Missouri River Archives - Page 18 of 62

Autumn Approaching

Autumn Creeping In

As we approach late August our thoughts have turned toward fall fishing. People often ask when is the best time to fish in Montana and while that answer can change based on our current time and place and mood I always say that based strictly on weather and seasonal transition its damn tough to beat autumn fishing in Montana.

We’re currently in the midst of some of the hottest temps we’ve seen this season but sweater weather isn’t far away. Shorter days, cooler temps and fall colors will usher in the magic of autumn and despite the heat of the afternoons the cool mornings are already hinting at the transition which is underway. Expect highs near 90 for the next 10 days but plenty cool at night with lows int he 50’s.

Mid week on the Missouri and Wolf Creek and Craig are ghost towns. Traffic is extremely light on the weekdays which is normal for August though we had hoped for an extended summer season in light of the late start we got due to Covid.

And speaking of Covid, we’re continuing to see a steady stream of fall cancellations so if it’s practical for you to make a trip to Montana over the next couple of months the good news for you is that we’ve got plenty of openings for lodging and guide trips both at Wolf Creek Angler and at our partner facility Hidden Canyon Lodge.

Whether you prefer to be pampered in a luxury lodge setting with gourmet meals each day or you’re looking for something a little more rustic and do-it-yourself we’ve got you covered and the fishing experience is the same whichever option you choose. Have questions? Give us a call at the shop or shoot us an email and we’d be happy to answer them.

Current Fishing Report

Fishing has been adequate as of late. Not red hot, not terrible…kind of what you’d expect in late summer.

Tricos have been a disappointment. Hoppers and ants are providing a decent alternative but nymphing (as per usual) is your best bet for numbers.

We have definitely passed the prime for dry fly fishing but there are opportunities if you work at it with sporadic Trico activity, a smattering of caddis and the aforementioned terrestrials which can make for a fun day of blind casting with the occasional chug which could potentially be a mammoth brown trout on the prowl.

Most of naturals I’ve observed have been of the yellow variety but we’ve had our best luck with peach or pink More or Less Hoppers. You can drop a nymph or trail a smaller dry (ant or caddis) but there’s nothing wrong with keeping it simple and running a single hopper. Obviously you won’t be as prone to tangling with single and that’s the eat you’re looking for anyway. Should you choose the tandem rig check it often to make sure your trailer/dropper isn’t wrapped.

Nymphing has been good most days and the Grass Flats below the dam will soon be the place to be. Black Zebras, Tailwater Sows, Purple Lightning Bugs, Pheasant Tails, Purple Weight Flies, Little Green Machines are all solid options and Zirdles, Snapping Crays and Claws R Crays are definitely worth a try.

Streamers will soon be back in play but keep in mind the challenges involved with fishing streamers on the MO in late summer and throughout the fall, namely WEEDS! The same can be said for nymphing though not quite to the same extent. There are big fish to be caught on streamers on the Missouri but prepare to be frustrated and count on spending on an inordinate amount of time removing weeds. If you can get in the right place with this and just accept it as part of the challenge it’s definitely worth your time.

Autumn Shop Hours are 7 AM – 5 PM daily.

Please remember the state mask mandate is still in effect and we are 100 percent committed to complying with it. We cannot allow anyone in the shop without a mask and we are continuing to limit the number of customers in the shop at one time to 4 in an effort to maintain social distance. We appreciate your compliance with these protocols and we can’t express just how much we are looking forward to the day when this is all behind us.

By Jason Orzechowski|2020-08-19T14:58:52-06:00August 19th, 2020|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: brown trout, caddis, Craig MT, dry fly fishing, Fall fishing, Hidden Canyon Lodge, Missouri River, Montana, running line, Streamer Fishing, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Dog Days on the MO’

As we close out the month of July this week it feels as though the annual mid-summer lull known as the Dog Days of Summer has arrived. Angling traffic has slowed, rec traffic has increased and the weather has turned HOT. We’ll see 90’s all week, pushing 100 by Thursday through the weekend and the early part of next week with plenty of sunshine and very little chance of precipitation.

Flows today are back above 5000 CFS and should remain fairly steady give or take. Water temps are holding around 64.5 degrees but will be on the rise this week.

Tricos have attained consistency and will be a Missouri River staple for the remainder of the summer. Evenings continue to provide plenty of caddis action and we’re still hearing plenty of reports of PMD’s though they could disappear any day now. Many have shifted their focus to terrestrials with hoppers as the mainstay but don’t overlook the ants which can regularly out fish a hopper pattern by orders of magnitude.

Nyphing has continued to account for the greatest numbers as you would expect though weed growth has taken off, making it an increased necessity to check those rigs often to make certain they are clean. You might not think that the little piece of vegetation hanging off you nymph would make that big of a difference but more often than not it does.

I talked about early starts last week and you should definitely continue to shoot for being on the water as early as possible. Mornings have been prime time for nymphing with things tapering off by late morning/early afternoon, during the height of the sun and the heat of the day. If you’re dry fly fishing expect your best trico opportunities to occur within the 9-noon window after which time fishing an ant or hopper blind is your ticket to success.

As per usual the arrival of the Dog Days is marked by an exodus of anglers who will hopefully be returning for a busy fall season but under the current conditions in the world it’s anybody’s guess.

August fishing on the Missouri tends to get a bad rap due to the perceived (and often-times real) notion that it’s hot and weedy but that aside August fishing can often be as good, if not better, than earlier in the summer simply due to the fact that the fish aren’t nearly as pressured.

Couple this with an overlap of Tricos and Caddis and the best month of the summer to fish terrestrials and I can’t imagine why you WOULDN”T fish the Missouri in August. I’ve had more than my share of ridiculous nymphing days in August and also caught my personal best Missouri River fish on a hopper in the middle of August. So while weeds and heat can be a challenge it’s a challenge that’s more than offset by the lack of traffic and the abundance of great fishing opportunities. There really is no reason to not be fishing the Missouri in August.

Take advantage of this opportunity today and book yourself a late summer trip to the Missouri. Lodging is currently wide open and while we’ve still been putting multiple trips on the water each day things are tapering off meaning it’s the perfect time to book.

The shop is open early with everything you need for your day on the water from lodging, guides, rental boats and shuttles to sun protection, packs and bags, tools and accessories and the near-legendary largest selection of Missouri River bugs ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek Montana.

By Jason Orzechowski|2020-07-28T17:03:54-06:00July 28th, 2020|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: caddis, dry fly fishing, Missouri River, Montana, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|1 Comment

It’s Trico Time on the Missouri – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

It’s what some of you have been waiting for….Tricos on the MO’.

Others despise the challenges presented by tiny dry flies and finicky fish but for the hard-core DFO purists among you now is the time.

The quiet early mornings at the boat launches are a thing of the past for now as the Trico guys know an early start is critical for a shot at the prime spots during the spinner fall, somewhere around 9 – 10 am.

A week ago I had the ramps to myself at 6 am when I was dropping rental boats. Today I had to wait my turn behind a multitude of early starts with a steady stream coming in behind me.
Early on means early off which works out well as mid-day temps are currently pushing into the 80’s and 90’s with bright sun and minimal cloud cover the norm as of late. Tomorrow looks like a good chance for showers throughout the day before we resume the summer sun and heat through the weekend.

There continues to be a fair amount of evening traffic out there as well. We recommend self-shuttling for these late floats. We’ve been cutting off shuttles at 4 PM and while some may be doing them later than that I don’t think anyone is doing late night shuttling so if night ops are on your agenda please plan accordingly.

There are still some PMD’s around but definitely coming to a close. Tricos in the morning and Caddis in the evening and if that’s not your thing then have it to yourself during the heat of the day and start throwing some foam.

Hoppers and ants are starting to attract some interest. Not a ton of naturals around just yet but there will be soon enough. Fish the hopper (or ant) alone or drop a nymph (LGM, Zebra Midge, magic fly, lightning bug etc) and cover some ground. Hit the banks, hit the mid-river riffles, hit the spots you wouldn’t normally expect to move fish…you might just be surprised by where you find them.

The nymph game has continued to produce albeit somewhat inconsistently with the continued flow fluctuations taking a toll on the fishing depending on the day. We’re sitting at 4920 CFS as of this writing, I’d expect it to maintain in this range from here on out but I’ve been getting this one wrong more often than not so take it for what it is.

On the good days best nymph bets have been Purple Weight Fly, Frenchie, Brown S & M, Split Case PMD, Tailwater Sow, Black Zebra Midge, PMD Magic Fly, Pearl Lightning Bug, Little Green Machine, Peep Show, PMD Redemption, Tung Dart, PT’s, and the occasional hot streak on Olive or Natural Zirdles.

Top movers from the dry fly bin include Rusty Spinners, Buzzballs, Drowned PMD Spinner, Flash Cripple, Film Critic on the PMD menu. Caddis faves include Blooms Hi Vis Parachute Caddis, Stockingfoot Caddis, Outrigger Caddis, Cornfed Caddis and CDC Caddis Emergers. Go to Trico patterns – Indicator Spinner, Hi Vis Spinner, Double Wing, Hi Vis Sprout and other assorted flavors.

We’re open early every day, by 7 at the latest, with boat rentals in the water generally by 6:30 am. The weirdness continues to hamper our lodging and guide trip bookings but we’re plugging along piecing a season together. The point is, we’re getting enough cancellations that we’ve been able to accommodate last minute requests with a fairly high rate of success so don’t shy away from attempting to book those last minute rooms and trips.

It’s summertime on the Missouri, with Dog Days ahead.

By Jason Orzechowski|2020-07-22T20:04:58-06:00July 22nd, 2020|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: caddis, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, green machine, Missouri River, pmd's, running line, tricos, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler, zebra midges|0 Comments

Caddis Sunset – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

Rapidly approaching mid-July and everything is falling into place.

The flows have been cut in half since last week and are currently leveling off at a wade-friendly 5900 CFS. July operation plans from the Bureau of Reclamation are predicting most probable flows to be right about where they are for the month before falling in August and leveling out at around 4500 CFS for the remainder of 2020. Water temps are holding at around 63 degrees.
The late push of water had many singing the blues these last two weeks but to be honest with you, the conditions couldn’t be much better than they are right now as far as flow and water temperature go. The weeds are definitely starting to take hold but we’re in really good shape for Mid-July.

So it took a while but the water conditions which are the first piece of the puzzle just fell into place. Obviously the other critical component of the Missouri River dry fly extravaganza is the bugs and we’re happy to report that this component has also been shaping up nicely throughout the season.

This time of the season is what makes the MO a legend in the lore of western fly fishing. PMD’s? Check. Caddis? Check. Tricos? Check. And some pseudos in the mix for good measure. So many bugs, so many trout and nothing but time.

These are the days of pre-dawn launches and of picking boats after dark. These are the days of sleep deprivation amongst crazed dry-fly anglers and shop staff alike. These are the days of hunting heads, of blanket hatches, of putting pods of fish down with blown casts and with any luck, of artfully delivered casts being rewarded with the take and the fight and just maybe landing the fish of a lifetime. Big fish. Small flies. Delicate tippet and a highly developed combination of steely determination, resolve and finesse (as well as one hell of a well-rehearsed and more often than not, perfectly executed reach cast) culminating in an oddity known in our world as the DFO.

They’re a rare breed and the banks of the Missouri are crawling with them right now. That being said, “crawling” might be a stretch. After all, it’s the season of Covid and nothing is quite as it should be. Don’t get me wrong, there are folks here and we’re “busy” by 2020 standards but in a normal year with these bugs and these conditions you would expect the Missouri to be overrun with anglers which it is not.

That being said, we’ve been doing this dawn and darkness boat thing for years and while it’s definitely not every night, there have been a couple evenings at the ramp, the likes of which I’ve never seen with the parking lot at the takeout looking like 3:30 pm on a summer afternoon with nearly every trailer spot occupied.

Other days (and nights) it’s already feeling like the coming Dog Days of August with next to no one around.

Weekends are a different story as it seems Covid has kept folks close to home. A ton of rafts and SUP’s and all manner of floaty things assembled on all stretches of the river have made Saturday the day you probably don’t want to try to fish the MO.

Aside from Saturdays however, this is the season to be here if you want to experience the Missouri River at PRIME TIME like you’ve never experienced it before and hopefully won’t again with light to moderate traffic and an abundance of target-rich water there for the taking.

A recent lull in our lodging caused by Covid cancellations has ended and we’re back to full bore with a nearly full house for the remainder of the month.

Guide trips are filling in nicely and requests have reached a point where we’re having to turn down days because all of our guides are booked. This is a welcome development in a season we feared we might lose altogether.
We continue to play the fill-in game with inventory at the shop, walking the fine line between cautious purchasing and having everything on hand you might ask for. We still don’t know where this thing is going so we’re continuing to cautiously plot the remainder of the season but rest assured we do have bugs a plenty as well as a full stock of leaders/tippet/lines/tools/accessories/ etc. and we’ve also just placed a couple of logo orders to replenish our depleted stocks of WCA gear. New stuff coming soon.

The fly bins are full with all of the PMD, Caddis and Trico patterns (as well as the largest assortment of Missouri River nymphs ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek MT) And don’t miss our drawer of foam fully stocked with all of the best hopper patterns for the rapidly approaching terrestrial season.

Summer hours 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM officially, and usually someone around before and after those hours. Shuttles, sun protection, Adipose Drift Boat rentals, Affordable lodging and the hardest working guide crew on the MO’.

We are your Missouri River summer fly fishing destination.

By Jason Orzechowski|2020-07-14T21:30:56-06:00July 14th, 2020|Categories: Shop Life|Tags: Adipose, caddis, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, pmd's, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Summer Days on the Missouri

2020 continues to confound.

It’s hard to believe but July is upon us, and with it, the continued peak flows of the season. 10,900 CFS at the time of this writing with a couple of more bumps to come today and tomorrow. We may in fact be bumping up against 13K by tomorrow and while that’s far from ideal for the legions of wade anglers currently either sitting on the sidelines or renting boats, it’s not all bad.

Canyon Ferry is currently 100 percent full with the flood control pool currently 14.5% full. Inflow is 10,377 with outflow at 10,040 CFS. We’re approaching equilibrium with plenty of water for the season ahead. That’s good news.

Soon enough the flows will be reduced and conditions will again approach perfection. In the meantime we’re already looking at flows exceeding 12K below the Dearborn but after cresting yesterday things are on the drop and it shouldn’t take long to clear.

Water temps are still holding at around 59 degrees thanks to below average temps during the day and downright chilly nights which have been dipping into the 40’s regularly. It doesn’t feel much like summer but it will soon enough. Our extended green season will soon be behind us but thankfully healthy flows should maintain for the season.

Despite the higher flows the fishing has actually continued to be fairly consistent both for the dry fly crowd and the nymphing set alike and the hard core streamer contingent continues to thwart convention, taking advantage of the extended clean-water season. We’ve been exploiting these higher flows and the color being added by the LPP and Dearborn to put together some respectable days on streamers and it looks like we could have at least another week of it.

We’d recommend concentrating your efforts sub-surface for the remainder of the week as the additional couple thousand CFS promised for the next two days may effectively shut down dry fly fishing for the time being. If you simply can’t accept that then focus on the side channels and soft water locales for your dry fly fix. We’re not sure when she’s coming down but it shouldn’t be long. If I had to venture a guess I’d say that we should see flows start to fall by the weekend and certainly by next week.

Dry Fly options still PMD’s and Caddis. Tricos on deck. Best bets – Rusty Spinners, PMD CDC Spinner, Buzzball, Film Critic, Flash Cripple, Blooms Parachute Caddis, Outrigger Caddis, Cornfed Caddis, CDC Caddis Emerger. We’ve gotten a few calls inquiring about Terrestrial Fishing this week and while it’s not quite prime-time for terrestrials you could certainly do worse things than throw an ant these days.

Best bet for nymphing – PMD nymphs (Crack Backs, Split Case, PMD Redemption, Frenchie, Psycho May, S & M PMD, Magic Fly, LGM) Caddis Pupae (Purple or Gold Weight Fly, Tung Dart, Nitro Caddis) and general purpose staples like Fish Finder Worms, Pheasant Tails, Sow Bugs and Czechs.

Streamers – Olive buggers, Lil Kim, Sparkle Minnows, MK Ultras, Dirty Hippie (Brown), Mini Dungeons, MoJo Minnow etc. Fruit Rollups and Pine Squirrel Leeches are never a bad call and crayfish have had their moments as of late.

Boat rentals have blown up this week so you’ll definitely want to call ahead if you’re thinking you’re going to rent a boat. We’re in the thick of it with guide trips but do have openings for those last minute plans. Lodging is full of holes due to Covid cancellations. We’re busy with lodging but not nearly as busy as we should be during the first week of July so if you’re thinking of changing summer travel plans and possibly putting together a trip to the MO give us a call. It’s likely we can get you set up with guides and lodging in the weeks to come.

The balancing act continues in the shop, trying to keep things somewhat minimal while at the same time making sure we have all the staples you need and thus far I feel like we’ve done a good job with it. Flies, leaders, tippet, fly lines, tools and accessories are fully stocked. Hats and T’s and gifty things….not quite so much.

Official summer hours are 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM daily. Guide trips have been going out around 8 AM and Rental Boats have been being delivered at the crack of dawn.

We’re keeping a close eye on the Covid situation and doing everything in our power to operate in the safest possible manner for our clients as well as our employees. You can rest assured we’re committed to our cleaning/disinfecting protocols in the shop and we’re leaning heavily towards requiring masks for our customers. Not quite there but we’ll keep you posted.

By Jason Orzechowski|2020-07-01T18:56:34-06:00July 1st, 2020|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: caddis, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, running line, Streamer Fishing, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Summertime on the Missouri River

And just like that summer (and big water) arrived.

Here we are with but a week left in the month of June which doesn’t seem quite possible but alas, it is so.

These last couple of weeks have been as good as it gets for PMD’s and the Caddis have been making a strong showing as well providing a wealth of opportunities daily for the dry fly angler. A week ago water conditions were optimal with flows at around 6500 CFS and no expectation of increases.

Fast forward to today and we’re sitting at 9300 CFS with a couple more bumps on the way this afternoon and tomorrow which will likely take us to around 10,500 CFS. Needless to say, those here for the wade fishing are not pleased.

Thanks to a bunch of rain and a substantial snow event in the high country last week the SNOTEL chart is once again in play. Canyon Ferry Reservoir is currently 100 percent full so it doesn’t look like there will be any shortage of water on the MO in 2020.

So what’s that done to the fishing?

I haven’t heard a report post 9000 CFS but with things on the rise yesterday we found ample dry fly opportunities in the Craig to Mid stretch and from what I understand the caddis in the canyon yesterday evening hearkened back to days of old. Hopefully more of this to come!

This past week also seems to have ushered in the Prime Time traffic and while it may be short of what we are used to seeing in late June it’s a drastic change from what has been. The river is busy, the ramps are bustling with activity, the restaurants are full (by Phase two standards) and traffic in the shop is steady all day every day.
There are a lot of folks around right now coming from all corners and while we’re thrilled to be doing something close to normal business we are mindful of the fact that the Coronavirus is still a thing and we’re still having to operate with restrictions in an effort to prevent the spread.

Our “new normal” routine includes cleaning and disinfecting the shop throughout the day. We’re masked up and we’re strongly encouraging our customers to wear masks in the shop as well. Our housekeeping procedures continue to reflect the seriousness of the present circumstances and you should know that we are continuing to make the safety and health of our employees and our customers and guests our number one priority.

Our guides continue to take extra measures to clean and disinfect boats and equipment as well as their vehicles and while we’re confident we can safely deliver you to and from the river in our guide rigs, you are always more than welcome to meet us at the put in and have your vehicle shuttled to the takeout if you don’t feel comfortable riding in our vehicles.

We’ve definitely observed a softening of adherence to safety measures among the public over the past couple of weeks as things continue to open up and as we move towards what is actually beginning to feel like “normal” but we encourage you to remain vigilant. Case numbers continue to increase in many areas of the state, likely due in large part to the tremendous increase in testing but that being said, people are still getting sick so we’re 100 percent committed to doing everything in our power to keep this thing held in check and keep our shop and lodge open and our guides on the water.

Hot and sunny summer days on tap this week through Saturday. We’ll see things cool down again and likely some precipitation starting Sunday and into the first part of next week.
Lodging and guide trips are in full swing right now and the phones have been EXTREMELY busy with folks looking to book dates later this summer. We are approaching our busiest time of year but we do still have some holes in the schedule due to cancellations.

Give us a call if you’re interested in a trip to the MO this summer and we’ll see if we can make it happen.

By Jason Orzechowski|2020-06-23T23:09:51-06:00June 23rd, 2020|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: caddis, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, Montana, running line, summertime, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

June 9th Bugs and Water Update

The Bureau of Reclamation made liars out of us last weekend as flows bumped to near 9500 CFS on Sunday and Monday thanks in part to a storm system which brought a fair amount of precipitation to the area in the form of both rain and snow. This, just after we’d gone on record in our blog a few days earlier, stating that our most probable peak flows would top out around 7K. Such is springtime in the Rockies. We’ve seen a couple of decreases in flows since and at the time of this writing we’re sitting back near that proclamation at 7730 CFS and with another drop scheduled for tomorrow morning that should take us right back where we started.

Friday was one of the tougher days we’ve had out there this year as we saw those flows bump throughout the day shutting the fishing down for all intents and purposes and mobilizing a steady flow of woody debris river-wide.

The bump in flows and some rainy and cold weather discouraged much of that local weekend traffic we’ve been seeing but with the river on the drop, the PMD’s popping and the return of warm weather later this week and into the weekend I’d expect we’ll be seeing the start of summer traffic soon. Believe it or not the first day of summer is just a week from Saturday which I’m having a difficult time even comprehending but be that as it may, it’s time to settle in and salvage this 2020 season as best we can.

The aforementioned PMD’s should help in that endeavor as we are feeling like the current conditions and trends are pointing towards what could be a phenomenal PMD event. A return to flows in the 5-7K range and water temps hovering around 58 degrees are exactly what we need and if yesterday’s proliferation of bugs is any indication we’re in for some excellent days of hunting heads from here on out.

While you’re waiting for bugs and rising fish focus your efforts sub-surface. Tailwater sowbugs will always catch fish but that being said, it’s definitely time to take advantage of what’s going on down below which is PMD nymphs struggling to make their way to emergence. Split Case PMD’s, Crackbacks, Magic Flies (Rusty or PMD), Angelcase Emergers, Military Mays, Psycho Mays, Redemptions, Frenchies, plain old BH PT’s and many more will cover your bases as you anxiously await surface opportunities.

A short leash rig comprised of an adequately buoyant PMD adult trailed with a pheasant tail or Split Case PMD nymph in the shallow flats can be deadly as the trout move into those feeding lanes and set up for the duns.

Busier days lie ahead with lodging filling up and more and more trips hitting the water each week. That being said, we do have openings for both and we’d like nothing better than to play host to your adventure on the Missouri River.

See you soon for Prime Time, PMD Edition on the greatest river in the lower 48!

By Jason Orzechowski|2020-06-09T23:06:16-06:00June 9th, 2020|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, Montana, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

A Different June for sure but regardless, PMD’s have emerged on the MO’ – photo courtesy of montana-riverboats.com

We’re three days into June and while in some respects things seem to be approaching normal, in many others the sense of Covid weirdness still pervades.

The biggest stride towards normalcy we’ve seen in months happened on Monday as Montana entered Phase II of reopening which included the lifting of the mandatory 14 day quarantine for those coming from out of state. We did have some spur of the moment lodging and guide trip bookings from out of state residents on Monday and Tuesday but for the most part Phase II feels about like Phase One did with light traffic on the river and an eerily quiet atmosphere in Wolf Creek and Craig.

Weekends have been a different story, feeling much more like the heart of the season with overflowing parking lots and flotillas of drift boats, rafts and all manner of floating apparatuses. Montanans were out in force over the weekend taking advantage of the clean, controlled flows of the MO and also re-discovering the Dearborn River in droves.

We’ve always advised against scheduling your guide trips on weekends, particularly on Saturdays. It’s no different this season. There has been a well-documented shift towards outdoor activities since things began to open up and we’re expecting that this trend will keep things busy here on the weekends as Montana residents stay close to home.

Obviously, our hope is that things get steadily busier during the week as we transition into Phase II but at this point our loss of out-of-state business is your gain as this could be the least fishing pressure the Missouri River has seen in decades. Between the continued Covid restrictions around the country and the travel complications caused by a reduction in air traffic the MO will likely see a relatively quiet June so if you have avoided the Missouri in the past due to the crowds and you are within a day’s drive we would love to be your June destination on the Missouri.

Conditions couldn’t be better. The weather has been nice and the water is in great shape. Flows are currently at 5100 but will bump over the next two days, nearing 7,000 cfs on Friday. Water temps are ideal at around 57 degrees and the Dearborn and Little Prickly Pear are dropping rapidly and should not be a factor going forward unless we get a bunch of precipitation.
Snowpack is dwindling but we’re in good shape for a good water year.

Oh, and the fishing? The fishing has been consistently solid and is about to get super fun as PMD’s emerge on the scene. We’ve had some sporadic bugs but it’s just getting started so if you’ve ever wanted to fish the PMD hatches on the MO’ now is the time. We’re also seeing plenty of caddis around though the fish have yet to settle into surface feeding mode. Rising fish have been few and far between but fear not, it’ll happen soon. Make sure you’re out there when it does.

In the meantime, nymphing has continued to be the go-to with, you guessed it, tailwater sow bugs continuing to be the nymph of choice. Split Case and Crack Back PMD’s, PMD Magic Fly, PMD Redemption, Psycho Mays, Peep Shows, S & M’s, Frenchies all on the menu right now. Gold or Purple Weight Flies, Tung Darts and other Caddis pupae patterns are all good choices for a point fly and we’ve heard a few rumors of the Zirdle getting eaten as well. Medium depth, fast (ish) water with or without lead, depending on the day. Target those nymph runs while keeping an eye on those PMD flats for bugs and rising fish. Rusty Spinners, Buzzballs, PMD Sprouts, HI Vis PMD’s, Film Critics, Flash Cripples, Doc’s PMD all good PMD Go To’s. All these and more currently filling the bins at WCA.

Restock that caddis box as well with Outrigger Caddis, Cornfed Caddis, Bloom’s Hi Vis Caddis, Stockingfoot Caddis and the ALMOST ALWAYS EFFECTIVE CDC Caddis Emerger. The time is drawing near!

We haven’t heard much on the streamer front this week but with the bump in flows coming and hopefully at least a couple of weeks left before the weeds arrive you could do worse than bombing the banks with big bugs as you hunt for rising fish.

The bottom line is the fish are here, the bugs are here….the people really aren’t. It’s a rare and golden opportunity to enjoy some summer solitude on the Missouri.

The shop is open at 7:30 daily and while we may be a little skinny on T shirts and trinkets this season we’re fully stocked on the stuff that matters. Bugs, Bugs and more bugs. Lines, leaders and tippet a plenty.

We’ve got good availability on lodging and guide trips through around the third week of June and limited availability of both right on through prime time. Shuttles, sun protection, Air Lock Indicators, Simms wading gear and sportswear, Adipose drift boat rentals, essential tools and accessories and a sensible inventory of rods and reels from Loop, Echo, Redington, Ross and Lamson.

We are the preferred fly fishing destination operation on the Missouri, close enough to the action but far removed from the chaos. We are closer to Holter Dam and Wolf Creek Bridge than any other shop and it won’t take but a few minutes spent on the porch at cocktail hour, scanning the hillsides for roaming critters, to realize that what the town of Wolf Creek lacks in publicity it more than makes up for in genuine Montana Ambiance.

Shotgun Annie’s is open daily from 11 AM to 8 PM and serving breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays from 7:30 am – 11:00 am and our friends at Izaak’s just down the road in Craig is open Wednesday – Sunday from 3:00 PM – 9:00 PM. We urge you to support them both.

We’re also loving the breakfast and dinner delivery right to your door from MO’ River Eats. Call your order in the night before and have an amazing breakfast delivered to your door. Order the morning of and Kelli will return in the evening with absolutely delicious dinner once again delivered right to your door.

Are things weird this season in Wolf Creek and Craig? Of course they are, but we can’t stress enough the opportunity this is presenting to those in close proximity to enjoy relative solitude on one of, if not THE BEST fishery in the lower 48.

Book it!

By Jason Orzechowski|2020-06-03T19:25:44-06:00June 3rd, 2020|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: caddis, Echo, fly fishing, Holter Dam, Loop, Missouri River, Montana, pmd's, running line, simms, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Phasing Out Phase One this week on the MO’

As we close out the month of May this week I dare say things around here are actually starting to feel something close to normal.

There’s no doubt, the seemingly parallel universe of life under Covid19 has thrown all of us off. It seems like yesterday we were doing our late winter plotting and strategizing in anticipation of the coming season and then, just like that, time stopped but at the same time accelerated to the point where we’re now looking back at spring and wondering where it went as we begin to approach prime time on the Missouri River.

We got a taste these past couple of days of what’s hopefully to come with holiday traffic streaming into Wolf Creek and Craig. Nice weather, good fishing and the unofficial start of summer brought the crowds to the river this weekend.

A perfect way to end the week which brought us the best news we’ve heard in a long time as Governor Bullock announced that Phase II of Montana’s reopening would begin on June 1st. Included as part of phase II is the lifting of the mandatory 14 day quarantine for out of state travelers which was cause for celebration amongst not only fly shops, fishing guides and outfitters but also amongst the collective outdoor tourism industry in Montana. We spent last week passing the good news on to our out of state clients who’ve been anxiously awaiting a verdict on their summer travel plans.

Mind you we’re not abandoning safe practices and social distancing measures but the continued downward trends in the numbers along with news from the CDC late last week that the virus does not spread easily on contaminated surfaces as had previously been thought, is cause for optimism and yet another step closer to normalcy.

In keeping with the good news, it looks like it’s going to be an absolutely beautiful week on the MO’ and with the Dearborn and Little Prickly Pear on the drop we’ll look forward to spreading out again and seeing what’s happening in the canyon once the mud clears.

The Holter Dam to Craig beat was busy over the weekend but traffic has been light during the week. Make it a point to get out there this week and enjoy the Montana solitude before the out of state traffic returns next week.

Mid 70’s to mid 80’s on tap all week long with plenty of sunshine and highs near 90 on Saturday. I expect we’ll see a busy river again this weekend.

BWO’s and March Browns in the rear view but there have been caddis around and PMD’s won’t be long.

Nymphing has been good to great most days with the best action in the faster water, medium to shallow in depth. The Tailwater Sow Bug continues to rule the day but we’ve also had good action on worms, Rainbow Czechs, Pill Poppers and Little Green Machines. I’ve been cycling in some PMD standards like the Magic Fly and Crack Back PMD but we’re not quite there yet. Keep them in the mix but don’t spend too much time on them it they’re not producing.

Streamer fishing has continued to be inconsistent but could be good this week as things start to clear. Water temps are in the low 50’s and will be on the rise this week so don’t be afraid to move those bugs. Mix it up with short, fast strips with plenty of pauses and a few long strips thrown in for good measure. Switch up your bugs, your colors and your retrieve until you find what works (or until you hit the takeout, whichever comes first)! We’ve got a few weeks left before the aquatic vegetation becomes an issue. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Per the Covid retail protocol we’ve been trying to run as lean as possible but we’re stocked up on essentials with our focus on flies and terminal tackle this season. Plenty of Simms waders, boots and sportswear on the shelves and a workhorse lineup of rods and reels from Loop, Echo, Redington, Ross and Lamson. We’re also stocked up on sun protection from Blackstrap, Buff and Simms (which double nicely as masks) and we’ve got enough packs, tools and accessories to meet most, if not all of your needs. Anything we don’t have we’re more than happy to order for you.

We’ve got plenty of lodging available these next couple of weeks and guides are standing by. We’re happy to be resuming our out of state bookings next week but we have had substantial cancellations and we’d like nothing better than make up some of that ground and get some folks back in our guide boats and cabins. Give us a call if you’re interested in booking lodging, guides or drift boat rentals for PMD season…I think it’s going to be a good one!

By Jason Orzechowski|2020-05-26T19:36:31-06:00May 26th, 2020|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: caddis, Craig MT, Echo, fly fishing, green machine, Holter Dam, Missouri River, Montana, pmd's, Redington, running line, simms, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Spring 2020 – A season of opportunity for the Montana angler

Amidst a covid crisis which has threatened our physical as well as our financial health world-wide, the sun continues to rise and set each day.

The ways in which we experience our world have undergone drastic change over the past two months with social distancing, shelter in place orders, arbitrary and ambiguous designations of which businesses are “essential” during a pandemic, empty store shelves, masks, meat shortages, travel bans, zoom meetings, fear and loathing and an uneasy uncertainty about what the future holds.

But through all this chaos in the structure of our lives the rhythms of the natural world continue, taking no notice of the covid chaos. Spring continues to transition into summer. The grass gets greener, the days get longer, the air gets warmer, the flowers grow and the rivers flow.

Spring has always been a great time to fish the Missouri and that hasn’t changed. What has changed however, is that with non-residents being required to quarantine for 14 days when traveling to Montana PRIOR to taking part in any activities, traffic on the rivers is but a fraction of what it would normally be during this time of the year.

And while that’s bad for fly shops and outfitters, it’s a golden opportunity for Montana anglers to extend the quiet season on rivers and lakes all around the state. The absence of out of state visitors means less traffic at the ramps and on the water, less pressure on the fish and an abundance of solitude, during what is usually an extremely busy time of the year, especially on the Missouri as run-off elsewhere forces an influx of traffic to the perfect water conditions on the MO.

That being said, we did just experience what was by far our busiest weekend of 2020 with a full house and a steady parade of customers in and out of the shop all weekend long. Things actually felt “normal” on Saturday (which would have been Caddis Fest) with boat ramps buzzing with activity and an armada of drift boats and rafts occupying every stretch of water. The hope is that these were all Montanans converging on the MO, taking advantage of the nice weather and the great fishing and reveling in the freedoms afforded by phase one of our reopening. The assumption however is that not everyone on the water this weekend was a Montanan.

We are so anxious to welcome all out of state visitors back to Montana. Not only are we looking forward to seeing you all again but our livelihoods actually depend on it. That being said, we’re of the opinion that Montana has done a great job of handling this thing thus far so we urge you to abide by the quarantine rules currently in place and wait until the quarantine is lifted before you travel here. We have a feeling that will be very soon.

In the meantime this is a season of opportunity for the Montana angler. An opportunity to have what will likely soon be very busy rivers all to yourself during the prime of spring fishing.

Wolf Creek Angler is your Missouri River destination with everything you need for magical days on the Missouri. The hardest working guides on the river, clean and affordable lodging, Adipose drift boat rentals, vehicle shuttles, Simms waders, boots and sportswear and the legendary largest selection of flies ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek Montana. And don’t forget, we are also proud to host the Mending Waters Montana drift boat program providing FREE drift boat rentals to all vets and active duty military personnel. Book your boat today at mendingwatersmontana.org

By Jason Orzechowski|2020-05-19T21:02:24-06:00May 19th, 2020|Categories: Shop Life|Tags: Missouri River, Montana, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

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