dry fly fishing Archives - Page 6 of 26

Return of The Blur

Summer Days on the Missouri

Summer officially arrived last week and with it The Blur which is how we refer to this portion of the season when days blur together and the busy weeks we anticipate, prepare for and look forward to all year fly past, carrying us to the Dog Days of August and soon after the start of the fall season. Do you have your fall dates booked? It’ll be here before you know it.

We saw some fluctuations in flows last week which left some frustrated, but things have since stabilized and we’re currently looking at flows of 4100 CFS where they will likely hold for the remainder of the season. Water temps are creeping up with summer’s heat having finally arrived, but at 58 – 59 degrees we’ve got absolutely nothing to complain about.

Conditions are truly ideal right now with stable flows of cold clean water, lush green landscapes and happy, hungry trout feasting on PMD’s daily. The long days mean long hours on the water with many dry fly obsessed anglers fishing the last light of the day.

These are the days that define Montana fly fishing in the minds of many. And these are the days we savor every season.

The fishing has been phenomenal more days than not except for those couple of days with the big bumps and drops in flows.

PMD’s are still the main course though we’re approaching the end of the PMD cycle over the next two weeks. Caddis action is somewhat sparse but seems to be gaining momentum. Look for things to improve as we close out the month of June and roll into the 4th of July weekend. PMD’s still here. Caddis gaining steam and Tricos on the way. It’s Dry Fly Nirvana on the Mighty MO. Oh, and don’t forget…hoppers aren’t that far off!

We’ve got you covered with massive quantities of dry fly patterns for all of the above along with a vast array of floatants and a wide variety of general and specialty lines for your optimum dry fly presentation. We’ve got everything you need to make it happen…the rest is up to you.

There are plenty of folks throwing bobbers as well and hooking up plenty. PMD nymphs (split case, magic fly, redemption, Psycho May, etc. ) and caddis nymphs should be your go to bugs but don’t count the sowbugs out. Sowbugs are always on the menu. Best sellers the past week from the nymph bins include Tailwater Sows, Purple Weight flies, Frenchies, Perdigons, Split Case PMD’s, Little Green Machines and PMD Redemption.

Stop in and stock up on bugs and sun protection and ice and whatever else you need for your day on the water. Shuttles have been crazy to the point that we’re cutting off shuttle sales fairly early each day depending on the traffic. Get here early to make sure you can get a shuttle. We aren’t the only ones cutting shuttles off so you could find yourself without a shuttle if you arrive late on a busy day. We apologize for the inconvenience, it’s a BUSY year on the Missouri!

We continue to get a ton of calls daily for guide trips and while we have been able to pull the proverbial rabbit out of the hat a few times chances are slim that we’ll be able to book any additional trips over these next couple of weeks. The same holds true for lodging. We do get cancellations here and there but for the most part we are booked solid through the middle of July. Things open up at the end of the month.

Welcome back to the Blur. We hope to see you soon. We’re open 7 AM – 5 PM daily and will adjust accordingly once the Tricos commence.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-06-27T16:02:07-06:00June 27th, 2022|Categories: Fishing Report, Shop Life|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, green machine, Missouri River, Montana, pmd's, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

NOT the Missouri River NPS / Jacob W. Frank

The calls have been non-stop the past few days with concerned guests calling to check on conditions in response to national news coverage of the devastating flooding on the Yellowstone River and elsewhere in the region.

Our hearts go out to our friends in Gardiner, Livingston, Red Lodge and elsewhere as they pick up the pieces following this historic flood event. Still on the rebound from suffering through the effects of the Covid economy the past two seasons, this is a tough pill to swallow. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected.

That being said, Montana is a BIG state and what’s happening 150 miles away is not happening here on the Missouri. Even so, conditions have evolved dramatically over the past few weeks and what looked like a season of low flows on the MO now looks to be the ideal conditions we hope for every season.

We’re seeing a big bump in flows right now, currently at 8380 CFS, a far cry from the static 3K flows predicted for the entire season just a month ago but nothing to be worried about. Bumps and drops definitely have an immediate effect on the fishing, don’t get me wrong, but we’re looking at the Big Picture here and we’re loving what we’re seeing.

A couple thousand CFS increase carries with it a lot of debris as the waters rise and carry away the accumulation of wood and other objects lining our low flow exposed river bed but once it’s carried said debris downstream things tend to settle and stabilize fairly quickly. We haven’t reached peak flows and I won’t venture a guess where that’s going to end up but we do have a high confidence that flows will recede to a steady 4-5K in the not too distant future, perfect conditions for our summer season.

The bottom line is that if you’re coming to fish the MO you can expect great conditions and great fishing. It may not be that 3K loved by so many of the wade angling crowd but the fact of the matter is 3K is simply not good for the MO.

There may be a few challenging days here and there with bumps and drops in the flows but overall the 2022 water outlook is shaping up to be so much better than we thought possible just a month ago.

We’re happy to take your calls of concern and we’re ready to talk some of you off of the ledge if necessary but rest assured, your 2022 Missouri River fly fishing pilgrimage is not in jeopardy.

PMD’s are here and will be the mainstay for the next several weeks. Caddis in play as well with Tricos just around the corner.

Higher flows are perfect for the nymphers with Sows and Scuds and Worms and Crays on the menu along with those Split Case PMD’s, Magic Flies, Psycho Mays, Frenchies, etc.

Streamer fishing is typically on the wane this time of year but with this unexpected increase in flows and the cool conditions which have kept our water relatively clean and weed free we would most certainly recommend chucking meat if that’s your thing.

We’ve had a few cancellations from the wade crowd, scared off by the flows so if a last minute trip to the MO is on the agenda give us a call, we may just have a room for you and we most certainly have rental boats available most days for the next couple of weeks.

We’re open 7 AM – 5 PM daily with everything you need for your day on the MO. High water nymphs, the best dry fly selection in the canyon, streamers a plenty, Simms waders and boots, Flyagra, Sun Protection, Oros indicators, shuttles, Adipose Drift Boat rentals and so much more.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-06-16T14:00:22-06:00June 16th, 2022|Categories: Fishing Report, Shop Life|Tags: caddis, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, Montana, running line, Streamer Fishing, tricos, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler, Yellowstone River|0 Comments

PMD’s are what’s on the menu. Stop by Wolf Creek Angler for the widest selection of Missouri River flies ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek Montana.

Our steady flow towards PRIME TIME on the MO was interrupted briefly yesterday with a significant bump from 3000 CFS to 5200 CFS reportedly due to dam maintenance. They dropped flows back to 4700 CFS today and we’ll likely see another drop overnight into tomorrow when things should begin to stabilize once again.

Conditions had been prime for the coming BIG PMD SHOW and we should be back on track soon with stabilizing flows and water temps hanging in the mid 50’s. The weather these next few days will be conducive to bug activity with highs nearing 80 through the weekend. We’ll cool down again starting on Sunday, dropping back to highs in the 60s and overnight lows in the 40s but the 10 day shows another warm up late next week.

Judging by the number of bugs we’ve been seeing, particularly in the canyon, we’re expecting good things to happen VERY soon. We can’t guarantee bugs or feeding fish on any given day but we can guarantee that if you aren’t prepared with the latest and greatest PMD patterns from WCA then you’re putting yourself at a tremendous disadvantage every time you hit the water with the potential for epic dry fly fishing looming.

Stop in and see us and we’ll get you set up for the Big Show and also get you lined out with all the must have nymphs you shouldn’t be without. Think SPLIT CASE PMD’s! We’ve got em’ by the bin full.

Crazy Big Snow pack numbers are keeping us perplexed and optimistic for what’s to come. Canyon Ferry continues to fill and is currently at 76.5% full. Tribs are not doing much. Little Prickly Pear hasn’t done much of anything and the Dearborn is on the drop. Still floatable for sure but trending the wrong way at this point. We’ll see what effect the coming mini heat wave has on flows over these next few days.

Water is on the rise around much of the region, making the Missouri River THE destination for fly fishing in Montana at the moment. A fair amount of traffic out there with busy boat ramps but everyone seems to be playing nice so far. Going out of your way to be kind and respectful to your fellow anglers and river recreationalists is the right thing to do and will stack your ledger with good fishing karma!

We’re just entering the outer edges of The Blur right now, that time of year when the rooms are all full, the boats are all out, the days blend together, the weeks fly by and before you know it Prime Time is in the rearview. But, we’re not there yet. We’re settling in and getting acclimated to making the proverbial hay.

We’re open from 7 AM to 5 PM daily with everything you need for your day on the water. Shuttles, bugs, boats, sun protection, Simms wading and rain gear, awesome Lamson rods and reels, SA, Airflo and Rio lines, leaders and tippet, Fishpond nets and accessories, piles of new WCA logo wear and the friendliest shop crew on the river.

Stop in and see us soon.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-06-08T16:51:31-06:00June 8th, 2022|Categories: Shop Life, Uncategorized|Tags: dry fly fishing, Missouri River, Montana, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

The Season is officially unofficially underway

A chilly, rainy Memorial Day weekend has ushered in the unofficial start of summer and while we’re still waiting for that first extended heat wave of the season to bring out the recreational floaters, the daily angling traffic definitely has a summer look about it.

It’s been an interesting season so far with the cool weather seemingly throwing the transition to late spring green off by a week or two. We’re definitely getting there now with the recent moisture but the weather still feels more like we’re headed into May than one day away from June.

That being said, where the fishing is concerned we’re right on schedule. Bugs galore and plenty of hungry, happy trout enjoying our cold clean, albeit LOW, water. It’s a refrain I’ve been repeating since February and I’m not going to stop now.

Spring dry fly fishing has been the best it’s been in recent memory with ample opportunities most days, thanks to the presence of midges, BWO’s, Caddis and now, even a few PMD’s being spotted in the mix in the lower reaches.

We just recently shifted the dry fly bins to highlight PMD’s rather than BWO’s and found that BWO dry fly sales far exceeded anything we’ve seen in the past several years. A good bug year coupled with what feels like a definite continuation of the post-Covid angling traffic uptick has definitely been a boon for the fly shops thus far in 2022.

Despite the rosy picture that is this spring season 2022, we want to be careful about not overselling it. Our observations are based on our experience, year in and year out on the Missouri. Based on those observations, including the ebbs and flows in water and weather conditions and fish populations and bug life etc. we are very comfortable proclaiming 2022 as a markedly exceptional year thus far but we want to be clear that this proclamation does NOT mean you are guaranteed epic fishing. As anyone who’s been doing this for any length of time knows, there are no guarantees.

There are good days and slow days no matter how you choose to fish. Overall the dry fly fishing has been very good for this time of year. Nymphing has been consistently good and those stripping and/or swinging have been finding plenty of success as well. This is the 30K foot view – overall it’s been a REALLY good spring. BUT – there are days the fishing has slowed. Some stretches often fish better on a particular day than others. Sometimes the MO will humble you. You didn’t hear it from me but sometimes there are even days where folks actually get SKUNKED (GASP) on the MO.

Yes, the fishing is good but it’s important to manage your expectations. There are many factors that go into making a great day of fishing, not the least of which is the proficiency of the angler. You can have bugs and hungry fish eating them but if you can’t deliver the cast or get the drift, you likely won’t have much luck.

You can run the exact bug at the exact depth the guide showed you yesterday but if you’re in the wrong water you aren’t going to catch fish.

That doesn’t mean the fishing is slow.

But, that being said, you could also be doing everything right….the right bugs, the right depth, the right water and for some reason the fish aren’t eating. It happens.

All this to say keep your expectation realistic. No matter what the reports say there are a myriad of factors that can contribute to your success or lack thereof.
We’re enjoying a fantastic spring and we’ve definitely had no shortage of smiling faces in our guide boats this spring and we’re looking forward to a continued epic season on the MO.

You’ll be seeing some new faces in the shop this year and we can’t wait to introduce you to our new team.

The shop is open from 7 AM to 5 PM daily and we’re here for ALL of your Missouri River fly fishing needs.

See you soon.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-05-31T12:22:39-06:00May 31st, 2022|Categories: Fishing Report, Shop Life|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

An Epic Spring Season Rolls On

We are in the midst of what has been one of the best spring seasons on the MO in years.

Dry fly fishing has been exceptionally good since mid-February with consistent midge action daily and plenty of BWO’s around these last few weeks. Rumor has it March Browns are also now in the mix, albeit sporadically.

Nymphing has been reliably good more days than not with the usual suspects performing as you’d expect. Sows, scuds, assorted baetis nymphs and even some worm action in the mudline for a day or two following runoff bumps on the Little Prickly Pear and Dearborn.

The streamer action has been good with swingers and strippers both proclaiming plenty of success and the big browns are on the prowl as evidenced by a plethora of above average size browns making an appearance on social media as of late.

She truly seems to be firing on all cylinders this season and of course this is the year my ability to fish has been drastically curtailed by various limiting circumstances of my own choosing.

And so this this year, which is perhaps the best spring season in WCA history, I am relegated to living vicariously through all of you and your fish stories. I’m missing my time on the water but this too shall pass and with any luck I’ll be back out there

In the meantime we’re loaded up at the shop with everything you need and more. We’re loving the new rods from Waterworks Lamson and we’re stocked up in all weights with plenty of options for reels at any price point. Come on in and take a Lamson Velocity and Cobalt rods for a test drive, we think you’ll love them and at $399 they won’t break the bank.

We’re also stocked up on your favorite Echo rods including Carbon XL, Trout, Indicator, Streamer X, Boost and Boost Blue which, like the Lamson Cobalt, is a salt offering that doubles as a phenomenal streamer stick.

Simms sun wear has arrived and we’re fully stocked with buffs, Fishpond Eddy River and Lowcountry sun hats, Simms flip flops, Smith and Suncloud eyewear and plenty of sunscreen and more. The weather doesn’t quite feel like it but summer is on the way.

As you’d expect we are the FIRST shop open with FREE coffee on at 7:30 AM daily. No need to wait until the others open, stop in for your shuttles and bugs, hit On The Fly Coffee next to the Canyon Store for breakfast burritos and be on the water before anyone is stirring in Craiglandia.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-05-10T16:44:08-06:00May 10th, 2022|Categories: Fishing Report, Uncategorized|Tags: Boost, Boost Blue, brown trout, Carbon XL, Cobalt, dry fly fishing, Echo, Fishpond, fly fishing, indicator, Missouri River, On The Fly Coffee, running line, simms, Streamer X, Velocity, Waterworks Lamson, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

What a difference a month has made

So far so good. Three days in and the cool weather trend we’ve seen so far this spring continues. The month of April worked wonders for the snow pack which has bumped in much of the region up from a somewhat bleak outlook in the 70s and 80’s percent of average to a much more optimistic outlook in the 90s and 100 Plus percent range.

We are in for a short warm spell over the next few days with temps climbing into the low 70’s tomorrow and near 80 on Thursday before we cool down again for the weekend and into next week with highs back in the 40’s and 50’s and overnight lows in the high 20’s and low 30’s. Just the weather we need to preserve that late spring snowpack.

The fishing continues to be consistently good with weather conditions generally conducive to good BWO activity. We’ve been seeing better action below Craig on that front with plenty of midge activity still occurring river-wide.

Nymphing remains strong with baetis nymphs really starting to come on. Stock up on Little Green Machines, Psycho Mays, BWO Magic Fly, BWO Redemption, Spanish Bullets, Split Case BWO’s, Olive Lightning Bugs and various PT’s all in the mix. That being said, don’t abandon the sow bugs and scuds just yet. Pill Poppers, Tailwater Sows, UV sows, Bubble Yums, Pederson’s Sow, Caviar Scud, Rainbow Czech, Amex all still very much in play.

Fish the medium depth (2’ – 4’), fast ish water with or without a split shot starting with a mid-range rig with your indicator 4’-5’ from your point fly. Some are going longer, some are short leashing, both with varying degrees of success but the medium rig is always a good place to start.

We’re loaded up with all the aforementioned bugs as well as AirLock strike indicators in all sizes and colors. Like most everyone else we’re SOLD OUT of Oros indicators but hope to see some product back in stock later this month.

What we do have plenty of are Fishpond and Rising nets in all sizes and colors, SA, Rio and Airflo fly lines for every application, Yakoda caps and fly boxes, rods and reels from Lamson, Redington, Loop and Echo, Redington waders and wading pants, boots from Simms and Korkers and FINALLY the new Simms G3 waders are starting to trickle in.

Lodging is busy from here on out. There are some openings here and there throughout the month of May but overall we seem to have arrived at PRIME TIME for lodging on the MO. Similar case with guide trips. We’ve got a pile of them out this week, next week tapers off a bit for us but overall guide season has fired up on the MO.

It doesn’t hurt to check availability for either as we have been known to have some success with last-minute trips. Sometimes we’re sneaky good that way. A better option would be to up your odds of success by booking those fall dates very soon. Spots are filling quickly and it’s a safe bet it’s going to be a busy fall on the Missouri.

Spring shop hours are Monday – Saturday 7:30 AM – 5:00 pm and 7:30 AM – 2 PM on Sundays.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-05-03T13:02:46-06:00May 3rd, 2022|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: bubble yum, BWO Magic Fly, BWO Redemption, Caviar Scud, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, green machine, Lamson, Missouri River, Pederson's Sow, pill popper, Psycho Mays, Rainbow Czech, running line, simms, Split Case BWO, Streamer Fishing, Tailwater Sow, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler, Yakoda|0 Comments

Below average temps and above average precipitation starting to improve the outlook for much of the region

Warm spring days are upon us…at least for a day or two. We’ll see highs near 70 today and tomorrow before things cool off on Wednesday ushering in what looks to be a cool and wet couple of days as we head into the weekend.

We won’t complain about a couple of sunny warm days but happy to see the return of cooler temps to preserve that critical snowpack for as long as we can.

Traffic is steadily picking up and we’re now getting to the point where the weather won’t have much of an effect as we’re getting into the thick of it with trips that have been on the books for months. Rain or shine – it’s go time.

We’ve got a few holes in the lodging and guide books this week so give the shop a call and we’ll get you booked for that spontaneous last minute trip on the MO.

We expect fishing will continue to improve with dry fly opportunities becoming more abundant from here on out. BWO’s a plenty, we just need to get those fish looking up. Nymphing is your numbers game and the streamer junkies are in PRIME TIME right now. Not a bad time to fish the MO, no matter what your go-to method.

We’re now open daily at 7:30 AM for all of your Missouri River fly fishing needs. Clean and affordable lodging, the best guides on the water, Adipose drift boat rentals, shuttles, bugs and so much more.

Look no further than WCA for anything and everything you need.

A quick note about boat parking.

One of the most frequent pieces of feedback we’ve gotten over the years is that boat parking can be a challenge and more than that, a limited space parking lot filled with drift boats leaves very little room for vehicle parking. Some of our guests have utilized the large turnout at the end of our property for years to stash boats which was not looked upon favorably by the owner of that piece of property. Fortunately we were able to come to an agreement with the property owner at the end of last season and we now have the exclusive use of that turnout. We’ve cleaned it up and topped it with gravel and it’s now an awesome space for auxiliary parking.

Please utilize this space for your vehicle/drift boat rigs and make sure our guests who aren’t towing boats have spots in front of their rooms to park their cars. It’s not to say we’re prohibiting folks from parking their hooked up rigs in front of their rooms but if it looks busy at all (which it will more often than not from here on out) then please be considerate of our other guests and leave boats in the auxiliary lot when space is at a premium.

The season is upon us…Here’s to busy parking lots and hungry trout!

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-04-25T13:36:50-06:00April 25th, 2022|Categories: Shop Life|Tags: Adipose, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, running line, streamers, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Go Time

Following last week’s winter blast it looks like we’ll be settling into a much more seasonable weather pattern this week. We’ll see daily highs in the 50’s with overnight lows in the 30’s and a chance for some rain/snow throughout the week. Sounds like Blue Wing weather to me.

It looks to be on the breezy side tomorrow with a west southwest wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 19 to 24 mph in the afternoon with gusts up to 37 mph possible but aside from that it really does appear to be quintessential spring fishing conditions this week. No wild swings up or down with the temps, just a good steady run for the foreseeable forecast.

We had confirmed BWO sightings over the weekend so expect good things to start happening this week on the dry fly front, especially towards the end of the week with cloudy skies and a chance of rain and snow in the mix.

Best bets for Blue Wings – Olive Haze, Sprout Baetis, BWO Guide Winna Spinna, Wilcox’s Micro May BWO, Nyman’s DOA Cripple Baetis, BWO Film Critic, Flash Cripple, Para BWO, CDC Winged Emerger. We usually have good success running a double rig with a cripple or an emerger in the mix. I like a Sprout Baetis trailed with a DOA Cripple. Keep that BWO dry fly rod rigged and ready. You never know when it might happen so better to be at the ready than to have to spend time rigging when that opportunity is calling for fishing not rigging.

Nymphing will continue to be your numbers game with Sowbugs still leading the charge but it’s time to throw some baetis nymphs in the mix with the sows and scuds and pink stuff. Little Green Machines, Psycho Mays, Split Case BWO’s, BWO Magic Fly, BWO Redemption, Olive Lighting Bug, Radiation Baetis, JuJu Baetis…etc should all be making their way into the mix right now. Don’t abandon the sows and scuds, just expand your offerings.

Flows are steady at right around 3,000 cfs and will likely hold there from here on out. Water temps are bumping up over 40 and should also hold fairly steady for the next while. Fish are on the move. Rainbows are spawning and browns are feasting on caviar. Target the medium fast water in the 2’ – 5’ depth range and please leave the spawners alone. Watch where you step and if you somehow find yourself surrounded by redds and spawning fish resist the temptation to harass those fish.

Conditions are critical for these fish right now with the low water. With the absence of side channels resulting from the low flows they’re right out there in the open for everyone to see and unfortunately some folks just can’t resist the temptation. We urge you to remember that our rivers are not stocked. These are wild fish and this is how they come to be so for the sake of the future please leave the spawning fish alone and let them do their thing. Read all about it here!

Streamer fishing heating up. Smaller patterns are moving more fish but as the water temps come up it changes the game and while smaller sizes may move more fish I still feel like bigger patterns catch fewer but bigger fish and there’s nothing I won’t throw this time of year. Go small, go big…go with both. Fish what you like and commit. Prime Time Streamer fishing for the next 4 weeks!

Traffic will bump this week with the nicer weather and will steadily increase from here on out. We’ve got plenty of lodging and guide trips available for the next few weeks before things start to really go crazy so book now.

We’re open at 8 AM daily for all of your Missouri River fly fishing needs.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-04-18T14:48:20-06:00April 18th, 2022|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: BWO's, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, green machine, juju baetis, running line, Streamer Fishing, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Doubled Up Streamer Eating Beasts on the MO

The spring season is now in full swing but you might not know it based on the weather conditions this morning. A taste of winter has returned with a dusting of snow and temps hovering in the mid 30’s. We saw downright summer-like weather over the weekend and yesterday with plenty of sunshine and temps breaking the 70 degree mark. Dramatic changes in the weather are a spring staple in the Rockies so no surprise there. In fact we’re stoked for the precipitation in any form and looking forward to the greening we should see soon as conditions return to seasonal norms later today and through the remainder of this week. Expect daytime highs in the 50’s with overnight lows in the 30’s, a chance of rain here and there and plenty of sunshine….quintessential early spring weather on the MO.

As expected, the weekend brought the traffic with Saturday having been our busiest day of 2022 thus far. A lot of boats on the water that day, primarily in the Holter Dam to Craig stretch which will likely be the case for the next month or so despite the fact that there are plenty of fish to be found river wide.

Knowing there was an approaching weather system we took advantage of the Monday lull closing the shop, grabbing the streamer sticks and hitting the water to see if we couldn’t find a willing player or two.

WCA Super Guides Luke Koerten and Brad Turner joined me for a fun day of pre-season fishing before things start getting crazy for all involved. Once the guide season gets rolling we don’t get a chance to fish together so it’s always good to get out and enjoy what brought us all here.

Not exactly lights out, but enough action to keep things interesting throughout the day and a perfect storm of the right water, the right time of day, the leading edge of the weather system, the right bugs and maybe even something to do with the ones throwing them all culminating in an epic 10 minutes of fishing with three 20 plus fish landed, two of which came on an extremely rare big brown double. Doubles happen fairly regularly when nymphing and you get the occasional streamer double but hooking two fish over 20 inches, one from each side of the boat, and landing them both….that’s a day maker for anyone.

As I said, it wasn’t exactly lights out but it won’t be long. The water temps are still cold, in that 36 – 38 degree range but these next few weeks should bring about the prime time spring streamer fishing. If you’d like to fish prime streamer time on the MO and get a shot at that fish of a lifetime make those plans NOW! It’s a lot of work and it’s definitely NOT a numbers game but if you get the streamer game then you already know that. There’s a few of us who are Streamer Obsessed and who would like nothing better than to take you on a hunt for that Missouri River fish of a lifetime.

If nymphing or dry fly fishing is your preference I’d suggest staying up high, at least based on what we saw yesterday. Very few midges in the canyon and the little bit of dry/dropper fishing we tried failed to produce.

The word from the Dam section is abundant dry fly opportunities and solid nymphing on Pill Poppers, Tailwater Sows, Caviar Scuds, Pink Rays, Pederson’s Sow, Zebras, Cotton Candy, Bubble Yums, Amex, Yum Yums etcetera along with mayfly nymphs like BWO Magic Flies, Little Green Machines, Psycho Mays and Split Case BWO’s all getting some attention.

Our advice on dry fly fishing is keep it simple with a Griffiths gnat and a Parachute Adams. They’ll also eat various midge clusters, Black Midges, Black Sippers and the like but why not just keep it simple while you can?

Soon enough they’ll have smartened up and won’t be so eager to eat just any old bug you throw at them. A sloppy cast with a skating fly that doesn’t match the hatch in both size and profile is not, generally speaking, an effective strategy on any water but particularly on the Missouri where the trout are famously picky and educated and sophisticated and do not suffer amateurish casting or fly selection.

The shop is loaded up with new spring gear. New flies, rods, reels, waders, boots, lines, leaders, nets, tools, accessories, drinkware, headwear, eye wear… and on and on. We’re bursting at the seams.

Open daily at 8 AM for all of your Missouri River Fly Fishing needs.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-03-29T11:57:01-06:00March 29th, 2022|Categories: Fishing Report, Shop Life|Tags: brown trout, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, green machine, Holter Dam, midge, Missouri River, running line, Streamer Fishing, streamers, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

MARCHing into Spring

Our current weather forecast looks much more like May than March with highs in the 60’s all week and likely breaking 70 this weekend. It’s warmer than it should be and this weather isn’t going to do our snowpack any favors but boy that sun feels good!

Angling traffic has been moderate during the week and downright busy on the weekends with plenty of folks getting out and enjoying the spring weather. Has winter left us for the season? I wouldn’t count on it but it’s hard to imagine winter’s return with spring really starting to take hold. We generally end up getting at least one final blast of winter at some point in April. Let’s hope it happens, at least in the high country as we’re in desperate need of precipitation.

At this point it looks like river flows will likely hold where they’re at (currently 2980 CFS) right on through the season. Late snows and spring rains could, and hopefully will, change the equation but my gut feeling is that these are the conditions we’ll be seeing for 2022.

Obviously water and weather conditions are out of our hands and not really worth obsessing over. As we always do we’ll work with what we’ve got and do everything we can to successfully strike the balance between keeping our clients happy and preserving and protecting the resource, the latter of which will always take precedence.

But enough about that for now, there’ll be time enough for countin’ when the dealing’s done.

In the meantime I’m pleased to report that we just happen to be in the midst of one of the best early spring fishing seasons we’ve seen.

As previously reported, dry fly fishing has been outstanding with plenty of opportunities more days than not. Midges galore and plenty of hungry trout looking up. #18 Griffiths Gnat is money but you’d be smart to mix it up with various midge clusters or a parachute Adams. And speaking of dry fly fishing, you could do much worse than rolling with a big bug, prospecting, as there have been a few reports of Skwala sightings out there. Try a True Skwala or a chubby and cover all of those fishy spots that scream large lurking trout.

Nymphing? Yes. Your best bet for numbers as always. Pill Poppers, Yum Yums, Tailwater Sows, Pederson’s Sow, Radiation Baetis, Zebra Midge, Little Green Machine, Amex, Rainbow Czechs, Caviar Scuds, Soft Hackle Sows, Psycho Mays, Magic Fly BWO…..all in play. Favor the slowish water but don’t ignore the moderately fast stuff. Water temps are on the rise (currently 36.5) and fish are on the move. Expect more of this as air and water temps climb.

And yes, if Streamers are your game it is indeed the most wonderful time of the year and it’s just getting started. Swinging has been solid, stripping just starting to come into its own. Swing a Balanced leech, a Thin Mint, a bugger, a Fruit Rollup, a Kreelex etc. Strip what you like and commit to doing it all day long…or not. Good reports on Olive, black and natural but every day is different. Find one that works and roll with it. And don’t be afraid to go big. Conventional wisdom on the MO might say otherwise but conventional wisdom catches conventional trout. We prefer to defy convention and I don’t mind telling you that we do just fine.

Our streamer bins are overflowing with bugs you won’t likely find anywhere else on the MO. Come have a look for yourself and let us know if you’ve seen a better streamer selection on this river.

We also just got a bunch of new SA streamer lines in that we can’t wait to try. I’ve been fishing Airflo Streamer Max Short for years and I love it but I’m anxious to try a couple of these new lines. It’s our first season carrying SA and we’re super stoked to have them in the shop. I learned the streamer game back in Michigan on SA Streamer Express and swore by it so I wouldn’t be surprised if I happened to find a new favorite among these.

Spring shipments are arriving daily and the shop is filling up quickly. We’d be honored as always, if you came by to have a look at what we have to offer and we’d like nothing better than to be your Missouri River go to.

The shop is open at 8 AM daily with everything you need for your day on the water. Brand new 2022 Adipose Flows for rent and Mending Waters boats are back free of charge for all vets and active duty military personnel.

Lodging is two thirds open and we will likely open the rest within the next week or so.

Guides are chomping at the bit and are about to be extremely busy so book em’ while you can.

The season is upon us and we couldn’t be more excited. We hope to see you soon.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-03-23T13:20:54-06:00March 23rd, 2022|Categories: Fishing Report, Uncategorized|Tags: Adipose, Airflo, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, running line, SA, Skwala, streamers, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

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