Weekend Outlook 4.01.16

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April Fools Day here in Central MT, lots of you fools missing out on some awesome fishing, I pity you. If you’ve been calling or swinging by the shop over the last week you’ve probably noticed a strange absence. No joke, someone is missing. Not to say that we miss him, I’m getting along just fine; but with that said, single handing the shop has had one major drawback: It’s really cutting into my fishing time. In case you’re wondering, the big boss is on Spring Break somewhere in Michigan getting some family time in and of course fishing. So while Jason is having a blast chasing Great Lakes Steel, drinking, what I’m told is some of the best beer in the nation and cruising around in a wicked awesome mini-van (rental), I’m at the shop finding new homes for flies, booking lodging, pimping trout guides and generally, just making sure the place doesn’t burn down. It’s all fun and games until you get a #22 trico spinner buried in your finger, alone, bleeding on the floor. Hopefully the weekend will treat me better.

Weekend ahead is looking good as far as the weather is concerned and based on the reports we’ve been getting, the fishing should follow suite. Still waiting to see the blue wings in mass but I did get into a few yesterday in the canyon. Nothing to go crazy for just yet, but soon. Midges have been out consistently and the dry-fly fishing is picking up. Small, make your eyes bleed size midges have been getting it done when the wind permits. Nymphing is still the main game for now with lots of success being had on a multitude of  patterns. Transitional water and the slower runs have been fishing well but remember to keep an eye out for the Redds! Streamer fishing has been hit or miss depending on the stretch and time of day but is still a viable option. Hard banks and deep slower water paired with an intermediate sink tip has been fishing best for me. Leeches, buggers and bait fish all doing getting some attention.

Boss man will be back Monday so keep an eye out for another On The Road Report from, well, wherever the hell I decide to go. I’ll be checking fishing reports over the next few days in between spring cleaning and fly slinging. As for the self impalement with the trico, it was successfully removed and the bleeding was stopped before the situation became dire. As far as a workman’s comp claim, I think some of that fine MI oat-soda and few days fishing with the boys will do, that’s fair right?

Flies to get your fourth month of 2016 off right….

Dries: Q’s Cluster Midge, Baetis Sprout, WCA Trude, Parachute BWO, Cripple Thorax BWO, Black Sippers & Q’s Hackle Stacker BWO.

Nymphs: Amex, Pinkalicious, Firebead Sow, Firebead Rays, Zebras, Split Case Blue Wing, LGM, Olive Psycho Mays & Rainbow Warriors.

Streamers:  Polar Leeches, Sparkle Minnows, Ganagas, Kreelex, Iced Out Grills, & Skiddish Smolt.

~Cheers, Chewy.

Mid Week on the Missouri

Tons of Bugs at Wolf Creek Angler

Tons of Bugs at Wolf Creek Angler

A nice mix of winter and spring this week on the MO’. Cold and snowy yesterday, sunny and highs near 50 today!

Traffic has been very light this week and should continue to be with rain, wind and snow showers forecast through Friday. The weekend however looks likes it could be awesome with plenty of sunshine and highs in the 50’s.

We’ve got lodging available for the weekend but we anticipate that we will fill up by tomorrow so don’t miss out. Book yourself a room for $99 and while you’re at it why not book yourself a full day Missouri River Guide trip for just $400 through the end of April.

Mixed bag on the fishing reports lately but there have definitely been some decent days as well as some tougher ones. Nymphing is definitely heating up as the water nears that 40 degree mark and the fish are starting to put up a pretty good fight depending on the day. We’re still sticking to the pink and firebead staples but it’s definitely time to start thinking about expanding your offerings to include some mayfly nymphs.

We got a bunch of flies in yesterday for which we’ve been patiently waiting….better late than never. Pink Weight Flies, Ninch’s Bubble Gum Scuds and Thunderbugs and some cool new midge clusters now in stock. We’re also loaded up on all kinds of foam and streamers available only at Wolf Creek Angler.

Bugs you might consider adding to the mix right now include BWO magic flies, LGM’s, Dark Peep Shows, Micromays, BWO Bubble Back and Angel Case Emergers, Military Mays and good old PT’s.

If you’re thinking dry flies try a Grizzly Midge Cluster, Griffiths Gnat, Black Sipper or Peacock Cluster paired with a Parachute Adams – a hard combo to beat. Another spring favorite of ours is Wiese’s Purple Phase Loop Wing. I haven’t thrown it yet this season but there were some days last spring that it was downright deadly!

Streamer wise we’re still liking Polar Leeches, Sparkle Minnows, Skiddish Smolts, ZK’s Club Drug and Iced Out Grills, various Clouser-type patterns and all kinds of bugger variations.

Come by and check out the ever-expanding fly selection at Wolf Creek Angler, you’re guaranteed to be AMAZED!

While you are here check out all the cool new WCA logo gear from Simms as well as tons of new gear arriving DAILY!

 

 

Welcome Spring

Spring is beginning to show itself on the MO. Photo by Wolf Creek Angler

Spring is beginning to show itself on the MO. Photo by Wolf Creek Angler

Spring officially arrived yesterday with sunshine and 60’s, a nearly perfect day. We were happy to soak it in yesterday, but we’re looking at another week of winter-like weather ahead and we’re happy to have it.

We’re very pleased to report that the snow pack is continuing to build and should be maintained with slightly below average daytime highs and cold nights in the high country.

Here on the Missouri we’re looking at a chance of snow showers every day this week starting tomorrow with temps in the high 30’s and low 40’s. Consequently, we’re going to hold off on opening up more lodging for the time being but we expect to have all the cabins open and available the first week of April and will likely have the motel units up and running by mid to late April, depending on the weather.

Spring lodging and guide dates are filling rapidly so don’t put it off any longer. Book your spring dates with us now. It’s an awesome time to fish the Missouri River with light to moderate traffic and great opportunities no matter what your fly fishing game. Nymphing has already started to really heat up, dry-fly opportunities are becoming more consistent and with the water temp flirting with 40 degrees, the streamer game is also starting to turn on and will only get better from here on out.

Come spend a few days with us and see why we consider spring to be one of the best times to fish the Missouri. Spend a day or two on the water with one of our expert professional guides and then spend a few more on your own either taking advantage of the abundant walk in access or perhaps renting a RO or Adipose Drift Boat to explore the 30 plus miles from Holter Dam to Cascade. Ask about our spring special. We’re offering great prices on lodging, guide trips and boat rentals through the end of April. You can’t afford to pass these deals up!

$99 gets you cozy and quiet accommodations in Wolf Creek with a full kitchen, private bath, access to barbecue grills and to THE UP and COMING Missouri River fly shop fully stocked with everything you need for your day on the water.

New gear arriving daily including LOOP, Echo, St Croix and Redington rods and reels, a bunch of cool new Simms WCA logo gear, tons of bugs added to an already impressive and expansive selection and the most laid-back, ego-free, customer service committed atmosphere you’ll find anywhere.

The Hell Razor Jacket from Kast available at Wolf Creek Angler

The Hell Razor Jacket from Kast available at Wolf Creek Angler

Don’t miss Extreme deals on Extreme Fishing Gear from KAST. The calendar may say spring but the weather will continue to say winter for a while ( we hope). Pick up a Hell Razor prima-loft jacket at 40% off and you’ll be laughing at the cold as you experience the hottest fishing of the season.

Your dining options will greatly increase this week as the legendary Izaaks in Craig opens for the season this Thursday, the 24th. We can’t wait!  Izaaks will be open Tuesday-Sunday at 4 PM through April and will be open daily come May.

The Oasis in Wolf Creek will continue to be open Thursday – Monday from 8:00 – 7:00 PM serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Please support our local businesses.

The shop will be open seven days a week beginning April 4th, from 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM.

Yes the season is upon us! We hope to see you soon at Wolf Creek Angler!

 

Spring Water Outlook

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We’ve been receiving some much-needed precipitation here in Western Montana over the past week including the first covering of snow we’ve seen on the ground in Wolf Creek in over a month. Snow pack is looking pretty good throughout the region though there are a few areas that are hurting, namely the Sun, Teton and Marias Rivers which are currently looking at <70% of average.

So what does it all mean for your spring and summer fishing plans? It’s still too early to tell but suffice it to say that we are thrilled to be getting snow right now. Keep it coming!

Continued accumulation and cold nights will go a long way in getting us where we want to be but as per usual we are not meteorologists or climatologists, nor are we hydrologists so we’ll leave the expert predictions to the experts. We sell fish hooks for a living!

That being said we’re happy to present you with the latest information we have from said experts and we might even venture some predictions if you ask.

Screenshot (57)This is the latest from the Bureau of Reclamation showing a bit of a dialed back “Most Probable” peak of around 4500 CFS versus the >6000 they had been predicting last month. If this holds true we’re going to see a similar year to what we had last year with flows holding close to the 4000 mark. Canyon Ferry is currently at 78% full (as of March 1st), which is 102% of average. The Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) Graphic for Canyon Ferry shown below shows 93% of average as of March 1st.

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If we continue to build snowpack and see average or colder than average temps for the next couple of weeks we could be in a little better shape. If it’s a wet spring we could be in really good shape and be looking at something more like the “Max Probable” with a nice flush of 10,000 or more at peak flow in June. Fingers crossed!

Notice that the difference between the Most Probable and Minimum Probable flows isn’t all that much, around 1,000 cfs for most of the season which would have us looking at flows in the 3K range. Let’s hope for Most Probable or more and know that these are things over which we have no control. You’ve heard it here before and you’ll hear it here again. There will be water, how much or how little we don’t know but we’ll take what we get and adjust our methods accordingly.

What is certain is this. We will hear complaints about the water being too high or too low, we will hear that the flows are perfect (no matter where they are at), we will hear that there are no bugs and that there are more bugs than have ever been seen, we’ll hear that there are no fish and that there are more fish than there have ever been. Everyone has something to say and we love to hear from all of you.

Our hope is for more snow and a wet spring and we’d love to see a >6,000 peak flow. Whether or not we get any of the above we are certain that it will be another awesome season on the Missouri River no matter. We’ve enjoyed a much better than average winter due to the mild weather and we’ve already had plenty of great days on the water. We hope you join us in celebrating the precipitation we’re currently receiving, in hoping for ideal spring conditions in not over thinking any of it and in enjoying another amazing Missouri River Fly Fishing season already underway.

 

 

Mid Week Missouri River Fishing Report

 

IMG_5997It’s been pretty quiet this week despite continued spring – like weather and decent fishing.

Monday through Wednesday is definitely the time to be here if you want to increase the odds of having the river to yourself, though these odds will greatly decrease as we move ever closer to actual spring, now just a little less than two weeks away.

I spent some time last weekend plying small waters with big ugly streamers and moved some giants. It’s outings like this that turned me into a streamer junkie many years ago and though I’ve had some awesome streamer days on the MO’, it simply doesn’t provide the consistent action found on some other rivers. I’ve said it many times that the Missouri is not my favorite streamer river but don’t think for a minute that I don’t enjoy a day of chucking streamers on the MO’.

WCA Guide Jim Murray and I did a short float yesterday just to see what was happening out there as neither of us had been out for a few days. We pretty much had the river to ourselves with just one other boat and a couple of wade anglers enjoying the day. Nymphing was on though we definitely noted a solid transition to faster, shallower runs. Same old winter/early spring story on the bugs, pink Amex, Casne’s Pinkalicious (aka Whitey Master), Caviar Scuds and firebead softhackle sows in pink. Most of the trout we caught were on the firebeads. We’ve been selling a bunch of tailwater sows lately and we did run them for a while but apparently the fish have seen enough of the tailwater sow for the time being – at least the ones we were fishing to.

Once again, the water in which we found fish, and more importantly the water in which we didn’t find them,  was kind of the highlight of the nymphing report. We fished a fair amount of slow winter water without a drop of the bobber before moving into the faster transitional water where we found them to be concentrated.  Not FAST SHALLOW water mind you but medium fast, medium depth, fishing just shy of the bottom.

Having figured out the nymphing program for the day we switched to streamers which turned out to be a bust. Several miles of river and half a dozen bug changes later we went back to nymphing and closed out the day with a couple more hookups.  This is early spring streamer fishing on the Missouri, often disappointing but always enough potential that it’s  definitely worth your time.

Very few midges on the water yesterday and no fish up but as with the streamer bite there is always plenty of potential. I like to have a nymph rig, a streamer rig and a dry-fly rig all at the ready. Better to bring them along and not use them then to be without. If you’re looking to add a rod or two to your quiver this season stop by WCA and check out some awesome new rods from LOOP, St. Croix, Echo and Redington. We’ve got something for every budget and every method.

We’ve got a full house tomorrow but we do have one room left for the weekend which will likely be gone by the end of the day. Why not make it yours and while you’re at it why not book yourself a $400 full day guide trip. We’re all ready to go to work!

Make sure to stop by the shop on your next trip out to fish the Missouri for shuttles, bugs, RO and Adipose drift boat rentals, LOOP rods and reels, KAST Extreme Fishing Gear  and much more.

 

The Road Ahead

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Next month will mark the official beginning of our third year in business. We couldn’t be more excited!

We’ve undergone some changes and have had our share of growing pains but our trajectory remains upward and focused and we can’t wait for the season to really get rolling. That being said, part of what we’re so excited about is the amount of business we’ve done this winter both in the shop and with lodging. We would have preferred a bit more of a winter but the mild weather has certainly benefitted us. With the exception of December which is always slow it’s been a consistently busy winter. We’ve been doing the 5 day/week schedule closing on Mondays and Tuesdays  which has worked out for the most part but we will definitely be looking at expanding that schedule to 7 days if we see another winter like this next year.

We’ve got a busy season on the books for lodging and guide trips and we’re excited to show off our shop to a bunch of new clients. Our regulars will also find plenty of changes which we hope will keep them coming back.  We’re always looking to expand our inventory to give you the products you want as well as to offer you some items you can’t find at every other shop.

To this end we’re super stoked to be the brand new exclusive dealer of LOOP rods and reels on the Missouri. The response has been great so far as the LOOP ARMY hones in on a local source  and those who aren’t familiar with the brand get exposed to this great product line. We are steadily building up our LOOP inventory but if there is something you need that we aren’t currently carrying we can get it for you right away, generally in a day or two. Come by and cast a few of these rods. You may just find yourself joining the LOOP Army. We’re super  excited to help build the brand here on the Missouri.

We’re also very excited to announce that we’ve significantly expanded our already impressive fly selection. More nymphs, more dries, some serious growth in our streamer selection and a bunch of new foam. We’ve also begun to build a selection of non-Missouri specific flies for those interested in exploring the wealth of other waters nearby and while the majority of our rods and reels are geared to the Missouri you will now find some great #3 and #4 weights as well as a smattering of two-handed selections.

We continue to be your exclusive full-line KAST dealer and we’ve expanded our selection of packs and accessories from Fishpond and Umpqua and expanded our fly line inventory to include a much broader selection of specialty lines from Rio and Airflo.  We’re fully stocked on waders and boots for the whole family from Redington including the new Palix River wading pants, a great alternative to chest waders during the warmer months and on smaller streams. These are an exceptional value at under $140.00. Check back often for new additions to our inventory as we continue to make inroads with the brands and products you want to see in your Missouri River fly shop.

We’re also pleased to announce that we’ve partnered with Adipose Boatworks to add the wildly popular Adipose Flow to our rental fleet. Now you can rent a RO or an Adipose. We love them both and we’re excited to be able to offer you a choice.

We’ve continued to make improvements to our lodging which you may or may not notice. New paint, new couches, new chairs…these are some of the bigger ones but it’s our intention to continuously improve at all levels which might mean new sheets, new towels , new dish racks etc. You won’t notice many of these changes but you might notice if we didn’t make them. It’s our hope that your stay with us will always be enjoyable and while we aren’t the Hilton we are committed to providing clean, comfortable, affordable lodging coupled with exceptional service from our entire staff.

And speaking of our staff, you will definitely see a few new faces around the shop this season. Zach King (AKA Chewy) started with us last fall and will be assuming the role of shop manager for the coming season. Chewy has spent the winter here at Wolf Creek Angler keeping an eye on things for us, covering the shop on Sundays and  obsessively scouting and fishing the Missouri almost daily. He is a great addition to our team and we’re excited to have him on board. We will likely add one or two more to the staff as things ramp up.

Another staff change you will notice this year is in our guide crew. We’ve added a couple of new guides and parted ways with a few others so while some of the faces may be new what hasn’t changed is our commitment as a guide staff to providing you with an exceptional experience both on and off the water. For us your guide day starts long before we meet you at the shop. We’re busy prepping our boats, getting your lunches together and contemplating where to float in order to give you the best day possible. We like to spend a few minutes talking with you once we’ve met to figure out what your expectations are and how we can best meet those expectations. We’ll figure out where to go and what to do based on what you want out of your guide trip, not on what’s most convenient or easy for us as your guide.

We are your outfitter owned and operated Missouri River fly shop and guide service. For us guide trips are not just another service we offer, they are the foundation upon which Wolf Creek Angler was built. We don’t just book the trip, we also row the boat. Fishing the waters of Montana is what brought us here. This is  our passion and we would love to share it with you.

This is the road ahead. Change is constant. Continuous improvement is our mantra and whether your staying with us, fishing with us, shopping with us or any or all of the above you are why we are here and we feel truly blessed to be able to do what we do and to serve you.

Weekend Outlook

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Looks like a nice weekend ahead if you’re planning on coming out to fish the Missouri and if you’re not planning on it you should change your plans. Sunny skies and low 60’s tomorrow and Saturday. Mid 50’s and cloudy with light showers on Sunday, make this your streamer day.

We’ve got plenty of lodging available tonight and Saturday night, just one room left for Friday night though so if you want to make a weekend out of it you should make that call this morning and grab that last cabin.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served Thursday – Monday at The Oasis from 8:00 am – 7:00 pm and each of our units are equipped with full kitchen facilities and barbecue grills if you would prefer to do it yourself.  Be sure and visit the Canyon Store while you are in Wolf Creek for last minute grocery items and an impressive selection of Montana Micro Brews.

How about a Missouri River Guide trip this weekend? Through the end of March $400 gets you a full day on the water for one or two anglers with one of our expert professional guides. The price includes all the gear you need, lunch and refreshments and transportation to and from the river. We’re happy to tailor your trip to fit your needs. Whether you want to work on improving your skills in a certain area or you want to do something a little different like throw streamers or maybe you want to see a section of the river you’ve never floated before or maybe you just want to nymph up as many fish as possible…it’s your trip and we’re ready to do everything we can to make it a great day. We’ve got some of the hardest working most professional  guides on the river and we can’t wait to share our amazing resource with you.  Call and book a trip today.

If you’re just coming out to fish for the day don’t forget to stop by Wolf Creek Angler for everything Missouri River fly fishing. Shuttles, Adipose and RO Drift Boat rentals; great deals on outerwear from KAST and Redington; tools and accessories from MFC, Fishpond, Dr Slick, Umpqua and Loon; leaders and tippet from Rio and Trout Hunter and a bug selection that rivals that of any shop in the canyon. We’re fully stocked on waders and boots from Redington and we are the exclusive dealer of LOOP rods and reels on the Missouri. Stop in soon and see what the buzz is about.

 

 

Welcome March

Winter is rapidly losing its grip.

Winter is rapidly losing its grip.

Our early spring continues here on the Missouri as we enter March with temps flirting with 60 degrees for the rest of this week.

What’s it mean for the coming season? It’s still too early to tell but the Snow Water Equivalent is still looking decent at 91% of average. We’re hoping winter persists in the high country, at least for a while but we’ve started to come to terms with the fact that we may very well have seen the last of winter weather here on the river.

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Those in the know are not predicting any kind of high water event, in fact what’s being predicted is a water year very similar to 2015 with average spring flows holding around 4,000. We shall see. Spring rainfall is the big factor in the water equation so all we can do is wait and see what happens. In the meantime we are enjoying the mild weather, especially on the days the wind doesn’t blow (which are few and far between).

Traffic seems to come in spurts. We were busy in the shop and were full most of last week and even did a few guide trips but things have been pretty quiet this week with just a few guests around. If you’re planning to come out and fish this weekend we’ve got one cabin left for Friday night and two on Saturday. Looking at the forecast it’s likely we will be full so don’t miss out.

Come by the shop and see what’s new. We’ve been receiving a bunch of our spring orders and have some cool new gear from Loop, Redington, Echo, Rio and more. We’ve also got some great deals on winter gear as we make room for the new arrivals including 40% Kast Hell Razor jackets. These are awesome jackets at an unbelievable savings.

Fishing reports have been mixed this week. Some good days, some ok days and some downright slow days depending on who you ask. We’re continuing to target winterish water with winterish bugs for the most part but transition is definitely underway as the water continues to warm up.

Swingers are out in force having varying degrees of success with the two-handed rods while the single hand streamer crowd is also finding some willing players. Keep that retrieve slow for them time being but don’t limit yourself to slow water as the fish have been found in all different depths and speeds of water over the last week or two.

Dry fly fishing is a go, depending on the day. There are midges around and fish on them. Sun and wind conditions will define your day. Stay late as some of the best action has reportedly been just before dark.

We hope to see you soon, in the shop and on the water. We’re open REGULARLY at 8:00 AM Wednesday – Sunday and we’re usually around on Mondays and Tuesdays as well depending on the weather. Look for the seven-day a week shop schedule to start soon and remember we are always OPEN every day for lodging and guide trips. We will likely open more lodging up next week as we’ve had to turn people away on a fairly regular basis. We won’t open the motel units until April but we should have a couple more cabins ready to go very soon.

Stay tuned for updates!

 

Thursday Missouri River Fishing Report

First float in the new Adipose - photo by Wolf Creek Angler

First float in the new Adipose – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

A mixed bag of reports this week with things having seemingly slowed a bit since our last report. There are still fish being caught but the good to great days we had experienced last weekend and early this week have given way to a return to more challenging times. There are definitely still fish being caught but you may have to work for them. That being said, it is still February so all things considered I would still say the fishing is pretty damn good overall and should only get better.

We’re still holding out hope for another shot or two of winter weather but as of right now we seem to be settled in to a trend of sunny days with daytime temps in the 50’s and nighttime lows in the 30’s. We’ve had a few really nice days with just a breeze but more often than not there are varying amounts of wind to contend with. Yesterday was one of those rare calm days, today it looks like a return to the normal. No high wind warnings in the immediate forecast but always be prepared for at least a nuisance wind.

We did a quick Wolf Creek to Craig float on Tuesday in our new WCA Adipose rental and had a decent day on the nymphs before switching to streamers which turned out to be a bust. The firebead soft hackle sow in pink was our best bug and the fish we did pick up were where they were supposed to be in the medium slow, medium deep water. Same program we’ve been preaching for the past few weeks though we skipped the super slow winter water and just targeted the transitional stuff. Firebead anything, soft hackle sows, soft hackle rays, Tailwater sows, black zebra midges, Czechs, Amex…by now you know the routine. We didn’t spend any time doing row-arounds but you should.

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As I said the streamer thing wasn’t happening for us at all. A couple of tugs early on and then NOTHING. We ran through our go-to bugs  and fished hard right to the take-out and nothing.  Streamer fishing can be like that. Tomorrow is another day!

There have been a lot of midges around and the occasional fish or pod on them but I have yet to spend a day targeting rising fish. It’s all ahead of us. Great streamer fishing, great nymphing and great dry-fly fishing soon to come.

The river has been relatively quiet this week but there are definitely some people around and it’s only going to get busier as things heat up so it’s a perfect time to come out and enjoy early spring fishing on the Missouri River.

We’ve got one room left for the weekend, you may as well make it yours. $99/night gets you a cozy cabin with a full kitchen just minutes from Holter Dam and Wolf Creek Bridge. Don’t forget – $400 full day guide trips through the end of March or do it yourself with a RO or Adipose Drift Boat Rental.

Lots of new inventory arriving daily at the shop. Come on by and see what’s new.

We hope to see you this weekend at Wolf Creek Angler.

 

 

 

 

Time to book those spring and summer guide trips

Like the view? Call Wolf Creek Angler  and book your Missouri River Fly Fishing Guide Trip today.

Like the view? Call Wolf Creek Angler and book your Missouri River Fly Fishing Guide Trip today.

Prime dates are rapidly disappearing. Don’t put it off any longer, book your 2016 Missouri River Fly Fishing trip of a lifetime today.

Lodging is nearing capacity for the months of June and July and it looks like we’re going to have a busy spring as well based on the amount of April and May bookings.

We’ve got a bunch of guide trips already booked for June and early July but don’t despair, it’s not too late. We’ve still got plenty of guides and dates available.

Looking for something a little different? Why not add a little variety to your trip and plan to do a day on the nearby Blackfoot or Dearborn Rivers in addition to the Missouri?

The Dearborn season is early and short, usually just a couple of weeks depending on water levels, but if you can do a late May/early June trip chances are good we can get you on the Dearborn for a day.The Blackfoot offers the same wilderness, freestone experience but with a much wider window of opportunity.

With legendary dry-fly fishing as well as nymphing and streamer fishing, an insane abundance of trout, ease of access and year-round opportunities, the Missouri will keep you coming back time and again but you owe it to yourself to try the quintessential Montana Wilderness fly fishing experience offered by these other rivers. You will likely catch more and bigger fish on the Missouri but you’ll never regret devoting a day to experiencing something so different from the Missouri.

With the Missouri just minutes away and miles of other phenomenal trout waters within easy reach, Wolf Creek Angler is your base camp not just for the Missouri but for Montana fly fishing period.

Many of our guests stay for a week or more at a time and fish the Missouri hard but also venture off to explore the surrounding waters. We encourage you to arm yourself with a can of bear spray and a gazetteer and spend a day or two exploring the blue lines.

The shop of course caters to the Missouri River fly-fisher but we can also get you set up for fishing the smaller waters. We’ve got the rods and reels and lines, the wading staffs and hand nets; the maps and the knowledge and of course the bins full of foam and the BIG DRY FLIES which are a staple of freestone fly fishing and we’re happy to get you pointed in the right direction.

No matter your water preference, we would love to have you as our guest at Wolf Creek Angler this season. Give us a call today and let us help you plan your Montana fly fishing dream vacation on the Missouri River and beyond.

Stop dreaming and start planning. Call the dream vacation HOTLINE at 800-800-4350 and book today.

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