dry fly fishing Archives - Page 27 of 28

Back in Action

Fully Stocked with more arriving daily! photo by Wolf Creek Angler

Back to work today and arrived this morning to find a shop full of goodies that weren’t here a week ago. Lots of new flies, a bunch of Fishpond and Loon tools and accessories, the best selection of fly lines we’ve ever had, eyewear from Smith Optics, more Kast Extreme fishing gear, Simms logo wear, fully stocked Rio and Trouthunter leader/tippet inventory, Hydroflask cofee flasks, watter bottles and growlers in all kinds of cool colors….just to name a few.

The shop has never looked better and we invite you to stop in and see what the buzz is about.

Traffic on the river is still relatively light though that will begin to change from here on out as things heat up out there.
Flows continue to hold around 4000 and water temps are currently hanging in that low 40’s range – perfect for this transition period as we move from targeting slow deep water and the semi-lethargic fish holding there to faster shallows and flats and fish willing to chase and ready to put up a fight.
We’ve got a chance for rain and snow each day this week with highs in the 50’s which could make for some great fishing whether you’re looking for dry fly action or you prefer the sub-surface game. We’ve heard good reports from the last couple of days on both.
Hot bugs for today in no particular order have been Pink Amex, Grey LGM, Parachute Adams, Olive Smolt, BWO Magic Fly, Rainbow Czech, Juju Baetis, Hi-Vis Griffiths Gnat, Brown Polar Leech, Beadless Black Zebra and Tailwater Sowbugs…all available at Wolf Creek Angler.

Plenty of lodging available this week and don’t forget to book your $300 Full Day Spring Special Guide Trip through the end of the month. Make Wolf Creek Angler your first stop on the way to the river – we’ve got everything you need for Missouri River fly fishing and we are closer to the Holter Dam and Wolf Creek Bridge access sites than ANYONE.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:55-06:00April 7th, 2015|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: $300 Missouri River Guide Trips, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Holter Dam, Missouri River, Missouri River Spring Special Guide Rates, RO Drift Boats, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Final fishing report for March 2015

Leslie with one of many from Sunday’s float. Things are heating up on the MO. – photo by Jim Murray

Guest Blog from WCA Guide Jim Murray

Things are heating up on the Missouri. Literally. With the water temperatures pushing past that 40 degree mark, the river is really turning on. I had a chance to get out on the river Sunday with my ~~girlfriend~~ fiancé, and the Mighty Mo did not disappoint. Fellow WCA guide Matt Hargrave had told me that the fish were keying in on mayfly nymphs, and boy was he right. It seems with the warmer water temperatures, the baetis nymphs are getting really active subsurface and the fish are keying in on them. Little Green Machines, Micro Mays, Hogan S&M, and the Ju Ju Baetis in sizes 16-18 all produced fish. And don’t forget the Zebra Midge. We managed to bring one fish to the boat on a Firebead Rainbow Weight Fly, but the fish definitely seem to be moving off the pink/firebead stuff for the time being.
Along with bugs getting active, the warmer temps have the fish feeling a little more feisty and moving out of those deep winter holes. Fish were found primarily in 2-4 of water. Soft bends and shelf lines seem to be the key.
Adding to the fun is the fact that the dry fly bite is really turning on as well. Heads were spotted up between Wolf Creek and Craig, with trout willing to eat a well presented midge pattern. Rumors of big bugs being spotted in the canyon have started to be discussed over beers at the end of the day, and I know of a few anglers who have had some success giving it a try.
The streamer bite still seems to be hit or miss, (many times dependent on the angler) but only figures to improve in the coming days and weeks as the fish start to really shake off the winter doldrums and get a little nasty and aggressive. I know I have a new 8 weight rod that I’m just itching to get out and throw.
All in all, the Missouri is fishing well, and figures to only get better as conditions continue to heat up. It should be a great Spring on the Missouri. Now if we can just get some precipitation to keep it a great summer…

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:56-06:00March 31st, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Fly Fishing Film Tour (F3T), juju baetis, midge, Missouri River, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler, zebra midges|1 Comment

Sunday Report- Guest Blog from WCA Guide Matt Hargrave

Danya with one of many from Friday’s float. photo by Matt Hargrave

Montana experienced a very mild winter this year, which created plenty of fishing opportunities for local anglers. Personally, I kept my eyeballs on the ten day forecast, and made sure I was on the water whenever air temps were 40 degrees and above. While the fishing wasn’t always on fire, it was nice to be in the boat, on what became “bonus” days for all us trout bums. Most of those “bonus” days proved to be slow fishing with few fish to the net, and some of those days the only thing caught was a buzz and a minor case of hypothermia.

Yesterday was the day that I had been waiting for. The forecast called for a high of 75 with gusty winds. It never reached 75, but it didn’t get windy either. Perfect. Danya and I floated Dam to Craig. I did the usual row around just below the wire. We touched a fish on the first pass, landed a fish on the next two consecutive passes, and touched another on the fourth. The fish were definitely hungry yesterday, and Danya was crushing fish in the front of the boat. I had a nymph rig set at around 6 feet from bobber to split shot, with a #14 Tungsten Tailwater Sow bug, trailed by a #20 silver bead black zebra midge.

I finally bailed due to a handful of boats anchored up around me. Things slowed down below the grass flats. I changed out the zebra midge for a #16 grey Little Green Machine. The trout were all over that! Most of the fish seemed to be holding in knee to waist high water. I avoided the riffles because Rainbows are starting to build redds. As a reminder please avoid wading across the riffles, and be sure to look where you are a wading!

Below the Wolf Creek bridge, it continued to nymph well, but I also saw a lot of heads up eating midges, including a few legitimate pods. Some were rising here and there, but there were plenty that were consistently feeding. It was really exciting to see them come up and eat! You could see the cotton white on the inside of their mouth, which means you got a pretty good shot of catching that fish. Well, if you can set the hook at least. I blew about 8 or 10 hook sets. Call it first day dry fly fishing jitters. Or you could say that I didn’t check my hook after missing a fish. I got a couple more eats, but no hook set. Upon closer inspection, my Quigley’s Midge Cluster had a bent hook. Either I was ambitious or just care less, but my next fly choice was an impossible to see Griffith’s Gnat, which may or may not have induced an eat. All I know is that I set on eats that I thought was my fly. No fish to hand, just pulling up the anchor and looking for the next fish because those guys I spooked ain’t coming back up.

I managed to find another midge cluster, missed more eats, and put down more trout before realizing it was getting late and we had to go. I motored from spot to spot, Danya caught a couple more fish on the Little Green Machine and the Tung Tailwater Sow Bug. It was the fishiest day of the year so far. I expect there to be more days like this in the future as water temps are on the rise. Spring fishing is here, get out there and enjoy it my friends!—Matt

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:57-06:00March 29th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: dry fly fishing, green machine, Missouri River, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|1 Comment

Mid Week Missouri River Fishing Report 3/25/15

Let the spring games begin….what to use?

A bit of semi-seasonable weather back yesterday and today with scattered precipitation and temps hanging in the 40’s but back to spring tomorrow with temperatures climbing into the 60’s and 70’s by Friday.
As has been the case for the last several weeks it’s been a mixed bag of reports out there but it sounds like Sunday was a pretty good day all the way around with periods of good dry fly action and some good streamer reports from the canyon stretch. Black buggers, Polar leeches, olive smolts and sparkle minnows have all been producing fish. Most of the reports we heard from Monday and Tuesday sounded like things were on the slow side but we’re hoping for the rebound today.
Nymphing will continue to be your best bet though it seems the transition from winter fare to spring bugs has certainly gotten underway. Not that the pink stuff won’t work but we’ve heard of a lot of people having more success with tailwater sows and zebra midges and the like. It’s the time of year to start experimenting with your flies which makes for a bit more of a challenge than running a #12 Pinkalicious trailed with a firebead soft hackle sow for days on end but it’s all part of the fun. Green Machines, Micromays, Juju’s, Wondernymphs,Rainbow Warriors ,Peep Shows, AmX, the aforementioned Tailwater Sows and Zebra Midges…..and on and on. What will they be eating today? Start with a black zebra and something that feels right and go with it and change until you find what’s working.
The one part of the game that has remained fairly constant is the water the fish are holding in. Slow, deep winter runs will continue to be your target for the time being but as we creep towards 40 and beyond that will change as well. It’s a great time of year to fish the Missouri. Change is underway and soon the crowds will return. Take advantage of the relative solitude while you can. It’s the perfect time to treat yourself to a $300 Spring Special Guide Trip with one of our expert guides.
Stop by the shop on your way to the river for shuttles, bugs, bobbers, boats and all kinds of cool new gear arriving daily. We are your one-stop full service Missouri River fly shop and THE place to stay in Wolf Creek. We are Outfitter owned and operated and anxious to share our knowledge of and passion for Montana fly fishing with you soon.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:58-06:00March 25th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: $300 Missouri River Guide Trips, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, green machine, juju baetis, Missouri River, Missouri River Spring Special Guide Rates, Montana, running line, Streamer Fishing, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler, zebra midges|0 Comments

Missouri River Fishing Report 3/4/15

The Icy Solitude will soon be gone as spring weather arrives – photo Wolf Creek Angler

Fishing traffic has been essentially non existent for the past week but all that’s about to change with spring-like weather in the forecast for the weekend. Not that the fishing hasn’t been good – I’ve seen plenty of fish up each day I’ve gone out to scout the river but there is no amount of Stanley’s Ice Off Paste that can overcome the almost immedieate freeze-up that happens with temperatures in the teens and low 20’s where they’ve been camped for the last little while. Not to mention the ever-present flirtation with frostbite that occurs when fishing in these conditions. A sunny day with little wind certainly makes things tolerable (for a while) but we are anxious to leave the handwarmers and balaclavas behind and get back to some serious fishing rather than the two cast-pop ice out of guides-warm hands repeat routine we’ve been doing.
Looks like partly sunny skies with a high of 50 tomorrow, cloudy and 52 on Saturday and sunny and 55 on Sunday. It looks like we may see 60 on Monday and Tuesday! We’ve still got one vacancy for Friday and Saturday night and a couple for tonight. We will be full this weekend so don’t hesitate, make the call right now and claim your spot at Wolf Creek Angler. We will definitely be opening more lodging soon weather permitting.
The fishing should be good out there as the water warms back up a tick or two. It dropped back below 34 yesterday with the subzero nighttime temps. Flows remain steady at right around 4900. My go-to nymphing rig remains the Pinkalicious trailed by either a soft hackle FB sow, a pink or purple lighting bug, a black zebra midge, a tailwater sowbug, a Rainbow Keller’s Payczech or any number of similar options. Other good options for a point fly if the Pinkalicious for some reason isn’t working would be a Tungsten Tailwater Sow, A Rainbow or Purple Weight Fly or a Hotbead Wire Worm. I simply don’t change my bugs much this time of year, especially if it’s below freezing. Any and all of the above usually work if you find the right depth though I have seen a few patterns really heat up and really shut down depending on the day.
My recommendation would be to have your dry fly rod rigged up and ready with a buzzball or griffiths gnat or midge cluster etc. and be on the lookout for rising fish. It’s also never a bad idea in my opinion to throw a streamer and while you may not want to commit your entire day to it just yet, you never know when the streamer bite is going to turn on.
We’re anticipating a busy weekend at the shop. Call ahead for lodging and guide trips. Stop in for shuttles, drift boat rentals, hats and gloves, leaders and tippet, hot coffee, great buys on clearance items and of course, the largest selection of Missouri River flies ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek Montana.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:59-06:00March 5th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Missouri River Fishing Forecast for 2015

March seems to be the time of year when people start getting serious about the coming fishing season. We did see plenty of anglers around during late January and early February but it is early March, as winter’s grasp begins to loosen everywhere, that those who have already planned their trip to the Missouri or are in the process of doing so really begin to go to work. It’s the time of year to assemble and evaluate gear and to purchase new gear if need be….we can help you out with that. It’s also the time to inventory your fly boxes and replenish your supply. We can definitely help you out with this as well. This is the time of year when we start to get a lot of calls about what will be hatching when and while we can’t give you specific dates and we can’t guarantee anything – the following will give you some idea of what’s happening when.

Have you booked your guided fishing trip on the Missouri yet? Wolf Creek Angler is Outfitter Owned and Operated and ready to book you and guide you on the trip of a lifetime.

March means midge madness on the MO photo by Wolf Creek Angler

March – It’s the month for midges if you are seeking a late winter dry-fly experience. The past couple of weeks have provided some awesome midge days out there and while it’s sometimes tough to find the fish eating them with any regularity if you know where to look and you are patient you will find that opportunities will present themselves. Griffiths Gnats, Buzzballs and various midge clusters are a good call and if you’re having a tough time seeing the fly try a Hi-vis parachute Adams as your point fly and trail your midge pattern off of it. Nymphing is good and will continue to get better. We’re still sticking with the pink stuff and the FB’s but we’ve heard of success on some small baetis nymphs. Black zebra midges both with and without beads have been effective as well, especially around the dam. March 20th marks the start of our $300 Spring Special Full Day Missouri River Guide Trips which runs through the end of April. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity for a guided day on the Missouri at a fraction of the regular season price.

April – The dry-fly game in April continues to be about midges but BWO’s typically also enter the equation at this time. Nymphing heats up with mayfly nymphs replacing the colorful winter fare. A double zebra rig can also be very effective in the spring. Streamer action also starts to heat up in April. With many of the rainbows in the tribs spawning, the browns are on the move gorging on nymphs and dries and chasing down streamers.

May is BWO time on the MO

May – BWO’s are the May staple with midges still on the menu and larger March Browns (up to #14) and, depending on the location, Caddis also making an appearance. May also tends to be the most popular month for streamer fishing and the nymphing is always strong. It’s an awesome time to fish the Missouri with things greening up and the ability to do it all in one day. Longer days mean longer floats ripping streamers or nymphing – while always on the lookout for bugs on the water and pods of fish eating them.

Mid to late June brings the PMD’s

June – Caddis gaining strength, nymphing strong and by late June PMD’s! Streamer fishing still an option but coming into the true dry-fly season on the Missouri.

July – By far the most popular (and crowded) month on the Missouri. It’s a dry-fly Nirvana with PMD’s, Caddis and Tricos as well as terrestrials like hoppers and ants and beetles all coming into the mix.

August – More of the same but less crowded, a fair amount of weeds to deal with and more emphasis on the hopper fishing. Last season we saw little in the way of crowds in August and had spectacular days of Trico fishing throughout the month with the river to ourselves.

Are you ready for the 2015 season on the Missouri? Much of June and July are already booked solid as you might expect with rooms and guides very difficult to come by. That being said, part of the advantage to being an Outfitter Owned and Operated Shop is that we have a deep guide roster which includes your humble owners. Fred and I try to keep our summer schedules somewhat open to accommodate last-minute requests so if you haven’t yet booked your prime dates and you think it’s too late – give us a call – we may just be able to help you out. (406)235-4350 or Toll-Free 1-800-800-4350.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:59-06:00March 4th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: $300 Missouri River Guide Trips, brown trout, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, Missouri River Spring Special Guide Rates, nymphs, rainbow trout, running line, Streamer Fishing, tricos, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler, zebra midges|0 Comments

Updated Fishing Report 2/27/15

Despite the cold temps I couldn’t resist the pull of the river yesterday. It was pretty quiet at Wolf Creek Angler so I dusted off the old Simms Extreme waders, grabbed some hand warmers and donned my Wind Pro Balaclava from Outdoor Research (available at Wolf Creek Angler) and headed out. Surprisingly I was the only one at each of the couple of spots I fished.
Blue skies and sunshine and very little wind made for an awesome afternoon of fishing – even in 17 degrees, and while it was far from EPIC it was a pretty good couple of hours both sub surface and on top. I nymphed a couple up (a couple on the Pinkalicious and one on the soft hackle sow) and noticed a mess of midges on the water and more than a few eats. I decided that three fish was plenty as the big drawback to fishing in these temps is getting your hands wet and I headed off to find some heads.
It took a while but eventually I did find some fish feeding somewhat consistently and I made my way to them but failed to reach them before Jake swam through their feeding lane and put them down. I waited for a while and eventually they started eating again and this time I was ready. My second cast brought me my first fish of 2015 on a dry fly – not a big fish – but a fish on a dry fly in February in 17 degrees…I’ll take it!
Hiking back to the truck my waders were icing up, as was Jake’s coat and my hands had had as much as they could take so we called it a day.
It looks like it could be another slow day at WCA so I may just do it again….

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:00-06:00February 27th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: dry fly fishing, Missouri River, Missouri River Winter Fishing, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Missouri River Fishing Report – Tuesday February 17th

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

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:00-06:00February 17th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, indicator, Missouri River, Missouri River Winter Fishing, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Mid Week on the MO – 2/11/15

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

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:01-06:00February 11th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: dry fly fishing, Holter Dam, Missouri River, Missouri River Winter Fishing, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

February on the Missouri

February Midge Madness on the MO – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

February can be an excellent time to make a trip to the MO and while the weather can sometimes be a challenge if you hit it right you could experience some absolute spring-like conditions and some great fishing. While nymphing is by far the most productive and widely utilized technique during the winter months don’t overlook the streamer action (swung or slowly stripped) or the dry-fly action as the fish target the tiny midges that are present more often than not when the sun is shining on the Missouri.

It looks like we’re in for a pretty decent stretch of weather starting on Thursday with temperatures climbing into the 50’s and near 60 on Friday. As it stands now the long-range has us holding in this weather pattern through the middle of the month so it’s the perfect time to plan a trip to Wolf Creek Montana. We would love to take you fishing.

As if the spring weather weren’t enough to bring you here, we’re offering an awesome deal this month only where if you book a full day guide trip at our ridiculously reasonable winter rate of $395, we’ll throw in a night’s lodging in one of our bungalows for $59! A guided day on the river includes expert instruction from one of our world-class guides, all the flies you need, a hot lunch and hot and cold beverages and transportation to and from the river. Take advantage of this offer while it lasts and don’t worry about being locked in. If the weather is unfavorable or if you just decide you don’t want to do it you are free to bail with no penalty.

Not looking for a guided trip? Come stay with us at Wolf Creek Angler and do it yourself. Our warm and cozy bungalows are priced right for the winter at $99/night. Start your day with a hearty breakfast at The Frenchman and then stop in the shop for a shuttle and whatever you need for your day on the river. We’re loaded up with winter bugs, cold weather gear, terminal tackle, licenses, RO drift boat rentals and some great deals on merchandise we need to move to make way for spring shipments.

No need to rush – you are just minutes from Holter Dam and the Wolf Creek Bridge. Spend your day on the water and return to your home-away from home where you can either utilize the full kitchen in your bungalow and make your own meal or head to The Frenchman for a night out in Wolf Creek. Don’t miss Uncle Joe’s Oasis for a night-cap and stop by the Canyon Store for provisions including an excellent selection of Montana Microbrews.

Wolf Creek is the place to be for winter fishing in Montana and Wolf Creek Angler is proud to be your full service Missouri River fly shop. Book your trip today!

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

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:01-06:00February 3rd, 2015|Categories: Montana Fly Fishing, Uncategorized|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Holter Dam, midge, Missouri River, Missouri River Winter Fishing, Montana, RO Drift Boats, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments