Missouri River Mid Winter Getaway

Mid Winter Sun on the MO’

Seeking sunshine and a Missouri River Winter trout fix?

We’re looking at spring-like weather on the MO’ right now with temperatures in the mid 40’s and a fair amount of sunshine right on through the end of next week when we’ll see a return to more seasonable conditions.

The water is in great shape with current river flows holding just shy of 3500 cfs while the water temperature is creeping up towards the 36 degree sweet spot for winter fishing.

Nymphing, swinging, and maybe even some dry-fly action on midges if you’re lucky and while we can’t make any promises about the fishing, there’s always the potential for a great numbers day and regardless of how many fish you catch there’s nothing like a day on the water to cure your mid-winter blues.

Why not make a weekend out of it with a stay at Wolf Creek Angler? We’ve got the best lodging deals on the MO’ right now at just $99 (plus tax) for a cozy bungalow with full kitchen and private bath. The rooms sleep three comfortably with two twin beds and a pull out couch. We’re also offering a King Bed conversion for a $10 fee if you would prefer a king bed to the two twin beds.

We’ve got insane deals on winter guide trips at $350 for a full day and we’ve got an unheard of deal on two nights lodging and a full day guide trip for just $500 you simply can’t afford to pass up. And the best part…..NO CANCELLATION FEES, NO QUESTIONS ASKED.

There’s nothing better than sitting back and letting our guides do all of the work for you but if you prefer to do it on your own we’ve got everything you need for Missouri River winter success.

WCA is your Missouri River Winter Fly Fishing One Stop Destination with clean, affordable lodging; the fishiest guides on the river; shuttles; a bug selection you need to see to believe; drift boat and equipment rentals; great cold weather gear from Simms and Kast; LOOP rods and reels; Lines, leaders and tippet from RIO and ARC; eyewear from SMITH and piles of tools and accessories from the best brands in the business.

If you’ve fished the MO’ in the winter before then you know that the town of Wolf Creek is THE place to be. With the only bar/restaurant and the only gas station/convenience store between Helena and Cascade, Wolf Creek is the hub of activity during the winter months. Couple that with a first-rate Missouri River fly shop and great lodging just minutes from Holter Dam and Wolf Creek Bridge and you’ve got no reason to go anywhere else.

We hope you make us your Montana Mid-Winter Fly Fishing Getaway Destination.

 

Thinking Spring

The snow continues to pile up but we’re thinking spring at Wolf Creek Angler

It’s two degrees in Wolf Creek today but as we close in on just under six weeks until the first day of spring we cant help but begin to get excited about the rapidly approaching season.

Winter continues to make its presence felt with frigid temps and plenty of snow over the past couple of days. We’ve got more snow piled up around the shop right now than I’ve seen in my years here and we didn’t get a fraction of what our friends in NW Montana  got over the last couple of days with some areas receiving up to 50″ of new snow.

The Montana SNOTEL Snow Water Equivalent map is beginning to transform into what we like to see and while much of the region is still below 90 percent of average we’re seeing more and more green (and some blue) daily which we’re hopeful will mean a good water year again on the MO’ and hopefully around the region. With plenty of winter ahead we are optimistic conditions will be ideal.

The SNOTEL Water Year map for total precipitation (% of average) looks even better but keep in mind this is total precipitation, not snow pack.

So what’s it all mean?

Once again, it’s still early to tell but we like what we’re seeing. We will hopefully continue to accumulate snow pack in the high country but as always, the unknown is the amount of precipitation we will see in the spring which will ultimately determine what we see for water this year.

The latest predictions from the Bureau of Reclamation are calling for most probable average flows on the Missouri below Holter in the 4ooo cfs range based on current conditions at Canyon Ferry Reservoir which at this point  is 75% full which is 95% of the 30 year average for this date. Translation….good most probable flows but the Max Probable would be even better with a nice 10K flush in June.

It looks like we will see a hint of spring at the end of this week with temps in the high 30’s and low 40’s beginning on Thursday. The 10 day is calling for plenty of sunshine and sustained moderate temps through the end of next week so we may be on our way.

As we move towards the more mild temps of mid to late winter keep in mind Wolf Creek Angler has the undisputed best deal on the water this winter with two nights lodging and a full day of guided fishing with the best guides on the river for just $500 plus tax and NO CANCELLATION FEES!

Whether you’re fishing with our guides or doing things on your own, make us your first stop on the way to the MO’.

We are your Missouri River fly fishing one stop shop with clean and affordable accommodations, great guides and THE up and coming Missouri River fly shop fully stocked with anything you need for your day on the water.

Shuttles; Adipose and RO drift boat rentals; cold-weather gear from Simms and Kast; wading gear from Redington; rods from Loop, Echo and Redington; reels from Ross, Nautilus, Loop and Echo; Nomad nets and accessories a plenty from Fishpond; all kinds of great WCA logo gear and of course the biggest and best selection of bugs ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek Montana.

Long, Cold Winter

Well the groundhog says six more weeks of winter.

We’re not going to argue but I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t growing weary of winter weather.

Don’t get me wrong, we’re happy to have the snow (which is still only 70-80 % of average throughout much of western Montana) and the cold is keeping it here but we are anxious for warmer days.

I haven’t fished much this winter, only getting out twice in January, and I haven’t floated the river since November. We had a brief respite from the cold earlier this week and I enjoyed a couple of hours out there on Monday, closing out January with a few fish to hand.

February rolled in on Tuesday with more snow and cold and it’s been back to sub arctic conditions for most of the week.

There is a warm up coming this weekend with highs reaching 30 tomorrow and Sunday looks to be a nice day (for a Super bowl) with partly sunny skies and highs breaking the 40 mark before plummeting again on Monday back into the teens for the first part of next week.

I’ll believe it when I see it but at this point it looks like we may start to see some warmer days towards the end of next week with average highs in that 40 degree range again for next weekend.

Ideally we’ll start to see some sustained periods of warmer weather here on the MO while the high country continues to get that much-needed precipitation. We’re all anxious to get out on the water again and while we’ve kept busy with lodging all winter with the ice fishing crowd we’re definitely ready to see some more traffic in the shop. Spring shipments are starting to arrive so expect some great deals on winter gear in the not to0 distant future.

Stop in and see us this weekend for shuttles and bugs and anything else you might need for your day on the water. Pink flies aplenty and bins full of streamers you can’t get ANYWHERE else. Take a look at that long-term and pick a day to come take advantage of the best deal on the Missouri. Two night’s lodging and a full day guide trip for one or two anglers  with the best guides on the river  for just $500 with NO CANCELLATION FEES. Don’t need the lodging? $350 for a day on the water. The perfect cure for your Cabin Fever and those Winter Time Blues!

 

Late January on the MO’

Winter Fare at Wolf Creek Angler

It’s hard to believe it but we’re already a month into 2017. In some respects this winter feels like a slow grind but in other ways it feels like it’s flying by. Either way, before you know it we will be fully immersed in the season and the snow and endless cold will be but a distant memory.

Looking back at last year’s mild winter we were doing a lot more fishing through these months. Not that there aren’t a few folks out there doing it on any given day, but the deep freeze has kept many of us inside for the most part.

It’s not all bad. Winter projects are getting completed which will make it a guilt-free spring on the water knowing the things you intended to get done during the off-season actually did get done.

We’ve had a couple of minor warm-ups which have definitely resulted in an increase in traffic on the river but at 34 ish degrees, the water is still too cold to get those fish going. 35 would be an improvement, 36 plus is what we’re waiting for.

When will we get there? It’s hard to say for sure but I’m optimistic about February which is going to start on the cold side but sooner or later it’s going to warm up enough to bring the water temps up and when it does we will be poised and ready.

Speaking of warm ups, it looks like we’re in for a nice weekend with high 30’s and low 40’s through Monday. I expect we’ll be busy in the shop as there are a lot of people suffering from some extreme cabin fever right now who will be looking to self-medicate with a dose of the MO’. Couple that with a football free Sunday and we may be in for our busiest weekend of 2017 to date.

If you intend to float this weekend the good news is the ramps are clear for the most part  though it’s always a good idea to check them out for yourself before you go. If you’re wading there is still a fair amount of shelf ice around so please be careful.

It might be the perfect time to take advantage of our INSANE Winter Guide Trip and Lodging Special. $500 for two night’s lodging and a full day on the river for one or two anglers with one of our exceptional guides with NO CANCELLATION FEES, NO QUESTIONS ASKED! Don’t need the lodging? $350 for a full day on the MO’ for one or two anglers all winter long.

Nymphing will likely be your best bet for hookups targeting the slowest, foggiest water you can find. A #10 or #12 Pinkalicious, Ninch’s Bubble Yum Scud, Rainbow Czech, Pink Amex or Pink Weight Fly paired with a #18 pink lightning bug, Ninch’s Thunderbug, firebead sow bug in grey or pink, rainbow warrior, firebead Ray…..etc fished deep and true should do the trick. Hit the dip, hit the pause, hit the drop….hit everything as the takes are often extremely subtle in these conditions.

We’ve seen a lot of people swinging this winter as well, maybe just as many as we’ve seen nymphing. The Hot Head Kreelex has been by far the most consistent choice on the streamer side with polar leeches and anything in white getting attention as well. Swing or slooooow upstream retrieve. They aren’t going to chase, not until things warm up a lot!

Stop by WCA on your way to the river for shuttles, bugs, Simms cold-weather gear, Loop rods and reels, ARC lines and tippet and anything else you may need for your day on the water.

 

 

Wolf Creek is your Holter Lake Winter Destination

It may be too cold to fish the river right now but lodging at Wolf Creek Angler has become a hot commodity these past two weeks as the perch fishing on Holter Lake continues to heat up.

The word is out and the hard water anglers have discovered the hidden gem of winter lodging at Wolf Creek Angler.

The town of Wolf Creek is your base camp for ice fishing on Holter Lake as well as winter fly fishing on the MO’ if it ever warms up enough for us to get back to it and while we’re used to living in the shadow of Craig during the season winter is when the town of Wolf Creek really shines.

Whether its ice fishing or fly fishing that brings you here, Wolf Creek is where you want to be. We’ve got the only open restaurant and the only gas station /convenience store between Helena and Cascade.  As a matter of fact we also have the only US Post Office between Helena and Cascade which may not seem like much but it’s interesting to note that all that mail addressed to the self-proclaimed “center of the fly fishing universe” in Craig MT actually ends up right here in Wolf Creek MT.

As if that weren’t enough we’re excited to announce that come April we’ll once again be able to boast of having 2 bar/restaurants in Wolf Creek MT with Shotgun Annie’s Eatery and Tavern (formerly The Frenchman and Me)  joining Uncle Joe’s Oasis to offer you more dining and night life options.

Throw in an up and coming Missouri River Fly Shop with cozy, clean and affordable lodging just minutes from Holter Lake , Holter Dam and the Wolf Creek Bridge river access sites and it’s easy to see why Wolf Creek has become THE destination for winter fishing on Holter Lake and the Missouri. Once you discover all that Wolf Creek has to offer you may just make us your year-round Missouri River fly fishing destination. Many have.

Give us a call today to book your winter lodging. $99 (plus tax) gets you a cozy bungalow complete with a full kitchen and private bath. The bungalows sleep three comfortably with two twin beds and a pull out couch. Our shop hours have been a little less than consistent this winter with the dangerously cold weather but rest assured, we are OPEN EVERY DAY, 365 days a year, for lodging (and guide trips).

Make that call today and discover the secret!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bidding Farewell to 2016

There’s been a lot of talk these past couple of weeks about what a terrible year 2016 has been, mostly in relation to the rash of celebrity deaths that occurred.

It was definitely a politically and socially tumultuous year as well and for all of these reasons I guess I understand the sentiment but the reality is that a turn of the calendar has little power to change the world in which we live.

I share in the hope that 2017 brings happiness and joy and peace and prosperity to the world. I too mourn the passing of beloved celebrities but in my case it’s not so much the passing of the individuals but rather the passing of time signified by the passing of these cultural icons who have been a part of our existence for so long.

Time marches on!

In that vein, I think that while we tend to magnify the bad things in our lives it’s important to account for all the ways in which we are blessed as well.

2016 was a year overflowing with blessings.

For me it was another year spent in Montana with an amazing family, growing a successful business. It was another year of good health, another year of spending time with great friends and family and another year spent doing what I love.

It was a year with plenty of challenges, as all of them are and will always be. Life is made up of some peaks and some valleys with most days spent on the plateaus of the day-to-day. The highs and lows are a certainty over which we have very little control. I enjoyed my walk on the plateau for the most part in 2016. One more time around.

Wolf Creek Angler continued on the upward trajectory in 2016. There were definitely growing pains and lessons learned but overall we couldn’t be more pleased.

We kicked off the spring with a brand new logo and hit the ground running.

We had a good water year and an early start to the season which resulted in fantastic growth on all levels. We continued to wage our battle to bring in more of the products you have asked for and we did make some tremendous headway with the addition of some BIG name products, most notably SIMMS sportswear, outerwear and accessories. We are still a long ways from where we want to be but we’re definitely on our way.

We increased our guide trips on both the Missouri and Blackfoot Rivers and hope to do the same in 2017.

2016 was a busy lodging season and while we didn’t make any dramatic changes we continued with our commitment to doing all of the little things we need to do to make your stay with us an excellent experience. Expect more of the same and likely a major improvement or two for the coming season.

One thing we didn’t have in 2016 was The Frenchman and Me. We missed it. Our guests missed it.

Change is underway at The Frenchman and as of this writing, Shotgun Annie’s Eatery and Tavern will open April 1st. We’re stoked! More news on this soon…

All in all a great year for Wolf Creek Angler. We are thankful for everything that has come our way but mostly we’re thankful for all of our customers, old and new, who continue to support us.

We love trout, we love fly fishing in Montana, we love being a part of the Missouri River fly shop/outfitter/guide community  but most of all we love our interactions with you our customers. We’ve met so many people and forged great friendships in these first three seasons which will last a lifetime and when things are quiet as they are this time of year  it’s the thought of summer days on the water and around the shop and of our  rooms filled with happy anglers that tides us over and keeps us sane as we await the start of the season.

Happy New Year to all! May 2017  be the best year yet.

 

Countdown to 2017

This is it. Six days to go.

Will you fish again in 2016?

We’re looking at another warming trend beginning today but once again, with the warmer temps comes the wind. We’ll see low to mid 30’s all week-long starting tomorrow but if you’re coming out to fish be prepared for winds in the 15-20 mph range with blowing snow.

We will be back in the shop tomorrow and will be around all week so grab those WCA Gift Cards you found in your stockings and come buy yourself all the things you really wanted for Christmas!

The extended forecast shows another arctic blast as we enter the new year but once things start to warm up be sure to take advantage of our winter lodging/guide trip special. Two nights of lodging and a full day of guided fishing on the Missouri for one or two anglers with one of our expert guides for just $500 with no cancellation fees.

There are other specials out there….nobody can touch this one.

It has not been a busy winter for us thus far with the weather being what it’s been and we’re ok with that because we definitely need the snow and cold as it relates to the 2017 water year. Snowpack is still below average but as you can see we’re definitely headed in the right direction.

We would love to be running trout trips right now but for the time being keep in mind we’re a great lodging option for waterfowl hunters and hard water anglers as well. From what I’ve heard the hunting has been good and while I don’t think the ice on the lake is safe just yet it shouldn’t be long before it is.

We’re dog friendly, we’re located just minutes from Holter Lake and if you’re wondering about services during the winter months the town of Wolf Creek is the place to be with the only bar/restaurant and the only gas station/convenience store between Helena and Cascade.

We are your Missouri River winter destination.

Stop in and see us this week as we wrap up an amazing year on the MO’.

 

Winter Solstice

Happy Wednesday!

Today is the Winter Solstice, the first official day of winter and the shortest day of the year.

You know what that means. Starting tomorrow the days start to get longer. We’ve made it the other side and before you know it spring and then summer will be here and we’ll be enjoying long warm days on the Missouri casting to sipping trout.

In the meantime enjoy the sunshine today and tomorrow and prepare for another blast of winter arriving Saturday. The timing really couldn’t be better.

A couple of not quite spring-like (but close) days on the river leading up to a cold and snowy Christmas Eve and Christmas. Just as it should be.

We’ll see 30’s through Friday and back to cold and snow for the weekend with temps dipping back into the 20’s and teens. The gale force winds with which we’ve been contending have diminished to a more tolerable 10-15 mph and should continue to decrease over the next couple of days.

We’ll be here through Friday for all of your Missouri River winter fly fishing or last-minute Christmas gift needs and we will possibly be here for a spell on Christmas Eve morning though with the forecast being what it is we are leaning towards being closed both Christmas Eve and Christmas. Game Time decision for Saturday but we will definitely be closed on Christmas Day.

While you are thinking about those warm summer days on the horizon it’s the perfect time to give us a call and book those summer fishing and lodging dates. Prime June/July dates are filling quickly so don’t wait too long if prime-time is what you are after and by  prime-time I am speaking only of the highest concentration of anglers.

As far as we’re concerned it’s Prime Time from about April 15th – November 15th and while we do see a lull in traffic for the entire month of August and into the first part of September there is no reason you shouldn’t make plans to be here during those months as well. The weather is great, the fishing is fine and the traffic is light. We typically do the majority of our large group trips during this time because of lodging and guide availability and they keep coming back if that tells you anything so if you’re looking to book a large group this season think about early spring and late summer.

A few days on the Missouri and maybe a day or two on the Blackfoot…..what could be better? Wolf Creek Angler is your base camp for Missouri River Montana fly fishing and beyond.

 

 

The Big Thaw

 

IMG_5579What a difference a couple of days makes! We’ve gone from “feels like” temps of -50 a couple of days a ago to highs near 40 today and tomorrow and it appears as though we’ll be above freezing all week until the next blast of cold air arrives on the weekend.

Unfortunately with the warm up we’re getting the wind. We’re under a high wind warning today with periods of 35-45 mph southwest winds with gusts as high as 65. Expect sustained winds of 20-24 mph.

I expect there may be a few folks out there today taking advantage of time off and moderate temperatures but the winds will keep many off of the water. Personally I would rather fish in below freezing temps with no wind than what we’re seeing today and tomorrow but that’s just me.

Water temps have dropped into the 35 degree range so I would definitely plan on shifting gears into winter fishing mode if you’re going out. Firebeads and/or anything pink should be coming into play and the assumption would be that the majority of the fish have made the transition to the slow deep winter water. I don’t have a recent fishing update as it’s been just too cold to fish or to do much of anything outside but we’ll likely be out later today and will post what we know as soon as we know it.

In the meantime target that winter water with a deep nymph rig, be patient and stay warm! I also wouldn’t hesitate to swing as it’s getting to be prime time for Polar Leeches and the Hot Head Kreelex!

It’s been tough trying to put together a consistent schedule in the shop with the weather being what it’s been. We had settled on regular hours of Wednesday – Saturday 8 AM – 2 PM, closed Sunday – Tuesday but then we ended up being closed most of last week because it was insanely cold. We’re here today and tomorrow because it’s warm and because we figure there may be some people around with the college crowd home from school and looking to spend some time on the MO’. We’ll be around all week if the forecast holds with limited hours on Saturday which is Christmas Eve and closed on Sunday for Christmas.

As we move past the holidays and get into the heart of winter we will try to stick to that Wednesday – Saturday schedule for the most part but once again if the weather returns to what we saw last week with treacherous temps we probably won’t be here and likewise if we have really fishy weather on the days we’re supposed to be closed we will more than likely be here, at least in the mornings. The best thing to do would be to give us a call before you come out if there is any doubt and if you’re coming out regardless of who is open when, you can see the shop from the Interstate so you’ll be able to see if we’re open or not before you hit the Wolf Creek Exit when traveling from the south.

Thank you for your patience with what has been a screwy schedule thus far this winter and remember if you happen to be out here to fish on a day we are closed we encourage you to see our friends at Headhunters in Craig for shuttles and bugs and more.

Looking at the long-term forecast for the winter months it looks like we’re still expecting below average temperatures for the most part but as we hit these periods of warmer weather keep in mind we’re offering our winter guide trip and lodging special all winter long. Two nights lodging in one of our cozy bungalows and a full day on the water with some of the fishiest, hardest working guides on the Missouri. Regardless of shop hours we are open EVERY DAY for lodging and guide trips…just give us a call. We can do it on extremely short notice but if you do choose to book ahead of time and are worried about the weather, worry no more. Rest assured there are NO CANCELLATION FEES for winter guide trips.

We hope you make Wolf Creek Angler your Missouri River Winter Fly Fishing Destination.

This Week on the MO’

 

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Cold and snowy.

There’s not much else to say other than we are happy to see next year’s water flows continuing to develop.

Expect continued cold weather for the remainder of the week with temps in the teens for the next couple of days and bitter cold returning for the weekend. We’ll see a high of -2 on Friday with a low near -20 Friday night. Saturday looks similar but we begin to warm back to the mid teens on Sunday and it looks like we may see a bit of a warm up next week with temperatures back in the high 20’s.

We’re under a winter storm watch beginning tomorrow evening and running through Thursday night for widespread snow and gusty winds, something we thankfully haven’t seen much of recently. 4-6″ of snow possible with up to 18″ expected at higher elevations. Keep it coming!

We don’t expect much in the way of traffic on the river this week but there will definitely be some anglers joining the waterfowl hunters out there next week with the warm-up and with the college crowd home for the holidays.

If the weather cooperates we will be in the shop every day next week, at least first thing in the morning and may just get out and do a little fishing ourselves as we’re already starting to exhibit symptoms of withdrawal.

If you’re looking for last-minute Christmas gifts we can help and you don’t even need to make the trek to Wolf Creek. Give us a call and let us know what you need and we’ll get it shipped out in time for Christmas.

A Wolf Creek Angler gift card makes the perfect gift for all the fly fishers on your list. You can purchase them in any amount, they never expire, and they are good for absolutely everything we sell.

You don’t need to know what weight Loop, Echo or Redington rod; which Nautilus, Ross, Loop, Echo or Redington reel; which flies; what size Simms or Kast gear; when to book the guide trip and lodging….you don’t need to know any of it, all you need to know is WCA Gift Cards cover it all!

Enjoy the snow, stay warm and start making plans for a great 2017 on the World-Class Missouri River.

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