Summertime

 

 

 

 

Summer is back in Wolf Creek

Summer is back in Wolf Creek

What a difference a week makes. Last week at this time we had people cancelling weekend reservations because of high flows. By the end of the week we were under 6,000 and from what we are hearing we will be under 4,000 by the end of the day. The doom and gloom predictions of a repeat of the high water of 2011 were wrong. Hopefully the predictions of average flows in the 5,000 range for the remainder of the year will prove to be true.

The fishing has been good with nymphing still leading the charge but dry fly fishing is definitely ON with a fair amount of caddis around and some downright prolific baetis hatches over the past few days. The lower flows have the fish looking up consistently and you can definitely make a day out of dry fly fishing between targeting rising fish and blind casting a large dry with a trailing emerger.

Nymphing has been good to great with a couple of tougher days during the big volume drop. Wire worms continue to produce followed closely by sow bugs. Soft hackle and tailwater sows have been getting it done as have Little Green Machines, Purple Wild Things, Weight flies in gold and purple and Juju baetis is purple. Lots of different bugs getting eats but we’ve heard more consistency with the sows than anything else but that could change at any time.

We’ve been busy with trips and lodging and people are starting to take notice of Wolf Creek’s best fly shop. We’ve got plenty of great bugs in the bins, including Green Machines, and there are new additions arriving almost daily. Plenty of WCA Logo gear in stock and everything you would expect to find in a first rate Missouri River Fly Shop, including friendly faces and a committment to great customer service. Follow our new signs off the Interstate and find out what the buzz is about!

Eloise Peter rachele colman

sign

New signs bring you right to our door

Wolf Creek MT's fly fishing destination

Wolf Creek MT’s fly fishing destination

Weekend Report

Stormy weather on tap for this weekend. Streamer fishing anyone?

Stormy weather on tap for this weekend. Streamer fishing anyone?

Showers and thunderstorms on tap for this weekend. Missouri River flow currently at 11,100 cfs. Anglers from around the state have descended upon Wolf Creek and Craig in search of fishable water and we’re happy to report that we have plenty of it. Fishing has been good all week but has slowed a bit with the bump in flows yesterday and today. Nymphing is still the way to go with Hotbead Wire Worms and Sow Bugs leading the charge – especially with the bigger flows.  A couple of bb’s and a 6′ – 8′ leash from indy to lead should get you started. Fish the spots you know and adjust accordingly. Other bugs of choice this week have been Green Machines (Back in Stock at Wolf Creek Angler), Bubbleback emergers, dark Peep Shows, Rainbow Czechs, soft hackle sows, Tungsten tailwater sows, Tung Darts, Weight Flies in Gold and Purple and the Blue Faerie Circus in #18. It could be a worm game for a while with the higher flows. We’ve got plenty of worms in the bins though we’ve all but sold out of the hotbead wireworms. More on the way. Streamer fishing could be the way to go this weekend with cloudy skies and rain. We haven’t heard an abundance of reports on this front but we did manage to steal away for a few hours yesterday afternoon to give it a go in the canyon and it was surprisingly productive considering the blue skies and bright sun we had all day. Nothing much to report as far as dry fly action as of yet. Evenings have offered the best opportunities but for the time being it’s still primarily a sub-surface game.

A few vacancies for tonight and Sunday but for the most part the Inn is Full! Monday things open up but we’re rapidly filling up starting Tuesday and running through the remainder of the week. If you’re thinking of coming to Wolf Creek this week and you’re planning on having a place to stay we suggest you call sooner rather than later. Stop by the shop for bugs and shuttles and anything else you might need for your day on the water. RO Drift boats available for rent for $150. At 11,000 cfs we suggest you fish from a boat and we’d love to help you out with that. As long as you’re going to fish from a boat you may as well hire us to take you fishing. Expert guides standing by – ready to work.

Have a great Missouri River weekend. See you in the shop and on the water.   ~ Jason O.

Missouri River Rainbow photo courtesy of Ryan Casne

Missouri River Rainbow
 photo courtesy of Ryan Casne

Missouri River Success

Our guests and clients have been getting it done on  the MO over the past few days as spring fishing continues to heat up. Still not much to report on top but the nymphing has been anywhere from ok to good to off-the-charts depending on the day. Flows jumped a bit over the weekend and are now holding at around 9000 with a water temp somewhere in the 46 – 48 degree range depending on the time of day. Fish are on the move, transitioning from the deep slow winter water to the faster spring stuff. Work the medium depths and moderate currents changing depths and bugs until you find what works. Hot bugs as of late have been Rainbow Czechs, Sow Bugs, Green Machines, Flux Capacitors, Juju Baetis, Bubbleback Emergers and san juan worms. Firebeads and pinks are still holding on but much lesser so than a week ago. Streamer fishing has had its moments with sparkle minnows and leech patterns continuing to lead the charge.

Stop by the shop for shuttles, bugs, gear, RO drift boat rentals, friendly faces and up-to-the-minute information on flows, hatches, rigging information etc. Shop hours are 7 am – 5 pm daily and if we’re around we’re open – no matter the time!

See you in the shop and on the water…   ~Jason O.

 

WCA Client Lynn Perkins at it again with guide Eric Mondragon

WCA Client Lynn Perkins at it again with guide Eric Mondragon

Jan Perkins with a healthy Missouri River bow

Jan Perkins with a healthy Missouri River bow

Justin Bleazard with a Missouri River hog.

Justin Bleazard with a Missouri River hog.

 

Ryan Casne with a nice side-channel bow

Ryan Casne with a beautiful side channel rainbow

Sunrise on Season One

Wolf Creek Sunrise

Wolf Creek Sunrise

We opened the doors a month ago and the response has been overwhelmingly positive as the sun rises on our inaugural season. We couldn’t be more pleased with the way things have gone thus far and we are anticipating a busy season ahead at Wolf Creek Angler.

We are fully operational now with all of our lodging units open, a fleet of RO drift boats for rent and a fully stocked shop with everything you need for fly fishing success on the Missouri. With the secret out about our great guide lodging rates we’ve had plenty of guide traffic as the Missoula, Bozeman and Kalispell crews seek fishable water.  We are anticipating much more of this as the weather warms and waters around the state continue to rise. Give us a call to book rooms for your clients and your guides. We are truly one-stop shopping with affordable on-site lodging, a great selection of bugs and gear, shuttle service and much more. With the Oasis, the Frenchman and the Canyon Store just down the road you’ve got everything you need right here in Wolf Creek Montana where you are just minutes from the dam and Wolf Creek Bridge launches.

A moderately busy April has given us a chance to ease into this business of running a fly shop, guide service and lodging operation. Now it’s game time. The crowds will soon descend upon the Missouri in search of insane fishing opportunities and we will be here to do whatever we can to make your trip a success and an experience you won’t soon forget.

The hot topic has of course been the water level and at what flow and for how long it will peak. Flows were increased a couple of weeks ago to around 8500 and have held  relatively stable since then with minor fluctuations daily. There have been a couple of tough days out there during this time but there have been more than a couple of off-the-charts days as well so we will take it.

The question remains – where will the flows peak and the answer remains we simply don’t know. There have been plenty of reports out there discussing the topic in detail and these reports are very informative but the bottom line is that we just can’t say. There are simply too many variables, the main one being rainfall amounts. The official word though is that things will max out somewhere between 8500 and 12500. We shall see. From our perspective the river is best fished from a boat right now but that being said, we’ve had plenty of walk/wade traffic as well and it seems that people are getting it figured out. Either way, we’ve got you covered with rental boats, wading gear, shuttles, bugs and anything you might need for your day on the Missouri.

Holter Dam - Spring 1918

Holter Dam – March 1918

2014 - 8500 CFS. So Far So Good

2014 – 8500 CFS. So Far So Good

What we do know is that the Dearborn and the Little Prickly Pear jumped to 875 and 344 respectively overnight following a couple of warm sunny days bringing the Missouri up to the 10000 cfs vicinity down low. What we also know is that it’s fishing just fine, at least from the reports we heard this morning from the pack of guides and guests currently calling Wolf Creek Angler and the Missouri River home.

The dreary skies today had some thinking streamers. Sparkle Minnows, Circus Peanuts, Hibernators and Autumn Offenders all left the bins today destined for big eats from big browns. And speaking of big browns, we heard talk earlier this week  from a very credible source about some good numbers of above average size (some Extremely above average)browns in some water you LOVE to fish. Stop by the shop if you are interested in hearing more.

The nymph game has continued to revolve around firebeads and pink stuff for us but we’ve also had varying degrees of success with worms and baetis emergers, specifically Trina’s Bubbleback and Angelcase emergers in #18. Poxyback Baetis, Tungsten Warriors, purple Flux Capacitors, Green Machines, Red Zebras and both Rainbow and Olive Payczechs have  also brought respectable numbers to the net over the past week. We’ve still been fishing longer rigs with a couple of bb’s in the deeper water but as the water warms look to the moderately fast water for success. The surface action remains sub-par. There are plenty of midges and BWO’s around but rises are sporadic at best. Stay late for success as most of  the consistent activity  we’ve seen has been post 8.

We are a month in and fully engaged and ready for a great season. The support we’ve received not only from our customers but from the community in general has been tremendous and we are thrilled to be a part of this Missouri River Thing. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support and would like to give a special thanks to The Trout Shop, Headhunters, Crosscurrents and Trout Montana, all of whom have been nothing but helpful to and supportive of Wolf Creek Angler. We look forward to working with all of you.

See you in the shop and on the water….

~Jason O.

 

Weekend Update

Any day now...

Any day now…

Winter returned on Saturday with snow showers and wind and fairly unpleasant fishing conditions overall, at least for this time of year. Consequently we had a lot of traffic in the shop, some curious about the new kid in town, many seeking a respite from the weather which we are always more than happy to provide. The response to the shop has been overwhelmingly positive and we love seeing all of the familiar faces as well as a lot of new ones. Run off is bringing a lot of folks from around the state to our door and we are thrilled to have you here. Lodging has been pretty well booked all week and while it’s a quiet Sunday in Wolf Creek MT we anticipate filling up again this week as we return to more normal spring temperatures and conditions. Our spring special rates on lodging and guided trips will remain in effect through the end of April with lodging starting at $59/night + tax and full day Missouri River guide trips for only $300.

We’ve been getting a lot of calls concerning the river flows and though we are in no position to predict what will be happening with flows come May and June, it seems that those in the know are satisfied with the water management at Canyon Ferry and the general consensus is that it’s going to be a great water year with things running much closer to normal. Last season’s low flows made for some great wade fishing opportunities but also led to some stressed fish, some weedy conditions and some lackluster bug activity. We are excited to see water in the side channels again and the higher flows should mean better bugs, happier and healthier fish and hopefully some delay in the weed development.

Our guides all reported good to great fishing throughout the week. Nymphing has been solid everywhere and the streamer action has been decent in the canyon and below. Dry fly action is fairly limited right now with a few fish being picked up on Skwalas down low. Tons of midges on the water with most of the feeding coming during the last light of the day. This could be the week for BWO’s – stay tuned and if you’re going out have a dry fly rig at the ready. Firebeads and pink stuff remain the go-to where the nymphing is concerned but the transition is certainly underway and we are seeing a lot more baetis nymphs leave the bins over the past few days. Juju Baetis, Juan’s Flux Capacitors, Little Green Machines and purple and pink lightning bugs have all been in high demand and we are happy to report that we’ve got you covered with these patterns and many more. Skiddish Smolts, Sparkle Minnows and Pollar Minnows have all had their days as of late for those willing to commit to the streamer. Keep your nymphing rig on the long side, 7-8 feet from the indicator to the first fly and make sure you are getting the bugs down to the fish with a couple of bb’s. The softer water continues to produce well but don’t be afraid to fish the moderately fast stuff as well as the water temps bump upwards.

New product continues to arrive at the shop daily. We’ve got a bunch of new bugs from MFC and Umpqua, plenty of rods from St Croix and Echo including The Bank Robber and the High Stick Drifter, all the wading and cold-weather gear you could want from Redington, bunches of Wolf Creek Angler logo gear, Hydro Flasks, Ross Reels, everything RIO and much much more. We’ve also got you covered with shuttles and RO drift boat rentals and plenty of gear and gadgets we hope you can’t live without.

It’s going to be a great season at Wolf Creek Angler!

See you in the shop and on the water….   ~Jason O.

Baetis Nymphs are starting to leave the bins

Baetis Nymphs are starting to leave the bins

New bugs at Wolf Creek Angler

New bugs at Wolf Creek Angler

 

Goals

Life before Wolf Creek Angler

Life before Wolf Creek Angler

The other day my 12-year-old son asked if he could interview me for a homework assignment. The interview consisted of half a dozen questions pertaining to a major goal I had as a teen and how I modified my life to meet that goal. Pondering his questions, I felt like a bit of a loser because I really couldn’t think of any big goals I had at that stage of my life. My goals at that time were fairly short-sighted and I guess had more to do with what I knew I didn’t want to do rather than what I wanted to spend my life doing. He was tactful enough to coach me through the interview and we were able to come up with some acceptable answers but it got me thinking about how we, as a society,  tend to put a lot of emphasis on having big career goals.  Not to say that this is a bad thing,  I just think there are a lot of young people who choose their career paths based on financial gain in an effort to secure the trappings of success as defined by our consumer culture. Once again, I am fully engaged in our consumer culture and I have nothing bad to say about wanting to get lots of stuff but I have also reached a point in my life where the stuff doesn’t mean as much as it once did and I think there are many who arrive at this same place but are trapped by the lifestyle they have chosen and long for something simpler.

So back to goals. I chose to pursue a degree (not a career) in journalism because writing came fairly easily to me and I thought it might be kind of cool to be a reporter. It was never really a goal though, just something I thought would be kinda sorta ok to do for a living. With that kind of passion it will come as no surprise that my career in journalism went nowhere. In fact the one goal I had which I referenced above was to not work in the family business which happened to be an iron foundry.  Guess where I ended up?

Twenty some years later I found what it means to have a goal and I did what I could to accomplish that goal and here I am – living in Montana, co-owning/operating a fly shop, guiding on the Missouri River, pursuing an outfitting business and as tired and as cliché as it sounds….living the dream, my dream and feeling incredibly blessed to have such an opportunity. It is not lost on me that many may not ever be in a position to realize a dream or pursue a goal such as this, I get it. That being said, we all make choices in life and the choices we make play a huge role in determining where we will end up.

I spent 20 some years on the treadmill and finally set a goal after my dream was revealed to me in the form of an email my wife forwarded to me while I was out on the water one summer night. For some reason she had been poking around looking at ranch properties for sale in Montana and the last listing she found on the particular website she was looking at happened to be for a fly shop. I opened that email the next day at work and it all became clear to me – finally I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I was on the phone with the listing agent that afternoon and shortly thereafter we were on a plane to Bozeman to see if we couldn’t buy ourselves a fly shop. It didn’t happen with that particular shop, but it set in motion  the course which eventually led to us leave life as we had known it in Michigan to come to Montana and make a new life for ourselves. We arrived here with a goal and a willingness to do whatever we had to do to accomplish that goal and lo and behold, things happened just as they were supposed to (by no design of our own) and here we are.

That’s my .02 concerning goals.

See you in the shop and on the water.   ~Jason O.

Traded it all for this...

Traded it all for this…

 

 

Spring Fever – guest blog by WCA Guide Eric Mondragon

 

Higher flows on the MO are perfect conditions for the worm!

Higher flows on the MO are perfect conditions for the worm!

On March 29th I fished the Missouri from Wolf Creek to Craig with a friend. With flows over 6,000 CFS I wanted to get out and do some recon to see where the fish are holding and what they are interested in eating. Well, they were where I thought they would be and with a little adjustment of leaders, indicator and weight, we were busy hooking up most of the day.

I’d be lying if I said the hatch was pretty precise. I spent about a half hour with a silver skittish smolt on the line and moved about six fish. They were hitting that streamer, but I was more focused on nymphs because I have some guide trips scheduled in the near future and I want to be prepared for clients. The fish hit on anything with a hot bead and the infamous extended red-bodied nymph (a.k.a red San Juan worm). We didn’t really try any other nymphs.

We noticed a midge hatch around noon in some of the quiet water back eddies. However, we only saw a few fish up so the midge are nothing to get excited over yet. Water temperature is in the high thirties, but I think when we hit the low forties, we will see more midge and blue winged olive hatches. Then the fish will rise.

I am really excited about what I think will be a nice water year, or maybe a normal water year. There has been a lot of talk about what is the ideal water flow number. I don’t necessarily think there is an ideal. It is sort of like discussing fish counts. In reality, fish need to eat to live. As a guide, it is my job to find out what they are interested in on any given day. The conditions and flows are largely out of my control anyway. When I am out there I am not thinking about flows or counts. I am just concerned about the fish on the end of my fly line.

More recently, I fished with the boys from Montana Fly Company. They were shooting footage for a new short film. The working title is “The Purist” and it is projected to be released in a year or two. A camera operator shot footage from my boat. Another camera operator filmed from a second boat manned by Rob Weiker, a guide from Whitefish, Montana. Montana Fly Company sales representative Stirling Ross Tyler fished from Rob’s boat during filming.

I got to throw a line in the water during breaks. It was cold all day, but fishing was good. We started with green machines and juju baetis nymphs along with some hot beads and black zebra midge and floated the stretch from Holter dam to Craig. It was a busy day chasing indicators. We had so much fun and didn’t even break out the streamer box. We caught quite a few rainbows and a few brown trout and they looked really good and healthy. The MFC film crew were cool cats and I hope to fish with them again.

Opening Day!!!

Before

Before

The new fly cave at Wolf Creek Angler is filled with the patterns you need for success on the Missouri River

After. The new fly cave at Wolf Creek Angler is filled with the patterns you need for success on the Missouri River

oldshop2

What was….

 

newshop2

What is. We are fully stocked with new gear from Redington, Rio, St Croix, Echo, Fishpond, Ross and much, much more.

 

Yesterday was the official opening day of Wolf Creek Angler. It’s been a busy couple of weeks trying to get everything done and ready for the big opening day and while it’s still definitely a work in progress, the doors are open and we are ready to do whatever we can to earn your business and to hopefully become your Missouri River fly fishing destination

Most of our lodging units are open for the season and are available at discounted spring rates of $99/night for a cabin or bungalow and $59 for Cabin #3 which is the only one of the open units which does not have a full kitchen. We are keeping a close eye on the weather but with 60’s in the forecast for next week it won’t be long until our Motel units are up and running and ready to rent.

We are pleased to announce that Wolf Creek Angler will feature a brand new fleet of Montana made RO Drift Boats

We are pleased to announce that Wolf Creek Angler will feature a brand new fleet of Montana made RO Drift Boats

We are proud to announce a brand new fleet of RO drift boats which will be available for rent at a rate of $150/day. The first of our three new boats is scheduled to arrive tomorrow with the other two to follow by May 1st. In the meantime whether it’s a drift boat or a raft or a kayak you are looking for we can help!

Last but certainly not least, the shop is open and we are anxious to serve you. Flies, shuttles, terminal tackle, waders, boots, cold weather and rain gear, rods, reels, accessories and plenty of Wolf Creek Angler logo gear and much, much more. We’ve worked hard all winter long assembling our inventory and creating the space in which to present it and we think you’re going to like what we’ve done.

Oh…and by the way, the fishing has been just fine. It’s been a while since we’ve seen the water ourselves, but we’ve had boats out the last couple of days working on an episode of Big Sky Outdoors which will be airing in June. We will keep you posted on this. All reports have been positive where the fishing is concerned, though we are still waiting on the warm sunny days that get the baetis going but it looks like they will be here soon. Pink anything, sow bugs, Rainbow Czechs….you know the routine. It’s all working and it’s just a matter of finding the right depth/weight combination and the right water which continues to be the slower winter fare. Streamers have been producing as well worked slow and deep. Try a swing through the deeper water rather than a strip. Darker colors are working well and you can’t go wrong with the Sparkle Minnow!

Having trouble figuring it out? Book a Wolf Creek Angler guide trip today at the ridiculously affordable rate of $300 for a FULL day through the end of the month.

See you in the shop and on the water!   ~ Jason O.

 

It’s time for spring fishing on the MO

January on the MO?

cabins Spring Time on the MO

A fat and happy Missouri River Spring Bow

A fat and happy Missouri River Spring Bow

Winter continues to come and go here in Wolf Creek Montana, but the time has come to get out and fish our world class Missouri River and we’ve got some ridiculously affordable spring deals on lodging and fishing you can’t afford to pass up. $300 full day guide trips and lodging starting at $59/night – it’s almost too good to be true.

The river is currently flowing at 6570 CFS and is holding at around 36 degrees – perfect conditions for nymphing and streamer fishing and there are plenty of midges on the water every day if you just can’t wait to throw a dry-fly. More dry-fly opportunities coming very soon! The weather is pleasant for this time of year with temps in the high 30’s and low 40’s and it looks like we’ll be back towards 50 early next week. Traffic is very light during the week though the weekends have been bringing out a fair amount of anglers especially from the dam to Craig. Fishing has been good in that section for sure but don’t be afraid to try your luck further down river if you want to avoid the crowds, there are plenty of hungry fish throughout the system.

The shop is getting close to being ready and will be open for business on April 1st. We are open now for guided fishing and lodging. Give us a call today and book your $300 full day guide trip and while you’re at it, book a cabin. We’ve got cabin #3 available for $59/night + tax and if you need a little more space and a kitchen we’ve got cabins 2 and 4 available for $100/night + tax.

This is an awesome opportunity to experience spring time on the Missouri at a fraction of the cost of normal rates.  A full day of guided fishing on the MO and a night of lodging for as low as $359? The same thing will cost you just shy of $600 during the season! Worried about the weather? Don’t be!  We are well aware of the ever-changing weather conditions and we don’t expect you to fish in the cold and snow  (unless you want to).

See you on the water!

Jason O.

Digging In

Tearing into the old walls at Wolf Creek Angler

Tearing into the old walls at Wolf Creek Angler

drywall

Out with the old and in with the new. Walls framed and drywall in process on Day 2.

These are busy and exciting days at Wolf Creek Angler as we begin the heavy lifting of transforming an old and tired structure into a first rate Missouri River fly shop.

Fred has been busy with the help of Wolf Creek Angler Guide Extraordinaire/master craftsman Eric Mondragon. The first days have been spent tearing out the old walls and lights and fixtures etc. and we are now on our way to creating what we hope will be your favorite Missouri River fly shop. Soon the old shop will be completely transformed as we make our vision a reality. We can’t wait to show you our new shop!

We took a break from shop work last weekend and traveled to Missoula for the Fishing Outfitters Association of Montana (FOAM) annual meeting. It was a great turnout and a great opportunity to meet colleagues and get the word out about Wolf Creek Angler.

This week has been busy at the shop as Fred and Eric work diligently towards completion of the remodel while I spend much of my days on the phone with customers, vendors, reps and the powers that be who regulate things like motels and fly shops. It’s all coming together and soon the property will be abuzz with activity as fishy folks from all over the state descend on the Missouri to escape their raging local waters.

And speaking of water – I did my first guide trip of the season yesterday and learned that 5400 cfs is considerably different from 3000 cfs which I had become so accustomed to over the past year. Predictions about the flow for this season are all over the place but the last correspondence we received from the Bureau of Reclamation is predicting average flows of 4100 for the year and if they are anywhere close to being accurate – we LOVE it! Stay tuned! As of today she’s flowing at 5550 and holding at 35 degrees. The weather is beautiful and it’s time for spring fishing. Pink everything, firebeads, san juan worms, zebra midges and streamers should all be in your mix right now.

Give us a call today and take advantage of our Spring Special guide rates. Full day $300 (Regular Price $495). Put us to work!

A fat and happy Missouri River Spring Bow

A fat and happy Missouri River Spring Bow

 

 

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