Montana Archives - Page 4 of 32

The Shift

And just like that the BLUR shifts to the break as the traffic thins and we’re able to take a breath.

It seems the crowds have gone the way of the PMD’s….waning. Even as Tricos continue to move up river and the evening caddis action is heating up there has been a noticeable shift in angling pressure and while I wouldn’t exactly call the daytime traffic “light” if you wait until evening to fish you may not see another boat.

Many of the out of area guides have headed to their home waters as most everything has come into shape leaving us with a bit of a break in the traffic smack dab in the middle of PRIME DRY FLY TIME.

Tricos, Caddis and Terrestrials all on the menu right now and you can even continue to drown nymphs if you choose though it would seemingly be a shame to do so considering the dry fly madness happening around you. Hunt those heads and deliver the goods to your chosen fish or fish blind with a caddis, an ant, or a hopper and see what happens if the head hunting thing stresses you out.

Unlike the past several weeks we do have a few lodging vacancies. Guide trips are still going full tilt and available guides will continue to be hard to come by. Boat rentals have been at capacity these past couple of weeks continuing through this weekend and then things open up. Shuttles have continued to sell out daily so make sure to get here early or arrange the day before if you want to guarantee your shuttle.

Summer heat has arrived. We’ll be seeing temps approaching 100 a few times over the next few days but whether it’s 90 or 100, it’s going to be HOT regardless. Expect an abundance of rec float traffic this weekend with a high of 97 expected and plan accordingly. Start your day early and take the hottest part of the day off leaving the river to the float brigade. Return in the evening for awesome caddis action.

River flows continue to fluctuate and are currently at 5730 CFS. We should see it settle out at around 4K soon but we’re liking where we’re at for mid-July with good flow and temps holding in the low 60s, especially considering that a couple of months ago we were all but sounding the alarm as low snow pack had us wondering if we wouldn’t be on Hoot Owl in June. As it turns out, the late spring precipitation coupled with cool temps has us halfway through the season with the landscape still predominantly green and the water in great shape.

Weeds are in the early stages. Not bad at this point but a factor from here on out.

The shop is open from 6:30 AM – 5 PM daily with all of your Missouri River Summer Heat Fly Fishing Essentials. Sun Screen, Buffs, Eyewear, Simms SolarFlex Hoodies, shorts and flip flops; Fishpond and Simms sun hats, Ice, Fishing Licenses, Shuttles and of course the largest selection of flies ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek Montana.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-07-12T10:27:39-06:00July 12th, 2022|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, Montana, running line, tricos, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Summer Days on the Missouri

Summer officially arrived last week and with it The Blur which is how we refer to this portion of the season when days blur together and the busy weeks we anticipate, prepare for and look forward to all year fly past, carrying us to the Dog Days of August and soon after the start of the fall season. Do you have your fall dates booked? It’ll be here before you know it.

We saw some fluctuations in flows last week which left some frustrated, but things have since stabilized and we’re currently looking at flows of 4100 CFS where they will likely hold for the remainder of the season. Water temps are creeping up with summer’s heat having finally arrived, but at 58 – 59 degrees we’ve got absolutely nothing to complain about.

Conditions are truly ideal right now with stable flows of cold clean water, lush green landscapes and happy, hungry trout feasting on PMD’s daily. The long days mean long hours on the water with many dry fly obsessed anglers fishing the last light of the day.

These are the days that define Montana fly fishing in the minds of many. And these are the days we savor every season.

The fishing has been phenomenal more days than not except for those couple of days with the big bumps and drops in flows.

PMD’s are still the main course though we’re approaching the end of the PMD cycle over the next two weeks. Caddis action is somewhat sparse but seems to be gaining momentum. Look for things to improve as we close out the month of June and roll into the 4th of July weekend. PMD’s still here. Caddis gaining steam and Tricos on the way. It’s Dry Fly Nirvana on the Mighty MO. Oh, and don’t forget…hoppers aren’t that far off!

We’ve got you covered with massive quantities of dry fly patterns for all of the above along with a vast array of floatants and a wide variety of general and specialty lines for your optimum dry fly presentation. We’ve got everything you need to make it happen…the rest is up to you.

There are plenty of folks throwing bobbers as well and hooking up plenty. PMD nymphs (split case, magic fly, redemption, Psycho May, etc. ) and caddis nymphs should be your go to bugs but don’t count the sowbugs out. Sowbugs are always on the menu. Best sellers the past week from the nymph bins include Tailwater Sows, Purple Weight flies, Frenchies, Perdigons, Split Case PMD’s, Little Green Machines and PMD Redemption.

Stop in and stock up on bugs and sun protection and ice and whatever else you need for your day on the water. Shuttles have been crazy to the point that we’re cutting off shuttle sales fairly early each day depending on the traffic. Get here early to make sure you can get a shuttle. We aren’t the only ones cutting shuttles off so you could find yourself without a shuttle if you arrive late on a busy day. We apologize for the inconvenience, it’s a BUSY year on the Missouri!

We continue to get a ton of calls daily for guide trips and while we have been able to pull the proverbial rabbit out of the hat a few times chances are slim that we’ll be able to book any additional trips over these next couple of weeks. The same holds true for lodging. We do get cancellations here and there but for the most part we are booked solid through the middle of July. Things open up at the end of the month.

Welcome back to the Blur. We hope to see you soon. We’re open 7 AM – 5 PM daily and will adjust accordingly once the Tricos commence.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-06-27T16:02:07-06:00June 27th, 2022|Categories: Fishing Report, Shop Life|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, green machine, Missouri River, Montana, pmd's, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

NOT the Missouri River NPS / Jacob W. Frank

The calls have been non-stop the past few days with concerned guests calling to check on conditions in response to national news coverage of the devastating flooding on the Yellowstone River and elsewhere in the region.

Our hearts go out to our friends in Gardiner, Livingston, Red Lodge and elsewhere as they pick up the pieces following this historic flood event. Still on the rebound from suffering through the effects of the Covid economy the past two seasons, this is a tough pill to swallow. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected.

That being said, Montana is a BIG state and what’s happening 150 miles away is not happening here on the Missouri. Even so, conditions have evolved dramatically over the past few weeks and what looked like a season of low flows on the MO now looks to be the ideal conditions we hope for every season.

We’re seeing a big bump in flows right now, currently at 8380 CFS, a far cry from the static 3K flows predicted for the entire season just a month ago but nothing to be worried about. Bumps and drops definitely have an immediate effect on the fishing, don’t get me wrong, but we’re looking at the Big Picture here and we’re loving what we’re seeing.

A couple thousand CFS increase carries with it a lot of debris as the waters rise and carry away the accumulation of wood and other objects lining our low flow exposed river bed but once it’s carried said debris downstream things tend to settle and stabilize fairly quickly. We haven’t reached peak flows and I won’t venture a guess where that’s going to end up but we do have a high confidence that flows will recede to a steady 4-5K in the not too distant future, perfect conditions for our summer season.

The bottom line is that if you’re coming to fish the MO you can expect great conditions and great fishing. It may not be that 3K loved by so many of the wade angling crowd but the fact of the matter is 3K is simply not good for the MO.

There may be a few challenging days here and there with bumps and drops in the flows but overall the 2022 water outlook is shaping up to be so much better than we thought possible just a month ago.

We’re happy to take your calls of concern and we’re ready to talk some of you off of the ledge if necessary but rest assured, your 2022 Missouri River fly fishing pilgrimage is not in jeopardy.

PMD’s are here and will be the mainstay for the next several weeks. Caddis in play as well with Tricos just around the corner.

Higher flows are perfect for the nymphers with Sows and Scuds and Worms and Crays on the menu along with those Split Case PMD’s, Magic Flies, Psycho Mays, Frenchies, etc.

Streamer fishing is typically on the wane this time of year but with this unexpected increase in flows and the cool conditions which have kept our water relatively clean and weed free we would most certainly recommend chucking meat if that’s your thing.

We’ve had a few cancellations from the wade crowd, scared off by the flows so if a last minute trip to the MO is on the agenda give us a call, we may just have a room for you and we most certainly have rental boats available most days for the next couple of weeks.

We’re open 7 AM – 5 PM daily with everything you need for your day on the MO. High water nymphs, the best dry fly selection in the canyon, streamers a plenty, Simms waders and boots, Flyagra, Sun Protection, Oros indicators, shuttles, Adipose Drift Boat rentals and so much more.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-06-16T14:00:22-06:00June 16th, 2022|Categories: Fishing Report, Shop Life|Tags: caddis, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, Montana, running line, Streamer Fishing, tricos, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler, Yellowstone River|0 Comments

PMD’s are what’s on the menu. Stop by Wolf Creek Angler for the widest selection of Missouri River flies ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek Montana.

Our steady flow towards PRIME TIME on the MO was interrupted briefly yesterday with a significant bump from 3000 CFS to 5200 CFS reportedly due to dam maintenance. They dropped flows back to 4700 CFS today and we’ll likely see another drop overnight into tomorrow when things should begin to stabilize once again.

Conditions had been prime for the coming BIG PMD SHOW and we should be back on track soon with stabilizing flows and water temps hanging in the mid 50’s. The weather these next few days will be conducive to bug activity with highs nearing 80 through the weekend. We’ll cool down again starting on Sunday, dropping back to highs in the 60s and overnight lows in the 40s but the 10 day shows another warm up late next week.

Judging by the number of bugs we’ve been seeing, particularly in the canyon, we’re expecting good things to happen VERY soon. We can’t guarantee bugs or feeding fish on any given day but we can guarantee that if you aren’t prepared with the latest and greatest PMD patterns from WCA then you’re putting yourself at a tremendous disadvantage every time you hit the water with the potential for epic dry fly fishing looming.

Stop in and see us and we’ll get you set up for the Big Show and also get you lined out with all the must have nymphs you shouldn’t be without. Think SPLIT CASE PMD’s! We’ve got em’ by the bin full.

Crazy Big Snow pack numbers are keeping us perplexed and optimistic for what’s to come. Canyon Ferry continues to fill and is currently at 76.5% full. Tribs are not doing much. Little Prickly Pear hasn’t done much of anything and the Dearborn is on the drop. Still floatable for sure but trending the wrong way at this point. We’ll see what effect the coming mini heat wave has on flows over these next few days.

Water is on the rise around much of the region, making the Missouri River THE destination for fly fishing in Montana at the moment. A fair amount of traffic out there with busy boat ramps but everyone seems to be playing nice so far. Going out of your way to be kind and respectful to your fellow anglers and river recreationalists is the right thing to do and will stack your ledger with good fishing karma!

We’re just entering the outer edges of The Blur right now, that time of year when the rooms are all full, the boats are all out, the days blend together, the weeks fly by and before you know it Prime Time is in the rearview. But, we’re not there yet. We’re settling in and getting acclimated to making the proverbial hay.

We’re open from 7 AM to 5 PM daily with everything you need for your day on the water. Shuttles, bugs, boats, sun protection, Simms wading and rain gear, awesome Lamson rods and reels, SA, Airflo and Rio lines, leaders and tippet, Fishpond nets and accessories, piles of new WCA logo wear and the friendliest shop crew on the river.

Stop in and see us soon.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-06-08T16:51:31-06:00June 8th, 2022|Categories: Shop Life, Uncategorized|Tags: dry fly fishing, Missouri River, Montana, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Winter Returns

24 degrees this Monday morning in Wolf Creek with a light snow falling…the calm before the storm.

There is a Winter Storm Warning in effect from 6 PM tonight through 6 AM Wednesday for heavy snow and gusty winds starting late this afternoon.

We saw temps near 80 degrees last Friday and while it’s hard to not enjoy a day like that, we hope we don’t see that again for at least the rest of April. The forecast is calling for blustery north winds at 24 – 28 mph this evening with 4-8 inches of snow expected followed by more of the same with an additional 2 – 4 inches of snow tomorrow. The snow tapers off on Wednesday but we won’t make it above freezing that day and the temps actually dip into the single digits Wednesday night with a low of 6.

Things return to somewhat more seasonable conditions starting on Thursday with daily highs in the low 40s. Storm Total snow accumulations of 5-10 inches expected at lower elevations with 10 – 20 inches of desperately needed snowfall expected in the mountains. Let’s hope so!

We had a fairly busy week of guide trips scheduled and have already cancelled all trips for Tuesday and Wednesday. Hopefully we’ll be able to salvage a few days at the end of the week.

The extended forecast looks good as far as fishing weather goes with temps back in the 50’s next week but we’ll take as much of this winter weather as we can get.

Our lodging is 100 percent open now with plenty of availability throughout the rest of the month. Things get progressively busier once we hit May but we’ve generally got at least a vacancy or two most nights until we hit June so we hope you make us your Missouri River spring fly fishing destination.

The shop is bursting with new gear. In fact we’re running out of places to put it all.

We’re open at 8 AM daily with everything you need from guides to lodging to shuttles to flies and all the gear you could possibly want.

Sit back and enjoy the spring snow storm resting assured that this is exactly what we need, and we’ll see you on the other side.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-04-11T09:58:31-06:00April 11th, 2022|Categories: Local Buzz, Shop Life|Tags: Missouri River, Montana, running line, winter, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

7,000 Trout Per Mile – source Jason Mullen FWP Fisheries Biologist

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Fisheries Biologist Jason Mullen delivered the annual State of the Missouri presentation last Wednesday in Helena in a meeting held at Montana Wild Education Center by Pat Barnes Missouri River Trout Unlimited and while there were some encouraging revelations, it sounds like the challenges posed by drought conditions will persist in 2022.

First the good news.

6,611 RAINBOW TROUT PER MILE.

Mullen reported the second highest number of rainbow trout over 10” long on record in the Craig section (Wolf Creek Bridge to Craig), more than doubling estimates from surveys from the previous two years. This number is second only to the 2012 estimate of 7,068.

Coupled with the brown trout estimate of 362 fish per mile which is down considerably from the long term average of 560 but still within normal parameters, that’s a trout count of nearly 7000 fish per mile in the Craig stretch. The Missouri fishery continues to amaze.

Drilling down into the data the good news continues. 2021 surveys saw an estimate of 1400 rainbows per mile in the 20 plus inch size class, a number we would expect to see drop off this season, though with the abundance of small fish in the 6” – 7” class we saw in 2020, it’s very possible the big fish trend will continue through 2022. 2021 surveys revealed good numbers of rainbows in the 9” – 10” range which should continue to bode well for big fish numbers on the MO.

The brown trout saw big numbers in the 6” – 8” range, very few in the 9” – 16” range and upward trends in the 17” – 24” range with each of those last size classes numbering somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 fish per mile. We would expect to see a lot of those fish in the 10” – 16” size range this season, hopefully with a stable population of big browns in the mix.

This is all great news on the fishery front in the Craig stretch and truly amazing when you consider the pressure on the fishery which ranked second only to the Madison in 2019, the last year for which we have data, with 154,628 angler days. It’s worth noting that this angler use figure is down from the previous two which were 170,736 and 183,479 in 2017 and 2015 respectively. It’s a lot of use no matter how you cut it but the downward trend is surprising and one I’d expect will change once the 2021 numbers are in which will include last year’s Pandemic Migration to Montana. Trip related expenses for anglers on the Missouri totaled over $60 Million in revenue in 2019 which makes the MO and fishing in Montana in general, a MAMMOTH portion of the state’s economy.

Now the not so good news.

2021 saw extremely low flows and high water temps and with not having had much of a winter the reality is that absent a very wet spring, we’re likely in for more of the same in 2022.

The Missouri saw Hoot Owl restrictions in July of 2021, the first time this has happened in over 20 years, when low flows and water temps in the 70 degree range coupled with high angling pressure caused FWP to announce the closure.

We had essentially self-imposed our own Hoot Owl restrictions for guide trips a couple of weeks prior and stopped booking new trips altogether for the summer season at that same time. It’s unfortunate, but we’re readying ourselves for similar conditions in 2022 and we’re prepared to do the same things again. Canyon Ferry is currently 68 percent full so we’ve got a ways to go and while snowpack is currently in the 70 – 80 percent range, most probable flow conditions project flows to be essentially right where there at, in the 3,000 CFS range, all season long.

We would love to see massive amounts of precipitation over these next couple of months to bring things back into shape but as always, our main concern is doing what we need to do to take care of the resource and if this means taking a financial hit we’re ready to do so.

Pray for rain!

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-04-06T12:06:18-06:00April 6th, 2022|Categories: Fishing Report, Uncategorized|Tags: brown trout, Canyon Ferry, Craig MT, Holter Dam, Hoot Owl Closures, Missouri River, Montana, running line, State of the Missouri, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

March Midge Madness on the MO’

Last week’s arctic blast is but a memory now as spring weather and spring traffic have arrived on the MO this week.

Seven cabins open, Seven Cabins full as we host our friends from Freestone Fly Shop in Hamilton this week. Despite the standard intermittent breezy conditions most days, you really couldn’t ask for better Mid-March weather. And the fishing? Suffice it to say, it has not sucked.

The midge action has delivered the most consistent late winter/early spring dry fly fishing I’ve experienced here on the Missouri. I reported a couple of weeks back about an epic dry fly outing I’d had while on a puppy training float and at the time I felt like I lucked out and happened upon the best day of 2022 midge action but from the reports we’re getting in the shop it seems it was just one of many epic dry fly days. It seems that most days, absent the wind, the fish are up in big numbers, feasting on tiny midges. Mind you it’s not everywhere, but if you know where to look and the wind conditions allow for it, most afternoons are providing an abundance of opportunities. Smiles all around for those seeking out the early season dry fly experience as well as those rocking the bobber and stumbling into it. It’s been a fun few weeks and it appears the fun will continue with midges indefinitely with BWO’s not too far out on the horizon.

The Griffiths Gnat has been king in a size #18 but we’ve also heard of plenty of success with midge clusters, parachute Adams, Buzzballs and more. Bins and bins of midge patterns at WCA, each worth at least a try. If you’re a member of the deteriorating vision crowd such as myself and love the idea of sticking with the same rig all day long then by all means go with the GG and call it good but if you’re a techy type and love the process of feeding them pattern after pattern to see just how many they’ll eat we’ve got plenty of options for you.

Nymphing has been solid and status quo for the time of season with Pill Poppers, UV Yum Yums, Rainbow Czechs, Caviar Scuds, Soft Hackle Sows, Zebras and the like keeping things easy but the times they are a changing and Mayflies are now integrating into the sub surface buffet. Maybe think about a Little Green Machine or Psycho May or BWO Magic Fly or Radiation Baetis…they sky is the limit.

Most are finding a Pill Popper and a tailwater Sow rig will get it done all day long but if you want to show them something different you may increase your odds by throwing in a mayfly nymph now and again. Totally your call but regardless of the route you pursue we’ve got you covered with full bins of every flavor including all of your favorite jig patterns. Spanish Bullets, Perdigons and standard jigs…we’ve got piles of them.

And as if all of this wasn’t enough, don’t forget spring is Streamer TIME on the MO. Swing or strip, you decide. Both methods are effective and are currently being utilized with varying degrees of success daily. We’ve got a string of Swing trips slated for the next two weeks and the single hand set is starting to show up as well. Polar Leeches, Balanced Leeches, Kreelex, Thin Mints, Buggers, Fruit Rollups on the Swing. Meatier offerings if you’re bombing the banks. Just make sure you’re swimming deep and slow as not to discourage would-be aggressors from putting forth the effort. Strip too fast and they’ll watch it fly by as it just doesn’t make sense for them to expend that kind of energy to chase it down under the current conditions. That being said, water temps are on the slow climb so it might not hurt to try a fast retrieve or two just to see what happens.

We’re open daily at 8 AM with everything you need for your day on the water. Bugs, Shuttles, Boats, Lodging, 2022 Fishing Licenses, Cold Weather Gear, Rain Gear, Wading Gear, Lines, Leaders, Tippet, Nets, Tools, Sunscreen, Ice, Headwear, Footwear, Hand wear, Eyewear and more.

Lodging is full through the weekend but opens up next week. Guide trips are starting to roll but plenty of availability both below Holter and at the Land of the Giants. Call and book your trip today!

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-03-16T08:18:47-06:00March 15th, 2022|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, midge, Missouri River, Montana, running line, Streamer Fishing, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Winter Holding On

As if on cue, last week’s mild temperatures which spurred us to de-winterize and open up a couple more cabins, were replaced this week with another arctic blast. We’ve seen the brunt of it though temps will dip down into the negative digits tonight with wind chill factors hovering near -10.

The warm up will be underway starting tomorrow with temps back in the 30’s and we will see 50’s by the weekend and into the first part of next week. Expect breezy conditions this weekend with the warmer air moving in with gusts of to 33 mph expected on Saturday.

We’re expecting a busy week on the MO next week. We’ve got a full house starting on Monday and I would expect we aren’t the only ones.

Despite the frigid conditions out there at the moment warm spring days aren’t far off. Spring Fever has started to take hold and the MO is your perfect spring fishing getaway.

Things are still in Winter Mode in Wolf Creek and Craig for the moment but it won’t be long before things start to open up and before you know it we’ll be back in full swing.
In the meantime you’d be smart to make Wolf Creek Angler your destination as we offer kitchenettes in all of our open lodging. And speaking of lodging, there’s just 11 days left to take advantage of our Winter Guide Trip and Lodging Special which means that spring is less than two weeks away!

The expected product floodgates didn’t exactly break open wide last week as we had anticipated. Two words….and I bet you can guess what they are….Supply Chain. So we’re not where we thought we’d be with spring product but we’ve got your essentials covered. Bugs, leader, line and tippet are fully stocked and chances are we’ve got most of what you need outside of that as well. We’re light on waders and boots at the moment but should have those items in very soon.

We’ve got plenty of cold weather gear, nets, tools and accessories, 2022 fishing licenses, 2022 Adipose Flow rental boats and much more.

The pre cold-snap fishing report was EXTREMELY encouraging with a couple more epic days of midge action, consistently good nymphing and ever improving streamer action.

There’s nothing quite like spring fishing on the MO. The action is consistently good and while there is definitely an uptick in traffic it can still be considered the calm before the storm of the busy prime season.

As we enter Season Number 9 at WCA we couldn’t be more excited for things to get underway.

We’re open at 8 AM daily though with Daylight Savings Time beginning this Sunday you’ll probably want to push your start time to allow things to warm up a bit.

Either way, we’ll be here bright and early ready to take care of all of your Missouri River fly fishing needs.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-03-09T12:57:29-07:00March 9th, 2022|Categories: Shop Life, Uncategorized|Tags: Adipose, Craig MT, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, midge, Missouri River, Missouri River Winter Fishing, Montana, running line, Streamer Fishing, winter, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|2 Comments

In Like a Lamb

Spring is in the air this first morning of March with temps nearing 60 today and just enough moisture in the air to impart that unmistakable scent of spring. A bit of rain in the forecast starting tonight and running through Thursday. We’re under a high wind warning through this afternoon but tomorrow looks like the best day of the bunch with temps in the 50’s, a chance of rain and winds out of the south at 7-10 mph. These spring-like conditions will begin to recede at the end of the week as temps drop and the chance for snow returns. Let’s hope this next round of winter happening next week delivers as we’re in desperate need of precipitation.

It looks to be a quiet week on the MO….the calm before the storm. Winter weather or not, the switch will flip next week as spring traffic begins to arrive. We’ll likely see busier weekends and mid-week traffic will come and go but March has become the unofficial start of the season so be prepared to share the water. Mind you we’re not talking about anything remotely resembling summer traffic but to those who have been enjoying the winter solitude over the last couple of months the bubble is about to burst.

March also means busy days in the shop as the majority of our spring orders are scheduled for arrival this week. We’ll be flooded with new gear and scrambling to maximize space while attempting to transition from the puppy pen to behavioral modifications to keep Zeke out of mischief. It’s going to be an interesting spring around WCA…please bear with us as we continue to work on building a well-behaved Shop Dog.

It’s also time to open more lodging which we’ll plan on doing likely following next week’s winter (ish) weather. We’ll see what the weather brings but I would expect to have all of our cabins open by the middle of the month with the motel target date right around April 1st.

Our Winter Lodging and Guide Trip Special comes to an end on March 19th so time is running out to take advantage of the best deal on the MO.

Fishing continues to be good following last week’s deep freeze. Continue to utilize the tried and true techniques and patterns of late winter/early spring and you should be in for plenty of action. If you’re nymphing think pink with a side of Sowbug or Zebra Midge. Fire beads will also be money for the next while. Firebead Rays, Firebead Czechs, Rainbow Weight Flies and Caviar Scuds all good choices at this point. Keep your major focus on the deep slow winter water but don’t completely ignore the tail outs and similar runs with a little more speed and a little less depth. Water temps are still cold at around 35 degrees but they’ll be ticking upward from here on out, signaling to the fish that the long-awaited time to move is underway.

Look for abundant midge action on the calm days, keeping that dry fly rod rigged and ready with a Hi-Vis Adams and a Griffiths gnat in #18 or #20.

The swing action continues with Polar Leeches, Balanced Leeches, Thin Mints, Kreelex, Fruit Rollups, Buggers and the like still on the menu but look for the single hand strippers to begin to take over the streamer set as water temps come up and the energy expelled/caloric intake equation starts to favor hunting and running down those high calorie meals.

It’s our FAVORITE time for streamer fishing the MO’.

The shop is open at 8 AM daily. Brand new Adipose Flow Drift Boats for rent, 2022 Fishing Licenses and anything and everything you need for your day on the water.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-03-01T09:42:01-07:00March 1st, 2022|Categories: Shop Life, Uncategorized|Tags: Adipose, dry fly fishing, midge, Missouri River, Missouri River Winter Fishing, Montana, running line, Streamer Fishing, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler, zebra midges|0 Comments

Arctic Blast on the MO.

We’re currently emerging from an arctic blast which arrived on Sunday night and which bottomed out at -19 in Wolf Creek this morning with wind chill values as low as -30. Suffice it to say…not a lot of traffic on the river so far this week.

We’ll see highs back in the teens today, twenties tomorrow, 30’s on Friday and back in the 40’s and low 50’s over the weekend and into the first part of next week. The warmup is welcomed, especially considering the cold blast brought very little in the way of precipitation. Arctic air is much more tolerable when it comes with much needed snow. Without the snow there’s not much good about it. Cold hands, frozen pipes, too cold to do much of anything outside AND the necessity of dumping more of our precious water as increased flows are necessary to keep things from freezing at the dams.

I’d expect a somewhat busy weekend ahead with abundant sunshine and temps bumping into the 50’s Sunday – Tuesday. It’ll likely be breezy with the warmer air moving in but you shouldn’t let that deter you because if the pre-arctic blast fishing is any indication we should see a return to some damn good fishing, especially following several days of zero fishing pressure.

Nymphing will be your go to for numbers with pink in play. Try a #12 Pink Amex, Rainbow Czech, Bubble Yum Scud, Pill Popper, Caviar Scud, Pink Weight Fly, Pinkalicious etc. trailed with a black Zebra Midge, Tailwater Sow, Soft Hackle Sow, Pederson’s Sow or Lucent Bead Pink Ray. Fish the deep, slow winter water thoroughly, starting in close and working your way out. 5’ indicator to split should be a good starting point. Adjust as necessary.

Streamer fishing will be gaining steam from here on out with plenty of winter swingers still around and the single hand set starting to make an appearance as well. I hope we’ll see winter’s return yet again but as spring weather takes hold expect streamer action to heat up. March and April are probably my favorite months for streamer fishing the MO with minimal weeds and hungry trout on the hunt for maximum caloric intake. Sparkle Minnows are my go to, serving as the proverbial canary in the coal mine.

Swingers are finding success with the usual winter fare….Kreelex, Polar Leech, Thin Mint, Black or Olive Buggers, MoJo Minnows, Fruit Rollups, Pine Squirrel Leech, Balanced Leech etc.

As the water temps tick upward don’t be afraid to go bigger with your bugs and do what you can to make them dance! A varied retrieve with plenty of pauses in between generally proves to be effective but keep the strips on the SLOOOOW side for the time being.

Midge fishing last week was phenomenal. Let’s hope for some calm afternoons and hopefully a few hours here and there of epic winter dry fly fishing. Griffiths gnat is the go to but you’ll likely want to pair that with something hi-vis so you can see where you’re at. An Adams or Hi Vis Midge should do the trick.

We’ve got trips scheduled for this weekend and will likely be busy by winter standards over these next few weeks as folks take advantage of the last of the Winter Lodging and Guide Trip Special which comes to an end on March 19th. That’s 2 nights of premium lodging AND a Full Day Missouri River Guided Trip for one or two anglers for just $550. You won’t find a better deal ANYWHERE!

The shop is open daily at 8 AM for all of your Missouri River fly fishing needs. Our winter/spring dry fly and nymph bins are fully stocked and you won’t find a better streamer selection on the MO. Simms waders, boots and cold weather gear. Oros Strike Indicators. Rio lines, leaders and tippet. Rising nets and accessories and your 2022 Montana Fishing Licenses starting March 1st.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-02-23T14:37:55-07:00February 23rd, 2022|Categories: Shop Life, Uncategorized|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Missouri River, Missouri River Winter Fishing, Montana, running line, simms, Streamer Fishing, Winter Lodging and Guide Trip Special, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

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