wolf Creek and Craig are holding plenty of fish and from what we’ve experienced things seem to improve in the late afternoon/early evening.
The water temp ticked up a couple of degrees over the last two days and is holding close to 36 with flows holding right around 4900. The warmer water coupled with partly cloudy skies and a chance of rain today has us thinking Streamers but the nymphing should be strong as well.
Go to’s have been the pink lightning bugs and firebead soft hackle sows with the lightning bugs seeming to work better earlier in the day. Pair either with a Casne’s Pinkalicious, fish 5 or 6 feet from your indicator to your split and work those spots you know the fish are holding in. Grid your water out starting in close and working your way out until you’ve covered what you can reach – adjust your rig accordingly and do it again. Wondering where those usual spots are? A drive from Wolf Creek Bridge to Craig will usually give you a pretty good indication based on traffic but if there is no traffic and you haven’t spent much time on the Missouri we highly recommend hiring us to guide you. It’s a terrific investment if you plan on making fishing the Missouri a habit, especially at our $395/full day winter rate. If you are new to the area, just getting into fly fishing or just haven’t spent much time on the Missouri a day on the water with one of our expert guides is a great way to get dialed in. It could take weeks, months or even years of fishing on your own to gain the experience and knowledge you’ll get from a day on the water with one of our guides. Interested? Call 800-800-4350 and book your trip today.

50’s through the weekend, 40’s next week with a chance of rain most days. Tomorrow looks great with highs in the mid 50’s and plenty of sunshine. The winds will blow most days but at this point it looks tolerable with teens and low 20’s and some stronger gusts. Lodging is filling quickly for the next two weeks but we do have a few vacancies remaining.

Hot February Nymphs Top to bottom; Pinkalicious, Firebead Soft Hackle Sow Bug Grey, Firebead Tungsten Sow Pink, Pink Lightning Bug. All available at Wolf Creek Angler. photo by  Wolf Creek Angler

Hot February Nymphs
Top to bottom; Pinkalicious, Firebead Soft Hackle Sow Bug Grey, Firebead Tungsten Sow Pink, Pink Lightning Bug. All available at Wolf Creek Angler. photo by Wolf Creek Angler

 

 

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