dry fly fishing Archives - Page 24 of 28

Weekend Outlook

Caddis Sunset – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

Busy weekend already underway on the Missouri. Breezy conditions made things a little tough this morning for the dry-fly crowd but there are plenty of fish up and plenty of bugs around…persistence is the key.

Weather forecast is calling for a chance of showers and thunderstorms tonight and more of the same tomorrow with a 50% chance of rain and a pleasant high of 73 under partly sunny skies with west winds at 8-15 mph.

Missouri River flow currently holding around 3900 with a morning water temp generally in the low 60’s – mid 60’s by afternoon. We’ll see air temps dropping into the mid to high 50’s for the next few evenings which should help to keep things cool.

Expect plenty of company out there this weekend, especially with the latest round of Hoot Owl Closures in the Southwest portion of the state. The Missouri is in good shape and should remain that way. Please be respectful of your fellow anglers out there and treat them as you would like to be treated.

As the crowds increase and the river shrinks the potential for conflict is certainly on the rise so be kind to one another and please be kind to the fish by trying to minimize the time playing them and the time they are out of the water. Perhaps forgo the grip and grins and stick to pics of fish kept in the water. We generally steer clear of any preaching here but we’ve got a long summer ahead of us and we’re likely going to see more traffic than usual so please be kind to our river!

PMD’s on the wane. Tricos gaining momentum. Caddis a plenty. Nymphing is just fine. Stop by the shop for shuttles and bugs and up-to-the-minute intel on what’s happening on the Missouri. Shop open daily at 5:30 AM for your beat-the-crowd early morning convenience.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:48-06:00July 10th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: caddis, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, running line, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Mid-Week Missouri River Fishing Report

Classic early July dry-fly fishing on the Missouri. Some good days, others not so much. Lots of bugs and no fish, no bugs and no fish, good mornings with a lot of bugs and a lot of fish shut down by afternoon winds…..and on and on it goes.

PMD’s still going fairly strong and Tricos firing up. A few fish being caught on trico spinners but not many. This should improve daily.

Caddis a plenty – depending on the evening and the location. We’re hearing mixed reports about the caddis but the consensus seems to be that the better action remains below Craig however there are plenty of caddis in the upper stretch as well though they don’t seem to get going until last light.

All kinds of options daily for the DFO’s – go early, stay late and enjoy. What’s working? Best movers on the dry fly side this week have been No Hackle PMD’s, CDC Rusty Spinners, CDC PMD Spinners, PMD Transitional Duns, Flash Cripple PMD’s, CDC PMD Emergers, Indicator Spinner Tricos, Barr’s Trico Emerger, Double Wing Tricos, Poly Spent Caddis, CDC Caddis Emerger, Cornfed Caddis and Buzzballs.

Nymphing has been good though weeds have become a constant so check your bugs often. Weight Flies in Gold and Purple, Split Case PMD’s, PMD Psycho Mays, PMD Magic Flies, Tung Darts, PT’s, Purple UV Prince Nymphs, Hot Belly PT’s, Peep Shows and Zebras have all been getting eaten along with a bunch of other stuff. The big cool down we had on Sunday really turned things on so pay attention to those significant changes in temperature and barometric pressure and see if you can’t stumble upon the weather that flips the switch.

Most of the traffic has been and will continue to be from the dam to Craig. Wolf Creek Angler is closer to Holter Dam and Wolf Creek Bridge than anyone. Planning on getting a super-early start? Make WCA your first stop. Open at 5:30 AM daily for shuttles, bugs, ice and anything else you might need for your day on the water.

It’s Trico Time on the Missouri – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:48-06:00July 8th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: caddis, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Holter Dam, Missouri River, running line, tricos, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

July 4th River Report

Happy Independence Day from all of us at Wolf Creek Angler. It’s a little quiet around the fly shops today as the rafts and tubes and kayaks and various other floating apparatuses take over the MO on this hot and sunny day. Plenty of drift boats out there as well but we generally treat the 4th as a day off from fishing around here.
That being said those who are fishing today are likely getting into them both on dries and nymphs. Reports from yesterday ranged from poor to outstanding with the dry-fly guys having the more challenging day for sure but there are plenty of fish being caught both on top and below the surface.
A nice mix of PMD’s and caddis and now fishable numbers of tricos as well. Good numbers of all of the above depending on who you ask. It’s all about perspective.
Speaking of that, it’s during this dry- fly prime time more than at any other time of year that you can have two people fish right next to one another and have similar fishing results and one will say it’s the most bugs they’ve ever seen and the best fishing they’ve ever had here while the other wonders where all the bugs have disappeared to. One guy catches two fish and is thrilled, another catches 12 and wonders why the fishing is so slow….it’s all perspective. Personally, if I can get a couple of opportunities to cast to rising fish and I hook (and maybe land) one or two I’m thrilled, but that’s just me.
The nymphers are getting it done from the dam to Craig for sure and elsewhere too- still with the gold or purple weight fly and split back PMD combo though the split back has cooled slightly the past day or two. Psycho May PMD’s, PMD Magic Flies, Light Peep Shows, gold or purple lightning bugs and PT’s of all kinds are getting eaten regularly.
As we mentioned there are plenty of tricos around though the fish have yet to really key on them. Last season’s hottest trico pattern was by far the Indicator Spinner Trico and we are fully stocked so keep a few at the ready along with your PMD and Caddis patterns.
We’ve been selling a lot of Eric’s Rusty Spinners, PMD Flash Cripples, No Hackle PMD’s and Drowned Spinner PMD’s. If you can’t find a PMD pattern that the fish want don’t overlook the Parachute Adams in #18 or #20.
Tan Elk Hair Caddis, X Caddis, Outrigger Caddis, Kings River Caddis, Poly Spent Caddis, Corn Fed Caddis and CDC Grey/Tan Caddis Emergers in #16 should all be a part of your Missouri River Caddis arsenal.
All of these and many, many more at Wolf Creek Angler, your first and only stop on your way to the MO. Open at 5:45 AM daily for your early morning first on the water convenience.

Flows holding around 4000, temp creeping up – currently around 64. Much cooler weather on tap for tomorrow with highs in the low 60’s and a good chance for some much- needed precipitation. High 70’s low 80’s for the first part of next week – perfect weather for your Missouri River Dry Fly Fishing Nirvana.

Stop by the shop today and take advantage of great deals on almost everything including WCA Hoodies for right around $25! What a steal. Big festivities everywhere tonight but Craig will definitely be the place to be with live music at Izaaks and a bunch of fishy people milling around town and having a grand time celebrating the birth of our nation.

Be safe out there!

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:48-06:00July 4th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Farewell to June/ Summertime on the MO

In Training this summer at Wolf Creek Angler

Hard to believe but we’re closing the books on June already. What is statistically our wettest month turned out to be a dry one with record high temps over the past week.
We did get a nice soaking thunderstorm last night so our almost-14 year old part time groundskeeper/boat washer/driveway sweeper and whatever else needs to be done go to guy is enjoying a day off from moving sprinklers. He may not realize it just yet but I think this whole Wolf Creek Montana, Missouri River fly fishing thing is going to start to take hold soon. Spend enough time around this culture and you can’t help but get sucked in. In the meantime if you happen to see my kid around the shop perhaps you could let him know how bad you feel for him that he has to spend his summer working around a fly shop, floating the MO with his super un-cool old man and hanging around fishing guides and fishy people in general.
It’s definitely feeling like summertime at WCA. The regulars are here for extended stays and it’s great to see all of these folks again. Early mornings, late nights, hot coffee and cold beers and the sense of eternal Saturday we enjoy from around mid June through the end of the season where we likely have no idea what day of the week it actually is but they all feel like Saturday.
People come from all around the world to fish the Missouri and we’re thrilled to be a part of their Montana experience.
Plenty of traffic out there but plenty of room to find a piece of water to call your own and spend as much time as you want perfecting that perfect delivery and perfect presentation. Sometimes it all comes together… sometimes it doesn’t. It’s all part of the appeal of dry fly fishing on the MO.
See you in the shop bright and early for everything you need for your day on the water.
Open daily at 5:45 AM – earlier than anyone. So make Wolf Creek Angler your first stop on your way to the river. We’ve got you covered with shuttles, RO Drift Boat Rentals, all kinds of sun protection, Kast Gear (including Tailspin Guide Shorts), all the lines, leaders and tippet you need from Rio and Trout Hunter and of course, the largest selection of Missouri River flies ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek Montana. Come check us out – we’re confident you will find our bug selection rivals that of any other in the canyon.

See you in Wolf Creek.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:51-06:00June 30th, 2015|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, Montana, RO Drift Boats, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

The week ahead

All kinds of cool logo gear available now at WCA

A cool down is underway and we should see highs decline daily, down to 90 by Thursday. Hot again on Friday but it looks like it’s going to be a beautiful fourth of July weekend.

Flows are holding steady in the 4100 range with water temps in the low 60’s.

Dry fly fishing has been very good despite the heat with plenty of PMD’s and Caddis river-wide and the nymphing, by most accounts, has been exceptional.

Expect PMD’s mid-morning and throughout the day. Best PMD patterns have been CDC Rusty Spinners, Hi-Vis Rusty Spinners, No Hackle PMD’s, Flash Cripples and Parachute Adams. Big movers from the caddis bins have been the Outriggers, X-Caddis and of course the CDC Grey/Tan Caddis emergers.

Beadless Split Back PMD’s continue to be the biggest mover from the nymph bins but there’s all kinds of bugs working including, but not limited to, olive WD 40’s, PMD Psycho Mays, MicroMays, Tung Darts, Purple Zebras, Peep Shows and PT’s.

Come check out our Fourth of July sale starting Friday and running through the weekend. 15% of most everything including Smith Chromapop sunglasses, Yeti Coolers, Fishpond Nomad Boat Nets, Simms logo wear, Kast Extreme Fishing Gear and of course, the largest selection of flies ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek Montana.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:51-06:00June 29th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, Montana, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Weekend Report

HOT! 100 + degrees hot for a few days but cooling down nicely at night.
Fishing is good in the mornings and in the evenings. Slow through the heat of the afternoon.
Weeds? Yes – a fair amount of them but it just adds to the challenge – embrace the challenge.
Water? Yes – 4100 + as promised, currently 4200 and water temp 61 degrees.
Bugs? Yes. PMD’s and Caddis and reports of a Trico sighting or two.

Hot Dry Fly – #20 Parachute Adams
Hot Nymph – Split Case PMD and a bunch of others following close behind. All available at Wolf Creek Angler where the fly selection rivals that of any shop in the area.

Open daily at 6:30 AM (usually a little earlier) for all of your Missouri River fly fishing needs. Shuttles, Ice, sunglasses, sunscreen, sun hats, sun gloves and a bunch of cool new Simms solarflex shirts. Fishpond Nomad boat and hand nets finally back in stock along with Westwater Boat Bags and plenty of other gear to keep you interested.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:51-06:00June 27th, 2015|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: dry fly fishing, Missouri River, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

#12 Purple Haze and a 3 Weight

Snuck out of Wolf Creek for a few hours after work yesterday and headed west in search of solitude and hungry cutthroats, I found plenty of both.

I’ve said it before and will likely say it again. Wading small streams surrounded by wilderness armed with a 3 weight, a few big dry flies and a can of bear spray is about as good as it gets. It’s quintessential Montana summertime fly fishing.

Not to take anything away from the Missouri because it goes without saying that casting tiny dry flies to big fish on the MO certainly holds an appeal all its own, an appeal that allows us to make a living doing what we love in this amazing place. We can never get enough of the Missouri but sometimes it’s nice to get away.

Do yourself a favor and take the time to hit a stream or two this summer – you’ll be glad you did. It’s the ultimate way to relax and recharge. Where should I go you ask? There are miles of streams to explore and part of the fun is driving around the lesser-traveled back roads of Montana seeking out new water. Grab your Gazateer and your fishing regs and hit the road. We can point you in the right direction but the fun is finding a piece of water to call your own.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:51-06:00June 23rd, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, Montana, purple haze, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

The Week Ahead 6/22/15

Joanne with one of many beautiful browns from the past few days.

Fishing remains good to great for the DFO’s and nymphers alike. PMD’s are definitely the talk of the river with plenty of bugs everywhere. There have been a few days where the fish don’t seem to be particularly interested in them but when they are keying in we’ve had our best luck with Rusty Spinners, Flash Cripples, CDC PMD Spinners, Buzzballs and Parachute Adams. That being said, we’ve got bins full of all sorts of cool PMD patterns. Come in and check them out and you’ll find that our bug selection rivals that of any in the canyon. Caddis patterns aplenty as well. Outriggers, X-Caddis, Poly Spent Caddis and CDC Caddis Emergers have been the big movers, but again, we’ve got bins full of cool caddis stuff to choose from.

Nymphs, dries, terrestrials, streamers….we’ve got you covered on all counts with more bugs arriving almost daily.

With a full house every night and a bunch of boat rentals and guide trips going out we’ve been too busy to do much fishing ourselves as of late but everything we’re hearing from the past few days is that it’s ON. Nymphing from the dam to Craig has been consistently hot with the weight fly/split case PMD combo producing big numbers in all kinds of water. Expect traffic to remain heavy in the top section as the dreaded weeds have definitely begun to take hold – adding to the challenge of getting a good drift and frustrating many an angler.

Expect mid to high 80’s for the next few days before we start to cook over the weekend and into next week with temps forecast to exceed 100 on Monday. Not exactly what we wanted for the end of June but nobody asked us so we will take it as it comes and deal with it. Remember to stay hydrated out there on those hot and sunny days and cover up!

Missouri flow is currently at 4160 with water temps holding in the high 50’s to just over 60 degrees. The river is in good shape despite the weed situation and we’re told the flows will hold in the 4100 range for the season.

The shop is open daily at 6:30 AM for all of your Missouri River fly fishing needs including shuttles, drift boat rentals, fishing licenses, ICE, sun hats, sun gloves, sun screen, solarflex shirts and hoodies, Kast guide shorts, leaders and tippet from Rio and Trout Hunter and of course, the largest selection of Missouri River flies ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek Montana. And don’t forget the free coffee…some say it’s the best in the canyon. Whether or not that’s the case it’s definitely worth the price.

See you in the shop and maybe even on the water.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:51-06:00June 22nd, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: caddis, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, Montana, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Mid June Missouri River Fishing Report

Hard to believe, but according to the calendar it’s June 15th. The season is flying by as it does and we’re about to settle into prime dry fly time on the Missouri River. PMD’s and Caddis are in abundance depending on the day and you should be able to piece together a full day of dry fly action if that’s your thing. Best bet is still going to be below Craig but you should be able to find bugs and fish eating them wherever you go. If you happen upon a PMD event try your various PMD spinner patterns or just a standard parachute Adams coupled with a cripple or an emerger. On the caddis side we’re still liking the CDC Grey/Tan Caddis Emerger or a Cornfed Caddis paired with an Outrigger or an X Caddis. And speaking of Outriggers, it’s the time of year to keep a handfull of Outrigger Sallys in your box and at the ready.

Nymphing has been good most days and while things can always get weird out there we’ve been having some downright stellar days from the dam to Craig. Tailwater sows in #16 and #18 and Firebead softhackle sows have been far and away the most effective bugs but we’ve been getting them on zebra midges and various PMD nymphs as well including the PMD Magic Fly, Hogan’s PMD Military May, Light Peep Shows, Split-Case PMD’s and Wondernymphs. Further down stream it’s weight flies, Tung Darts and Czechs in tandem with LGM’s, Micromays, S & M’s and the aforementioned PMD stuff. How about streamers you ask? Not much to report on that front. The hardcore streamer guys are throwing them and catching some fish but if you’re on the fence about how best to work the depths our recommendation would be to concentrate on the nymphing game and save your streamers for the fall.

Flows are back down to 4600 keeping the wade anglers happy and the weather looks great for the week ahead with partly sunny skies and highs near 80 daily. Our lodging is booked solid from here on out into late July though there are the occasional vacancies so give us a call if you are making last minute plans to visit the Missouri this summer. We’ve got expert guides at the ready, anxious to show you what an amazing fishery we have here on the MO. Stop by the shop for everything you need for your day on the water. Shuttles, Drift Boats, Sun Protection, fishing licenses, Guide Wear from Kast Extreme Fishing Gear, walls full of tools and accessories, the best coffee in Wolf Creek (according to many),the largest selection of Missouri River flies ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek MT and much, much more.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:51-06:00June 15th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: dry fly fishing, Missouri River, Montana, pmd's, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler, zebra midges|0 Comments

Tuesday Missouri River Report

Gail with a Missouri River beauty – a reward for a day of dedication and hard work. We’re pretty sure she’s going to stick with this fly fishing thing. Great job Gail!

It’s been a hot couple of days here in Wolf Creek with little to no wind, lots of sun, very few clouds and temps in the 90’s. Perfect conditions for summer dry-fly fishing on the Missouri River. PMD’s are being spotted daily, more frequently below Craig. The same is true for caddis which, while abundant, are still more concentrated in the waters below Craig. We had some great days in the Pelican to Cascade stretch last week but that being said, the bugs are everywhere and it’s just a matter of time before it’s full on dry-fly madness river-wide.

Heavy recreational and angling traffic over the weekend gave way to empty parking lots at the dam and Wolf Creek Bridge on Monday morning and while there was a little more pressure down low I think it’s safe to say that we can treat these last quiet days as the calm before the storm. We are just days away from the start of peak traffic on the Missouri. Savor the silence, enjoy the open water, breathe deeply and get ready for the Big Show – come August you can breathe again.

We’ve been keeping an eye on the river flows and fielding a fair amount of calls about water levels. The talk has now turned from low flow concerns to high water concerns as Canyon Ferry Reservoir is now just shy of 98 percent full and the water has to go somewhere. We’ve not received the updated projections from those in the know just yet regarding what we’ll see for the remainder of the month and through the remainder of the season but we are happy with the flows right now (6000 ish) and the one thing we do know is that we will have water all season long, how little or how much remains to be seen.

Some of our wade angling guests have been expressing concern and disappointment with the “high water” and while I suppose there is a chance that we’ll see a brief period of big water we are not seeing anything remotely resembling big water at 6K. We would love to see 5,000 all summer long. Fingers crossed.

The nymphing game has changed a bit with the bump in flows. The Wolf Creek to Craig stretch has been on the slow side though if you spend some time working the areas you know hold fish, changing depths and bugs and weight and fishing lanes you should be able to get it figured out. We’ve found longer rigs with a bb and a #12 Rainbow Czech or Weight Fly trailed with some sort of sow bug (#18 tailwater sow for me) to be the most effective in the water above Craig but I’ve heard plenty of reports of people also getting it done with shallow rigs and no weight fishing shallow fast water with mayfly nymphs. There is no magic rig. You just have to make changes (one piece at a time) until you find what’s working.

Those interested in fishing dries should continue to concentrate their efforts below Craig though you can usually find some fish up if you know where to look no matter where you are at. I’ve got the dry-fly rod rigged up and at the ready every time I’m out and I would encourage you to do the same. A #14 Sloan’s Outrigger Caddis trailed with a Grey/Tan CDC Caddis Emerger is a great place to start. We’ve got bins full of new Caddis and PMD patterns so come in check out the new bugs.

Our Long -Time DFO Regulars are starting to arrive in droves beginning this weekend. The next six weeks are our busiest of the year for guide trips and lodging, both of which will be hard to come by as many of these dates have been booked since last year. That being said, if you are thinking you want to come out soon and see what this Missouri River thing is all about give us a call and we’ll see what we can make happen for you.
Stop by and pick our brains about water levels, PMD’s, Caddis, why the nymphing is so slow, why the nymphing is so good, how long it takes to float from the dam to Craig, why there are no bugs, why there are so many bugs, why the two-party system doesn’t work and on and on. We may not have all the answers you are looking for but we’re happy to give our .02 on just about any subject.
Shop open daily at 7 AM for all of your Missouri River fly fishing needs. Shuttles, bugs, boats, fishing licenses, leaders, tippet, fly lines, tools and accessories, bunches of Buffs, sunglasses, sunscreen, Sun hats and new hot weather logo gear from Simms along with more summer fishing wear from Kast Gear arriving soon.

We are proud to be your go-to Outfitter owned and operated full service Missouri River Fly shop. See you at Wolf Creek Angler!

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:52-06:00June 10th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report, Uncategorized|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments