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Weekend Update 4/4/15

WCA guide Matt Hargrave is ready to put you on some Missouri River bows. Photo by Luke Koerten

Got a chance to get out and fish with fellow WCA guide Luke Koerton on Thursday. It was spur of the moment, having received a text from Luke early that morning. My schedule was open for the day, which isn’t too unusual, as my hours of employment are few and far between during the shoulder season. And of course, I rarely pass up the chance to go fish. The weather looked fairly decent, mid 50’s, small chance of precip, and little to no wind. Typical weather for early Spring.

One thing I truly appreciate about being on the WCA guide team is that we are all buddies. When we fish together we are constantly comparing notes. We all have our different fishing and guiding styles, and we learn from each other whenever we fish together. Maybe there’s a little bucket that Jim, or Nick, or Luke knows about that I don’t. The same is true for them. Or maybe there’s a stretch of river where I’m not very successful on, and they are, and then we show each other how to find and catch fish in that particular spot. And then there’s the places where everyone agrees to avoid, which is reassuring to know that it’s not just you that doesn’t catch fish there. It’s a team effort for all of us, we don’t hold back information, we encourage the success of our fellow guides, all in preparation for the day that you step into our boat.

Since we were getting a late start, Luke and I did Wolf Creek to Craig. Nymphing was gonna rule the day, but just in case, dry fly and streamer rods were brought. Luke picked up a fish right away on a PT Little Green Machine. The next two fish also fell to the same bug. The top fly was being ignored, so we changed it to a wire worm. The fish starting eating that. When they turned off on the wire worm, we switched up to a Pink Lightning Bug and that worked for a while too, with a grey Little Green Machine becoming a player as well. Where we could, we would do a row around just to make sure it wasn’t some fluke that we picked up a fish. For the most part, the fish were where we thought they were, and eating bugs we thought they should. They’re starting to spread out a bit, still holding in soft, deep, inside shoulders, but also hanging out in waist deep, walking pace straight aways.

The dry fly bite wasn’t really happening, the wind picked up and we could see snow heading our direction, so we figured it was best to keep moving and focus on nymphing. All in all another successful day on the river. I think between the majority of us here at WCA we’ve already got a seasons worth of fishing under our belts. Ready and raring to go for when the “official” season starts—Matt

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:56-06:00April 4th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: fly fishing, green machine, Missouri River, Montana, 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

Fly Rod Edition

Rods have proven to be a challenge for us from the start. We don’t get a huge call for rods and reels but we feel like having a decent selection of both is a must for most any fly shop and Wolf Creek Angler is no exception.
When we opened our doors last season we chose to go with Echo, St. Croix and Redington as our rod offerings and Echo and Ross for our reels. First season rod and reel sales exceeded our expectations, but honestly our expectations were pretty low.
We are continuing with these brands this season and have expanded our selection of Ross Reels as well as adding Nautilus Reels to the mix. It’s a great blue-collar line up of proven work horse gear and we would love to increase our sales in this department.
Our most popular St Croix rod has been the Avid series which was my first fly rod back in the day and which remains a staple in the industry as a great series of affordable trout rods at $300.
We also stock the Kelly Galloup designed Bank Robber and High Stick Drifters. At $460 these Fast action rods are a little more of an investment but we think they are well worth the money. The Bank Robber is the ultimate streamer stick and the High Stick Drifter was built for nymphing the MO.
New to Wolf Creek Angler this season, we’ve decided to line up a couple of these rods as demos. Come fish a Bank Robber or High Stick Drifter for the day and see what you think. Demo the rod and reel for $25/day – if you decide to purchase one we’ll credit you back the rental fee.
The most popular Echo rods for us have without a doubt been the Carbon series. Many of our guides, myself included, use Carbons for Client Rigs and coupled with Echo Ion Reels they are a great choice and a great value. Clients new to the sport find these Medium-Fast rods easy to cast and at just shy of $250 for the rod and reel combo you can’t beat the price. The Carbon is a great choice for an affordable entry level rod.
Other workhorse offerings from Echo include the Ion and the Solo. While our Echo inventory consists primarily of Carbons and Solos we’re happy to order anything they offer including the highly touted Echo Glass Two Hand and Switch rods.
If you’re looking for a rod for your little ones look no further than the 7’9″ 4/5 weight Echo Gecko, the industry’s only high-performance rod built specifically for kids.

We also carry rods from Redington including the Fiberglass Butterstick and the ready-to-fish Path combo (rod, reel pre-spooled with Rio Mainstream WF fly line, backing, leader and case) with lifetime warranty for under $200. This entry level moderate-fast action rod has been our most popular offering by far and is a great choice for beginners.
Look for upcoming blogs detailing the particulars of many of these rods.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:58-06:00March 28th, 2015|Categories: Product Review|Tags: Echo, fly fishing, Kelly Galloup, Nautilus, Redington, Ross, running line, St Croix, St Croix Bank Robber, St Croix High Stick Drifter, Streamer Fishing, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Weekend Edition

Spring weather underway in Wolf Creek

Ending the week with some summer temps here at the end of March with a high of 75 expected today. It could get a little breezy with gusts up to 21 mph but all in all it’s a gorgeous spring day to fish the Missouri. The water temp is bumping up against 40 at the dam and is starting to warm enough the further down you go to provide for some pretty solid streamer action. Fish are starting to be picked up in the shallows as well as the winter water so don’t overlook any of it right now.
There continues to be plenty of action on top pending the sun and the wind conditions and the nymphing is heating up. Firebeads and pink stuff have slipped out of style for the time being but we’re thinking they’ll be back at some point. In the meantime zebra midges, tailwater sows, LGM’s, Peepshows and Micromays have been gaining popularity amongst our customers and presumably amongst our trout.
Sparkle Minnows, Gold/Brown Kreelex, Black Buggers, Olive Smolts and Polar Leeches in all flavors have been getting some attention out there. Keep the bugs in the deep slow water and the retrieve on the slow side to start but don’t be afraid to target some shallow spring trout lies and speed up your strip with plenty of pauses in between.
Midge clusters some days, single midges on others. Try trailing an emerger to increase your odds.
We have plenty of winter-rate lodging available for the weekend and don’t forget our $300 Spring Special Full Day Guide Trips happening NOW through the end of April.
Stop by WCA on your way to the river for EVERYTHING you need for your day on the MO. Shuttles, boats, lodging, Kast Extreme Fishing Gear, friendly service and the largest selection of Missouri River flies ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek Montana.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:58-06:00March 27th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report, Uncategorized|Tags: $300 Missouri River Guide Trips, fly fishing, Missouri River, Missouri River Spring Special Guide Rates, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler, zebra midges|0 Comments

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

Guide Day Off – It’s just fishing!

Guest Blog from WCA Guide Jim Murray who ventured to the Land of the Giants over the weekend.

It’s not all fly fishing all the time. When I get a chance to get out and do some fishing on an off day, my friends and I have no problem throwing a spinning rod, jigging for walleye, or going way back to my Alaskan saltwater roots, and trolling. We just like to fish. Period.
Is was with that mindset that my good buddy Joel and I headed out to the Gates and the Land of the Giants this past weekend to get after some fish. The plan was to run up to the LOG, throw some streamers and maybe do some jigging. The streamer bite was definitely not happening, but we did manage to nymph up a few typical LOG rainbows, and miss a nice walleye on a deep jig.
We returned to the lake at the Gates, and decided to see if we couldn’t troll up a few walleye and trout. We got out the rod holders, rigged up with our favorite Rapalas, set the planing boards, tuned up the fish finder, and we were fishing. It didn’t take long for the ~~poles~~ rods to be bent, and they stayed bent the rest of the afternoon. While we didn’t catch the ever elusive ‘eye, we managed to really crush the rainbows. It was a great time. Time spent with a good friend on a lake, on a beautiful day, tipping back a few PBR’s, swapping stories and catching trout. Life is good.

It’s was also a great reminder that while I absolutely love to fly fish, there are many ways to get it done. Fishing is fishing. And it’s fun. I think about it pretty much every waking moment, but it’s always good to remember that it’s just fishin’. Have fun out there!

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:58-06:00March 24th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report, Uncategorized|Tags: fly fishing, Land of the Giants, Missouri River, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Missouri River Weekend Fishing Report

The first weekend of spring has brought us some gorgeous spring weather, full lodging, a busy fly shop and by most reports some fair fishing.
Our first Spring Special guide trips of the season will be out today and it looks like it will be a great day for fishing with mostly cloudy skies and a chance for some rain this afternoon. Could be a perfect streamer day if that’s your game, the fish-friendly cloud cover should provide some action for the head hunters and nymphing should be improving daily with the warmer water. Good prospects no matter what your game.
Sunny skies return tomorrow but it looks like it’s going to be another nice day to fish with highs near 60 and WSW wind around 9 mph. Plenty of lodging opening up tomorrow night if you’re lucky enough to be able to come out and fish with us early to mid week.
Ridiculously reasonable room rates, $300 full day guide trips and great spring weather – what more could you ask for?
How about RO drift boat rentals, shuttles, Extreme Fishing Gear from KAST, lots of books to teach you how to fish the Missouri, Fishpond Nomad nets, RIO leaders, tippet and InTouch Fly Lines, Strike Foundry indicators, all kinds of accessories and the largest selection of Missouri River flies ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek Montana? We’ve got all that too!
See you at Wolf Creek Angler – Outfitter owned and operated and feeling insanely privlidged to be your full service Missouri River fly shop.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:58-06:00March 21st, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report, Uncategorized|Tags: $300 Missouri River Guide Trips, fly fishing, Kast Gear, Missouri River, Missouri River Spring Special Guide Rates, RO Drift Boats, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Fishing Report and weekend forecast 3/19/15

Reports are that things are still hit or miss out there this week but there are plenty of fish being caught and with that water temp creeping ever upwards it’s just a matter of time before things really turn on. We’ve heard more consistent reports from the water below Craig but you should be able to find fish everywhere with some work. It sounds like streamer fishing has been decent but still a painfully SLOW retrieve. We can’t wait to start stripping and twitching again and it won’t be long now. Stop in and let us get you set up for streamer fishing on the Missouri. Whether it’s advice on streamers or sinking lines or techniques you need or perhaps a complete rig we’re happy to help.

We’ve got a bin full of proven patterns and we will tell you everything you need to know to make them work for you. We are streamer addicts from WAY back and while we don’t spend as much time throwing streamers on the MO we’ve spent countless days and rowed hundreds of miles of water in our past lives throwing and stripping and swinging the Big Ugly Bugs. While our methods may be a little different than what is typically done here on the Missouri they have proven to be just as effective here as on the Pere Marquette, the Manistee, the Ausable, the Snake, the Yellowstone, the Limay, the Manso and many more.

Nymphing continues to be decent with fish still holding in the predictable spots and eating the predictable bugs. Winter fare is still on the menu ( pink stuff, firebeads, soft hackle sows etc) but don’t be afraid to experiment with some of the springtime stuff. Again – it could blow up any day now with the warming water.

The browns are definitely making their presence known with the rainbows beginning to move out as they heed nature’s call. Please be mindful of the redds and watch where you wade out there.

An abundance of midges on the water daily and fish up on them when the conditions are right. Cloud cover is definitely the ticket for top water success.

Blue skies and sunshine today will give way to considerable clouds early tomorrow and a high near 70 with SW wind at 5-10. Mostly cloudy Saturday with a high of 64 and SSW winds at 10-20 mph. It’s a great weekend to fish the Missouri. We’ve got limited lodging available for the weekend and it looks like it’s going to fill up so don’t wait too long to book those rooms. Make Wolf Creek Angler your one stop on the way to the Missouri for shuttles, bugs, boats, lodging, guide trips, cold weather gear, warm weather gear and much, much more.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:58-06:00March 19th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: brown trout, fly fishing, Missouri River, nymphs, running line, Streamer Fishing, streamers, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Mid-March Fishing Report

The first half of March has been a little tough around here. A couple of good days but hit and miss for the most part. The weather has been awesome but as winter comes to a close we’re happy to see some precip in the cards today and through the first half of the week. It could be really good out there the next couple of days with clouds and snow and light winds and temps in the 40’s.
Water temps are creeping upwards towards 40, we’re thinking streamers but we’re also thinking that the nymphing may turn on and it’s a safe bet there will be fish up on the midges under cloudy skies. This could be the week it turns on and the timing couldn’t be better with our $300 spring special guide trips commencing on Friday – the first day of Spring!
As of yesterday we’ve doubled our lodging capacity and rooms are filling quickly. In addition to the bungalows, we now have Cabins 1 and 2 available, each with its own full kitchen and bath for $99 and we’ve also got Cabin #3 back on the roster at the ridiculously reasonable rate of $69. No kitchen in #3 but two beds, a private bathroom, fridge, microwave and coffee maker. Get it while you can!
Make WCA your destination this week. We’ve got everything you need. Rooms, boats, shuttles, cold weather gear, warm weather gear, cool River Steel tools from Montana Fly Co, all kinds of indicators including Strike Foundry’s Lil’ Nuggets, Loon Aquel, Flyagra, leaders and tippet from RIO and Trout Hunter, a bunch of awesome clearance items and of course, the largest selection of Missouri River flies ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek Montana. Outfitter Owned and Operated and open EVERY DAY from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
See you in the shop and on the water.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:58-06:00March 16th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: $300 Missouri River Guide Trips, fly fishing, Missouri River, Missouri River Spring Special Guide Rates, RIO, running line, streamers, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Friday the 13th

Friday the 13th – will this be your lucky day on the MO? photo – Wolf Creek Angler

What’s in store for you on the Missouri River this Friday the 13th? You won’t know until you get here but a couple of things are guaranteed.
The first is that it is going to be a ridiculously nice Mid-March day with sunny skies and highs near 70. The second is that there is no better way (in our humble opinion) to spend your day than floating or wading the Missouri. Whether watching the bank go by from the confines of a boat or watching the river and the boats go by from your favorite wade spot – there is nothing better than a day on the water, especially this water.
I speak for myself but I’m sure many of you would agree that few things in life provide the level of mental therapy of a day on the water with a fly rod in your hand connecting with the environment and the experience and hopefully with a trout or two.
Not that there aren’t frustrating moments and even frustrating days on this river but in the grand scheme of things regardless of your hook-up rate your success rate should always be 100 percent as measured by doing something you love and reaping the rewards of that activity. Whether it is solitude you seek or a time of camaraderie – our sport provides it and while the Missouri River is our go-to, it’s not the particular river that makes the experience but the simple act of our interaction with the water and the surroundings – wherever it may be.
Anglers in general and guides in particular tend to be on the superstitious side. We all have our routines, our lucky articles of clothing, our lucky spots on the river etc. and we make a habit of these things because we believe they contribute to our success. I’ve never been too concerned with Friday the 13th but some are – this is what Wikipedia says about that;

The number 13 is considered an unlucky number in some countries.

[7] The end of the Mayan calendar’s 13th Baktun was superstitiously feared as a harbinger of the apocalyptic 2012 phenomenon.[8] Fear of the number 13 has a specifically recognized phobia, Triskaidekaphobia, a word coined in 1911. The superstitious sufferers of triskaidekaphobia try to avoid bad luck by keeping away from anything numbered or labelled thirteen. As a result, companies and manufacturers use another way of numbering or labeling to avoid the number, with hotels and tall buildings being conspicuous examples (thirteenth floor).[9] It’s also considered unlucky to have thirteen guests at a table. Friday the 13th has been considered the unluckiest day of the month.

So should you avoid the Missouri River on Friday the 13th? Absolutely not. I count my blessings no matter the date and to be here in Wolf Creek Montana where I am able to fish the amazing Missouri River anytime I want, to be able to pursue this dream of co-owning a fly shop and being an outfitter and guide and to be able to do it all with the enthusiastic support of my amazing wife and our family…I don’t know that I could feel much luckier on this day.

See you in the shop and on the water. Lodging and guide trips available for the weekend and in honor of this day buy a dozen flies and get the 13th for free. And don’t forget – $300 spring special guide trips start one week from today!

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:59-06:00March 13th, 2015|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: $300 Missouri River Guide Trips, fly fishing, Friday the 13th, Missouri River, Montana, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments