Montana Archives - Page 22 of 33

Memorial Day Weekend

WCA-mountains-fish-bridge-location-navy

It’s hard to believe but Memorial Day is already here – the unofficial start of the summer season. In some respects it feels like it’s been a long time coming but mostly it feels like another season is absolutely flying by.

The early start we had with an extremely busy April means we’ve already been somewhere close to, or at Full Tilt for almost two months already and while we’ve had a few slower times during these last few weeks for the most part we’ve been busy settling in to our prime-season routines.

Things have been so busy that I let April 1st get by without talking about WCA celebrating birthday #2. As we head into this third season we’re thrilled with the growth we’ve already seen and we’re excited about things to come.

Part of growing a business is building a team to meet the increased demands that come with a busier shop and that’s exactly what we’ve been doing. If you’ve been in the shop recently you’ve likely noticed a bit more variety behind the counter with Zach and I sharing these duties. We’ve recently added another shop guy Tyler, whom you’ll be hearing more about soon. Behind the scenes on the housekeeping side Cindy has things dialed in as always with help from Jeanette who has returned to help us out this season. These two are definitely the unsung heroes of the operation!

My intent is to spend a bit more time on the water guiding this season so I may not be in the shop quite as much but more often than not I will be here. When I’m not, you’re in good hands with Chewy!

New faces, new logo, new products…..same old commitment to customer service. You will always be our number one priority, whether in the shop or on the water. You’ve got plenty of choices when it comes to fly shops and guides…not as much when it comes to lodging but we’re definitely not the only game in town. We get it! This is why your satisfaction is our number one priority whether you are shopping with us, lodging with us, fishing with us or all of the above and this is why you can expect exceptional service every time you set foot in our shop.

If you haven’t been by the shop in a while you should definitely stop in and see what’s new. Product highlights for this season include the addition of LOOP rods and reels, more great gear from industry leaders like KAST, Rio, Nautilus, Redington, Smith and more; awesome WCA logo gear from Simms, Hydro Flask and Stanley; and an ever-expanding fly selection the likes of which has never seen in Wolf Creek Montana. It won’t take long for you to see why so many Missouri River guides frequent our shop. It might be the free coffee, it might be our smiling faces but my bet is it’s the bugs!

Looking for a guide? We’ve got the hardest working guide crew on the river and as the “new shop” we can’t wait to show you how that same commitment to customer satisfaction you find in our shop also applies on the water. There’s no shortage of guides on the Missouri River so you’ve got plenty of choices. We hope you choose us.

As one of the only Outfitter Owned and Operated shops in the area we have the edge when it comes to getting you on the water with an exceptional professional guide even with very little notice. We offer the complete package. Clean, affordable lodging; an up and coming fly shop with everything you need for your day on the Missouri and the hardest working guides you’ll find anywhere. We are full-time Missouri River guides. 24/7/365. This is our home water and we fish it year round. We don’t winter in the tropics. We winter on the MO’.

We hope to see you this Memorial Day weekend at Wolf Creek Angler. Start your summer off right with a weekend on the Missouri. Lodging and guides available – book today.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:35-06:00May 26th, 2016|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: Echo, fly fishing, Kast Gear, Missouri River, Montana, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Mid Week Missouri River Report

Screenshot (67)

The sun is shining today…intermittently, but enough to brighten our day. Much needed and much appreciated precipitation continues.

Your 10 day forecast? Partly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms and highs ranging somewhere in the high 50’s/low 60’s daily.

Flows are up – currently 6360 cfs. We will continue to see increases as the folks in the know make room in Canyon Ferry for runoff. How high will it go? Only time and precipitation amounts will tell but at this point we’re happy with the water forecast and we’re optimistic about the season.

We get a lot of questions about whether or not fluctuations in the water flow have a negative effect on the fishing and I think some days it does but the running joke amongst guides is that it depends what kind of day you have. If you end up getting it handed to you then you have your excuse for the day. A couple of hundred CFS is definitely substantial and if nothing else it does move the fish around and I’ve seen it happen enough where it’s been good in the morning and then they bump the flows (or drop them) and things shut down so I would say that more often than not it does affect the fish.

So should you plan to come fish the MO’ this week? Absolutely you should. We love 6 – 7,000, you will too. Nymphing continues to be strong and we’ve had some very good streamer days as well as some ok dry fly days. Same story on the nymphs – tailwater sows, wire worms, LGM’s, Tung Darts, Purple Weight Flies etc. My go-to streamer is still Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow Sculpin but we’ve got bins full of bugs that are getting eaten with some regularity so come check out our selection and pick up a few you won’t find at any other shop.

The weather will be perfect for all of the above for the next little while so make it a point to beat the crowds and get out here ASAP. We do have lodging available for the end of May and the first few days of June before things go crazy so give us a call and book yourself a few nights at WCA and a few days on the legendary Missouri with some of the best guides on the river.

Shop open daily at 7 AM for all of your Missouri River Fly Fishing needs.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:35-06:00May 24th, 2016|Categories: Fishing Report, Uncategorized|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, Montana, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|1 Comment

Caddis Fest Weekend Report

12661920_999156986832983_6287131695501033258_n

It’s going to be a soggy but fun weekend on the MO’ with the 10th Annual Craig Caddis Fest happening tomorrow at 4 PM. Rain or shine Caddis Fest is always a great time with great food and tons of cool silent auction items including guide trips, art and plenty of swag and gear from all of your favorite local fly shops. Live music at 5:30 at Izaak’s Log Jam from Up in the Air Band.

Don’t miss the Sage ON THE WATER tour with casting clinics, demo rods and more. We hope you come out and enjoy the festivities while supporting the Craig Volunteer Fire Department. Why not make a day of it and do a Holter Dam or Wolf Creek to Craig float landing you smack dab in the middle of the action just as things are firing up.

Start your day at Wolf Creek Angler. We’ll get you set up with shuttles, bugs, Adipose and RO Drift Boat Rentals, rain gear and wading gear, lines, leaders and tippet, KAST Steelhead Gloves and anything else you might need for your day of fly fishing on the MO’. Better yet book yourself a guide trip this weekend and leave all of the work to us. Guides are at the ready.

We’re looking at a possibility of rain and thunderstorms each day, right on through the early part of next week. A rain-free Caddis Fest would be great (and it may happen) but as we’ve been saying all along through this wet spring the precipitation is exactly what we need and we’re happy to have it. Don’t let a little rain keep you from enjoying some fantastic fishing on the MO’.

Nymphing has been consistently good this week (think WORMS) and while not great the dry-fly opportunities have definitely been there. I did a couple of evening outings this week and found enough fish up to keep it interesting each time out. It’s always a great time to fish the Missouri but right now in particular you can count on pretty good action no matter what method of fishing you prefer. We love to do a big float and throw streamers while hunting heads – the best of both worlds!

Don’t forget tomorrow is the opener for general stream fishing, mostly pertaining to the Western District but there’s plenty of water opening here in the Central as well. It’s our favorite time of year for fishing in Montana and we LOVE to fish the creeks. While our fly selection is definitely focused on the Missouri you’ll find plenty of what you need for freestone fishing as well. From packs and wading staffs and 3 and 4 weight rods to the biggest selection of foam and attractors ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek Montana, WCA has you covered no matter where you plan to fish.

See you this weekend in the shop and on the water.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:35-06:00May 20th, 2016|Categories: Fishing Report, Uncategorized|Tags: Craig Caddis Fest, fly fishing, Holter Dam, Missouri River, Montana, RO Drift Boats, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

On The Road Report: Secret Spots.

April has faded into May, which will give way to June in a few weeks and before we know it, Tamaracks in the high country will go gold. I don’t want to think that far ahead just yet though, so lets talk about the time in between. Specifically the latter part of spring and summer. As runoff subsides and the swollen banks fade to friendlier wading levels, loads of us ditch the boats for packs, 4 wts, bear spray & back roads. How do I know this? Because I do it (obviously) and because I, along with every other shop dog around, get asked on a pretty regular basis to divulge, my spots. If you just rolled your eyes, thinking this is going to be a post telling everyone off and to find your own damn water, well you’re sort of right, but hear me out. Especially if you’re reading this shortly after it is published, there’s a good chance you inspired it.

Inevitably the calls start coming in from guys planning summer excursions to the Missouri and surrounding areas looking for that, ya know, off the radar, next level shi….(whatever that is). If you’re one of those people, you know I am a master of ambiguity, to an infuriating level to some, at points. Most think I just do it out of spite or selfishness, but I promise that is not my motivation. Okay, it’s a little bit of me being selfish, but it serves a purpose. I’m apprehensive to share a handful of spots for just as many reasons. First and foremost, many places I consider to be even remotely secret are in fact no secret at all, lets just get that out of the way. Some of them were shown to me by close friends, usually under the pretense of silence on my part; and just as many were the end result of a few hours shooting between Google Maps and Montana Cadastral then putting rubber on road.

The main reason I hold back revealing some of the spots I frequent is I’d like to think I’m fostering some sense, minuscule as it may be, of exploration in someone who would rather just have the answer given to them. Ideological of me? Yeah, but I can’t understand why people want to be told where to find the most beautiful trout stream they’ve seen, instead of stumbling across it themselves. With that said, if you call or swing by the shop and you’ve been looking into River X and wondering if I knew anything about it, I won’t lie. It’s not covered in rattlesnakes, bears aren’t around every corner and the rancher won’t chase you off with a shotgun if he see’s you fishing through his property. Though I will tell you if that’s the case, because places like that do exist. But I promise I won’t draw you a map either. I’m not trying to hoard these spots for the simple fact that the spots I try to keep quiet are in fact, not my spots. They’re all of our spots, I just happen to believe you should take the time to find them.

~Cheers, Chewy.

By Zach King|2016-10-25T16:15:35-06:00May 10th, 2016|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing, Shop Life, Uncategorized|Tags: fly fishing, Montana|0 Comments

Book your Missouri River trip of a lifetime today.

May is off to a somewhat quiet start after the busiest April we’ve seen at Wolf Creek Angler.

We’ve traded in the clouds and cold and snow and rain of last week for blue skies, sunshine and temps in the 80’s through the later part of the week. Things will return to more seasonable conditions on Friday with cooler temps and a chance for some rain over the weekend. If dry-fly fishing is what you long for then maybe wait until the weekend. In the meantime we’ll be taking advantage of the pause this week to recalibrate our nymphing rigs while holding out hope for some decent streamer action and perhaps a head or two during the low-light hours of the day.

If you’re just looking to get out and enjoy the sunshine and maybe work on that tan the next couple days will be ideal. If you’re planning on making a serious effort to catch some fish look to mayfly nymphs and deepish rigs. We’ve been having our best luck on Split Case BWO’s, Olive Psycho Mays, PT’s, Grey LGM’s, Tungsten Juju’s, Soft Hackle Sows, Yum Yums, Rainbow Czechs, Angel Case Emergers, Bubble Yums, Purple Lightning Bugs, S & M’s, Military Mays and various other standard and not-so standard Missouri Spring Go-To’s.

Fish are where they should be, adjust until you find them. Think medium fast, medium depth and don’t forget the swirlies!

Again, not the best conditions this week for dry-fly fishing though there certainly have been plenty of BWO’s and midges around as well as March Browns and rumors of caddis clouds in a few locations. Stop by the shop for the rest of the story! Olive Adams, Bucky’s Midge Cluster, Flash Cripples, Quigley’s Film Critic BWO, Wilcox’s Micro Mayfly BWO, Buzzballs, Keller’s Rocky Mountain Mint, CDC BWO Emergers, BWO Drown Spinner and BWO Hackle Stackers all getting some attention out there on the right day. We’ve also got you covered on March Browns and Mother’s Day Caddis Patterns.

If it’s streamers you’re after we’ve got you covered there as well with all of your Missouri River favorites and a bunch of WCA Exclusives you’ll only find in one shop! Looking for foam? We’ve got more foam than we’ve ever had. Come check out the ever-expanding largest selection of bugs ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek Montana.

Plenty of lodging available this week, not so much in the weeks to come. Call today and book your Missouri River fly fishing trip of a lifetime. We are your go-to Missouri River fly fishing destination with on-site lodging, Adipose and RO Drift Boat Rentals, a fully stocked first-rate fly shop featuring anything and everything you need for fishing the MO’ and beyond and a guide crew and shop staff unmatched in their commitment to professionalism and exceptional customer service. WCA is the best fly shop you never knew existed! We hear it all of the time….”I never knew you guys were here.”

Stop by soon and see for yourself what the buzz is about.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:35-06:00May 3rd, 2016|Categories: Fishing Report, Uncategorized|Tags: caddis, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, Montana, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

On the Road Report: Spring Sting Edition.

Sorry to confuse you folks out there buts it’s Spring Sting not Springsteen. I can understand the confusion, especially when you say it fast enough. Needless to say we won’t be talking about The Boss, New Jersey’s favorite son. Instead I feel the need to address a feeling I’m sure many of you are sharing with me at this time. It took W.C.A guide, beer slinger and all around bearded, flannel clad ~~hippie~~ trout-bum Matt Hargrave to put to words that I’ve been battling with internally for the past two or so weeks. It’s the Spring Sting, that feeling you get when you’ve been pent-up in the canyon for close to eight months, the weather is reminiscent of my time in Southeast Alaska, it’s cold, my waders still leak and fishing options are limited because gauges across the state look a lot like, well sort of what you would expect with the warmer weather last week, crap. The good news my friends, looks can be deceiving.

(more…)

By Zach King|2016-10-25T16:15:35-06:00April 28th, 2016|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing, Uncategorized|Tags: fly fishing, Montana, spring fishing, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Mark Your Calendars: Bugs & Suds Tying Night with Vince Wilcox.

If you’ve fished the Missouri in the last 4 or so years you’ve probably heard of a little mayfly nymph named Wilcox’s Little Green Machine. If you haven’t heard of it, I don’t know what to tell you except you should probably reconsider your choice of fly shop. The LGM is pretty much a must have for your box and is now a standard, go-to Missouri River fly once the smaller techy bugs start getting some attention. The man behind the Green Machine, Vince Wilcox will be joining us all the way from his home in the Adirondack Mountains of New York for a relaxed evening of fly tying and food during his yearly pilgrimage to Western trout waters. The grill will be cranking out burgers and dogs and we’ll supply some beverages to go along. Bring your tying vice, materials, tools and pull up a chair along side on the most creative tiers of our time. The fun begins on May 5th at 6 p.m. at the shop with a ~~sit down, question and answer period~~ fish stories and other lies, probably. In all seriousness folks, this is not an instructional course, all skill levels are welcome to attend and share techniques, tips and just enjoy some, what I would imagine to be, decent company and good beer at the least.

~Cheers, Chewy.

By Zach King|2016-10-25T16:15:36-06:00April 20th, 2016|Categories: Montana Fly Fishing, Shop Life, Uncategorized|Tags: fly tying, Montana, montana fly shops, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

3 Pot Days…The Season is Here!

We had the first three coffee pot day of the season Saturday at WCA which means the 2016 season has now REALLY officially begun.
If you were out here this weekend you know the ramps were looking like Mid-June and there was no shortage of company on the water.

Friday brought us a substantial winter storm with several inches of slushy snow, howling north winds, power outages, jack-knifed Semi Trailers….the real deal. Despite having no power for the first hour of the day we persevered for the die-hard anglers who showed up selling bugs by flashlight and we even ended up doing a guide trip that day. A little snow and wind wasn’t enough to deter our clients or our guide. They ended up having a good day out there and liked it so much they returned the next day for more.

Friday’s winter weather gave way to blue skies, sunshine and temps in the 50’s and 60’s for the remainder of the weekend and the people came in droves! It was by far our busiest weekend of the year so far with a full house, a bunch of guide trips out and plenty of day-trippers swinging in for bugs and shuttles and more.

As measured by coffee consumption – winter and early spring days are generally a one-pot affair with a good share of that being consumed by the WCA crew. We’ve definitely had a couple of two-pot days over the past month but now we’ve crossed the line into the busy season with the first of what will be many three and four pot days. Some have proclaimed our coffee to be the best in the canyon, others have not. Regardless, the coffee is on us so the price is right. Stop in for a cup next time you are in Wolf Creek and decide for yourself.

Fishing reports were definitely a mixed bag this weekend but the consensus is that things are inconsistent right now. The blue sky sunny days can make things tough, especially if you’re wanting to play the dry-fly or streamer game. Nymphing can be tough on these days as well but is generally the best bet for putting fish in the net. No big changes on the menu just yet. We’re still getting them on pink stuff and firebeads but LGM’s, Split Case BWO’s, BWO Magic Flies, PT’s, Tailwater Sows, zebras, Lightning Bugs and a host of other Missouri River favorites have started to turn on as well.

Cloud cover is your best bet for streamer fishing and while you will likely see BWO’s and midges coming off in big numbers daily, the sunny days have been a bust. Cloud cover or last light are what you need if you intend to play the dry-fly game.

The bad news if you want to fish dries is that we’re in for a week of sunshine and blue skies. That being said, with temps in the 70’s daily and little wind in the forecast the good news is that we’re going to have some gorgeous days on the water this week. Plenty of lodging available at this point though things fill up for the weekend and will likely fill in for the early part of the week as well as it looks like we’re going to see another Missoula Hatch come off with rivers on the rise again over there.

Things are definitely getting busy out there but you can still find plenty of solitude during the week. It’s a great time of year to book a Missouri River guide trip.

Some great deals still to be had on winter gear and clearance items in the shop. Stop in for bargains and while you are here check out all the new stuff including bins overflowing with great new bugs.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:37-06:00April 18th, 2016|Categories: Fishing Report, Uncategorized|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, Missouri River Spring Special Guide Rates, Montana, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Arriving Daily – BWO Days Ahead.

It’s another gorgeous start to the week here in Wolf Creek with sunshine and 70 degrees. Another nice day to soak up the sun though not the preferred fishing conditions.

It looks like we’ve got some favorable BWO days coming with a chance of rain every day for the remainder of the week. We might see 70 tomorrow but then things cool down for the rest of the week with more seasonable weather. Cloudy with a chance of rain each day and highs in the 40’s and 50’s. Sunshine returns this weekend.

In the meantime we could see some great fishing this week with prime conditions for throwing dries or chucking streamers. The nymphing will continue to produce as well as we make the transition into full-on spring fishing.

Keep running those Bubble Yum Scuds, Rainbow Czechs, Firebeads etc but make sure to throw some mayfly nymphs into the mix. The time is now. Little Green Machines, Split Case BWO’s, Psycho Mays, Juju’s, LB’s in all flavors, Allen’s Holla-Back Girl in pink or purple, S & M’s, 2 Bits, Juan’s Hi-Def Baetis, Peep Shows, Hot Belly PT’s….it’s time to both broaden and think outside of the box.

Our nymph bins are overflowing with hot new patterns as well as tried and true Missouri River staples. We’ve also got a bunch of new dry flies including some great midge clusters and BWO patterns.

What’s happening on the streamer side of the equation? Still a little slow out there but the conditions say GO and if you’re going to go then you need to commit!

Best bug for me as of late has been the old standby Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow Sculpin but we’ve got piles of new bugs (and old ones as well) in the bins which are just a cast and a strip away from being crushed by a hungry 2′ brown. Keller’s Montana Mouthwash in Olive or White, Kraft’s Kreelex in all flavors, Gongas, JJ’s, Polar Leeches and a bunch of WCA exclusives from ZK!

We’re running our spring special rates on lodging and guide trips through the end of the month so don’t miss out on the opportunity to experience world-class fishing on the Missouri River minus the crowds of late spring and summer. $400 guide trips and $99 cabins or bungalows along with our always affordable single and double motel units. While you are here stop in the shop and take advantage of blow out pricing on spring clearance items from all of your favorite companies.

We’ve got vacancies through the early part of the week but only one cabin left for the weekend which will likely be gone by the end of the day. Why not make it yours today. Guides are at the ready so give us a call and put us to work for you.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:37-06:00April 11th, 2016|Categories: Fishing Report, Uncategorized|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, Missouri River Spring Special Guide Rates, Montana, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

On The Road Report: Well, Sort of Edition.

I know I promised everybody another installment of OTR but I failed. I failed and I’m sorry. It’s just between getting the shop ship shape for Spring, a phone that doesn’t seem to stop ringing, moving myself into the summer cabin, crappy weather and two couch surfing trout bums over the past few days I just couldn’t manage. It’s really just the combination of the latter two, I blame the hippies and wind. Either way, I was able to make it out with two good buddies of mine Will from Bozeman who just needed an excuse to get off the Gallatin and Bill, guide at large getting in some spring fishing before the season really kicks off . So it’s sort of an On The Road Report, for those two guys at least. Between the three of us we did two pretty similar floats, Mid-Cannon to Pelican and Mid to Mtn. Palace, with two very similar results. Not sure they were the ones any of us expected, but whatever, that’s fishing.

First float was with Will from Mid to Pelican. Looking back on the weather report from that morning and the overall length of the float, it was ambitious. Roughly 11 miles with wind and rain moving in later that afternoon. In hindsight we should have taken out at Prewett Creek. Wind was haneous, to the point that I considered dawning my p.f.d. after one particular gust of wind. Despite the hostile weather later in the day we managed to pull in a few on nymphs and got some great chases and hook ups on streamers. B.W.Os were out for a while before the rain rolled in, but we had a pretty short window to fish to risers podded up in the soft water.

Second trip was with Bill from Mid to Mtn. Palace. Lessons learned from the day before we stuck to the shorter float. Lots of wind throughout the canyon but the skies were clear this time. Didn’t see as many baetis as the previous day, likely because of the bluebird conditions. Still saw a few coming to to surface on clusters of midges. I was able to pull a few decent bows’ to the boat on nymphs but Bill stole the show with a pair of back to back Browns on the streamer. Kid hasn’t been in town 24 hours and hangs 40″+ of buttery Missouri River goodness. Probably had a lot to do with the fly though, hand tied by your truly, articulated with just the right amount of flash.

Like I said before, two similar floats with two similar outcomes, and not what we were expecting. Over the course of the two days between the three of us, we got more chases, hits and hookups from big streamers off hard banks and in deep trenches. Coincidence? Maybe, but my thought is that the bigger fish lower in the system are HUNGRY! I’m talking HANGRY, charging out of the depths with a vengeance and just crushing the fly. What I’m getting at is that in might be worth your while to dedicate a day to throwing some big junk and trophy hunting. Ditch the bobber for float or ten and you may surprise yourself. If you do decide to play the streamer game, here’s five for your box I think will drum up some beefcakes. Okay and some dries and nymphs too…

Streamers: Circus Peanut, Sex Dungeon, Cat Toy, Articulated Sparkle Minnow & ZK’s Mercenary.

Nymphs: Tung. Split Case BWO, LGM, Psycho May, BWO Wondernymph & Rainbow Czechs.

Dries: Q’s Cluster Midge, WCA Trude, Prachute Adams, Buzzballs & Sprout Baetis.

~Cheers, Chewy.

By Zach King|2016-10-25T16:15:37-06:00April 8th, 2016|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing, Uncategorized|Tags: baetis, brown trout, fly fishing, Montana, spring fishing, Streamer Fishing, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Previous 212223 Next