Fishing Report 8/26/15

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Good fishing to be had out there right now river-wide. We’ve had some downright spectacular days up at the dam and pieced together some decent days below Craig as well.  The Wolf Creek Bridge to Craig section has not been all that lately but that being said, there are plenty of fish in that section. Get out there and get them figured out!

Double Zebras, Tung Darts, Red Two Bit Hookers, Little Green Machines, Tailwater Sows, Split Case PMD’s, BWO Magic Flies and various Crayfish patterns are getting it done below the surface and the hopper/terrestrial bite has been good enough to keep things interesting if you choose to make a day of hoppers and ants. If you’re not getting eats on the terrestrials try dropping  a Pine Squirrel Leech or a #16 purple or gold weight fly or the aforementioned Zebra Midge – they may change your luck.

The smoke is hanging heavy right now and will continue to do so throughout the week but the silver lining is that the smoke is blocking out the sun and keeping things from getting as hot as they could which is allowing the fire crews to make substantial progress on many of the fires burning around the area.

Hoot Owl Restrictions have begun to be lifted as we move towards cooler days. See below for the latest comprehensive list of Restrictions and Closures from FWP.

Traffic is still very light out there but it wont be this way much longer. Lodging is beginning to fill again as people begin to work fall fishing on the Missouri into their plans. Give us a call today for lodging and /or guide trips. Mid September through early November is one of our absolute favorite times to fish the Missouri. Sunny days with a chill in the air, colored up trees, colored up fish – does it get any better? Traffic will definitely pick up as we move into September but people tend to spread out more in the fall so it never seems to feel overly crowded unless you get stuck doing row-arounds at the dam.

Make Wolf Creek Angler your destination for fall fishing on the Missouri. We’ve got everything you need from top notch Missouri River Fly Fishing Guides to clean, functional and affordable lodging and a first-rate fly shop fully stocked with everything Missouri River Fly Fishing including an ever-increasing selection of bugs rivaling that of any shop in the area. Open daily at 6 AM, earlier than all the rest,  for all of your Missouri River fly fishing needs and just minutes from Holter Dam and Wolf Creek Bridge – nobody is closer!

Bugs, shuttles, Rio and Trout Hunter leaders and tippet, ice, fishing licenses, sun protection, cold-weather gear, hot weather gear, Fishpond Nomad Nets, Smith sunglasses, all kinds of tools and accessories and  more.  Don’t see what you want? We are always more than happy to call around and see if we can find it at one of the other shops for you.

Stop by Wolf Creek Angler and see what the buzz is about.

Following is the up-to-date list of Restrictions and Closures from FWP.

Beaver Creek Full Angling Closure starting 09/01/2015
Mandatory Waterbody Closure
Beaver Creek, in Hill County, for its entire length below the outlet of Beaver Creek Reservoir. (8/24/2015)
View Water Body Report

Belmont Creek Hoot Owl Fishing Restriction starting 07/30/2015
Mandatory Drought Closure – 2 PM to Midnight
Tributary to the Blackfoot River. (7/29/2015)
View Water Body Report
Big Hole River Madatory Drought Closure starting 8/19/2015.
Mandatory Drought Closure –

[24 hour] River sections of the Big Hole River: Saginaw Bridge on Skinner Meadows Road to North Fork Big Hole River. (8/18/2015)
View Water Body Report
Madatory Drought Closure starting 8/19/2015.
Mandatory Drought Closure – [24 hour] Big Hole River from the Notch Bottom FAS to the confluence with the Beaverhead River. (8/18/2015)
View Water Body Report
Copper Creek Hoot Owl Fishing Restriction starting 07/30/2015
Mandatory Drought Closure – 2 PM to Midnight
Tributary to Landers Fork. (7/29/2015)
View Water Body Report

Cottonwood Creek Hoot Owl Fishing Restriction starting 07/30/2015
Mandatory Drought Closure – 2 PM to Midnight
Tributary to the Blackfoot River. (7/29/2015)
View Water Body Report

Gold Creek Hoot Owl Fishing Restriction starting 07/30/2015
Mandatory Drought Closure – 2 PM to Midnight
Tributary of the Blackfoot River. (7/29/2015)
View Water Body Report

Landers Fork Hoot Owl Fishing Restriction starting 07/30/2015
Mandatory Drought Closure – 2 PM to Midnight
Tributary to the Blackfoot River. (7/29/2015)
View Water Body Report
Monture Creek Hoot Owl Fishing Restriction starting 07/30/2015
Mandatory Drought Closure – 2 PM to Midnight
Tributary to Blackfoot River. (7/29/2015)
View Water Body Report

Morrell Creek Hoot Owl Fishing Restriction starting 07/30/2015
Mandatory Drought Closure – 2 PM to Midnight
Tributary to Clearwater River. (7/29/2015)
View Water Body Report
Murphy Lake Emergency Closure on Murphy Lake
Fire Related Closure
Murphy Lake located in Lincoln County. (8/24/2015)
View Water Body Report

North Fork Blackfoot River Hoot Owl Fishing Restriction starting 07/30/2015
Mandatory Drought Closure – 2 PM to Midnight
North Fork Falls to the confluence with the Blackfoot River. (7/29/2015)
View Water Body Report

Reopened Waterbodies
Big Hole River Hoot Owl Fishing Restriction Lifted starting 8/21/2015.
Closure Lifted
Big Hole River: Maiden Rock FAS up to the Notch Bottom FAS. (8/21/2015)
View Water Body Report
Bitterroot River Hoot Owl Fishing Restriction Lifted starting 8/19/2015.
Closure Lifted
Bitterroot River from its origin at the confluence of the East and West Forks of the Bitterroot River to its mouth. (8/19/2015)
View Water Body Report
Blackfoot River Hoot Owl Fishing Restriction Lifted starting 8/19/2015.
Closure Lifted
Blackfoot River from its headwaters to its confluence with the Clark Fork River. (8/19/2015)
View Water Body Report
Clark Fork River Hoot Owl Fishing Restriction Lifted starting 8/19/2015.
Closure Lifted
Clark Fork River from Rock Creek downstream to its confluence with the Flathead River. (8/19/2015)
View Water Body Report
Hoot Owl Fishing Restriction Lifted starting 8/22/2015.
Closure Lifted
Clark Fork River from its headwaters downstream to Rock Creek. (8/22/2015)
View Water Body Report
East Gallatin River Hoot Owl Fishing Restriction Lifted starting 08/24/2015
Closure Lifted
Entire East Gallatin River from its origin at the confluence of Rocky and Sourdough Creeks to its confluence with the West Gallatin River. (8/24/2015)
View Water Body Report
Flint Creek Hoot Owl Fishing Restriction Lifted starting 8/22/2015.
Closure Lifted
From the Highway 1 Bridge near milepost 53 to the mouth. (8/22/2015)
View Water Body Report
Gallatin River Hoot Owl Fishing Restriction Lifted starting 08/24/2015
Closure Lifted
Lower Gallatin River from Sheds Bridge (Hwy 84) near Four Corners, MT, downstream to its confluence with the Madison River at Three Forks. (8/24/2015)
View Water Body Report
Jefferson River Hoot Owl Fishing Restriction Lifted starting 08/24/2015
Closure Lifted
Entire Jefferson River. (8/24/2015)
View Water Body Report
Madison River Hoot Owl Fishing Restriction Lifted starting 08/24/2015
Closure Lifted
Lower Madison River from Ennis Dam to the Missouri River Headwaters. (8/24/2015)
View Water Body Report
Ruby River Hoot Owl Fishing Restriction Lifted starting 08/24/2015
Closure Lifted
Portions of the Ruby River from Duncan District Road to its confluence with the Beaverhead River. (8/24/2015)
View Water Body Report
Shields River Hoot Owl Fishing Restriction Lifted starting 08/24/2015
Closure Lifted
Most of the Shields River from its confluence with Smith Creek downstream to its confluence with the Yellowstone River. (8/24/2015)
View Water Body Report
Silver Bow Creek Hoot Owl Fishing Restriction Lifted starting 8/22/2015.
Closure Lifted
From Blacktail Creek to the mouth where it joins with Warm Springs Creek. (8/22/2015)
View Water Body Report

Missouri River Friday

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Late Summer Skies on the Missouri

It’s been a busy week at Wolf Creek Angler despite the drop off in traffic and while it would definitely be a stretch to say the fishing is great on the Missouri right now, our expert crew of guides have been piecing together some very respectable days this week.

Nymphing has been consistently good from Holter Dam to Wolf Creek and has been decent in the stretches below as well depending on the day. Go-to nymphs at the dam have been zebra midges in red or black, split-case PMD’s, split-case BWO’s, weight flies, light peep shows, Little Green Machines, S & M’s and more.

Some are finding decent trico action, again, depending on the day but the fish are very picky when it comes to the tricos so be prepared to deliver or to be frustrated.

Our preference as of late has been the hopper/ant combo below Wolf Creek Bridge and beyond. Some days the hopper gets the eats – other days it’s the ant, some days it’s neither but it’s always a fun way to fish. Bugs of choice have been the White Cloud hopper in tan, Moorish hopper in tan or yellow, More or Less Hopper in tan or purple and any old parachute ant. Change up your hoppers often and if the ant fails to produce try dropping a small mayfly nymph or maybe even a small leech off of the hopper.

We’ve been moving some crayfish patterns this week though we have yet to hear of much going on with the crays so far. Any day now…

Lots of new arrivals in the shop including a bunch of Simms logo gear and a full restock on Fishpond Nomad hand nets and boat nets. Shop open at 6 AM daily – we are your Missouri River One Stop with everything you need for your day on the water. Guide Trips, shuttles, fishing licenses, ice, lodging, RO Drift Boat rentals and the largest selection of Missouri River flies ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek Montana just to name a few.

Things can be a little tough out there right now, why not take the guess-work out of it and book a guide for the day – you’ll be glad you did.

See you in the shop and on the water…

Mid Week Missouri River Fishing Report

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Guest Blog from WCA Guide Matt Hargrave

Met a buddy and fellow guide at the shop Monday morning. I picked through the fly bin grabbing some usual suspects (#18 pt little green machine and some #18 olive s&m nymphs), and decided to grab some nymphs I never fish. I’ve been doing a lot of experimenting lately. Fishing different water and different patterns. This time I picked up some #12 bh flashback pt’s, some #14 hare’s ears, a downey baetis nymph, a bwo magic fly, and a two bit hooker. I am guilty of sticking to tried and true patterns and water that I know hold fish. I also know to improve as an angler and a guide that I need to expand my arsenal and my knowledge of the Missouri. Sometime’s you gotta take chances.

We floated Mid-Mt. Palace. The day was overcast, 60, but with a cold wind. I picked up a nice brown right away on the lgm. Sometime’s landing a fish that quickly is a bad sign. That was not the case that day. The fish were hungry and ate everything I presented to them.

Later in the day, my buddy Josh started wrecking them fishing blind with a brown para adams. I stuck with the short leash and landed fish everywhere you would think a trout would be.

Towards the evening we anchored on a pod of fish that would not go down. We all touched and caught several fish out of that pod, only leaving it because it was getting too late to fish. Just before the take out, Chad and I doubled up on two dry fly eating fish. Perfect way to end an epic day.

Moral of the story is to get out there and get out of your comfort zone. Start building confidence in different patterns and different water. Growing as an angler is what everyone should be striving for—Matt

Doubled UP

Doubled UP

Mid Week Missouri River Fishing Report 5/6/15

WCA Guide Nick Kaufman with a dry fly eating Missouri River brown. This is how we spend our days off.

WCA Guide Nick Kaufman with a dry fly eating Missouri River brown. This is how we spend our days off.

The spring crescendo continues on the Missouri as the daylight hours stretch and the bugs intensify and the numbers of fish feasting on the surface increase almost daily.
BWO’s, midges, March Browns and rumours of Caddis in the canyon mean the dry fly fishing is about to go insane and while you wait the nymphing has been keeping rods bend daily river wide.
We don’t have much new to report on the nymphing side of it. Green Machines are THE bug of choice. Shallow rigging has been successful depending on the day and the time of day and the deeper rigs are consistently working on the sunnier days which we’ve had no shortage of lately. Try a purple weight fly, Tungsten Tailwater Sow, Wire Worm, Hot Belly PT or a tan czech for a point fly and follow it with your LGM, S & M, Peep, Military May, Micro May, Magic Fly, Olive WD40. 2 Bit Hooker or various sow bug patterns and search the water columns until you find the fish. A BB split or two helps on the longer rigs, go weightless on the short rigs – the tungsten beads will get you where you need to be.
If you find fish up throw the kitchen sink at them. If you want to keep it simple throw an Adams and a bwo cdc emerger at them and build from there. We’ve got all kinds of cool BWO patterns at the ready. Come check them out and see if you can find something you like, chances are pretty good that if you like your bugs you will fish them with confidence and the fish will like them too.
How about streamers? We’ve been throwing them and getting some fish to move on Sparkle Minnows, Tan Circus Peanuts and brown Polar Leeches. Overcast skies on tap for tomorrow – could be a great streamer day which will give you something to do while you’re out there looking for heads.
Stop by the shop for a shuttle on your way out and stock up on all the dries, nymphs and streamers you will need as well as leaders, tippet, tools, Flyagra, Strike Foundry Lil Nugget Indicators, Buffs, Kast Extreme Fishing Gear and all kinds of cool WCA logo gear.

Missouri River Weekend Report 5/2/15

Danya Ann taming the MO - photo by Matt Hargrave

Danya Ann taming the MO – photo by Matt Hargrave

Widespread reports of Full-On sick nymphing the past couple of days river wide. Sunny skies and some stiff winds have limited dry fly opportunities during the day though it sounds like those returning to the water in the evenings have been rewarded with some near-epic conditions and lots of fish willing to eat.
Green Machines have been THE bug, hands down, no matter what the section though it sounds like the Pink Amex and the Rainbow Czech have had their moments as well. We restocked LGM’s this morning and while the #18 PT’s had been the most frequently picked over the grays are reportedly working as well, if not better, in some places so don’t hesitate to try them. Firebead sows and FB Rainbow Weight Flies have seen a bit of a resurgence over the past few days and we’ve been selling a ton of Olive WD 40’s. Purple Weight flies, tailwater sows, BWO Magic Fly, S & M’s , Micro Mays, 2 Bit Hookers, wire worms….all have been catching a lot of fish and last but not least…I haven’t heard too many reports about Peep Shows but for what its’ worth this bin had probably 8-10 dozen bugs in it when I opened this morning…

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I haven’t heard any streamer reports though we’re thinking that should be on your agenda as well in the coming days.
Bottom line? The fishing is damn good right now no matter where you go. The word is that fish are more concentrated in the canyon section but that they are smaller overall than in the upper sections where there are reportedly fewer fish at the moment but much bigger average size. Pick a stretch and enjoy!
Lodging just shy of full this evening and opening up tomorrow and Monday before the next wave comes in on Tuesday. Completely booked mid-week but a few openings here and there towards next weekend. Guides at the ready. Don’t miss out on this awesome spring fishing. Book your trip on the Missouri today.

Make us your first stop on the way to the river for shuttles, bugs (other than #16 dark Peep Shows), bobbers, boats, fishing licenses, ice, Buffs and gloves for hot or cold weather, Rio and Trout Hunter leaders and tippet,  all kinds of tools and accessories, a great cup of coffee,  friendly and knowledgeable service, honest advice and much much more.

See you at WCA

 

Weekend Report

Missouri River Baetis Box

Missouri River Baetis Box

We’ve heard a couple of reports of tough fishing from yesterday and today but for the most part what we’re hearing is that it’s good to great out there.

Plenty of baetis, plenty of midges and plenty of fish up willing to eat a well presented fly. People are amazed by the sheer number of bugs on the water and it can be overwhelming and frustrating trying to get the fish to eat your fly when it is amongst so many naturals. This is the time for precision. Pick one fish in particular and deliver your fly to that fish without drag. Chances are they won’t move for it and they won’t eat it if it’s anything other than dead drifted directly to them. A well executed reach cast is a critical component of Missouri River dry fly fishing. It’s this technical challenge that brings many to fish the Missouri and also sends many away empty handed cursing the fish and the river.

Change bugs often and work on that delivery and presentation. More often than not it’s presentation issues which cause problems but there are plenty of times when a perfectly presented fly gets refused as well. How much fun would it be if they ate every well presented fly every time? It would probably get pretty boring pretty quickly. Are you up for the Missouri River dry fly challenge?

There are countless patterns out there and most of them work at one time or another. A good generic place to start would be a Hi Vis Parachute Adams or Purple Haze trailed with a cdc baetis emerger or some kind of cripple pattern. We’ve got bins full of all kinds of BWO patterns so come pick out some you like and try them. There are no true magic flies out there (other than the Parachute Adams) but there are a lot of flies that work and work well more often than not. What usually happens is that someone has a great day with some bug and the word gets out and the next thing you know everyone is out of them. Not to worry, there are countless others that will work just as well. We all tend to do it from time to time, but try not to get caught in the Magic Fly Trap.

Nymphing reports continue to be good with many opting for a shorter overall rig. Go to flies continue to be the S & M, Little Green Machine, Hot Belly Pheasant Tail in purple, Military May, Micro May, Juju Baetis and many more. Stop by the shop and we’d be happy to get you set up with flies, shuttles, boat rentals, leaders, tippet, indicators, rods, reels, floatants, and anything else you might need. We’re also happy to answer any questions you have about rigging, location, presentation, time of day or anything else you want to ask us. We may not always have the answer but we’ll always tell you everything we know and do whatever we can to help.

Shop open daily 7:30 AM to 5 PM.

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Top to bottom from the left Row 1. Hi Vis Parachute BWO, Purple Haze, Hi Vis Para Olive, Hi Vis Parachute Adams. Row 2 Smith’s BWO CDC Hackle Stacker, Parachute BWO, Split Wing Parachute BWO, Parachute Olive Spinner, WCA Stacker, Polywing Spinner. Row 3 BWO Parachute Emerger, CDC Baetis Emerger, Cripple Thorax, BWO Biot Cripple, Nyman’s DOA Cripple Baetis, BWO Flash Cripple, Drown Spinner BWO. Row 4 RS2 CDC, Quiqley’s Hackle Stacker BWO, Almost Dun BWO. Row 5 (Nymphs) Mason’s Peep Show Dark, Purple Lightning Bug, Magic Fly BWO, S & M Olive, Two Bit Hooker Red, Little Green Machine, Kyle’s Superflash PT Olive, Juju Baetis

 

Late April Missouri River Fishing Report 4/24/15

Don and Leda doubled up on the MO - photo by Jim Murray

Don and Leda doubled up on the MO – photo by Jim Murray

Guest Blog from WCA Guide Jim Murray. Call the shop and book a trip with Jim or any of our other guides. Six days left to take advantage of our $300 spring special guide trips. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by.

With April turning into May, the 2015 season on the Missouri is heading into full swing. I’ve been out guiding a few times this past week, and if you’ve been fortunate enough to be on the water you know what I’m going to say. The Mo is a pretty good trout river. Flows are down, water temps are up, and bugs are EVERYWHERE. Lots of bugs make for lots of happy fish. In these conditions, the fish are acting like it’s summer out there. Fish are holding in riffles, runs, scum lines, and shallow water. Fish are deep in the water column. Fish are shallow in the water column. Fish are EVERYWHERE. I’ve had a lot of success throwing the short leash rig with no weight my last couple of trips, but I’ve talked to other guides who are getting them down deep as well. Pick your favorite mayfly nymph and have at it. And don’t be afraid to throw a little bit bigger bug. You don’t have to throw a size 20 Green Machine to get ‘em out there. You like throwing dry flies? Well have at it, because while we aren’t seeing a ton of heads up, they are there if you know where to find them, and they seem more than happy to eat a properly presented dry/cripple/cluster/spinner pattern of your choice.
I’ve spent the last few trips down in the Canyon, but I’ve been hearing pretty much the same from the guys fishing between the Dam and Spite Hill. Fishing is good. If you aren’t here fishing the Mo right now, you should be! Grab a buddy to row. Teach your husband/wife how to row. Book a guide. Whatever you have to do, come out and fish the Mo….it’s a pretty good trout river.

Doubled up again! Photo by Jim Murray

Doubled up again! Photo by Jim Murray

Mid Week Fishing Report

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Warm and sunny spring days have limited the dry fly fishing opportunities for the past couple of days but it looks like we could be in for a great baetis weekend with cloud cover and a chance of rain and/or snow each day.

Nymphing has been good river-wide though the best reports we’re hearing are from Craig down. Green Machines and S & M’s have been the most popular nymphs by far leaving our bins this week but why limit yourself to two patterns? We’ve got bins and bins stuffed full of bugs that will get it done. Take some time and peruse our selection, LGM’s and S & M’s are great but there’s a bunch of other stuff that you should be trying and who knows, you may just stumble upon the next big thing.

When you find that bug you think is cool and you fish it and it happens to work it definitely builds your confidence. One of my go-to nymphs is Mason’s Peep Show. I was introduced to the Peep Show by a fishing buddy several years ago and I’ve always done well with it so I use it a lot.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had clients come into the shop to load up on them after a guide trip. Sometimes they find success with it, sometimes they dont. I think it’s a great bug – I’ve got friends who are excellent guides who hate it – it’s all personal preference.

Bottom line – we’ve got well over 100,000 flies not including a bunch of cool streamers. There are a lot of patterns besides S & M’s and Little Green Machines that will crush fish on the Missouri. Last season there was a few weeks where Two Bit Hookers were reportedly the hottest bug around. We didn’t have them. We do now. Guys would come in and ask for them and turn around and leave when we told them we didn’t have them – apparently when it’s a Two Bit Hooker you desire nothing else will do!

Stop in and check out our fly selection, we are confident you won’t be disappointed.

Lodging is full tonight and busy through the weekend. We did have one cancellation for Friday and Saturday so we do have one cabin available for the weekend. We’re busy with spring special guide trips this week but have plenty of guides around if you are interested in taking advantage of this great deal before it’s too late. It’s the last weekend for spring special rates and discounted lodging. Book your trips and rooms now!

The days are getting longer, the bugs are plentiful and the pulse is starting to return to Wolf Creek and Craig Montana.

See you in the shop and on the water.

The Week Ahead

A day of firsts for Tara. First trout EVER including a couple of nice bows and this brown.

A day of firsts for Tara. First trout EVER including a couple of nice bows and this brown.

It looks like today will be the nicest day of the week with mostly sunny skies and a high near 70. The breeziness continues with South wind 8-15, gusting to 22.

A good chance of rain tomorrow and maybe even some snow on Wednesday with more seasonable temps hanging in the high 40’s and low 50’s, back into the 60’s by Thursday and Friday.

The action remained solid over the weekend with plenty of fish showing interest in nymphs and dries alike. We haven’t heard too much on the streamer front but a couple of cloudy days this week with water temps in the low 40’s could make for some pretty good action. We’ve got a bunch of new streamers in the bins, come by and check them out.

Rainbow Czechs, Military Mays, Pink Amex, Red 2 Bit Hookers, S & M’s and Tailwater Sows have all been effective nymphing patterns but the Little Green Machine has once again become the go-to fly on the river. We’ve got bins full of all of them. Short leashing the faster shallow water has been very effective the past few days but there are still fish in the slow deep stuff as well. It’s the Missouri – the fish are EVERYWHERE!

There have been a few BWO’s around and fish are being caught on emergers and cripples as well as the midge stuff. Keep throwing the clusters (Griffiths gnats/buzzballs etc). We haven’t been getting too crazy with trying BWO patterns yet but we’ve got a bunch of them and it certainly wouldn’t be a bad call. If you want to keep it simple a Hi Vis Parachute Adams trailed with a Griffiths Gnat is a great option. Come on in for all the flies you need including some “top secret” bugs which have been on fire.

We’ve got all of our lodging open now and while things are starting to fill up we’ve got plenty of rooms available this week and into the weekend. $99 gets you a cabin or bungalow with full kitchen through the end of April. Motel rooms also available at $60/single and $69/double. Don’t forget $300 Spring Special Missouri River full day guide trips through the end of the month. We’ve got a lot of trips out this week, would love to have more. Give us a call and book yours today. Guides are standing by at the ready.

Dan with a MO River cookie cutter

Dan with a MO River cookie cutter

Blue Sky Blues

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Made it out yesterday for a Wolf Creek to Craig float with our good friends Dan and Tara and while it was a gorgeous (but breezy) spring day the fishing was less than stellar.
Following recent reports we rigged up with Rainbow Czechs and Little Green Machines and prepared to start crushing fish. After hitting a couple runs with nary a drop of the bobber we decided to stop and pick apart an area which has been consistently yielding fish. One brief hook up and several bug changes later we moved on in search of more productive water.
As we worked through my favorite spots we got a few hook ups but failed to find much happening on subsequent row arounds. Dan finally landed a fish on the Little Green Machine so we returned to the original set up and started to see a few more hook ups and a couple of fish to hand as afternoon approached.
The water was covered with blankets of midges for the better part of the day but rising fish were few and far between. We stopped for lunch and finally did find a productive run with fish willing to play and cooperating with the row around game.
Traffic on the river was very light with just a few other boats in the section. Good bugs for the day were the aforementioned Rainbow Czech and Little Green Machine and we also managed to get a few to go on the dark Peep Show and the Tungsten Tailwater Sow. Miscellaneous Firebeads and Pink Lightning Bugs were not effective.
I chalked the slow fishing up to the bright sunny day and while we would have loved to have had a little more action, spending the day in a drift boat floating down the Missouri River is NEVER a bad way to pass the time regardless of how it’s fishing.
Today looks to be another beautiful bright and sunny blue sky day…why wouldn’t you spend it on the MO? Stop by WCA on your way to the river for everything you need for Missouri River Fly Fishing.

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