Wolf Creek Angler Archives - Page 57 of 67

Missouri River Friday Fishing Report 4/3/15

Another great visit to Michigan’s Pere Marquette River – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

As we wrap up our spring break here in Michigan and prepare for the long journey back to Wolf Creek I’m hearing nothing but good things about the fishing on the MO. LGM’s, Rainbow Czechs, Wire Worms, Pink LB’s, Black Zebra midges and tungsten Tailwater Sows are reportedly all getting plenty of attention and while I’m experiencing the usual end-of-visit blues, I can’t wait to get back on the Missouri this week and find out for myself what’s happening out there. Most of what I am hearing is that the nymphing is really heating up and I’m confident there will soon be some solid streamer action as well with the water temps climbing into the low 40’s. Mostly cloudy skies with a chance of rain and snow and daytime temps in the 40’s through the middle of next week should translate into some pretty good days out there both on top and underneath.

I closed out my Michigan fishing on Wednesday with another visit to the Pere Marquette, this time a walk-wade outing to the upper flies only. Things were a little slow by most reports but we did manage to do battle with a few and also picked up a good brown feasting on the train of eggs behind the spawning fish. I’d forgotten about the impressive browns you can almost always find hanging behind the redds. A well placed #14 double egg rig is ultra effective on these fish and while they don’t give you quite the fight of the chrome rockets it’s an opportunity to sight fish for big browns with a pretty good chance for success.

It was a great couple of days with great friends back on the PM. I got my steelhead fix for the season and I’m ready to get back to the MO. I spent yesterday visiting the past and continued the tour of new Michigan breweries. Two things I love about Michigan and Montana – the spectacular fishing opportunities and the craft beer culture. Both states are great for these reasons and many others, the main reason in Michigan of course being the amazing friends we will always have here. It’s been a great visit and now the mountains are calling and I must go!

Thanks to WCA guides Jim Murray and Matt Hargrave for helping out with the blog this week. These guys do a great job of writing and an even better job of showing clients a great time on the Missouri. Give us a call and book a $300 Spring Special trip with one of them or any one of our other expert guides today. The spring special and our winter room rates run through the end of this month so don’t miss this opportunity.

I can’t wait to get back to the shop and see all of the new stuff that’s arrived. It’s full on spring fishing season now. New clothing, new gear, new bugs, new accessories etc., shuttles, rental boats, lodging and the same friendly service and commitment to making WCA everything you expect your Missouri River fly shop to be.

See you soon in the shop and on the MO. ~Jason O.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:56-06:00April 3rd, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing|Tags: $300 Missouri River Guide Trips, brown trout, Missouri River, Missouri River Spring Special Guide Rates, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Back on the Pere Marquette

PM Steel – photo by Brad Turner

I spent Monday floating the Pere Marquette River with my friend and fellow fly fishing guide Brad Turner. Brad taught me much of what I know about fly fishing many years ago and inspired me to pursue guiding which eventually led to career 2.0 at Wolf Creek Angler. We try to get together and fish whenever we can so following a great couple of days on the MO late last summer this time it was back to my home waters of the Pere Marquette for steelhead and streamer fishing.

We floated the fly water on what turned out to be a gorgeous spring day with near perfect water conditions. The first hours were spent trying to find a streamer the fish were interested in which proved to be quite a challenge. We didn’t move a fish for the first two hours. Though I’ve had some EPIC streamer days on the PM over the years I’ve also had plenty of days like the way this one was starting out where it’s just not happening. I ran through my tried and true PM favorite patterns unsuccessfully and finally found something that worked with a Wilson’s Articulated Sparkle Minnow. We moved a few, hooked a few and landed a few over the next miles including a couple of 20″+ fish following right to the boat but opting out of the eat. A frustrating scenario but definitely what has kept me throwing streamers all of these years. The visual aspect of streamer fishing a river like the PM is something we miss on the MO. Streamer fishing on the Missouri is still a blast but there’s something about bombing the banks and the structure on small water like the PM and seeing those big browns emerge from their hidden lies to chase down a streamer that gets your heart racing and makes you throw until you are too sore to throw anymore which was definitely the case yesterday.

It was after lunch time before we decided to try some steelhead fishing and as is usually the case with Brad he had us fishing some spots I never even noticed in my years on the PM, the second of which yielded a couple of hookups and one bright small female to hand (though not to hand long enough to get a picture). It’s been a long cold winter in Michigan and the new fish are just starting to move into the system so we were excited to see this fresh chrome beauty.

It was back to the streamer for a few miles, working a few steelhead spots along the way. The action definitely slowed towards evening though I did hook a steelhead on the streamer which resulted in a screaming reel battle which I lost.

As night began to fall we did find a couple more fish willing to play and it was near dark when I landed the biggest steelhead of my career after an epic battle which included plenty of coaching from Brad. I’ve had some great fights on the MO with some sizeable rainbows and coached clients through many a fight but I had forgotten just how powerful these fish are. What a rush and what a great day on the Pere Marquette!

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:56-06:00April 1st, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: brown trout, Michigan, Missouri River, Pere Marquette River, running line, Steelhead, Wilsons's Articluated Sparkle Minnow, Wolf Creek Angler|1 Comment

Final fishing report for March 2015

Leslie with one of many from Sunday’s float. Things are heating up on the MO. – photo by Jim Murray

Guest Blog from WCA Guide Jim Murray

Things are heating up on the Missouri. Literally. With the water temperatures pushing past that 40 degree mark, the river is really turning on. I had a chance to get out on the river Sunday with my ~~girlfriend~~ fiancé, and the Mighty Mo did not disappoint. Fellow WCA guide Matt Hargrave had told me that the fish were keying in on mayfly nymphs, and boy was he right. It seems with the warmer water temperatures, the baetis nymphs are getting really active subsurface and the fish are keying in on them. Little Green Machines, Micro Mays, Hogan S&M, and the Ju Ju Baetis in sizes 16-18 all produced fish. And don’t forget the Zebra Midge. We managed to bring one fish to the boat on a Firebead Rainbow Weight Fly, but the fish definitely seem to be moving off the pink/firebead stuff for the time being.
Along with bugs getting active, the warmer temps have the fish feeling a little more feisty and moving out of those deep winter holes. Fish were found primarily in 2-4 of water. Soft bends and shelf lines seem to be the key.
Adding to the fun is the fact that the dry fly bite is really turning on as well. Heads were spotted up between Wolf Creek and Craig, with trout willing to eat a well presented midge pattern. Rumors of big bugs being spotted in the canyon have started to be discussed over beers at the end of the day, and I know of a few anglers who have had some success giving it a try.
The streamer bite still seems to be hit or miss, (many times dependent on the angler) but only figures to improve in the coming days and weeks as the fish start to really shake off the winter doldrums and get a little nasty and aggressive. I know I have a new 8 weight rod that I’m just itching to get out and throw.
All in all, the Missouri is fishing well, and figures to only get better as conditions continue to heat up. It should be a great Spring on the Missouri. Now if we can just get some precipitation to keep it a great summer…

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:56-06:00March 31st, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, Fly Fishing Film Tour (F3T), juju baetis, midge, Missouri River, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler, zebra midges|1 Comment

Kast Guide Wear

Tired of the same old options for guide wear in the canyon? Stop by and check out our selection from Kast Gear, available only at Wolf Creek Angler. Guide Shirts, Guide Pants and shorts, tech tops and more – come discover your new favorite guide wear at WCA.
I’ve been wearing the Recon Guide shirt for the past week and I love it. It feels good, it looks good and it combines the technical qualities we’re all looking for in a fishing shirt with a simple, understated design. Check it out here;

http://kastgear.com/shirts/recon-guide-shirt-steel-blue.html

We’ve had the Kast Gear in the store for just over a week and the Revolver Guide pants have already begun to draw a lot of attention. Kast describes them as Bomb Proof – come check them out for yourself.

http://kastgear.com/shirts/revolver-guide-pant.html

We are also carrying bamboo-blended Vapor Tech tops which will be a great spring/summer option. Guide shorts, board shorts, Kayman Tech tops and hoodies and more arriving in June.

http://kastgear.com/layering/vapor-tech-top-grey.html

We’re excited about all of this gear and we think it’s perfect for the MO.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:56-06:00March 30th, 2015|Categories: Product Review, Uncategorized|Tags: Kast Gear, Recon Guide Shirt, Revolver Guide Pants, running line, Vapor Tech, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Sunday Report- Guest Blog from WCA Guide Matt Hargrave

Danya with one of many from Friday’s float. photo by Matt Hargrave

Montana experienced a very mild winter this year, which created plenty of fishing opportunities for local anglers. Personally, I kept my eyeballs on the ten day forecast, and made sure I was on the water whenever air temps were 40 degrees and above. While the fishing wasn’t always on fire, it was nice to be in the boat, on what became “bonus” days for all us trout bums. Most of those “bonus” days proved to be slow fishing with few fish to the net, and some of those days the only thing caught was a buzz and a minor case of hypothermia.

Yesterday was the day that I had been waiting for. The forecast called for a high of 75 with gusty winds. It never reached 75, but it didn’t get windy either. Perfect. Danya and I floated Dam to Craig. I did the usual row around just below the wire. We touched a fish on the first pass, landed a fish on the next two consecutive passes, and touched another on the fourth. The fish were definitely hungry yesterday, and Danya was crushing fish in the front of the boat. I had a nymph rig set at around 6 feet from bobber to split shot, with a #14 Tungsten Tailwater Sow bug, trailed by a #20 silver bead black zebra midge.

I finally bailed due to a handful of boats anchored up around me. Things slowed down below the grass flats. I changed out the zebra midge for a #16 grey Little Green Machine. The trout were all over that! Most of the fish seemed to be holding in knee to waist high water. I avoided the riffles because Rainbows are starting to build redds. As a reminder please avoid wading across the riffles, and be sure to look where you are a wading!

Below the Wolf Creek bridge, it continued to nymph well, but I also saw a lot of heads up eating midges, including a few legitimate pods. Some were rising here and there, but there were plenty that were consistently feeding. It was really exciting to see them come up and eat! You could see the cotton white on the inside of their mouth, which means you got a pretty good shot of catching that fish. Well, if you can set the hook at least. I blew about 8 or 10 hook sets. Call it first day dry fly fishing jitters. Or you could say that I didn’t check my hook after missing a fish. I got a couple more eats, but no hook set. Upon closer inspection, my Quigley’s Midge Cluster had a bent hook. Either I was ambitious or just care less, but my next fly choice was an impossible to see Griffith’s Gnat, which may or may not have induced an eat. All I know is that I set on eats that I thought was my fly. No fish to hand, just pulling up the anchor and looking for the next fish because those guys I spooked ain’t coming back up.

I managed to find another midge cluster, missed more eats, and put down more trout before realizing it was getting late and we had to go. I motored from spot to spot, Danya caught a couple more fish on the Little Green Machine and the Tung Tailwater Sow Bug. It was the fishiest day of the year so far. I expect there to be more days like this in the future as water temps are on the rise. Spring fishing is here, get out there and enjoy it my friends!—Matt

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:57-06:00March 29th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: dry fly fishing, green machine, Missouri River, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|1 Comment

Fly Rod Edition

Rods have proven to be a challenge for us from the start. We don’t get a huge call for rods and reels but we feel like having a decent selection of both is a must for most any fly shop and Wolf Creek Angler is no exception.
When we opened our doors last season we chose to go with Echo, St. Croix and Redington as our rod offerings and Echo and Ross for our reels. First season rod and reel sales exceeded our expectations, but honestly our expectations were pretty low.
We are continuing with these brands this season and have expanded our selection of Ross Reels as well as adding Nautilus Reels to the mix. It’s a great blue-collar line up of proven work horse gear and we would love to increase our sales in this department.
Our most popular St Croix rod has been the Avid series which was my first fly rod back in the day and which remains a staple in the industry as a great series of affordable trout rods at $300.
We also stock the Kelly Galloup designed Bank Robber and High Stick Drifters. At $460 these Fast action rods are a little more of an investment but we think they are well worth the money. The Bank Robber is the ultimate streamer stick and the High Stick Drifter was built for nymphing the MO.
New to Wolf Creek Angler this season, we’ve decided to line up a couple of these rods as demos. Come fish a Bank Robber or High Stick Drifter for the day and see what you think. Demo the rod and reel for $25/day – if you decide to purchase one we’ll credit you back the rental fee.
The most popular Echo rods for us have without a doubt been the Carbon series. Many of our guides, myself included, use Carbons for Client Rigs and coupled with Echo Ion Reels they are a great choice and a great value. Clients new to the sport find these Medium-Fast rods easy to cast and at just shy of $250 for the rod and reel combo you can’t beat the price. The Carbon is a great choice for an affordable entry level rod.
Other workhorse offerings from Echo include the Ion and the Solo. While our Echo inventory consists primarily of Carbons and Solos we’re happy to order anything they offer including the highly touted Echo Glass Two Hand and Switch rods.
If you’re looking for a rod for your little ones look no further than the 7’9″ 4/5 weight Echo Gecko, the industry’s only high-performance rod built specifically for kids.

We also carry rods from Redington including the Fiberglass Butterstick and the ready-to-fish Path combo (rod, reel pre-spooled with Rio Mainstream WF fly line, backing, leader and case) with lifetime warranty for under $200. This entry level moderate-fast action rod has been our most popular offering by far and is a great choice for beginners.
Look for upcoming blogs detailing the particulars of many of these rods.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:58-06:00March 28th, 2015|Categories: Product Review|Tags: Echo, fly fishing, Kelly Galloup, Nautilus, Redington, Ross, running line, St Croix, St Croix Bank Robber, St Croix High Stick Drifter, Streamer Fishing, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Weekend Edition

Spring weather underway in Wolf Creek

Ending the week with some summer temps here at the end of March with a high of 75 expected today. It could get a little breezy with gusts up to 21 mph but all in all it’s a gorgeous spring day to fish the Missouri. The water temp is bumping up against 40 at the dam and is starting to warm enough the further down you go to provide for some pretty solid streamer action. Fish are starting to be picked up in the shallows as well as the winter water so don’t overlook any of it right now.
There continues to be plenty of action on top pending the sun and the wind conditions and the nymphing is heating up. Firebeads and pink stuff have slipped out of style for the time being but we’re thinking they’ll be back at some point. In the meantime zebra midges, tailwater sows, LGM’s, Peepshows and Micromays have been gaining popularity amongst our customers and presumably amongst our trout.
Sparkle Minnows, Gold/Brown Kreelex, Black Buggers, Olive Smolts and Polar Leeches in all flavors have been getting some attention out there. Keep the bugs in the deep slow water and the retrieve on the slow side to start but don’t be afraid to target some shallow spring trout lies and speed up your strip with plenty of pauses in between.
Midge clusters some days, single midges on others. Try trailing an emerger to increase your odds.
We have plenty of winter-rate lodging available for the weekend and don’t forget our $300 Spring Special Full Day Guide Trips happening NOW through the end of April.
Stop by WCA on your way to the river for EVERYTHING you need for your day on the MO. Shuttles, boats, lodging, Kast Extreme Fishing Gear, friendly service and the largest selection of Missouri River flies ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek Montana.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:58-06:00March 27th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report, Uncategorized|Tags: $300 Missouri River Guide Trips, fly fishing, Missouri River, Missouri River Spring Special Guide Rates, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler, zebra midges|0 Comments

Mid Week Missouri River Fishing Report 3/25/15

Let the spring games begin….what to use?

A bit of semi-seasonable weather back yesterday and today with scattered precipitation and temps hanging in the 40’s but back to spring tomorrow with temperatures climbing into the 60’s and 70’s by Friday.
As has been the case for the last several weeks it’s been a mixed bag of reports out there but it sounds like Sunday was a pretty good day all the way around with periods of good dry fly action and some good streamer reports from the canyon stretch. Black buggers, Polar leeches, olive smolts and sparkle minnows have all been producing fish. Most of the reports we heard from Monday and Tuesday sounded like things were on the slow side but we’re hoping for the rebound today.
Nymphing will continue to be your best bet though it seems the transition from winter fare to spring bugs has certainly gotten underway. Not that the pink stuff won’t work but we’ve heard of a lot of people having more success with tailwater sows and zebra midges and the like. It’s the time of year to start experimenting with your flies which makes for a bit more of a challenge than running a #12 Pinkalicious trailed with a firebead soft hackle sow for days on end but it’s all part of the fun. Green Machines, Micromays, Juju’s, Wondernymphs,Rainbow Warriors ,Peep Shows, AmX, the aforementioned Tailwater Sows and Zebra Midges…..and on and on. What will they be eating today? Start with a black zebra and something that feels right and go with it and change until you find what’s working.
The one part of the game that has remained fairly constant is the water the fish are holding in. Slow, deep winter runs will continue to be your target for the time being but as we creep towards 40 and beyond that will change as well. It’s a great time of year to fish the Missouri. Change is underway and soon the crowds will return. Take advantage of the relative solitude while you can. It’s the perfect time to treat yourself to a $300 Spring Special Guide Trip with one of our expert guides.
Stop by the shop on your way to the river for shuttles, bugs, bobbers, boats and all kinds of cool new gear arriving daily. We are your one-stop full service Missouri River fly shop and THE place to stay in Wolf Creek. We are Outfitter owned and operated and anxious to share our knowledge of and passion for Montana fly fishing with you soon.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:58-06:00March 25th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: $300 Missouri River Guide Trips, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, green machine, juju baetis, Missouri River, Missouri River Spring Special Guide Rates, Montana, running line, Streamer Fishing, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler, zebra midges|0 Comments

Guide Day Off – It’s just fishing!

Guest Blog from WCA Guide Jim Murray who ventured to the Land of the Giants over the weekend.

It’s not all fly fishing all the time. When I get a chance to get out and do some fishing on an off day, my friends and I have no problem throwing a spinning rod, jigging for walleye, or going way back to my Alaskan saltwater roots, and trolling. We just like to fish. Period.
Is was with that mindset that my good buddy Joel and I headed out to the Gates and the Land of the Giants this past weekend to get after some fish. The plan was to run up to the LOG, throw some streamers and maybe do some jigging. The streamer bite was definitely not happening, but we did manage to nymph up a few typical LOG rainbows, and miss a nice walleye on a deep jig.
We returned to the lake at the Gates, and decided to see if we couldn’t troll up a few walleye and trout. We got out the rod holders, rigged up with our favorite Rapalas, set the planing boards, tuned up the fish finder, and we were fishing. It didn’t take long for the ~~poles~~ rods to be bent, and they stayed bent the rest of the afternoon. While we didn’t catch the ever elusive ‘eye, we managed to really crush the rainbows. It was a great time. Time spent with a good friend on a lake, on a beautiful day, tipping back a few PBR’s, swapping stories and catching trout. Life is good.

It’s was also a great reminder that while I absolutely love to fly fish, there are many ways to get it done. Fishing is fishing. And it’s fun. I think about it pretty much every waking moment, but it’s always good to remember that it’s just fishin’. Have fun out there!

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:58-06:00March 24th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report, Uncategorized|Tags: fly fishing, Land of the Giants, Missouri River, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Thinking Steel

Days Away from Pere Marquette Steelhead!

Michigan bound at the end of the week and starting to think about Great Lakes Steelhead. It’s been a few years since I’ve had the opportunity and I can’t wait to step back into the home waters of the Pere Marquette and give it a go. It’s been long enough that the chrome seems a little exotic and I’m not sure I remember exactly how to set up a steelhead rig but I’m sure it will all come back to me once I’m there.
This week will be spent splitting time between digging out and assembling old gear to prepare for the journey and tending to spring projects in the shop. We’ve got all kinds of cool new gear arriving daily so we’re in the process of rearranging things in the shop and Fred has been busy tending to projects around the property which aren’t as fun and exciting as new gear but which are equally as if not more important to making your stay with us this season a great one.
Join us tonight at the Blackfoot River Brewing Company in Helena for Community Pint Night where $1.00 of every glass of beer sold will go to benefit the Pat Barnes Missouri River Chapter of Trout Unlimited. I can’t think of a better way to raise money or a better way to contribute to a great cause. And speaking of Pat Barnes TU – the 34th Annual Banquet will be held on Saturday April 25th at 6 PM at The Gateway Center in Helena. Stop by Wolf Creek Angler and purchase your banquet tickets ($40 single, $75 couple) and while your at it purchase a raffle ticket or two for a 14′ NRS Otter Raft Package. Raffle tickets are $25.
If we get a spare minute this week we’ll be on the Missouri hopefully throwing streamers under cloudy skies with a chance for rain today and tomorrow and partly cloudy skies Wednesday and Thursday with temps in the 50’s and low 60’s. The weekend looks like beach weather with sunny skies and highs in the low 70’s – perfect weather for driving back to cold weather, steelhead weather, in Michigan.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:58-06:00March 23rd, 2015|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: Blackfoot River Brewing Company, Pat Barnes Missouri River Trout Unlimited, Pere Marquette River, running line, Steelhead, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments