Welcome March
Winter is rapidly losing its grip.
Our early spring continues here on the Missouri as we enter March with temps flirting with 60 degrees for the rest of this week.
What’s it mean for the coming season? It’s still too early to tell but the Snow Water Equivalent is still looking decent at 91% of average. We’re hoping winter persists in the high country, at least for a while but we’ve started to come to terms with the fact that we may very well have seen the last of winter weather here on the river.
Those in the know are not predicting any kind of high water event, in fact what’s being predicted is a water year very similar to 2015 with average spring flows holding around 4,000. We shall see. Spring rainfall is the big factor in the water equation so all we can do is wait and see what happens. In the meantime we are enjoying the mild weather, especially on the days the wind doesn’t blow (which are few and far between).
Traffic seems to come in spurts. We were busy in the shop and were full most of last week and even did a few guide trips but things have been pretty quiet this week with just a few guests around. If you’re planning to come out and fish this weekend we’ve got one cabin left for Friday night and two on Saturday. Looking at the forecast it’s likely we will be full so don’t miss out.
Come by the shop and see what’s new. We’ve been receiving a bunch of our spring orders and have some cool new gear from Loop, Redington, Echo, Rio and more. We’ve also got some great deals on winter gear as we make room for the new arrivals including 40% Kast Hell Razor jackets. These are awesome jackets at an unbelievable savings.
Fishing reports have been mixed this week. Some good days, some ok days and some downright slow days depending on who you ask. We’re continuing to target winterish water with winterish bugs for the most part but transition is definitely underway as the water continues to warm up.
Swingers are out in force having varying degrees of success with the two-handed rods while the single hand streamer crowd is also finding some willing players. Keep that retrieve slow for them time being but don’t limit yourself to slow water as the fish have been found in all different depths and speeds of water over the last week or two.
Dry fly fishing is a go, depending on the day. There are midges around and fish on them. Sun and wind conditions will define your day. Stay late as some of the best action has reportedly been just before dark.
We hope to see you soon, in the shop and on the water. We’re open REGULARLY at 8:00 AM Wednesday – Sunday and we’re usually around on Mondays and Tuesdays as well depending on the weather. Look for the seven-day a week shop schedule to start soon and remember we are always OPEN every day for lodging and guide trips. We will likely open more lodging up next week as we’ve had to turn people away on a fairly regular basis. We won’t open the motel units until April but we should have a couple more cabins ready to go very soon.
Stay tuned for updates!
While the numbers of fish are amazing it’s the average size of the fish that surprise a lot of first time visitors to the Missouri and keeps them coming back. More than 900 18″ Rainbows and close to 100 17″ Brown Trout per mile….this is the Missouri River!
The river section from Holter Dam to Craig is by far the most popular stretch but take a look at what’s going on in the Cascade stretch. We’re looking at above average trout populations and while there are certainly more fish up high we’re still talking about over 2300 trout per mile in the Cascade stretch. There is no reason you shouldn’t be fishing the lower river!
The fish population statistics are interesting and exciting but equally as important, if not more so, is the flow data. 2015 was not a great water year for us with average flows well below average. The Missouri certainly fared better than many other rivers in the state which saw Hoot Owl Closures for much of the season but we would definitely like to see more water this season.
Many of you may have been interviewed last season by FWP while you were out fishing the MO’ as part of the Creel Survey which began in March of last year and just wrapped up. The data are still being processed but the preliminary results are in. A few points of interest – 43% of those surveyed were non-resident anglers on par with 44% in the last creel survey in 2002. Of the resident anglers 24% were from Cascade County, 13% from Lewis and Clark and 20 % from elsewhere in Montana.
Come enjoy a pint or four at Blackfoot River Brewing Company in Helena with $1 from each pint going to benefit Pat Barnes Trout Unlimited.
Join us in support of the Pat Barnes Missouri River Chapter of Trout Unlimited. The annual banquet is a great opportunity to get together with friends and colleagues and enjoy an evening of raffles, silent and live auctions and great food. There are some tremendous items up for bid as well as the opportunity to enter various raffles including one for a Hyde Pro Series Drift Boat. Banquet tickets and Boat Raffle Tickets are available for purchase at Wolf Creek Angler.