2016 Water Forecast

Screenshot (8)

With the recent snows we’ve had we are off to a good start for the 2016 water year here on the Missouri.

Snowpack is currently around 80 percent of average for the Missouri Headwaters and while they are calling for another mild winter due to El Nino with above average temperatures and below average precipitation the outlook from the Bureau of Reclamation is for flows to continue at or slightly below 3500 CFS for the winter months. We will likely see a slight increase in April and May to around 4000, maxing out at around 5500 in June and holding in that 4000 range for the summer and fall. The maximum probable prediction is for a peak of around 13000 CFS in June with summer flows at or slightly above 5000 CFS. We would love to see the maximum probable! Minimum probable sees things holding right around where they currently are for the entire year. Canyon Ferry inflows for November were 87% of the 30 year average with the reservoir at 78% full which is 93% of average for this time of year.

Pray for snow. We are.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. What some consider perfect flows others consider too high or  too low. There are certainly ideal flows as far as maintaining the fishery is concerned and those flows would definitely be more on the high side – higher than the maximum probable prediction. From a wading/fishing standpoint however 2016 looks like it’s going to be similar to what we saw this year. That being the case, it should be another good year on the Missouri.

Why not take this opportunity to book your guide trips and lodging for next season. We’re looking at rate increases for 2016 but if you book by the end of the year we will hold 2015 pricing.

June and July lodging is already getting tough and guide dates are filling quickly, especially for those prime dates so don’t wait too long. We’re looking forward to another great year at Wolf Creek Angler and judging by our current bookings we’re definitely on track to have our best season yet.

We’ve got the same great guides in place for 2016 and will be adding a couple more as well to keep up with the demand. If you’ve fished with us in the past you already know that all of our guides are committed to making your day with them an experience you’ll not soon forget. We don’t measure success simply by the number of fish you catch, we measure success by the overall experience. We not only want you to catch fish, we want to teach you things that will make you a better angler and also teach you things that will help you to appreciate and understand the resource. We are so blessed to be able to live and work here and there’s nothing we enjoy more than introducing our guests to the amazing Missouri River and other surrounding waters.

Our guides are among the best on the Missouri. You won’t find a harder working crew of dedicated professionals committed to making your day on the water the trip of a lifetime. No matter what your skill level or your expectations, we’ve got the perfect guide for you. We are outfitter owned and operated and dedicated to making your Missouri River experience exceed your expectations. Whether you are staying with us, fishing with us, shopping with us or any combination of these, you are our number one priority and we will always do whatever we can to help you to get the most out of your Missouri River fly fishing experience.

The break in the action has been nice but we can’t wait to get back at it.

Don’t think you have to wait until spring to book a guide trip. The seasons make no difference to us, fishing is what we do….year round. $400 guide trips and $99 lodging all winter long with no cancellation fees. Keep your eye on the weather – if you see a day that looks good give us a call and book a room and a guide. If the day arrives and the weather goes south or you just change your mind no worries. It’s winter in Montana. We get it.

Guide trips make great Christmas gifts as well!

Monday Morning….All is Quiet

IMG_5200

The long Thanksgiving weekend has come and gone. The river continues to be shrouded in freezing fog but the sun is burning through and the cold will loosen its grip over the next few days as we leave behind the frosty single digits for the time being and move back into very comfortable 40’s by mid- week. It looks like the mild weather will hang around for at least the next ten days or so.

Will the break in the weather bring some traffic back to the river? We’ll likely see a slight uptick in traffic once those temps creep back into the 40’s, however things will remain fairly quiet through the end of the year. The holidays are upon us and the next month will fly by for most with plenty of things going on to keep everyone busy.

Should you get a chance to sneak away for a day and wet a line however, we would love to see you. It’s the perfect time to take advantage of our off-season lodging and guide rates. $99 rooms and $400 Missouri River winter guide trips for the rest of the year and through the winter months.

Our winter hours are Wednesday – Saturday 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM and Sunday 8:00 AM – 12 Noon (ish). We will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays for the winter months except when the weather is super fishy. We’re open for lodging and guide trips EVERY day and we’ll answer your calls whether we’re here or not. If you happen to come around on a day we aren’t at the shop please stop and see our friends at The Trout Shop or Headhunters in Craig or Trout Montana if you are Cascade bound and tell em’ we sent you!

Thanks to everyone who came out for our Black Friday and Small Business Saturday sales. We definitely appreciate your support and we always look forward to seeing you in the shop and on the water. Remember to pick up Wolf Creek Angler gift cards for all of the fly fishers on your list, available in any amount and good for anything we sell.

Reports from the river have been a bit hard to come by over the past few days but those who have been out have been enjoying some good days with very little competition. Think pink, think firebeads and think slow and deep winter water. We’ve got bins full of winter favorites and we’ll tell you exactly where to go and what to use when for your best shot at winter action on the MO.

We’ve also got the streamer bins fully stocked with a bunch of cool new patterns for your swinging and/or stripping fix.

wintermo

 

 

Thanksgiving Week on the MO

Winter Storm Warning in Wolf Creek today and tomorrow. Stay Safe!

Winter Storm Warning in Wolf Creek today and tomorrow. Stay Safe!

Getting things done in the shop this week. We don’t much like the quiet days but they are to be expected and it does give us a chance to get all of our end of season chores completed. Counting flies, completing reports, cleaning, budgeting, reflecting, cleaning some more, finishing pre-season orders, booking rooms and trips for next season, daydreaming, catching up on fishing blogs….on and on it goes. Never a dull moment. And every once in a while someone actually does stop in.

A quiet time to be sure but we are under a winter storm warning and people are getting ready for Thanksgiving so we don’t really expect to see many folks  in the shop today or tomorrow.
That being said our lodging is full for Wednesday and Thursday. Who knew Wolf Creek would become such a holiday destination? We’ll take it!

Snow is falling and the wind is starting to howl. Traffic should be nearly non-existent on the water for the next couple of days though the storm will be past and we will be back in the 30’s for the weekend so we’ll be expecting you. Stop in for great deals on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. We are so thankful for all of our customers who have made Wolf Creek Angler a success and we couldn’t be happier with the way the 2015 season went. We’re working hard to bring more of what you want into the shop and we’re super excited about some things we’re working on for 2016. We trust you will share in our excitement. More on this later.

We hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday and we hope to see you in the shop weather permitting. Why not take some time and make your plans for fishing the Missouri in 2016. Book your lodging and guide trips now to lock in 2015 rates. June and July lodging vacancies are rapidly disappearing and prime guide dates are filling quickly so don’t wait – give us a call today and book your Missouri River dream vacation with Wolf Creek Angler.

Can’t wait until spring? Keep your eye on the weather and book yourself a Missouri River winter getaway. Rooms for $99 and $400 guide trips. Winter fishing on the Missouri can be downright spectacular on any given day and you’ve got nothing to lose. If the weather turns, even on the morning of your scheduled trip, or if you simply change your mind about winter fishing, no worries, there are no cancellation fees. It’s winter in Montana….we get it!

Our winter hours will go into effect this Sunday, November 29th. Open Wednesday-Saturday 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM (or later) and Sunday 8:00 AM – noon (or later). We’re a little loose with the shop schedule in the winter but suffice it to say that if the weather is really fishy you can expect to find us here whatever the day and if it’s 20 degrees or colder and/or blizzard conditions we likely won’t be open. If the weather is questionable please call ahead. And remember we’re open EVERY DAY for lodging and guide trips.

See you in the shop and maybe even on the water.

flyshop

 

 

 

Weekend Outlook

The Missouri River is a year-round fishery - photo by Wolf Creek Angler

The Missouri River is a year-round fishery – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

It’s a beautiful morning in Wolf Creek with light snow falling and calm winds. Could be a nice day to fish the Missouri though it is a bit on the chilly side at 21 degrees and it’s not supposed to get much warmer today.

The weekend looks good with plenty of sunshine and temps near 40 on Saturday and near 50 on Sunday and Monday. Expect possibly a bit more traffic out there this weekend as it looks like we’re going to get our first deep freeze starting on Wednesday when we will see highs in the teens and lows in the single digits through the latter part of the week.

We’re hearing very good nymphing reports this week with folks still doing well with the short leash rigs in the shallows as well as with the deeper rigs in the more winterish slow deep runs.

Sows bugs are it for the time being and have been for the last while. Tailwater sows, Firebead Sows, Soft Hackle Sows, Snack Nasty Sows, Soft Hackle Rays….etc are all working well. We’ve been running the sows in tandem with a Tungsten Rainbow Czech or Pink Amex and getting the occasional eats on those as well. Don’t abandon the black zebra midge yet either. A Tungsten Tailwater sow in tandem with a black zebra can be very effective. Most are running with no weight right now, opting instead to run something large and tungsten.

The transition to winter fare is upon us so think pink and think firebeads! The aforementioned Rainbow Czechs and Pink Amexes are a good call and you could also go with something like a Firebead Rainbow Weight Fly or my favorite, a #10 Casne’s Pinkalicious.

We haven’t quite gotten there yet but as the water temps continue to drop and those fish move into the depths of their winter homes the nymphing routine becomes much easier. Not that the fishing is always good, it’s not, but if there is any time of year you can run one rig with confidence and not be constantly second guessing your depth and bug selection, this is it.

Some would disagree I’m sure and they probably catch way more fish than I do but I’ve found that once the fish hit the winter water they’re either hungry or they’re not. If they are they will probably eat that pink/firebead/sow etc. offering at that same depth you had them eating it at the day before. It’s not that I never change things up in the winter, I do, but it’s generally a matter of changing the trailing fly and leaving the bobber and the Pinkalicious untouched for weeks at a time.
Winter fishing certainly has it’s own set of challenges, namely keeping warm. The last thing you want to do is spend your day changing flies and getting cold hands. Keep it simple!

There are fish rising daily. A few BWO’s and pseudos around but we’ve pretty much written the fall of 2015 off as far as BWO’s are concerned. Try a Parachute Adams, Purple Haze or Quiqley’s Peacock Cluster trailed with a the CDC Emerger of your choice. Speaking of CDC, while the snow and cold may not make for great fishing the duck hunting should be off the charts next week! The rising fish have not been easy but if you’re fishing dry flies in snow and sub-freezing temps you probably aren’t looking for easy anyway so have at it.

Streamers? Absolutely. Throw them all day long. Unlike the nymph game however I’m a firm believer in changing streamers until you find what they are after. Usually once you find it you’ll be set for the day but you could easily spend the entire day changing bugs and never find one that works. Such is the streamer game. Patience is key. Strip fast, strip slow, swing, speed up the retrieve, slow down the retrieve, upstream, downstream…and on and on. Often the retrieve can be as critical, if not more so, than the bug.

The fish we’ve moved recently on streamers have come on Coffey’s Sparkle Minnows, Polar Leeches, JJ’s, Pop’s Buggers, Olive Smolts and Black or Olive Buggers (among others) and have been on a moderately fast retrieve, most time hitting on the pause. Cloudy days have been better for sure but we’re not afraid to throw streamers on a sunny day, you shouldn’t be either. If you’re contemplating a new streamer rod stop in and pick up one of our St Croix Bank Robber demo rods for the day. We’ve been fishing them all fall and loving them.

Best section right now? We’ve heard good things from most sections but we tend to stay up high from now until spring. The fish are big (and plentiful), the crowds are not an issue and the dam and Wolf Creek Bridge are 5 minutes from the shop. We tend to start a little later this time of year and with it getting dark by 5:30 it works out perfect to limit road time and just float to Craig.

The shop is open at 7:30 AM daily so swing in for bugs, shuttles, free coffee and honest, open and always friendly advice on the where and when and how. Plenty of lodging available for the weekend and guides ready to show you how good winter fishing on the Missouri can be.

Extreme Weather Calls for Extreme Gear from KAST

 

Wolf Creek Angler is your Exclusive Full Line Kast Dealer on the Missouri

Wolf Creek Angler is your Exclusive Full Line Kast Dealer on the Missouri

With winter weather setting in it might be time to consider upgrading your gear. Things tend to get a little more challenging out there when you factor in the snow and wind and cold temps but with the right gear there’s no reason to stop fishing! We’ve got you covered for all conditions with KAST Extreme Fishing Gear.
Stop by Wolf Creek Angler and check out the full line of gear from Kast. We’ve got plenty of Hell Razor and Velocity jackets and the best fishing glove on the market, the completely waterproof Steelhead Glove.
We’re looking at the first arctic blast of the season arriving mid week next week with highs struggling to break single digits on Thursday and lows dipping below zero. While we wouldn’t necessarily recommend fishing in these conditions we would recommend outfitting yourself with KAST Gear if you’re going to do it.

Wolf Creek Angler is your exclusive Full Line Kast Dealer on the Missouri River.

The Hell Razor Jacket from Kast available at Wolf Creek Angler

The Hell Razor Jacket from Kast available at Wolf Creek Angler

Everyone has their favorite jacket. The one that never sees a closet or coat-hook. The one that, unless you’re already sleeping in it, is always close enough to grab—regardless of where you are, what you’re going to be doing, or what the weather is.

For us, the Hell Razor is that jacket: performance and comfort that’s perfect as an insulating layer or solo as outerwear when it’s not pushing single-digits. Designed to be windproof, water resistant, yet highly breathable and thermally efficient, the Hell Razor utalizes Primaloft 60g Gold insulation so you get a jacket that is incredibly lightweight and extremely warm. This jacket is definitely our go-to favorite whether we’re wrestling big fish, wheeling into town—or yes, sleeping in from time to time.

Kast-Gear-Velocity-Jacket-Grey-OUTERWEAR

 

Spend as much time outdoors as we do and you figure out pretty quick what gear works, and what gear you leave home next trip out. And jackets are no exception. Warmth without mobility makes for an uncomfortable day of casting on the water. Mobility over warmth isn’t any better. And if the jacket is too heavy in the first place? No dice.

Our Velocity jacket gives you all three: it’s utralight with stellar warmth and mobility. Velocity’s hybrid design leverages thermal body mapping, keeping your core warm as a stand-alone jacket on colder days, or as a mid-layer in extreme conditions. Plus, you get the enhanced performance and full range of motion from the Polartec® Powerstretch sleeves. Add useful design features like an offset center front zipper, thumb-hole cuffs, tool loops and oversized pockets—the Velocity is ready to run when you are.

homepage-carousel2

There are not too many things that’ll cut a day of cold-weather fishing short quicker than losing the feeling in your digits. Keeping your hands in your pockets doesn’t lend itself to being ready for that explosive take. And gloves always seem to solve only one part of the warmth/waterproof/dexterity equation. Until now.

Our Steelhead Gloves are designed to keep your hands bone-dry, give you maximum dexterity, and provide a layer of warmth when fishing in cold environments. Patented OutDry technology makes our gloves 100% waterproof/submersible, windproof, and breathable. Plus the warm fleece lining, and durable stretch shell give you the snug fit and uncompromising feel that you need in the fingertips, and an extended cuff for valuable additional coverage at the wrist. Go ahead, chase chrome in a snow squall, or tail a trophy king in frigid water, you can trust your hands will stay warm and dry.

Stop in today and check out all of our Extreme Gear from KAST including select summer guide wear on sale for 20 percent off.

 

 

 

 

 

Friday Fishing Report

Dan had his best day ever on the Missouri - photo by Wolf Creek Angler

Dan had his best day ever on the Missouri – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

It’s been a windy week on the Missouri with the exception of yesterday morning which turned out to be one of the better days we’ve had recently both weather wise and fishing wise. Calm winds and sunny skies made for an exceptionally nice November day on the water.

My friend Dan is in from Michigan for a few days and we had intended on fishing the Missouri every day. Wednesday’s winds forced a change in plans and we opted to go try our luck throwing streamers on the Blackfoot. I always enjoy wading the Blackfoot but the fishing was extremely slow and extremely challenging with high winds and snow. We covered many miles of water Wednesday between two rivers with only one fish landed and a couple of flashes and tugs to keep it interesting but a tough day overall.

IMG_5049

We knew Thursday would be our window of opportunity on the Missouri with less wind in the forecast and it turned out to be even  nicer that what we were expecting, at least up until mid-afternoon when the howl returned. We opted for the Dam to Craig run to keep it simple and had the whole thing pretty much to ourselves with just two other boats on the water. I had not been out on the MO recently so we started out with the rig and the water we’ve been hearing have been the go-to but the shallow water/short leash combo proved to be a bust for us. Once we found the right water and the right rig things turned on for the better part of the day up until the time the winds returned. The deeper, slower winter water was good for us running with a deeper rig but still no weight. We had success with black zebras and a pink amex but caught the majority of our fish on a #18 tailwater sow.

We had fully intended on throwing streamers but never got away from the bobber. We also had the dry-fly rig at the ready but unfortunately those opportunities didn’t materialize. That’s kind of been the story for most of the fall. There are BWO’s around but not very many and not with the consistency we would like to see. It’s been a disappointing fall for the die hard dry fly anglers but if you’re willing to chase the bobber it’s been good more often than not.

Traffic on the water is extremely light though there are a few folks around and we’re still booking trips and lodging for those who enjoy the solitude of fall fishing. We’re full for the weekend but have plenty of availability next week. It looks like this weather pattern is going to hold for the time being with breezy, but comfortable days so it certainly wouldn’t be a bad week to come out and fish with us. Colder temps expected by the end of next week.

Give the shop a call for up-to-the-minute reports on the weather and the fishing and stop by on your way to the water for shuttles, bugs, Kast cold weather gear, RO Drift Boat Rentals and great end-of-season deals on rods, reels and more.

 

 

Bidding Farewell to October

The lure of the Yellowstone - photo by Wolf Creek Angler

The lure of the Yellowstone – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

Fall Brown on the Yellowstone - photo by Wolf Creek Angler

Fall Brown on the Yellowstone – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

IMG_4959

Finally seeing the fall weather we’ve been hoping for these last few days as we close out October and prepare for what could be a very productive November on the Missouri .

Plenty of cloud cover, cooler temps and some precipitation in the forecast. Definitely BWO weather and the Streamer crowd is mobilized and ready for things to heat up out there.

We ventured to the Yellowstone on Thursday with high hopes of epic streamer action and while we had near perfect weather conditions it was a less-than epic day of streamer fishing. We got a fair amount of chases and did manage to boat several nice browns but nothing in the hog class. Regardless, there’s nothing quite like a fall day on the Stone and it’s always a good time hanging around Livingston for a night.

Meanwhile back on the MO it sounds like we had a couple of solid days out there. The winds have returned today and it’s likely going to be breezy all weekend with WSW winds sustained around 20 and gusting over 30. A chance of rain all weekend and perhaps some snow rolling in on Monday.

If you just can’t resist the thought of some windy, rainy days on the river we’ve got a couple of vacancies tonight and tomorrow. Off-Season rates start on Sunday and we’ve got vacancies a plenty from here on out so when the weather settles and you’re ready to hit the water and have miles of river virtually to yourself give us a call and book a room for $99/night + tax. Hordes of unemployed guides wandering around aimlessly as well so come on out and put them to work. We’re expecting a good November…possibly everything October didn’t turn out to be.  There could be some great dry-fly and streamer days ahead and the nymphing will be just fine as we settle into winter fishing mode on the Missouri.

Look no further than Wolf Creek when making your plans for late fall/winter fishing on the Missouri River.  A first-rate, full-service fly shop with great lodging accommodations, two bar/restaurants, the only gas station/convenience store between Helena and Cascade and all within minutes of Holter Dam and Wolf Creek Bridge. There’s NOBODY closer! We hope you make Wolf Creek and WCA your off-season Missouri River Fly Fishing destination.

The shop will close at 4 today for the WCA Staff Appreciation Party.

See you bright and early at 7 AM tomorrow morning.

Updated Fishing Report 2/27/15

update3

Despite the cold temps I couldn’t resist the pull of the river yesterday. It was pretty quiet at Wolf Creek Angler so I dusted off the old Simms Extreme waders, grabbed some hand warmers and donned my Wind Pro Balaclava from Outdoor Research (available at Wolf Creek Angler) and headed out. Surprisingly I was the only one at each of the couple of spots I fished.
Blue skies and sunshine and very little wind made for an awesome afternoon of fishing – even in 17 degrees, and while it was far from EPIC it was a pretty good couple of hours both sub surface and on top. I nymphed a couple up (a couple on the Pinkalicious and one on the soft hackle sow) and noticed a mess of midges on the water and more than a few eats. I decided that three fish was plenty as the big drawback to fishing in these temps is getting your hands wet and I headed off to find some heads.
It took a while but eventually I did find some fish feeding somewhat consistently and I made my way to them but failed to reach them before Jake swam through their feeding lane and put them down. I waited for a while and eventually they started eating again and this time I was ready. My second cast brought me my first fish of 2015 on a dry fly – not a big fish – but a fish on a dry fly in February in 17 degrees…I’ll take it!
Hiking back to the truck my waders were icing up, as was Jake’s coat and my hands had had as much as they could take so we called it a day.
It looks like it could be another slow day at WCA so I may just do it again….

update2

Missouri River Fishing Report 2/27/15

blog1

Cold and lonely on the Missouri right now. Not near as cold as some other parts of the country but cold enough to shut down the fishing for a while. We’re seeing highs in the 20’s and lows in the single digits for the forseeable future – no surprise for late February/early March in Montana but since we had grown accustomed to temps in the 40’s and 50’s and even into the 60’s over the past month it’s a little bit of a shock to the system.
It’s good for the long- term but we were sure enjoying the fishing and enjoying the business we were doing in the shop. Fishy weather will return soon enough – in the meantime enjoy the Montana winter!
We plan to be open our regular winter hours for the next couple of weeks (Wednesday-Saturday 8:00 am – 4:00 pm) but may opt out depending on what the weather is doing. If you are hardcore enough to fish in below freezing temps and you’re planning on a stop at Wolf Creek Angler give us a call first just to make sure we are around. Whether we’re in the shop or not we are ALWAYS open for lodging and guide trips. If you are planning to fish this weekend remember Saturday is the last day your 2014 fishing license is valid. 2015 licenses available at Wolf Creek Angler.

Speaking of licenses – don’t forget deer and elk permit applications are due on March 16th. Everything you need to know is right here;

http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/licenses/buyApply/newDeadline/

licenses

Winter Returns

The recent return of winter weather means a little less time in the shop and on the river and a little more time enjoying the trails around Helena. - photo by Wolf Creek Angler

The recent return of winter weather means a little less time in the shop and on the river and a little more time enjoying the trails around Helena. – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

Following three weeks or more of unseasonably warm temperatures late February has brought with it colder temps and snow putting the brakes on our early spring at least for the moment. We may see 47 today but it looks like we’ll be closing out the month with high temps in the 20’s and 30’s and lows in the single digits with  a chance of snow every day through the weekend. As of right now it looks like more of the same for the early part of next week.

A week and a half ago I was begging RO Drift Boats to get us our new rental boats as we had all of our boats out for the day. Now it’s looking like it may be time to tuck them back into the garage for a while. Our available lodging had been full the past couple of weekends so after having had to turn people away we were ready to open up more lodging which we will likely still be doing soon but the sense of urgency is gone for the time being.

The traffic on the river was sparse for the past week, even with some great weather and consistently good fishing (for February) so we are expecting a slow week or two in the shop with the winter weather. That being said, we’ve been busy on the phones booking trips and lodging and it looks like 2015 is shaping up to be another great season. We’re thrilled with the attention our new web site is getting and we’re excited about the WCA Buzz.

Lots of new products arriving at Wolf Creek Angler this spring. We are confident you will be pleased. We are expanding our already impressive fly selection with a bunch of new patterns and we’ve stocked up on the hot bugs which tend to disappear from the area by the middle of the season. We don’t think we’ll run out…we will LOVE it if we do! New reels from Nautilus and Ross, a bunch of new accessories and Nomad nets from Fishpond, new logo gear from Simms, cool packs from Umpqua just to name a few and a couple of  major product partnership announcements soon to come!

Open today for all of your Missouri River fly fishing needs. Shuttles, bugs, bobbers, boats, lodging, guide trips and more. Playing it by ear for the rest of the week, keeping an eye on the weather. Always open for guide trips and lodging.

 

Go to Top