Thanksgiving Archives - Wolf Creek Angler

Happy Thanksgiving from WCA

On what, over recent years, has become my favorite of holidays, here’s wishing you a heartfelt Happy Thanksgiving from the Wolf Creek Angler family.

The significance of this day becomes weightier with every passing year and what was once just an interlude to the main event of the holiday season has now, in some ways, become the focus.

Having family gathered under one roof has become somewhat of a rarity at this stage so to have that paired with time off and a day built around a feast is about as good as it gets.

It’s the perfect conclusion to a magical autumn season which has continued to solidify its place as my absolute favorite season of the year, perhaps coinciding with the season of life in which I find myself.

On this day my hope is that you are all enjoying the bounty of Thanksgiving with your loved ones.

On this day I am feeling blessed beyond measure, not just for the bounty of the day but for the blessings of another year. A year in which I’ve had the tremendous privilege of doing what I love in this absolutely amazing place for over a decade now. I am thankful for my wonderful family and the life we’ve each carved out for ourselves in Montana and I’m thankful for where I’ve come from, the people and the places, and any opportunities I have to go back there.

I’m thankful for another great season at Wolf Creek Angler and a summer filled with visiting family and friends as well as the return of so many amazing clients who have become like family after so many years.

I’m thankful for our tremendous crew and guide staff without whom we wouldn’t be able to do any of this and I can’t put into words the absolute honor and privilege it is to be a part of the experience for so many people to whom this place means so much that they return year after year.

Happiest Thanksgiving wishes to all. May you enjoy this blessed day.

By Jason Orzechowski|2024-11-28T06:58:09-07:00November 28th, 2024|Categories: Shop Life, Uncategorized|Tags: Montana, running line, Thanksgiving, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving from WCA

We have so much to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving, not the least of which is the incredible season we just wrapped up at Wolf Creek Angler and that’s all because of you.

Season number 10 was our best ever and judging by what we have on the books for next season, 2024 should be another great year so thank you to all of you who continue to allow us the privilege of doing what we do.

We will be closed today, enjoying family time and football and food and taking stock of just how blessed we are to be able to live in such an amazing place, doing what we love, while having the opportunity to forge relationships with so many great people.

I’ve spent the last few days working on confirmations for next year and while we’ve just concluded this season, we can’t wait for the next one. Spring is a long ways away but talking with folks about next year’s bookings makes it feel a lot closer.

Here’s wishing all of you a blessed Thanksgiving.

We will be back in the shop tomorrow and it looks like a warmup is underway starting this weekend so we hope to see you out there.

By Jason Orzechowski|2023-11-22T11:36:49-07:00November 23rd, 2023|Categories: Shop Life, Uncategorized|Tags: running line, Thanksgiving, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving from WCA

On this day of Thanks giving, of reflecting on all of those things with which we are blessed, it’s the perfect time to express our heart-felt thanks to all of you for making all of this possible.

Without you there is no Wolf Creek Angler!

So to each and every one of you whether you fish with us, stay with us, shop with us, follow us on social media or all of the above we can’t thank you enough for allowing us to do what we do and to truly live this dream in magical Montana.

We’re so thankful for just having had our best season yet and we can’t wait to do it all again.

So from our table to yours, we wish you all a happy, safe and blessed Thanksgiving.

By Jason Orzechowski|2021-11-25T09:23:35-07:00November 25th, 2021|Categories: Shop Life, Uncategorized|Tags: Montana, running line, Thanksgiving, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

November Days on the MO’

It’s hard to believe but we’re already more than half way through November with the holidays rapidly approaching. Next week at this time the turkeys will already be in the oven and as if I haven’t been through enough torture this season, I’ll of course be watching the kickoff of the Detroit Lions annual Thanksgiving Day game.

We’ve reached that point of the season when days in the shop tend to be pretty quiet, despite what you may have heard elsewhere.

It’s time to count flies and confirm bookings and to essentially wrap up the season. We’ll do another round of winterizing next week which will leave us with the bungalows being the only remaining lodging option from here on out. Winter rate is $99/night plus tax. While we haven’t been setting any lodging records for November we have had the usual steady flow of hunters and late season anglers keeping us busy by late season standards.

We’ll likely make the shift to limited winter hours soon but for the time being here’s what you can expect for the next week. Open tomorrow at 8 AM. Closed this weekend for Griz/Cat Brawl of the Wild. Open Monday – Wednesday at 8 AM. Closed Thanksgiving through 11/28.

The river is quiet, even on the nicest days so if you like having the water to yourself and you don’t mind the creep towards colder winter weather this is your time to be here.

Of course the amenities are few and far between with all dining out options done or very soon to be done and while you can still find yourself a cold beer at The Oasis in Wolf Creek or Joe’s in Craig, it’s definitely the time of the year when you want to be as self-contained as possible.

Now, more than ever, it’s all about the fishing (or hunting) and not much else. So if spending the daylight hours in the woods or on the water and returning to your cozy confines at WCA to prepare your meals as you relax with your traveling partners sounds appealing then this is your time to be here.

If you require some semblance of social engagement to complement your stay, you might want to wait until spring.

Fishing has been good enough but seems to be transitioning to more winter-like conditions. There were plenty of bugs around last week but it feels like the shift has occurred so concentrate your efforts sub-surface on winter nymphing and streamer fishing.

Sows and scuds will be your go to nymphs from now until spring. You’ll want to stock up on Tailwater Sows, Tungsten Tailwater Sows, Rainbow Czechs, Bubble Yums, Pill Poppers, Amex, Soft Hackle Sows and various Pink Bead and Fire bead offerings. Keep those rigs relatively short (3’ – 4’ bobber to first bug) concentrating on the medium fast water in the 2’ – 4’ depth range. Water temps continue to drop and are currently hanging around 46 degrees. Keep working that faster water until things really start to cool down which will hopefully be soon. Slow winter water has yet to produce. I’m sure there are fish moving into that water but it has not yet proven to be productive.

A slower retrieve has been key when stripping streamers with plenty of pauses in between strips and perhaps the occasional swing, especially on the tailouts. Strip through the seam and then let it swing or do like the cool kids and stick to the swing exclusively. You can get em’ either way but it’s hard to beat a tactical retrieve off of structured banks if you’re hunting those fabled fall lunker browns.

Best streamer bets as of late have been JJ Sparkle Minnow, Sculpin Sparkle Minnow, Craven’s Swim Coach in brown or olive, Craven’s Dirty Hippy or Double Dirty Hippy in brown or black and ZK’s MK Ultra in grey/pink and Gladio in tan.

Swingers are finding success on buggers, Thin Mints, Kreelex, Polar Leeches, Balanced leeches etc.

It’s quiet time on the MO. The absence of anglers, the abundance of solitude, the bite of the crisp fall air…it’s not for everyone but it’s definitely for us and we LOVE it.

By Jason Orzechowski|2021-11-18T12:25:37-07:00November 18th, 2021|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: Amex, brown trout, bubble yum, Craven's Dirty Hippy, Craven's Swim Coach, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, JJ Sparkle Minnow, Missouri River, pill popper, Rainbow Czech, running line, Sculpin Sparkle Minnow, Streamer Fishing, Tailwater Sow, Thanksgiving, winter, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler, ZK's MK Ultra|0 Comments

Thanksgiving

Wandering the trails this past Thursday evening in a post-Thanksgiving dinner tryptophan haze, I struggled to come to terms with a new reality. A reality inexorably linked to the passage of time. To the accumulation of years behind me and the dwindling days ahead.

I’m acutely aware of the fact that I have been abundantly blessed with the luxury of introspection, some might even call it navel gazing, which is not something I’m generally a fan of. I recall a not so great moment of parenting some years ago when I challenged my son to rise above his emotional distress, pointing out to him while I read a book about the Granite Mountain/Speculator Mine Disaster which occurred in Butte in 1917, that those young men working in those mines had no time for such introspection. That they just went to work and did what they had to do, and were not afforded such luxuries. It was not one of my prouder parenting moments but not much different than things I likely heard from my dad while encountering my own moments of drama and existential angst growing up.

Regardless, as they always do, times are changing. It’s nothing remarkable or unique. It’s just the way it is.

2020 was always going to be a year of personal milestones though I would never have imagined these milestones taking place during a global pandemic. I turned 50 this year and also celebrated my 25th wedding anniversary. Additionally the nest was emptied this fall as our son set off for the University of Montana, embarking on the next chapter of his life.

The planned birthday festivities were cancelled, yet another Covid casualty. Our 25th Anniversary also came and went without much fanfare, as is appropriate, though I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the fact that I am among the luckiest men in the world to have married up to such an amazing woman who has been my inspiration and my foundation. We’ve come a long way and weathered storms which many haven’t. Our story is a testament to faith in all that is good in this world and beyond.

Back to the tryptophan haze – Thanksgiving 2020 was a different day in a different time and place. Walking our old dog who has had some health issues as of late, and missing the kid, I found myself wanting to tap the brakes on life while knowing full-well I cannot.

Our son doesn’t come home from Missoula much, his work schedule doesn’t really allow for it. He had Thanksgiving Day off so he did come home on Wednesday night but it was all too brief a visit as we struggled through yet another embarrassing Thanksgiving Day performance from our Detroit Lions, hurried through an early dinner and got him back on the road. And while it didn’t really hit me in August when he left, I’m now coming to terms with this new reality.

I worked minimally when I was going to college and I went home a lot. I would spend weeks at a time at home during Christmas break, at least in the beginning. Eventually though, I settled into my own life and visits home became less frequent and much shorter in duration. I held on to home maybe longer than I should have. He has moved on and this is a good thing. We couldn’t be more proud of him.

So once again, I fully acknowledge that all of this is nothing out of the ordinary. It’s nothing people aren’t experiencing all of the time but having the aforementioned luxury of introspection as well as an avenue of expression, I’m simply struggling through coming to terms with it all.

Dogs get old. Kids move out. Life goes on.

And it’s all a tremendous blessing. It’s the sting that makes it real.

We all take too many things for granted but with any luck, with age and perhaps with the time to reflect, things start to take on a greater significance. Or maybe they don’t for everyone, but for me, in spite of the challenging emotional state brought on by such moments, I wouldn’t trade this for the world.

Time will continue to pass, oblivious to the emotions it inflicts, but for this moment I cherish the occasional night when we are all sleeping under the same roof. This was the norm not too long ago. It didn’t used to mean much but time has transformed me and has made what was normal something now to be cherished.

I have much to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!

By Jason Orzechowski|2020-11-28T11:17:49-07:00November 28th, 2020|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: Thanksgiving, tryptophan haze|1 Comment

Thanksgiving Week

Just a quick update on what’s happening at Wolf Creek Angler this Thanksgiving week.

We had intended to start our winter hours this week however the nice weather has gotten us some bites on our MOvember special so we scrapped that idea for the time being.

Starting next week however we’ll go to winter hours with the caveat that if it’s fishy weather we’ll likely be here, at least in the mornings.

Our regular winter hours will be Wednesday – Saturday 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM and Sundays from 8:00 AM – 12 noon but please give us a call if the weather is nice and you’re headed this way on a Monday or Tuesday, just to make sure we’re around. By the same token if it’s blizzard conditions and single digits Wednesday through Sunday you might just give a call on those days as well to make sure we braved the weather and made the trip if you’re planning to come out.

We’re open through Wednesday this week but will be closed on Thanksgiving Day. Looks like colder weather and a chance for some snow on Friday and Saturday but we should be here both days, at least in the morning. We will be closed this Sunday, the 25th.

Black Friday Deals? Yeah, we’ve got em’. 25% off all outerwear, sportswear, waders and boots, rods and reels….what the hell, Friday ONLY 25% off EVERYTHING. How’s that for a Black Friday deal?

And don’t miss our Cheaper by the Dozen sale flies. Available now. These are randomly selected flies from our clearance bins for $5/dozen. That’s right $5/dozen. That’s a $25 savings! These are all high quality bugs which for one reason or another haven’t moved so we’re moving them. We’ve pre-packaged them so you get what you get. No picking through them allowed. They may not be exactly what you’d have picked but for $5 a dozen you really can’t go wrong. They make great Christmas presents for those just getting into the sport. Spend $10 on bugs and you’ve got a substantial start on a full fly box for your favorite beginning fly fisher.

Updated fishing report is in the works but suffice it to say that the transition to winter fishing is fully underway. The temps are dropping and the fish are moving to the winter water. Nymph the medium to slow deeper runs with sowbugs, zebras and Rainbow Czechs and start to work pink into your game.

Pink weight flies, Pink Amex, Pinkalicious, pink lightning bugs, Pink Lucent Bead Rays, Pill Poppers, Bubble Yums, Cotton Candy, UV Crush….you know the drill. And don’t forget the firebeads. Try 6’ – 7’ indicator to bb with a mix and match of the above and see where it goes.

Swingers have been hooking up on Kreelex, Polar Leeches, buggers and the like. Don’t be afraid to try some bulkier bugs like Sparkle Minnows and MK Ultras as well and don’t feel ostracized by the Trout Spey craze. It’s a great method to add to your skill set and it’s becoming all the rage on the Missouri, especially in the late fall and throughout the winter, but you can still catch plenty of fish on a single handed rig.

Dry fly fishing? Maybe not so much. This isn’t to say there won’t be some BWO action yet to happen this fall but most have made the mental shift to bobber or streamer fishing. Embrace it! Love it!

We’re anticipating a moderately busy winter season based on the talk of a somewhat mild winter but we never put much stock in long term weather forecasts. Take what you get and fish when you can.

By Jason Orzechowski|2018-11-20T18:21:22-07:00November 20th, 2018|Categories: Shop Life|Tags: Cheaper by the Dozen Fly Sale, Missouri River, running line, Thanksgiving, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments