Montana Archives - Page 23 of 34

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.

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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

Weekend Outlook 4.01.16

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.

By Zach King|2016-10-25T16:15:37-06:00April 2nd, 2016|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing, Uncategorized|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, midge, Missouri River, Montana, spring, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

On the Road Report: Bugs & Suds Edition.

It’s the fifth official day of spring here in Montana which means a few things. 1) The weather is unpredictable. Like a drunk stumbling home after a weekend bender, it’s puking snow one minute, pissing rain the next or warm enough to pass out in a field on the way home. 2) Bugs. With water and air temps on the rise Spring marks the beginning of the hatches that are (for most people) a welcome end to a winter of frozen hands and following bobbers all day. And 3) It’s the only opportunity I get before summer sets in to fish with friends of mine whose careers keep them busy all season long. So when my buddy Eric, a wild land firefighter for the USFS, wanted to hit up some freestone west of the divide before a summer of chasing lightning strikes, I didn’t hesitate. Also his awesome wife Val is expecting their first child, so needless to say, time is very limited.

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By Zach King|2016-10-25T16:15:37-06:00March 25th, 2016|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing|Tags: Fishing Report, fly fishing, Montana, Philipsburg MT, Rock Creek, Skwala, Stoneflies, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

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

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!

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:38-06:00March 21st, 2016|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: Adipose, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Holter Dam, Izaaks, Kast Gear, Loop, Missouri River, Missouri River Spring Special Guide Rates, Montana, RO Drift Boats, running line, St Croix, The Oasis, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

End of the Week Fishing Report: Better Redd than Dead Edition.

Just to clarify for all the baby boomers out there, no this post will not be addressing the merits of Communism. A Commi is a Red and a trout spawning is a Redd, got it? With the official first day of spring just around the corner it’s the time of year our resident trout make their way from the slower, deeper water into shallower, quicker water, side channels and tributaries to procreate. I won’t bore you with the full biological breakdown of the process, instead just a few basics of what to look out for so you can try and avoid the egg piles.

Photo courtesy of MT FWP

Like I said, when trout are spawning they like shallow, gravel bottomed areas with a decent current moving over them. Before the females lay their eggs they’ll use their bellies to create somewhat of a shallow bowl in the gravel, clear of aquatic vegetation and silt. This nest is what makes the egg piles visible to us and where the eggs will lay for a period of a few months before they hatch. Eggs aren’t usually visible on the gravel because after they’re fertilized the Hen (female) will move upstream of the pile and toss gravel into the current to cover them, protecting the eggs from predators. At this point fish are particularly vulnerable to other creatures higher on the food chain, including us.

At this point I could hop on my soapbox and tell you all how, unethical, unsportsmanlike and down right disrespectful fishing these egg piles is; but I won’t. Suffice it to say that if you are intentionally fishing redds, your actions are having a huge negative impact on everybody’s fishery. On to the fishing report….

Fishing on the MO has been pretty killer lately. Lots of good reports from all disciplines on the fly. The surface game has been hit or miss depending on wind and time of day. Midges are still the name of the game for a few more weeks until B.W.Os start making their ever so welcome appearance. Nymping has still been the most productive means to get fish to the net. Typical winter/spring fare still at the top of the menu for the time being. Along with the spawn comes the hot-bead hatch; smaller sizes like a 16-14 have been doing well in a variety of flavors. Matched with a larger lead fly like a 10-12 in a czech, sow-bug imitation has been a solid double set up for the past few days. As water temps have been increasing the streamer bite has picked up quite a bit as well. With fish more willing to chase down some bigger morsels after their cold water inebriation I’ve focused a lot of my time attention here for a few reasons. 1) I usually equate bigger flies with bigger fish, 2) The eats are usually explosive and 3) It’s a nice change of pace from following a bobber all winter. Been getting most of my hookups either right off the bank on the strip or dredging it through drop offs and seams. Whatever way you decide to get fishy this weekend make sure to swing by and check out the greatest fly selection in Wolf Creek, here are my humble fly suggestions to get you going for the start of spring…

Dries: Q’s Peacock Cluster, Griffiths Gnat, Hi-Vis Midge, Hanging Midge & Midge Emerger.

Nymphs: Pinkalicious, Amex, Rainbow Czech, Hot-Head Sow, Tailwaters Sow, Granatos Snack-Nasty-Sow & Zebras

Streamers: Polar Leeches, Hot-Head Buggers, Skiddish Smolt, Micro-Suckers, ZK’s Ragnar & Boufaces’

~Cheers, Chewy.

By Zach King|2016-10-25T16:15:38-06:00March 18th, 2016|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing|Tags: fly fishing, midges, Montana, nymphs, spring fishing, streamers, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Spring Water Outlook

Screenshot (54)

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.

Screenshot (55)

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.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:38-06:00March 17th, 2016|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: fly fishing, Missouri River, Montana, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

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