Missouri River Archives - Page 52 of 62

Win this 14′ NRS Otter Raft Package this Saturday night in Helena

Enter to win this sweet 14′ NRS Otter Raft Package. Raffle Tickets available at Wolf Creek Angler.

We hope you join us for the 34th Annual Pat Barnes Missouri River Chapter Banquet and Auction this Saturday, April 25th at The Gateway Center in Helena.
It’s a great chance to come out and enjoy a night with a bunch of people who are focused on conserving and protecting the amazing resource we have in the Missouri River.

Enjoy live and silent auctions and raffles including the chance to win a 14′ NRS Otter Raft Package valued at $6400.00. Raffle tickets for the raft package are $25 and are available at Wolf Creek Angler along with dinner tickets which are $40 for a single and $75 for a couple.

Auction items will include a St. Croix Bank Robber Streamer package consisting of a 9′ 7 weight rod, Ross CLA 3 Reel, Rio Streamer Tip Line and backing, and WCA Streamer box with Missouri River spring streamer selection.

Come on out and support your river and a great organization dedicated to caring for it.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:54-06:00April 21st, 2015|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: Gateway Center, Helena, Missouri River, NRS Otter, Pat Barnes Missouri River Trout Unlimited, RIO, Ross CLA, running line, St Croix Bank Robber, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

The Week Ahead

Are there any bugs you ask? Ummm….just a few! photo by Luke Koerten

By all accounts from the past several days it’s GAME ON on the Missouri right now. Unfortunately the only bugs I’ve seen recently are the ones in our fly bins but I hope to rectify this situtation soon. I’ve been hearing good reports from all of our guides and our guests are raving as well, one calling his Saturday afternoon outing “the best dry fly day he’s had in years”.

Plenty of dry fly action on baetis and midges river-wide and if it’s nymphing you prefer it’s happening right now! I’m still hearing the occasional complaints of tough days from those fishing the top section but it’s been lights out in the middle and lower sections so spread out and have at it. Best selling bugs over the past couple of days have been Hogan’s S & M, LGM’s , MicroMay in Olive, firebead soft hackle sow, hot belly PT in purple, Purple phase loop wing, BWO Flash Cripple, BWO Drown Spinner, DOA Cripple Baetis, 2 Bit Hooker in Red, Kyle’s Superflash PT in Olive, Circus Peanut, Polar Leech, Sparkle Minnow, Beadless Zebra Midge in Black and a bunch of other baetis stuff. We’ve got the bugs you want and the bugs you need and many many more. Come check out our selection, we’re confident you won’t be disappointed.

Bins full of BWO’s at Wolf Creek Angler

Weather wise we’re looking at sunny warm days through Thursday, possibly reaching near 80 on Wednesday. A 50 percent chance of rain on Friday may mean a better bwo day but the bottom line is that you really couldn’t pick a better week to come hit the MO. The weather is great, the bugs are plentiful, the fish are happy and hungry…what more could you ask for?

Remember our $300 spring special guide trips and our discounted lodging rates run through the end of April so time is running out. You’ve got 10 days left to make it happen so don’t put it off any longer. Give us a call at the shop today and book your Missouri River trip of a lifetime. It’s the best fishing we’ve seen this year and traffic remains relatively light, especially during the week.

Flows are holding around 3800 with water temps around 45. The lower water means more access for the wade anglers and less navigable water for boats and the increased potential for conflicts. Please be courteous to your fellow anglers whether wading or floating and try to give each other as much room as possible. There are miles and miles of water and there are fish everywhere. There is no reason to crowd each other.

Lodging is filling quickly for the coming weeks. We’ve got plenty of availability tonight and tomorrow but things start to become scarce starting on Wednesday. A couple of rooms remain for the weekend -they will likely be gone by the end of the day.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:54-06:00April 20th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: $300 Missouri River Guide Trips, dry fly fishing, Missouri River, Montana, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Weekend Update

Guest Blog from WCA Guide Luke Koerten

First trout on a dry fly…..STOKED!

Darrel celebrated his birthday with his first ever trout on a fly rod.

Cold and wet. That is the report from Saturday as sideways snow greeted us on the river. The precipitation coupled with the strong and steady upstream wind made for a brutally cold morning. Anytime you have to cut through legitimate waves on your way downstream, less than stellar nymph fishing can be expected.

Cold and wet also happens to be Blue Wing Olive weather. They did not disappoint yesterday. As the wind subsided in the afternoon they blanketed the river and the fish took notice. Big rainbows gorging on the surface 10 feet from the boat was not an uncommon sight.

Flies that got it done underwater yesterday were scuds, sows, and small mayfly stuff. Pheasant tails and their fancier knockoffs both worked well. All phases of the mayfly are a good idea too (emergers, cripples, duns, spinners). Why not try a cdc emerger off the back of a parachute adams?

Today looks like less wind, less moisture, and less clouds. Sounds like a great day to be on the river. Book your $300 spring special guide trip with Wolf Creek Angler today…time is running out!

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:54-06:00April 19th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: $300 Missouri River Guide Trips, Missouri River, running line, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Full Swing

The season is definitely in full swing here in Wolf Creek. Guide trips out daily, all lodging units open and most occupied (at least for the weekend), and a shop filled with all kinds of cool new stuff including over a thousand dozen new bugs and a bunch of new logo gear. We’ve had some crazy busy mornings and enough traffic throughout the days that it’s obvious the word is out.

With affordable lodging, a great guide staff and a first rate fly shop located just minutes from Holter Dam and Wolf Creek Bridge, Wolf Creek Angler is your base camp for Missouri River Fly Fishing. Start your day at WCA. Shuttles, RO drift boat rentals, a great fly selection, all the tools and accessories you need, clothing and gear for all weather conditions and what some have called the best cup of coffee in Wolf Creek.

Lots of boats below Craig today with the top section reportedly back to her moody ways as of yesterday. Slow was the collective description from the dam to Craig but it could very well be a completely different story on this dreary wet day which, by the way, we are very happy to see. The powers that be continue to scale back the flow predictions for the season which has led to quite an increase in flow related call volume. I’m sticking with what I’ve said all along related to flow predictions which is that I’m not going to make any. We will leave it to the “experts” to make those predictions and leave it to mother nature to make the final call. That being said we’re happy to see spring days like this and if I wasn’t in the shop all day I’d be more than happy to fish on a day like this. Streamers anyone?

Partly cloudy skies and a high of 58 on tap for tomorrow. Sunny and warm for the first part of next week with highs possibly reaching the mid 70’s by Wednesday before we see another chance for rain late next week. Whatever the weather, the fishing should be fine.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:54-06:00April 18th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report, Uncategorized|Tags: Fishpond, Hydroflask, Missouri River, running line, simms, Umpqua, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Weekend Outlook 4/17/15

Doubled Up time on the MO.

Beach weather expected today with sunny skies and a high of 71. Winds south at 5-10 mph. A perfect day for a float and while the sun might not make for ideal fishing conditions it’s tough to complain about a 70+ degree sunny day in mid-April.

Saturday will be a little more spring-like with steady light rain in the morning and showers continuing into the afternoon with highs in the low to mid 50’s. Intervals of clouds and sun on Sunday with highs near 60. Sounds to us like three perfect days to spend on the Missouri.

Traffic remains pretty light out there despite the fact that fishing has been consistently good all week. Dam to Craig had been fickle last week but seems to be improving. We had several trips through there the last couple of days and they did very well with the fish preferrring the smorgasbord approach to any one pattern in particular. Nothing new to report on specific patterns – sounds like a little bit of everything is working. Sowbugs, Rainbow Czechs, SJW’s, Military Mays, S & M’s, LGM’s, BWO Magic Flies, Hot Belly PT’s and on and on. Stop by the shop and we’ll get you set up with any and all of the above and more.

There were a bunch of BWO’s around yesterday along with the piles of midges we’ve been seeing daily but not much in the way of fish up, at least during the early to mid afternoon save for a few small pods where you would expect to find them.

We devoted a good couple of hours to throwing streamers yesterday and didn’t have a lot of action which wasn’t a big surprise in the bright sun but we did manage to move a few good fish regardless. We tried a bunch of different bugs and only got them to move on one of them. We threw polar leeches, smolts, sparkle minnows, circus peanuts, kreelex, rattlesnakes, buggers and more in a bunch of different colors – stop by the shop and we’ll let you know which one worked. We’ve got plenty of all of them and tomorrow just might be the day to throw them.

Discounted lodging and $300 spring special guide trips available through the end of the month. Book yours today.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:54-06:00April 17th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: $300 Missouri River Guide Trips, Circus Peanut, Kreelex, Missouri River, running line, sparkle minnow, Streamer Fishing, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Win this 14′ NRS Otter Raft Package this Saturday night in Helena

Enter to win this sweet 14′ NRS Otter Raft Package. Raffle Tickets available at Wolf Creek Angler.

We hope you join us for the 34th Annual Pat Barnes Missouri River Chapter Banquet and Auction this Saturday, April 25th at The Gateway Center in Helena.
It’s a great chance to come out and enjoy a night with a bunch of people who are focused on conserving and protecting the amazing resource we have in the Missouri River.

Enjoy live and silent auctions and raffles including the chance to win a 14′ NRS Otter Raft Package valued at $6400.00. Raffle tickets for the raft package are $25 and are available at Wolf Creek Angler along with dinner tickets which are $40 for a single and $75 for a couple.

Auction items will include a St. Croix Bank Robber Streamer package consisting of a 9′ 7 weight rod, Ross CLA 3 Reel, Rio Streamer Tip Line and backing, and WCA Streamer box with Missouri River spring streamer selection.

Come on out and support your river and a great organization dedicated to caring for it.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:55-06:00April 16th, 2015|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: Missouri River, Pat Barnes Missouri River Trout Unlimited Chapter #55, running line, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Mid Week Missouri River Fishing Report 4/15/15

Cooler, cloudier weather yesterday and today has ushered in some solid nymphing action and some prime conditions for streamer fishing.

It sounds like Holter to Craig was the section yesterday with fish congregating in most of the go-to spots. From what we’ve heard the fish are not consistently eating anything in particular so you may have to switch it up often to get them to go. Rainbow Czechs, S & M’s, Hot Bead worms, Military Mays, Green Machines, Sow Bugs, PT’s, Zebras…they are all getting eaten so don’t be afraid to change bugs often.

Streamer action continues to be hit or miss but it’s definitely worth the effort in our humble opinion. Dry fly fishing has been good with a fair amount of BWO’s around and plenty of midges. We saw a lot of fish up in the canyon section on Monday and landed a few on the Parachute Adams/midge rig and even got a couple to go on the bigger bugs.

Sunny skies return tomorrow and Friday with highs back in the mid to high 60’s. Why not use that tax refund and book yourself a $300 Spring Special Guide Trip on the Missouri, you only have 15 days left before regular season rates return on both guide trips and lodging.

Stop by Wolf Creek Angler on your way to the river for everything you need for your day on the Missouri. The hardest working guides on the river, lodging, shuttles, RO drift boat rentals, all-conditions gear from KAST Extreme Fishing Gear, hand warmers, gloves and hats from Outdoor Research and of course the recently expanded largest selection of Missouri River flies ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek Montana.
See you in the shop and on the water.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:55-06:00April 15th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: $300 Missouri River Guide Trips, dry fly fishing, Kast Gear, Missouri River, Missouri River Spring Special Guide Rates, Outdoor Research, RO Drift Boats, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Canyon Report 4/14/2015

Guest Report from WCA Guide Jim Murray

Fellow WCA Guide, Matt Hargrave and I decided to get out on a last minute recon trip this past weekend to see if we could find a few fish in the Canyon. While the wind made the fishing and rowing challenging at times, we definitely put our fair share of fish in the net. The water levels have dropped, while the water temps have risen, and the fish seem to be doing exactly what you would expect in these situations. Moving out of the slow, deep runs, and into shallower, faster runs. We caught a number of fish right on the hard banks in fairly fast water. Shelf lines and current seams, as always, were productive as well.
At times the river was blanketed with both midges and baetis, but not many fish were looking up. That said, for those anglers wishing to target heads, there are pods of fishing working in the right areas, willing to eat a properly presented midge cluster or BWO parachute. The dry fly bite is definitely happening on the Missouri right now, and only figures to get better and better as April turns to May.
Hot nymphs for the day included a Rainbow Czech and a small Hogan S&M. That’s it. We never had the need to try other patterns. We set our rig in the morning and fished it all day, as fish happily ate both flies.
Although we didn’t throw any streamers, we have been hearing mixed reports on those that do. The streamer junkies love to the throw the meat and are having some success, but it seems to be hit or miss. A lot of changing flies, patterns, colors, etc., hoping to find the magic combo that will get the fish into an aggressive mood.
All in all a great day on the water with a great buddy, topped off with a couple of Blackfoot River IPA’s at the end of the day at Izaak’s in Craig. The season is upon us. We’re ready!
One other note: We had the chance to fish the Strike Foundry Stealth Indicator on Sunday, and really liked it. It worked as advertised, and proved very sensitive to help detect subtle strikes. We used the “In Line” rigging method and found that it performed flawlessly. For all you nymph junkies out there (count me in), you might want to give this indicator a try. I know I’ll have a few in my boat this year. Check them out at WCA!

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:55-06:00April 14th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: Hogan's S & M, Missouri River, nymphs, running line, Streamer Fishing, Strike Foundry, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

The Week Ahead

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dan with a MO River cookie cutter

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:55-06:00April 13th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: $300 Missouri River Guide Trips, brown trout, green machine, Missouri River, Missouri River Spring Special Guide Rates, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

For Your Sunday Viewing Pleasure

Breezy on the MO this morning with West wind 12-29 mph, gusting to 40. Too windy to fish? Of course not. But if you have the option Monday looks much better with SW wind around 9 mph, partly sunny skies and a high of 68.
In the meantime sit back and enjoy one of our favorite fly fishing film trailers….

Anyone up for Mousing the MO?

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:55-06:00April 12th, 2015|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: brown trout, Missouri River, Once in a Blue Moon, running line, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments