dry fly fishing Archives - Page 27 of 28

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….

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

Mid December

Countdown to Christmas at Wolf Creek Angler

Well we’re halfway through December. The fish are plentiful, the anglers are not. The weather has beat expectations throughout the fall with most days being more than fishable and some days being down right unseasonable with temps in the 50’s. The trend continues this week with sunny skies and high 30’s through the weekend, climbing back into mid 40’s next week. Disappointing for those hoping for a white Christmas but an awesome gift to those lucky enough to have easy access to this incredible fishery year-round.

Christmas break has begun for the college students and they are starting to arrive in Wolf Creek. We are booked through mid-week but do have vacancies for the coming weekend. If you’re going to fish the Missouri during your break make Wolf Creek Angler your first stop for shuttles, bugs, cold weather gear, RO drift boat rentals, lodging and much more. College students receive 15% off total purchase with valid college id – now through the end of the year.

Nymphing has been the most consistent method as of late with Rainbow Czechs, Pink Lightning Bugs and all kinds of Firebeads leading the charge. Zebra midges in black and purple and tailwater sow bugs and scuds in pink and grey should not be overlooked.

Those committing to the streamer are still having respectable days on the swing or with a SLOW retrieve. Polar Leeches in Olive and Olive and Copper continue to be effective. Black buggers are reportedly also getting some attention but we prefer some flash and I think the fish do too.

There are midges around and there are fish eating them. I haven’t taken a dry fly rig along recently but it certainly wouldn’t be a bad call if that is your game.

If you are still shopping for the fly fisher on your list stop by the shop or give us a call and let us help you find the perfect gift. Maybe it’s a new fly rod or new cooler. Maybe it’s a full day guide trip. Maybe it’s a WCA gift card loaded with a year’s worth of shuttles or a loaded Missouri River fly box. Maybe it’s Wolf Creek Angler logo gear, an excellent choice for your friends around the country and around the globe. Whatever it is, we are here to help you find what you need and we will gladly do whatever we can to simplify things for you. We are happy to mail gift cards or ship merchandise anywhere in the world. Call (406)235-4350 or toll-free 1-800-800-4350.

Wolf Creek Angler Gift Cards are available in any amount, are re-loadable and can be used on EVERYTHING.

The shop is open Wednesday – Saturday from 8 am – 4 pm and if the weather is nice we are usually around on the other days as well. We are open and available for lodging and guide trips every day. Don’t forget our $395 full day guide trips while the snow flies.

See you in the shop and on the water…

~Jason O.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:03-06:00December 16th, 2014|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: Christmas, dry fly fishing, Missouri River, Missouri River Winter Fishing, Montana, running line, Streamer Fishing, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Early August on the Missouri

Father and daughter Sam and Samantha had a great day on the Missouri. The right hat will always bring success on the Missouri!

Things have gotten a little quiet on and around the Missouri this week. Angling traffic is way down and we’ve certainly had busier days around the shop but the big news is that trico fishing continues to consistently produce in a BIG way, the hopper bite is starting to come on and will only improve from here on out and best of all, you can have vast stretches of water to yourself right now as the Peak Seasoners have in large part disappeared.

With few exceptions the dry fly action has been like clockwork. According to WCA lead guide Neale Streeks the trico fishing is the best it’s been in a decade and while the caddis game hasn’t really materialized we are having some of the best dry fly fishing of the season. Plenty of bugs and plenty of willing fish up have made for some spectacular mornings and while things tend to slow in the middle of the day there have been enough fish willing to eat a hopper to make a terrestrial afternoon a real option. There are even some of us making a day of the hopper game. A trailing ant or a nymph will keep things interesting. We’ve been having a lot of luck the last few times out with a #16 purple or gold weight fly below a purple or pink More or Less.

Hopper-Eater

Fred with an outstanding Missouri River Dry-Fly eating brown.

Nymphing in general has been a little slow as the weeds take hold and the fish continue to do their part to keep you guessing. Even the dam has had some tougher days as of late but again, the good news is you can ditch the bobber for a hopper and cut your weed cleaning time in half. If you decide to stick to chasing bobbers weight flies, flashback pt’s, black zebras, micro mays and peep shows have all been producing depending on the day.

Trico wise we’ve been doing very well with a #18 double wing trico and also with a #18 or #20 indicator spinner. Keep an assortment of caddis and pmd’s on hand as well as sometimes they aren’t overly interested in the tricos. We’ve got everything you need for dry fly success so stop by and let us get you dialed in.

Despite the solid fishing things are a little quiet around the lodge. It’s a good time to take a break and catch our breath after a crazy July but even so, we are more interested in taking care of customers than catching our breath so we are offering special rates of $99 on our cabins just for the month of August. It’s a great time to be here. Come fish the mornings and join the rec floaters with a leisurely float down the Missouri on the sunny and hot Montana afternoons.

Stop by the shop and see us for up to date fishing reports, shuttles, the best selection of bugs in Wolf Creek and all kinds of Wolf Creek Angler swag you can’t live without. We are fully stocked up on hats and shirts including a couple of great new t’s from Strip n’ Flywear and we’ve got Simms summer logo gear to move to make room for fall gear arriving soon.

The Competition…

735 746 758 747

See you in the shop and on the water….

~ Jason O.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:07-06:00August 6th, 2014|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: brown trout, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, indicator, Missouri River, nymphs, running line, tricos, Wolf Creek Angler|2 Comments

July 31st Fishing Report…

fredbrown

Late July going into August tends to slow down a bit as far as visiting anglers go, fishing doesn’t seem to though. I guess it’s all about perspective. Fred and I escaped the shop and fished trico’s to pods all day…well not exactly all day, up until 2:30 when the wind came up at least. The trico hatch is one of my favorites (if you haven’t figured it out yet, any bug hatching on the Missouri is my favorite), it’s a solid hatch, lots of bugs, and it gets the fish looking up. Yes, they (the trico’s) are tiny, but they arrive en masse and you don’t necessarily need a tiny pattern to fool the trout. You can at certain times get away with something big, like a size 14 midge cluster, or griffiths gnat, or something else that is black and grizzly and looks buggy. You might have to rummage around the fly box to find something they like, but mostly, as with any other hatch here, it’s all about presentation. Casting 6 feet above a rising fish will not get it done. Casting well ahead of rising fish will guarantee a nice drag right over the top of that hungry trout. You got to get it right in there, put that fly on their nose and just feed them. When the fish are podded up, they are in rythmn and mostly will not move laterally for your fly. Put it in their lane with a drag free drift and your odds of success are greatly increased.

Some words of advice for you folks out there wading. Often I see people wading way too far out in the river. There are a lot of fish on the edges, and a lot of times I see people wading right in the middle of productive runs casting out to deeper water. Start fishing the shallow shelves, and then work your way out. I tell that to folks in the shop and some have a hard time believing me. That fast mottled water is excellent holding water. That giggly surface provides cover for trout making them feel secure in their habitat. Have you ever realeased a rainbow or brown in that kind of water? And did you notice that when they swim away and hold on the bottom that they almost dissapear? I hear people say the Missouri doesn’t have any structure…5,000 something trout per mile disagree. Yeah it doesn’t have big rocks or downed timber, but it does have lots of structure. It’s just of a different type and you have to think outside the box a bit to see it.

I expect the trico hatch to stick around for a while, hopper fishing is around the corner (I’ve had some success, but I wouldn’t say it’s here), and as usual nymphing is solid…although some days are better than others. I’ve yet to get out and see what’s happening in the evening, but what I hear is that some evenings are good, and some are not. That’s fishing right?—Matt

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:07-06:00July 31st, 2014|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: brown trout, craig montana, dry fly fishing, Missouri River, tricos, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Late July Fishing Report…

bernie143

Well here we are in late July. It’s been a while posting, neither myself, Jason, or Fred have had a day off since the solstice. Fishing has been good with trico’s primarily being the hatch of choice, although we’ve seen an occasional head scratching flush of pmd’s come out of no where and lead us to reach for flies we thought were done for the year. Caddis have been skinny. I think that is due to the low water year last year. The caddis didn’t have a great opportunity to create more caddis last year and we are seeing the effects of that this year.

Flows are currently at 4,420 and holding. We’ve gotten litte pulses here and there, but nothing dramatic. I expect the river to stay at this level for the remainder of the season.

We have had a cooler than average summer which has made it so the weeds have stayed mostly down. Some sections of the river are weedier than others, but overall not bad. The days I’ve seen it get real weedy is when they release more water at the dam or we get a good gully washer that flushes junk of the banks. If the weeds get you down just pick up and move somewhere where they aren’t a problem. Fish those skinny inside corners that have current.

Haven’t seen much in the way of hoppers, but some people have been fishing them and getting an eat here and there. Nymphing is good in the mornings and later in the afternoon. It seems the trout are taking a midday siesta sometimes. But overall, the guests at the lodge and the clients in the boat have been having fun, which is what fishing is all about. I think the trico’s will hold strong into August, and who knows what else is going to pop up…you have to be here to find out.

Flies

Dries
Tricos…
Double Wing Trico in 16-20
Buzzball in 18
Hi Vis Trico Dun in 18-20
CDC Trico dun in 18-20
Trico Sparkle Dun in 18-20
Hi Vis Parachute Adams in 20
Griffiths Gnat in 14-20
Royal Trude in 12 (Have faith)

PMD’s
Rusty Spinner in 16-18
Hi Vis PMD Spinner in 16-18
Parachute PMD in 16-18

Nymphs

I was on a 5 boat trip Friday and then a 3 boat trip yesterday and between all those boats there were probably 12 to 20 different nymphs being dead drifted (most of the time). Everyone had success, although not on every single bug, but a lot of different stuff works.

Micro mays, zebra midges, gold and purple weight flys, rainbow czechs, pt’s, hare’s ears, little green machines, peep shows, wire worms, rainbow warriors, purple or gold lightning bugs, and probably at least a dozen other patterns work, at the right time, and right place, and right depth.

Interested in something different? The freestone streams are in great shape right now. I hiked into a blackfoot tributary last week with a friend and had a great day. We didn’t see another soul and had 13-14″ westslope cutts crashing an Amy’s Ant all day. Great days to be had for sure. Wolf Creek is within a short drive to some truly wild and unique small stream fishing. Have fun out there—Matt

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:07-06:00July 27th, 2014|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: brown trout, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, rainbow trout, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Little Black and White Bugs…

fredbow

The latest news is trico’s and the water dropping. As of right now the flows are 5510 and dropping. I think the word is it’s going down to 4,500 or so. It’s just a number and at this point really doesn’t affect much. It could keep the water cooler for the hottest month of the year, which is a good thing.

On to trico’s. I had to drop a boat off at the Dearborn ramp this morning. When I passed the Spite FAS I could see funnels of trico’s over the willows for maybe half a mile. Not a complete wall, but enough that it would probably take a lifetime to count them all if you had too. Trico’s are an early game. Probably wouldn’t hurt to be on the water at daybreak. Pick your favorite trico pattern and have at it.

Evening reports have been good. Caddis and spinners are on the menu.

Nymphing has remained solid, with bug choices still leaning to caddis pupae patterns, little green machines, weight fly, peep show, etc, etc.

Streamers…still an option.

What’s on the horizon? Trico’s for quite a while, hoppers in a couple of weeks.

We have been restocked with Trouthunter tippet. 3X-6X in flouro and nylon, including 4.5X and 5.5X if you want to get all techy.

Favorite new product of the summer so far? Rio Perception WF5…just an awesome line, maybe a review later. Another fave is Air-Lok strike indicators. They screw on to your leader instead of pushing a loop through the eye and then over the bobber. Eliminates kinked leaders and is faster to adjust depth. Have to throw in the Wolf Creek Angler branded Simms Solarflex shirt. Very comfortable on a hot day, and still looks good after a couple of nights wearing it to bed, and then again the next day (don’t judge me)—Matt

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:07-06:00July 12th, 2014|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: brown trout, caddis, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, Montana, rainbow trout, RIO, simms, tricos|0 Comments

Missouri River Flows…

Goofy is a good description of what’s been going on around here flow wise. We’ve seen a bump from 4,220 on Friday up to it’s current rate of 6,900 cfs. In a nutshell, the bureau of reclamation was preparing for a wet spring and held back flows. Then when runoff peaked they dumped a bunch of water that brought us to 11,000 something cfs last month. Then when they (the bureau) saw runoff tapering down, they closed the gates and took us down to 4,200 to fill Canyon Ferry. Canyon Ferry was at 75% capacity when they dropped the river down. It looked like it was going to take a while to fill, but then we got a fair amount of rain and some high elevation snow. The Missouri at Toston was around 7,500 cfs and then climbed back up around 10-12,000 cfs with the new precip. Canyon Ferry filled much quicker than expected, and in a move to evacuate extra water they brought the Missouri up to 6,900 cfs.

Whew…while the flows do not affect drift boat fishermen, they do affect the wading folks. While wading is not out of the picture at all, it’s just that you can’t quite get to every spot on the river. There is good news on the horizon though, the graph for Toston looks good.

Good looking trend

And more good news. The weather is heating up, mostly high 80’s all week with chances of thunderstorms. Not much precipitation forecasted for the future. I don’t expect to see flows go much, if at all, any higher than 6,900, and I expect them to start coming down soon as well.

Has it affected fishing? It has, the last couple of days PMD’s have been sparse. Dry fly fishing exists, although not as much as we would like to see. Nymphing has been solid, and streamer fishing is a fun alternative to chasing a bobber. Regardless, it’s fishing and it’s a lot of fun.

There are plenty of opportunites to find these guys around.

Nacho, Brown Trout, and Chad, midday meet and greet.

Let the good times roll—Matt

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:07-06:00July 3rd, 2014|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: brown trout, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, Montana|0 Comments