Madison River Archives - Wolf Creek Angler

Welcome December

With a forecasted high of 67 today it feels a lot more like September out there than December but be that as it may, it is indeed the first day of December with not a hint of winter on the short-term horizon.

If those balmy temps have you thinking fishing the MO today you might want to reconsider as we’re under a high wind warning until 9 pm tonight with Southwest winds 30 to 40 mph, gusting up to 70 mph, in Central and Southern Lewis and Clark County. With these gusty winds and the low relative humidity we’re also under a Red Flag Warning for Critical Fire Weather Conditions through tonight. Be careful out there!

Unseasonably warm temps with persist through the weekend, hopefully with winds diminishing. Colder air arrives early next week. Let’s hope that trend continues and that we start to see some winter precipitation soon.

Our thoughts are on the Madison River today as FWP officials along with an army of volunteers continue fish rescue efforts from the Dam to Ennis following the malfunction at Hebgen Dam which drastically dropped flows yesterday stranding fish on riffles and concentrating fish in deep water. NorthWestern Energy is working to fix the dam.

FWP announced the closing of the river to fishing yesterday and this closure will remain in place until the issue at the dam is resolved and flows are fully restored to the river. Please help if you can.

We’ve wrapped up winterizing here at WCA and we’re down to just the three bungalows for rent from here on out until spring. Bookings have been good with the unseasonably warm weather and we expect this will continue so don’t put off making those reservations as we’ve been full for the most part on the weekends.

And speaking of bookings, there’s no better time than the present to make those 2022 plans. Much of Prime Time (June and early July) has already filled and it appears we’re going to have another very busy guide season on the Missouri so don’t put it off any longer. And as if that weren’t incentive enough, here’s the other reason you should book now. With inflation going crazy and costs increasing on EVERYTHING we have no choice but to raise our rates. We’ve held our lodging rates for the last four seasons but simply can’t afford to continue to absorb these increases. Beginning Jan 1, 2022 lodging rates go up but if you book before then we’ll hold 2021 pricing.

Make that call today!

We’re open daily at 8 AM and open online 24/7 for all of your fly fishing gift needs. WCA Gift Cards make great stocking stuffers. They’re available at our online store in increments of $25, $50, $100 or Guide Trip or give us a call or stop by the shop to purchase in any amount you like. Gift cards are good for ANYTHING we sell including shuttles, lodging and guide trips, they NEVER expire and they are the perfect gift for those hard-to-shop-for fly fishers.

Fishing report coming soon but the quick and dirty is that the amazing fall fishing we’ve seen for the past couple of months is still going fairly strong. Perhaps a little less consistent as of late but still damn good whether you’re nymphing or stripping or swinging streamers. The wind has made things challenging but if you happen to hit it on the not quite so windy days, between the mild temps and the better than average fishing it’s been a phenomenal fall to fish the MO.

See you out there!

Fancy yet Functional River Series Fly Boxes at Wolf Creek Angler

River Series handmade wood fly boxes from A.L. Swanson Craftsman Studio in Helena Montana. Available now at Wolf Creek Angler.

River Series handmade wood fly boxes from A.L. Swanson Craftsman Studios in Helena Montana. Available now at Wolf Creek Angler.

We’ve recently started selling handmade River Series wood fly boxes from A.L. Swanson. They are beautiful boxes made in Helena Montana and constructed from sustainably harvested lumber, inlaid with exotic woods, metals and shell. They feature inlaid shell and earth magnet closures, brass hinges….the whole nine yards.

The River Series features three different size boxes from three classic Montana rivers, each box with it’s own unique characteristics just like their namesakes, the Missouri, the Madison and the Smith Rivers.

Starting at $129 these boxes aren’t cheap but they are a perfect Montana keepsake for the fly anglers in your life and we think they make a perfect Father’s Day gift which could very well be passed on for generations to come…they’re THAT nice.

Swanson, the maker of the boxes, expects them to be used rather than set on display somewhere collecting dust. They are as functional as they are beautiful and while it would certainly be a drag to lose one of these boxes the normal scratches and dings you can’t avoid with wood will only add to the character of the box as it ages.

I’m not sure I would use this box on the water if I had one, I tend to lose things, but I would definitely put it on display and it would definitely hold a prominent place amongst my prized possessions. A box like this can take on a significance you could never predict or expect.

I was given a beautiful hand made wood fly box by a friend many years ago. I never considered actually using it for the purpose for which it was intended, I knew exactly what it would be used for. It would become the permanant home for a black and white Rooster Tail spinner.

I was still just dabbling in fly fishing at the time and had not yet committed. My dad asked me if I would like to fish with him one June evening which I did. I don’t remember if we caught anything but I closed the night out with the Rooster Tail. A few weeks later he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Seven months later he was gone. It was the last time we fished together and while it may seem sacrilege to store a Rooster Tail in a handmade fly box, this was the purpose for which this particular wood fly box was destined.

Stop by the shop and check out these beautiful boxes. We’re positive your dad, grandfather, husband or anyone you know who loves Montana and loves fly fishing would LOVE to have one. Better yet, why not treat yourself to one. After all, you deserver nice things too!