Dry Fly Eat on the Missouri – photo by Wolf Creek Angler
Hard to choose on this one as our world completely revolves around water here at Wolf Creek Angler, but this shot pretty much captures what we are about and how we make our living. This was a dry fly eat on the Missouri which, if I didn’t tell you , you would probably never guess but we never tire of watching fish crush dry flies and it’s a fun thing to try to capture on film.
Streetview Montana Style – photo by Wolf Creek Angler
Wolf Creek Bridge on the Mighty Missouri River near Wolf Creek Montana. – photo by Wolf Creek Angler
As we think about what we’ve learned over the course of this first season one thing that we know is that we need to do a better job of keeping our blog active and up-to-date. Consequently I’ve been spending some time checking out blogging U on WordPress looking for inspiration and instruction in an effort to better serve you our readers.
I happened upon this photo 101 course/challenge which runs through the month of November and which assigns a subject per day for a photo on our blog. This is the first day of the challenge and the subject today is HOME and we can think of no better representation of home for Wolf Creek Angler than the Wolf Creek Bridge. I have taken countless pictures featuring the bridge and will continue to do so. The bridge is also featured on our shop logo. In fact the logo was created around the bridge so it is certainly near and dear to us.
Enjoy the pictures and let us know what you think.
Quick Fishing Report – In spite of cold weather and some snow and rain yesterday we have yet to see the BWO’s however nymphing and streamer fishing continue to get it done river-wide. If you simply have to throw dries find those feeding fish and throw a parachute adams or purple haze trailed by an RS2 or cdc caddis emerger, they can’t resist!
You can find these bugs at Wolf Creek Angler along with all the late season nymph patterns and the streamers that are catching fish daily on the Missouri.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM WOLF CREEK ANGLER
Halloween 2015. The weather conditions remain the same, unseasonably warm and sunny, however we are under our first winter storm watch of the season beginning Saturday night with the potential for 5-10 inches of snow at the higher elevations and 1-4 here on the Missouri. Could see rain or snow or both but the hope is that whatever weather we see it is accompanied by the BWO’s which have yet to make a real appearance. Fingers are crossed.
Fred and I traveled to Livingston Wednesday night and spent yesterday ripping streamers on the Yellowstone. Having been MO bound for the most part since April it was a great opportunity to get out and see some of the other awesome waters of the state. While I’ve fished the Yellowstone a time or two, neither of us had ever floated it. We were not disappointed! We committed to the streamer all day long and moved a ton of fish and even managed to boat a few. We will definitely be back.
Shades of brown on the Yellowstone – photo by Wolf Creek Angler
Floating the Yellowstone – photo by Wolf Creek Angler
Fred with a solid Yellowstone River Brown – photo by Wolf Creek Angler
Best of the day – photo by Wolf Creek Angler
Thanks to Matt for holding down the fort yesterday on his last “official day” in the shop. Hard to believe that the season is already over, it seems like we just opened the doors. Our inaugural season can only be described as a “blur” in the best possible way. We certainly had our hands full trying to figure this thing out and while I don’t think we’ll ever have it completely figured out we did learn a lot this season and we can’t wait to do it again. A huge THANK YOU to each and every one of our customers for allowing us to pursue our dream and to the fly fishing community in general for welcoming us into the fold. We are thrilled to be a part of this family, as dysfunctional as it sometimes seems. Special thanks to The Trout Shop, Crosscurrents, Headhunters Fly Shop and Trout Montana for doing what you do and for helping us do what we do. Thank you also to The Canyon Store, The Frenchman, The Oasis, Izaaks and the other businesses in the area as well as to all the folks in Wolf Creek and Craig who have gone out of their way to make us feel like we belong.
As always there are exciting changes coming to Wolf Creek Angler, changes which are, in large part, a result of your requests and suggestions. We are confident you will be pleased with the changes you will continue to see in Wolf Creek as we evolve and grow and continue to convert our inspired visions into reality.
A big topic of conversation amongst Fred and Sheila and myself has been what to do this winter. We’ve been contemplating everything from being fully open to fully closed for the winter months and believe we’ve found a happy medium that may or may not change depending on what kind of winter we get. As it stands now we will have cabins and bungalows available at least through the end of November and we plan to offer limited lodging through the winter months. We will have a couple of units available and will see how it goes. The shop is currently open daily from 7:30 am – 5 pm. With Fred heading back to Michigan soon for the winter we will likely be adopting a winter schedule which will probably mean 4-5 days/week. We’re still trying to figure out which days would work best but as of now we are leaning Thursday-Monday. Any input on this would be greatly appreciated.
For now we will see you daily 7:30 AM – 5 PM. Lodging is booked solid for the weekend but we do have availability next week should you decide to make the trek to the Missouri in search of BWO’s and the fish that love to eat them. Winter rates are in effect with cabins and bungalows going for $99/night. Give us a call to book lodging or guide trips or stop by on your way to the river for bugs, shuttles, boats and a bunch of great cold weather gear which just arrived from Outdoor Research.
Don’t forget the big Halloween party tonight at 7 PM at Uncle Joe’s Oasis Bar and Grill, it should be a great time.
See you in the shop and on the water.
~Jason O.
Overcast day on Hemingway’s Flat
As I sit here writing this, the boys (Jason and Fred) are fishing their way down the Yellowstone, I’m a little jealous. But, someone has to keep the shop open and that’s me. This is my last day of the season in the shop for me. I’m back at Great Divide, where aging snow cats and snowmobiles are waiting to break down, so I can fix them again.
I would like to say thank you to Jason, Sheila, Fred, Cindy, and Jannette, the Wolf Creek Angler crew, for another absolutely enjoyable season on the Missouri, here in Wolf Creek.
A big thank you to all my fellow guides…the beer drinking behind the shop, going over our days, good or bad, what worked, what didn’t, well, you guys know how much fun that is!
And of course a huge thank you to the Wolf Creek Angler Customers! You guys and gals are what make being here so much fun (well that and the fishing’s pretty good too)! Over the last four years I’ve come to know a lot of you very well, I can’t name you all, but when I see your names in the lodging book, I always look forward to your arrival. Exchanging fishing stories with you guys is great, I never tire of the enthusiasm everyone has for this great fishery. Success stories, whether it’s something I turned you on to, or vice versa, always makes my day!
The fishing isn’t done yet…I think mother nature owes us a good dose of blue winged olive before Winter really sets in. If not that, then at least throwing streamers and hoping for that big brown that you know is hiding in that seam coming off that rock will do.
Again, thank you to all that made my 2014 season successful, and filled with lot’s of fun! Stay warm, see you next year!—Matt
Fall nymphing on the Missouri River – photo by Wolf Creek Angler, LLC
Guest Blog by Wolf Creek Angler guide Jim Murray
It’s not just the golden rule of real estate, but of nymph fishing the Missouri as well.
There’s a lot of fish in the Mighty Mo, and those fish like to eat (shocking I know). Luckily for all those fish, the Missouri ecosystem produces A TON of food for them to eat. And while this is great for the fish, it can sometimes be less than ideal for the fisherman. Let me explain.
This great amount of food (insects, worms, crustaceans, etc.) flows through the river constantly, giving these fish a buffet table of food to choose from. As a result, these fish don’t have to travel very far to get a bite to eat. What this means for the fisherman, is that this river fishes very differently from many of our great freestone rivers in this state. Fish in small streams, and even some of the larger freestone rivers are very opportunistic feeders. They will move, sometimes even a few feet, to eat a morsel of food that they see pass through their window of opportunity to get a bite and fill their stomach. The residents of the Missouri do not need to do this. They tend to stay in their prime feeding lies, rarely moving unless forced out. As a result, they will not travel far to eat your fly. They don’t have to.
When fly fisherman, myself included, start struggling to get a lot of eats on the river, the first instinct is often to change the fly. Micro May not working? Let’s try a Green Machine. Size18 not working? Let’s go to a 20. Worm? Sow? What are they eating?!?
More often than not, it’s not the fly, but the location of the fly. The next time you aren’t catching the amount of fish you feel that you should, change the location. This means both depth and range. If you are fishing deep, shorten it up. Already short? Go deep. Add some weight. Take some off. One of my good friends, and probably the best nymph fisherman I know, Bob Glassen, states that he “changes depth constantly”. He’s not satisfied until he’s found out where they are in the water column. Also, if you float through a good run that you are sure is holding fish, don’t be afraid to go back up, move over 3 or 4 feet and run it again. You will often be surprised by the results. A few feet on this river can be the difference between a great day in the boat and a slow or average one.
This isn’t to say that fly choice doesn’t matter at all, but It’s been my experience that if you put the fly in front of the fish, they will eat it. So the next time you aren’t getting into them like you should, remember the old real estate adage, Location, Location, Location, and adjust accordingly. You’ll be happy you did!
Give us a call at (406)235-4350 and book a trip with Wolf Creek Angler today.
Perfect Autumn morning at Wolf Creek Bridge. Photo by Wolf Creek Angler
Fall colors are in full swing on the Missouri River. Photo by Neale Streeks
Fishing has been improving steadily over the past few weeks as we make the full transition to fall. We’ve had summer-like weather for the most part save for one day of snow showers early in the month and while it’s made for some beautiful days on the water we would prefer some cooler, cloudier weather to get the bugs going. Tomorrow could be the day with a chance of rain and snow showers and highs in the low 50’s. Sunny skies return on Monday and Tuesday but with temps dipping into the high 30’s at night hopefully we will see a drop in the water temp which should usher in the big bugs everybody is waiting for.
The fishing has been pretty solid depending on the day throughout the system with the possible exception of the Holter Dam to Wolf Creek Bridge stretch which, after giving it up consistently for many weeks, has gotten relatively quiet. The usual suspects (zebras, sow bugs, pt’s, green machines etc.) will still pick up a few fish on any given day up there but we haven’t seen the consistent action like we were seeing a few weeks ago. The cray fish has also gone quiet after a spectacular run, though I wouldn’t hesitate to try one if nothing else is working.
Below Wolf Creek Bridge it’s a different story with dries, nymphs and streamers all getting it done. The browns are on the prowl and will hammer a streamer right now. Good patterns for us have been Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow in Sculpin, polar leeches in black, copper and olive/copper, olive smolts and the gold/silver Kreelex. Change your bugs, change up your strip and be patient. The Streamer game is not a numbers thing and you may go a long time between chases and may go all day without a hook up but the anticipation and the occasional hog on the chase will keep things interesting, at least for those of us who are into that sort of thing. We are stocked up in the shop with a great selection of streamers that work and we are always happy to share our secrets with you.
Big Autumn Browns colored up and on the chase on the Missouri photo by Wolf Creek Angler LLC
The nymphing game below the bridge has been good with the Little Green Machine leading the charge most days. Other hot bugs have been WD 40’s, Rainbow Warriors, Chezch nymphs, sow bugs, PT’s, Dark Peep Shows and all kinds of baetis stuff including Angel Case Emergers, Bubbleback Emergers, Magic Flies and juju’s. Some days it’s a short rig – other days not so much. Air-Lock Strike Indicators continue to fly off the shelves due to the ease with which you can change depths in no time by simply loosening the nut and sliding the indicator to the desired depth. Long known for our skepticism of gimmicky products – the WCA guide crew has fully embraced this technology and we are proud to endorse Air Lock Strike Indicators as our official indicator of choice on the MO.
Air-Lock Strike Indicators always available at Wolf Creek Angler
Plenty of fish up on any given day as well and many willing to play. We’ve been liking a Parachute Adams or a Purple Haze with an RS2, CDC Caddis emerger, zebra midge or Juju trailer but a #14 Sloan’s Outrigger Caddis coupled with a #22 pseudo isn’t a bad call either. Plenty of options as we await the BWO’s. Stop by the shop for all of these bugs and more along with as much or as little instruction as you would like on the where’s, when’s and hows.
Lodging is busy right now but we’ve got a few vacancies here and there so give us a call. We are the only full service fly shop in Wolf Creek with lodging, guides, shuttles, RO drift boat rentals and a shop filled with everything you need for Missouri River fly fishing success including the greatest selection of bugs ever to be assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek Montana. Stop in and see us and find out for yourself if all the things you’ve heard are true. You’ll be glad you did.
See you in the shop and on the water. ~ Jason O.
Our favorite time of year. Cool fall mornings at Holter Dam on the Missouri River photo by Wolf Creek Angler LLC
Autumn is starting to take hold on the Little Prickly Pear – photo Wolf Creek Angler LLC
Fall day at Wolf Creek Bridge photo Wolf Creek Angler
Join us all this weekend as we bid farewell to our first summer with huge savings on everything in the shop where we are clearing space to make room for new fall merchandise arriving daily. Twenty percent off everything storewide. Flies, rods, reels, waders, hydroflasks, Simms logo wear, fly lines, leaders, tippet – everything is on sale!
It’s been a great inaugural summer for Wolf Creek Angler. We’ve met so many great people over the past 5 months in the shop and on the water and out and about at various community and industry events. We’ve learned a lot since April about what works and what doesn’t and we’re making changes as we go. Look for constant growth and constant improvement and a constant committment to customer service from Wolf Creek Angler.
The cool weather and the rain last weekend flipped the switch on the MO and the fishing has been crazy good – downright ridiculous at times. The crayfish craze has been in effect for a couple of weeks now and we’ve done extremely well dead drifting various crayfish patterns in tandem with zebra midges at the dam and a whole host of bugs below the Wolf Creek bridge. Peep Shows, Little Green Machines, Micro Mays, Soft Hackle Sows, Shop Vacs and flashback PT’s have all had some strong showings over the past few days. The fish are where you would expect to find them and also where you might not expect them to be. Hit the water you like and the water you don’t – it’s all good right now.
There are still plenty of tricos around and there have been a few heads up here and there for the DFO’s to target. We’ve also had moderate success on hoppers, especially below Craig. We like to trail with an ant or drop a weight fly to bump the odds.
Fall lodging and guide trips are booking up quickly – especially for October so don’t wait too long. We are a little sad to see summer go but we’re ready for fall in Wolf Creek. Awesome days of fishing the MO followed by dinner and libations at the Oasis and/or the Frenchman followed by a good night’s rest at Wolf Creek Angler – does it get any better?
Rooms, boats, bugs, shuttles and all the terminal tackle you need along with rain gear, wading gear, layering gear and more all at Wolf Creek Angler – minutes from Holter Dam and Wolf Creek Bridge. Nobody is closer!
Axel with one of the prettiest Missouri River rainbows I’ve seen
Brad Turner aka The PM Angler from Baldwin Michigan got a good taste of what the Missouri River has to offer
Father and Son Dan and Paul had a great day on the Missouri River with Wolf Creek Angler guide Jim Murray
The famed Blackfoot River
Being that things are a little slow around the Missouri right now, Fred and Matt and I have all taken the opportunity to get out of the canyon and visit some different waters. We love the Missouri but it’s always nice to get out and see other parts of this beautiful and amazing state we call home. I was able to spend a couple of days this week fishing west of the divide with my son and spent the day Thursday in Yellowstone checking Slough Creek off of the bucket list.
Last summer I convinced my son to go wandering with me so we threw the tent and the sleeping bags and the rods in the car and ventured west. We ended up camping at River Junction on the Blackfoot and had a great time despite the fishing being a little slow. I worked on my teaching skills and he worked on his casting skills and we were able to tolerate one another for the most part. I had hoped it was the start of fishing together with some regularity but once school started a week or two later things got busy. Once we bought the shop things got even busier so here we are a year later, summer is waning and we haven’t fished much so we decided we would at least continue the tradition of a day of wandering and fishing and a night of camping. We again found ourselves drawn to the Blackfoot, this time camping at Russell Gates. As we watched the rafts taking out that night and launching the next morning we talked of an overnight on the river next summer. We shall see! My son is not crazy about fishing, in fact I think it would be fair to say that he tolerates fishing. We don’t have a lot in common right now. He is a 13-year-old kid with 13-year-old kid interests and we don’t spend a lot of time together so to have the opportunity to hang out together meant a lot to me and hopefully to him as well. We fished some great small waters, caught some cutthroats, worked on casting/mending/line control and were lulled to sleep by the soothing sounds of the river flowing outside of our tent. We fished a bit the second day but spent most of our time exploring the back roads in and around the Bob Marshall Wilderness.
Worked in the shop Wednesday morning and then made my way south to Gardiner to meet up with some friends from back home. On Thursday we headed into Yellowstone to fish the legendary Slough Creek.
The Legendary Slough Creek. Everything you’ve heard is true!
Brad Turner www.pmanglercom and his wife Lasha hail from Baldwin Michigan where Brad guides on my home water, the Pere Marquette River. Brad taught me much of what I know about fly fishing years ago and has been a huge influence on me over the years. Time spent on the water with Brad over the years certainly contributed to the decision to pursue this dream here in Wolf Creek MT and it’s always a pleasure to fish with the Turners.
Today marks two years since my wife, our son, our dog and I walked out the door of our home in Ludington MI for the last time and headed west to pursue our dream. It was shortly after we arrived in Helena that the Turners came out to Yellowstone on vacation and I met them there with intentions of fishing Slough Creek. Being new at that time to living in a state where we share the land with critters like grizzly bears I was a little apprehensive about venturing into the wilds of Yellowstone. As luck would have it we had no grizzly encounters but did have an encounter with a bison who decided to charge us to keep things interesting. We did not venture beyond the road accessible parts of the creek and the fishing was challenging to say the leas. I left Yellowstone having failed to catch a fish.
The Turners didn’t make it out last year but we’ve been planning our return to Slough for over a year now. We did the research and discovered that the only way to fish Slough is to hike into the meadows. As we began our trek yesterday morning I commented that there was no way I would have made this hike the first year because of the aforementioned critter anxiety so I feel like I’ve come a long way. Over six miles each way, we did a BIG hike through some very Beary looking country. The plan was to hike until we found water we would have to ourselves. There were several anglers at the first meadow so we hiked on to the second where we found a great stretch of water where we had a couple of hours of outstanding cutthroat fishing. With a several hour hike ahead of us we cut the fishing short and headed out. It was a day I won’t soon forget.
Beautiful views of the valley on the hike out
So what’s happening on the Missouri? Steady as she goes. Tricos in the morning, nymphing coming back into shape and hoppers getting it done. More details to come as I shift gears and get back on the MO in the next couple of days.
Stop by the shop and see what’s new. We’ve got everything you need for the Missouri and beyond. Bugs, shuttles, terminal tackle, rods, reels, rooms, guides and all kinds of Wolf Creek Angler logo gear to suit any taste. Friendly service and honest reports and advice always.
See you in the shop and on the water.
~ Jason O.
Father and daughter Sam and Samantha had a great day on the Missouri. The right hat will always bring success on the Missouri!
Things have gotten a little quiet on and around the Missouri this week. Angling traffic is way down and we’ve certainly had busier days around the shop but the big news is that trico fishing continues to consistently produce in a BIG way, the hopper bite is starting to come on and will only improve from here on out and best of all, you can have vast stretches of water to yourself right now as the Peak Seasoners have in large part disappeared.
With few exceptions the dry fly action has been like clockwork. According to WCA lead guide Neale Streeks the trico fishing is the best it’s been in a decade and while the caddis game hasn’t really materialized we are having some of the best dry fly fishing of the season. Plenty of bugs and plenty of willing fish up have made for some spectacular mornings and while things tend to slow in the middle of the day there have been enough fish willing to eat a hopper to make a terrestrial afternoon a real option. There are even some of us making a day of the hopper game. A trailing ant or a nymph will keep things interesting. We’ve been having a lot of luck the last few times out with a #16 purple or gold weight fly below a purple or pink More or Less.
Hopper-Eater
Fred with an outstanding Missouri River Dry-Fly eating brown.
Nymphing in general has been a little slow as the weeds take hold and the fish continue to do their part to keep you guessing. Even the dam has had some tougher days as of late but again, the good news is you can ditch the bobber for a hopper and cut your weed cleaning time in half. If you decide to stick to chasing bobbers weight flies, flashback pt’s, black zebras, micro mays and peep shows have all been producing depending on the day.
Trico wise we’ve been doing very well with a #18 double wing trico and also with a #18 or #20 indicator spinner. Keep an assortment of caddis and pmd’s on hand as well as sometimes they aren’t overly interested in the tricos. We’ve got everything you need for dry fly success so stop by and let us get you dialed in.
Despite the solid fishing things are a little quiet around the lodge. It’s a good time to take a break and catch our breath after a crazy July but even so, we are more interested in taking care of customers than catching our breath so we are offering special rates of $99 on our cabins just for the month of August. It’s a great time to be here. Come fish the mornings and join the rec floaters with a leisurely float down the Missouri on the sunny and hot Montana afternoons.
Stop by the shop and see us for up to date fishing reports, shuttles, the best selection of bugs in Wolf Creek and all kinds of Wolf Creek Angler swag you can’t live without. We are fully stocked up on hats and shirts including a couple of great new t’s from Strip n’ Flywear and we’ve got Simms summer logo gear to move to make room for fall gear arriving soon.
The Competition…
See you in the shop and on the water….
~ Jason O.
