Election Day Archives - Wolf Creek Angler

Wolf Creek Angler Missouri River Election Day Update

It’s a cold and gray election day…just as it should be this first full week of November on the MO.

Snow in the forecast for today and tonight. A high of 41 with southwest winds 14 – 17 mph switching to north northwest in the afternoon and gusting to 25 mph. Snow will continue into the evening with patchy blowing snow between 8 pm and 11 pm and an overnight low of 19 degrees. Sunshine returns tomorrow with temps climbing back into the 50’s. Sounds like it could be a BWO day out there though we’re certainly not expecting much in the way of traffic based on what we’ve seen over the past week.

It’s a ghost town out there!

River flows are currently holding at a skinny 3180 CFS with water temps right around 50 degrees. Those flows are lower than we’d like to see but aside from that and those pesky autumn winds, conditions over the past few days have been ideal with plenty of cloud cover and plenty of hungry fish.

With winter on the way those rainbows are bulking up making for some good days out there, especially for those chasing bobbers. Sow bugs, sow bugs and more sow bugs perhaps with a Little Green Machine or other baetis nymph thrown in for good measure. Tungsten Tailwater Sow with a beadles sow, Pill Popper with a beadles sow, Rainbow Czech with a beadles sow…you get the idea. Faster shallows are still going to be your primary target but don’t overlook the tail outs and other holding areas.

The browns are in full, glorious, spawning colors and are amped up and just ornery enough to smash a streamer. If you are wade fishing please be mindful, especially with these low flows, of spawning redds and stay off of them!

Sparkle Minnows, Skiddish Smolt, Mojo Minnows, Thin Mints, Kreelex, Polar Leeches and Swim Coaches all getting plenty of looks depending on the day. And if there was ever a time to go big with your bugs on the MO (some would argue there is not) this would be that time as the perceived threat may trigger an aggressive attack. The better streamer action has been in the upper stretches but don’t let that deter you from hitting the middle and lower sections if conditions allow for it. You never know…

Stop by WCA for the best streamer intel and best bug selection on the MO….hands down!

There’s NO TIME like STREAMER TIME on the MO’ photo by Wolf Creek Angler

And speaking of stopping by…WINTER HOURS went into effect on November 1st. Published hours are Tuesday – Saturday 8 AM – 4 PM, CLOSED on Sundays and Mondays. Hours may fluctuate based on weather or other factors so it’s never a bad idea to call ahead to confirm we’re going to be here. Our crew is gone for the season so it’s just me which unfortunately means that if there are scheduling conflicts then the shop will be closed. We apologetically acknowledge the inconvenience this may cause but with 11 seasons under our belt we’ve learned that winter sales rarely cover winter staffing.

Along these same lines, I haven’t yet figured out how to do shuttles with no staff so while there may be days we can do them, practically speaking shuttles are done for the season.

Fortunately for you there are other options for winter shuttles on the MO.

We’ve closed and winterized the vast majority of our lodging but we will have our three bungalows open all winter at a great rate of $149/night (plus tax). Bungalows have two twin beds, a full size pull out couch, a kitchenette with cooktop, microwave, fridge and a dishwasher and big screen televisions for all of your streaming services.

Whether fishing the MO, chasing waterfowl or elk or deer hunting these rooms are a great late season option. The kitchens come in handy but we’re also thrilled that Lazy I Beerworks is currently open every day but Wednesday for lunch and dinner.

The seasonably relevant fly bins are fully stocked. We’ve got plenty of Simms waders, boots, hats, gloves, socks and layering for whatever Mother Nature throws at us as well as a few clearance sportswear items still hanging around.

WCA 10th Anniversary drinkware and T’s are on clearance as well and our Annual Fall Rod and Reel Sale runs through the end of November so a trip to WCA and the MO could be the perfect opportunity to knock out your Christmas shopping.

Adipose drift boat rentals available as long as the weather holds though the Mending Waters vet boats will be on hold for the winter beginning November 15th.

Get out and VOTE today and come see us next time you head out to fish the MO.

It’s finally here, Election Day 2020. And while I live for this stuff as an off and on political junkie, I can’t wait to put this one in the rearview.

I’m weary of it all. The flyers that fill my mailbox daily. The non-stop commercials telling me why the other guy sucks. The insults and outrage and hostility and divisiveness fed by our respective echo chamber media consumption. The fact that some people are actually choosing adherence to political alignment over having a broad spectrum of friends representing a diverse assortment of opinions and political ideologies. Everything is STUPID right now.

Campaign spending is expected to exceed $150 million in Montana this year which comes out somewhere in the neighborhood of $200 spent per vote cast, and that figure assumes high voter turnout, exceeding 80 percent which looks to be accurate this election cycle.

Think of the things you could do with $150 million aside from bombarding the electorate with ads to which they’re likely paying little or no attention.

I know in our house those flyers go directly from the mailbox to the trash and the commercials are always a perfect opportunity to change the channel so yeah, money well spent.

Voting is our single best opportunity to participate in our democratic process and to let our voice be heard so yes, by all means, get out and vote.

That being said, I’m not sure everything needs to grind to a halt on Election Day, especially in this age of mail-in ballots and early voting. Considering that by some estimates over 70 percent of registered voters in Montana had already cast their ballots by this morning I feel like we could probably manage to execute our civic duty without the interruption of business as usual on a Tuesday in November.

Maybe it’s just me but at 50 years old I’ve been voting since 1988 and while my voting record may be a hodgepodge ideological evolution of ebbs and flows, there are two things that are constant….one – I’ve never not voted and two – I’ve never taken the day off from work or school or life to cast my vote.

General Election Day is a holiday for state employees which is not a shock. Election Day is NOT a Federal Holiday. The banks are open. The post office is open and for all intents and purposes it is business as usual. However, many college classes have reportedly been cancelled and some businesses are closed, I guess due to the gravity of the situation on this day. LOL

It’s a beautiful November day. Blue skies and sunshine. Maybe not the best fishing conditions but a great day to cast your vote if you haven’t already and then get out and soak it all in.

It’s good to be alive this day. In spite of Covid. In spite of who is or isn’t in office. In spite of who wins and who loses any of these races. And that’s not to minimize the importance of this moment in history. As previously stated, I am an absolute junkie about this stuff and I’m very well aware of the political and social goings on around me and I have thoughts and opinions about ALL OF IT.
BUT – you know what’s more important to me than this election? About a billion things and counting. Namely my family, my faith, and my friends of any and all political persuasions and the rich tapestry of life I will continue to enjoy no matter what happens out there.

Happy Election Day! I hope it goes the way you want it to and I hope that even if it doesn’t, that you will look around you and remember how little all of that actually matters in the scope of your day to day life, the people you love and who love you back and the things that make up the rich tapestry of your being.

Yes, it’s an election of Critical importance….they all are. Yes, the results of the election will have some effect on all of our lives and the lives of those who come after us but ultimately the sun will set this evening and will rise again tomorrow and we will keep on keeping on.