Streamer Fishing Archives - Page 19 of 19

Weekend Report

Stormy weather on tap for this weekend. Streamer fishing anyone?

Showers and thunderstorms on tap for this weekend. Missouri River flow currently at 11,100 cfs. Anglers from around the state have descended upon Wolf Creek and Craig in search of fishable water and we’re happy to report that we have plenty of it. Fishing has been good all week but has slowed a bit with the bump in flows yesterday and today. Nymphing is still the way to go with Hotbead Wire Worms and Sow Bugs leading the charge – especially with the bigger flows. A couple of bb’s and a 6′ – 8′ leash from indy to lead should get you started. Fish the spots you know and adjust accordingly. Other bugs of choice this week have been Green Machines (Back in Stock at Wolf Creek Angler), Bubbleback emergers, dark Peep Shows, Rainbow Czechs, soft hackle sows, Tungsten tailwater sows, Tung Darts, Weight Flies in Gold and Purple and the Blue Faerie Circus in #18. It could be a worm game for a while with the higher flows. We’ve got plenty of worms in the bins though we’ve all but sold out of the hotbead wireworms. More on the way. Streamer fishing could be the way to go this weekend with cloudy skies and rain. We haven’t heard an abundance of reports on this front but we did manage to steal away for a few hours yesterday afternoon to give it a go in the canyon and it was surprisingly productive considering the blue skies and bright sun we had all day. Nothing much to report as far as dry fly action as of yet. Evenings have offered the best opportunities but for the time being it’s still primarily a sub-surface game.

A few vacancies for tonight and Sunday but for the most part the Inn is Full! Monday things open up but we’re rapidly filling up starting Tuesday and running through the remainder of the week. If you’re thinking of coming to Wolf Creek this week and you’re planning on having a place to stay we suggest you call sooner rather than later. Stop by the shop for bugs and shuttles and anything else you might need for your day on the water. RO Drift boats available for rent for $150. At 11,000 cfs we suggest you fish from a boat and we’d love to help you out with that. As long as you’re going to fish from a boat you may as well hire us to take you fishing. Expert guides standing by – ready to work.

Have a great Missouri River weekend. See you in the shop and on the water. ~ Jason O.

Missouri River Rainbow
photo courtesy of Ryan Casne

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:08-06:00May 30th, 2014|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing|Tags: Craig MT, fly fishing, green machine, Montana, nymphs, RO Drift Boats, running line, Streamer Fishing, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Friday Gear Review – St Croix Bank Robber

We are proud to be the only Authorized St Croix rod dealer in the canyon. Check out this review from Feather and Fin of the Bank Robber and stop by the shop to see and cast one for yourself. Streamer fishing has been hit or miss as of late but should improve as the water warms. Why not treat yourself to a new streamer rod this season from Wolf Creek Angler?

Gear Review: St Croix Bank Robber Fly Rod

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Spencer Knibbe

St Croix Bank Robber Review

A high performance fly rod that does exactly what was designed to do.

October fly fishing is all about throwing meaty streamers to aggressive brown trout. Unlike the spring where fly fishing is at its classical apex of brimmed hats, pipes, and noble dry fly presentations to sipping trout, fishing during this time of year is a street brawl with fat nasty fish that smash a swinging fly like a crazed linebacker.

I cannot think of a better rig to battle ornery fall browns with than my 6WT St Croix Bank Robber Fly Rod. One of the first truly niche rods to hit the market, the St Croix Bank Robber is specifically designed for streamer fishing…hence the name derived from the term “bank robbing,” or casting streamer flies to undercut river banks where the biggest nastiest fish lie. Made from high modulus/high strain graphite blanks, the Bank Robber is equipped with a fighting butt, anodized aluminum reel seat, and stout lower section that tapers into a sensitive tip. The rod is perfectly suited for making big booming casts, covering a lot of water, and fighting big fish caught on naughty streamer patterns. I’ve used it while fishing for trout, smallmouth/largemouth bass, and schoolie stripers…basically any species for which fishing streamer patterns is the preferred method.

As previously mentioned, I am a purist in matching gear that is appropriate to the task and have outfitted my St Croix Bank Robber with a Lamson Litespeed 2 Reel that is spooled Scientific Anglers Mastery Series Wet Express Sinking Tip fly line. I’ve found this setup to be best pairing and that it really enables me to take advantage of the rod’s power, accuracy, and get my flies down deep to where the big naughties are.

On the versatility front, the Bank Robber was made for one application and one application only. One is guaranteed to find yourself frustrated if you try to tie on anything but a streamer…but like hunting woodcock with a 10 GA shotgun, why would you even want to try? A slight miss that I have to pick with this rod is that it does not have a hook rest which is annoying. I’m told that the reel seat is designed serve this purpose, but it is a miss nonetheless. Bottom line…if you are not into this type of fly fishing, move on, this is not the rod for you.

I always have my 6WT St Croix Bank Robber with me when I’m targeting large trout in big water and would highly recommend this rod over its more expensive competition. Hit your local fly shop or eBay (see article) and check out a Bank Robber for yourself!

Product Page from St Croix

http://stcroixrods.com/products/fly-fishing/bank-robber

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:08-06:00April 18th, 2014|Categories: Product Review|Tags: running line, St Croix, Streamer Fishing, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|1 Comment

Before

After. The new fly cave at Wolf Creek Angler is filled with the patterns you need for success on the Missouri River

What was….

What is. We are fully stocked with new gear from Redington, Rio, St Croix, Echo, Fishpond, Ross and much, much more.

Yesterday was the official opening day of Wolf Creek Angler. It’s been a busy couple of weeks trying to get everything done and ready for the big opening day and while it’s still definitely a work in progress, the doors are open and we are ready to do whatever we can to earn your business and to hopefully become your Missouri River fly fishing destination

Most of our lodging units are open for the season and are available at discounted spring rates of $99/night for a cabin or bungalow and $59 for Cabin #3 which is the only one of the open units which does not have a full kitchen. We are keeping a close eye on the weather but with 60’s in the forecast for next week it won’t be long until our Motel units are up and running and ready to rent.

We are pleased to announce that Wolf Creek Angler will feature a brand new fleet of Montana made RO Drift Boats

We are proud to announce a brand new fleet of RO drift boats which will be available for rent at a rate of $150/day. The first of our three new boats is scheduled to arrive tomorrow with the other two to follow by May 1st. In the meantime whether it’s a drift boat or a raft or a kayak you are looking for we can help!

Last but certainly not least, the shop is open and we are anxious to serve you. Flies, shuttles, terminal tackle, waders, boots, cold weather and rain gear, rods, reels, accessories and plenty of Wolf Creek Angler logo gear and much, much more. We’ve worked hard all winter long assembling our inventory and creating the space in which to present it and we think you’re going to like what we’ve done.

Oh…and by the way, the fishing has been just fine. It’s been a while since we’ve seen the water ourselves, but we’ve had boats out the last couple of days working on an episode of Big Sky Outdoors which will be airing in June. We will keep you posted on this. All reports have been positive where the fishing is concerned, though we are still waiting on the warm sunny days that get the baetis going but it looks like they will be here soon. Pink anything, sow bugs, Rainbow Czechs….you know the routine. It’s all working and it’s just a matter of finding the right depth/weight combination and the right water which continues to be the slower winter fare. Streamers have been producing as well worked slow and deep. Try a swing through the deeper water rather than a strip. Darker colors are working well and you can’t go wrong with the Sparkle Minnow!

Having trouble figuring it out? Book a Wolf Creek Angler guide trip today at the ridiculously affordable rate of $300 for a FULL day through the end of the month.

See you in the shop and on the water! ~ Jason O.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:08-06:00April 2nd, 2014|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing, Uncategorized|Tags: $300 Missouri River Guide Trips, Fishpond, fly fishing, Missouri River, Montana, montana fly shops, Redington, RIO, RO Drift Boats, Ross, St Croix, Streamer Fishing, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|1 Comment

Wolf Creek Angler Co-Owner Fred Davison getting it done with streamers on the MO

Streamer season is here! Wolf Creek Angler Guide Eric Mondragon with a nice brown from last weekend.

Fred Davison and I fished the Missouri just a few days before flows went up. Fred is a new friend and co-owner of Wolf Creek Angler, the new fly shop located in Wolf Creek MT. We spent the week before working pretty hard demolishing the interior of WCA’s new shop. We decided that Saturday would be a great day to get out. All work and no play isn’t good for the soul or the mind, so we loaded up the Adipose and an arsenal of streamer rods and hit the water. We floated from Stickney to Prewett Creek.

The morning started out slow but by 11:00 a.m. or so, we started moving fish on black colored and copper brown shaded streamers. Fred is from Michigan, so he was in his element with an eight weight streamer rod. He has a lot of time invested in the Au Sable, Pere Marquette and Manistee rivers where he stripped streamers for big browns back East. He can get it done, I’ll tell you.

I was surprised at how he was able to move fish. He didn’t really strip the bugs back toward the boat, but let the fly hit the water and then took one or maybe two strips. Then he jigged the rod tip back to an upright position. It looked almost like setting up for a roll cast. Then he would roll back out. I asked him about that technique. Fred explained that is how they roll back home in Michigan because of all the brush and trees overhanging the water. It worked great and I don’t think he got tired using an eight weight rod with a full sink line.

I, on the other hand, like a fast six or slow to medium speed seven weight rod. I prefer either a floating line or an intermediate sink tip line. When the water is cold like it was on Saturday (35 degrees or so), my technique is: small strip, pause, small strip, pause. Usually a hit comes during the pause.

By 3:00 p.m. we were moving fish above Mountain Palace in what I would call “kind of moderately skinny fast water” maybe 18” to 24” deep. In that section, a faster strip was more effective. Fred tied on a smallish black pattern a friend turned him on to and I used that copper colored sparkle minnow thingy. We caught some fish and even chased an indicator with good success. Xavier hot beads and pink lightening bugs were a good choice when we chose nymphs over streamers in the canyon stretch. All in all it was a fine day to be fishing (and not working). I hope to enjoy another day like that before I start making my living on the water this spring when guide season gets started.

Interested in streamer fishing the Missouri? Give Wolf Creek Angler a call at 1-800-800-4350 and take advantage of their $300 full day spring guide trip special through April.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:08-06:00March 24th, 2014|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing|Tags: Fred Davison, Missouri River, Missouri River Spring Special Guide Rates, montana fly shops, running line, Streamer Fishing, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

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