Wolf Creek Angler Archives - Page 66 of 67

Opening Day!!!

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

Play Time – guest blog from Wolf Creek Angler Guide Eric Mondragon

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

It’s time for spring fishing on the MO

Spring Time on the MO

A fat and happy Missouri River Spring Bow

Winter continues to come and go here in Wolf Creek Montana, but the time has come to get out and fish our world class Missouri River and we’ve got some ridiculously affordable spring deals on lodging and fishing you can’t afford to pass up. $300 full day guide trips and lodging starting at $59/night – it’s almost too good to be true.

The river is currently flowing at 6570 CFS and is holding at around 36 degrees – perfect conditions for nymphing and streamer fishing and there are plenty of midges on the water every day if you just can’t wait to throw a dry-fly. More dry-fly opportunities coming very soon! The weather is pleasant for this time of year with temps in the high 30’s and low 40’s and it looks like we’ll be back towards 50 early next week. Traffic is very light during the week though the weekends have been bringing out a fair amount of anglers especially from the dam to Craig. Fishing has been good in that section for sure but don’t be afraid to try your luck further down river if you want to avoid the crowds, there are plenty of hungry fish throughout the system.

The shop is getting close to being ready and will be open for business on April 1st. We are open now for guided fishing and lodging. Give us a call today and book your $300 full day guide trip and while you’re at it, book a cabin. We’ve got cabin #3 available for $59/night + tax and if you need a little more space and a kitchen we’ve got cabins 2 and 4 available for $100/night + tax.

This is an awesome opportunity to experience spring time on the Missouri at a fraction of the cost of normal rates. A full day of guided fishing on the MO and a night of lodging for as low as $359? The same thing will cost you just shy of $600 during the season! Worried about the weather? Don’t be! We are well aware of the ever-changing weather conditions and we don’t expect you to fish in the cold and snow (unless you want to).

See you on the water!

Jason O.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:08-06:00March 19th, 2014|Categories: Fishing Report, Uncategorized|Tags: $300 Missouri River Guide Trips, Craig MT, fly fishing, midge, Missouri River, Missouri River Spring Special Guide Rates, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Digging In

Tearing into the old walls at Wolf Creek Angler

Out with the old and in with the new. Walls framed and drywall in process on Day 2.

These are busy and exciting days at Wolf Creek Angler as we begin the heavy lifting of transforming an old and tired structure into a first rate Missouri River fly shop.

Fred has been busy with the help of Wolf Creek Angler Guide Extraordinaire/master craftsman Eric Mondragon. The first days have been spent tearing out the old walls and lights and fixtures etc. and we are now on our way to creating what we hope will be your favorite Missouri River fly shop. Soon the old shop will be completely transformed as we make our vision a reality. We can’t wait to show you our new shop!

We took a break from shop work last weekend and traveled to Missoula for the Fishing Outfitters Association of Montana (FOAM) annual meeting. It was a great turnout and a great opportunity to meet colleagues and get the word out about Wolf Creek Angler.

This week has been busy at the shop as Fred and Eric work diligently towards completion of the remodel while I spend much of my days on the phone with customers, vendors, reps and the powers that be who regulate things like motels and fly shops. It’s all coming together and soon the property will be abuzz with activity as fishy folks from all over the state descend on the Missouri to escape their raging local waters.

And speaking of water – I did my first guide trip of the season yesterday and learned that 5400 cfs is considerably different from 3000 cfs which I had become so accustomed to over the past year. Predictions about the flow for this season are all over the place but the last correspondence we received from the Bureau of Reclamation is predicting average flows of 4100 for the year and if they are anywhere close to being accurate – we LOVE it! Stay tuned! As of today she’s flowing at 5550 and holding at 35 degrees. The weather is beautiful and it’s time for spring fishing. Pink everything, firebeads, san juan worms, zebra midges and streamers should all be in your mix right now.

Give us a call today and take advantage of our Spring Special guide rates. Full day $300 (Regular Price $495). Put us to work!

A fat and happy Missouri River Spring Bow

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:08-06:00March 13th, 2014|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing|Tags: fly fishing, Missouri River, Missouri River Spring Special Guide Rates, montana fly shops, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler, zebra midges|0 Comments

On The Fly – Guest Blog from Wolf Creek Angler Guide Eric Mondragon

Eric’s Home Office

As winter keeps its grip on the Missouri, the itch to fish looms. The phone rings weekly as outfitters from around the valley call to book my services for the upcoming fishing season. I find myself spending hours behind the vice tying flies for friends and clients alike. The anticipation of spring’s arrival is driving me crazy. “If it was here now, it would be late” is an expression I often use.

Fly tying started for me more than thirty years ago. Since that time, I’ve seen and fished many fly patterns. My tying memories started when I was in the seventh grade in 1977 or 1978. A teacher started a tying class at school. When I was eleven, my skills were really bad. I probably still need a lot of work in that area, but not for lack of trying. I used to tie nice, pretty flies for friends as gifts. Then, I tied for specific clients for practice. As a guide, I am required to tie in volume. Therefore, the flies are not as pretty, but they are more durable.

Artificial flies have humble beginnings. It is as simple as a hook, some thread and feathers or fur. That is pretty much it. My tying journey started out with supplies that fit in a shoe box and that is where they were stored. Over the years, I collected supplies. (My wife would say “hoarded”) Thirty plus years later, my stash fills a roll top desk, a full size glass cabinet with drawers and a sizeable stack of plastic organizers in my office. I am proud of the selection, but I am also very lucky.

My wife says that the fly tying materials are like children. Over time, the cost is more than you expect, plan or admit. The materials get their own room and you spend a lot of time cleaning up after them. The end product causes joy, frustration, uncertainty and pride.

To “pay it forward” a bit, I recently cleared out some of my own material stock for the fly tying class I started at Cascade school. This is the second year for the class and local fly shops stepped up to the plate in a big way. Big R Supply and Head Hunters fly shops donated some awesome materials, which is greatly appreciated.

As I write this, I am staring out the office window daydreaming of warm, sunny days and lots of big trout feeding on flies. Preferably the flies I tied for myself, friends and clients. My enduring dream includes the hope that the kids in the Cascade school fly tying class will be exposed to a whole new world. As it turns out, fishing is a fine obsession.

The one constant over the years since that fly tying class at my local school: there is no finer feeling than catching a fish with a fly you created. I hope that the next generation has the same great experience, over and over and over.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:09-06:00March 13th, 2014|Categories: Montana Fly Fishing, Uncategorized|Tags: fly fishing, fly tying, Missouri River, running line, spring fishing, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|1 Comment

Cabin Fever Angling – Guest Blog by Wolf Creek Angler Guide Eric Mondragon

A nice 19” fish caught by friend and fly fishing guru, David McClain

Fishing was out of the question for the duration of our recent Arctic weather. Instead, I caught up on some remodeling projects on the home front by installing acacia walnut flooring in four rooms, textured and painted walls in my office and guest room, and then finished all the trim around windows, doors and floors. All in all, it took about two and a half weeks, which worked out well. With an average day time high of minus ten degrees it was too darn cold to be outside for long.

When it warmed a little, I had cabin fever and was itching to get out. Last Sunday, I floated the Missouri from Craig to Stickney with my buddy, David McClain. Trout Dog, my golden retriever came along for the ride. From about 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., fishing was sporadically good.

We had some luck on the slow to medium speed water where it was three to four feet deep. Because of the long cold snap, fishing was better six to eight feet down in really slow frog water. We were surprised by the size of the fish staged in deep areas. We managed to land maybe a dozen fish that were eighteen to nineteen inches. When it is cold, deep fishing seems to be the ticket because water is warmer down there.

Hot bead flies, rojo, green machine and zebra midges are getting a few bumps. As Winter winds down and early Spring starts to take hold, more and more midge will start to stir. Fish will pay more attention to flies drifting by and strike harder. Right now, you pretty much have to hit the fish on the nose and strikes will be very subtle. They key to successful Winter nymphing is to find fish and stay on them. That old adage is true: “Don’t leave fish to find fish”. Take your time and work a specific piece of water well. It’s a Winter thing, so fish it up.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:09-06:00February 28th, 2014|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing|Tags: Craig MT, fly fishing, green machine, Missouri River, Recreation, running line, winter, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler, zebra midges|0 Comments

Starting to look like a fly shop

Signs are up at Wolf Creek Angler, your newest Missouri River Flyshop

We are starting to see more signs of the coming season daily. A few more boats on the water, a few more cars at the walk-in spots, a little more daylight each day and a slow but steady transformation from what was to what will be at Wolf Creek Angler.

The signs are up on the building and we have started work inside. We can’t wait to show off our new fly shop and we are confident you will be pleased with the changes we are making inside and out. It’s such an exciting time for us as we embrace the evolution, reject the status quo and strike off into uncharted territory with hopes and dreams of becoming your Missouri River fly fishing destination.

We have sought the help of many and will continue to do so as we move towards our “opening day”. Dave Hartman of Strip’n Flywear in Whitefish MT deserves a huge thanks for visualizing our concept and helping us to create an awesome logo and Tim Husted of Surface Expressions in Ludington MI has spent countless hours with Fred working his magic to turn our fly bin concepts into a reality. We are so proud of these fly bins and we know you are going to love the bins themselves almost as much as the great selection of flies that will reside in them.

Fly bins all our own with the bridge we love

Soon to be filled with the best selection of Missouri River flies ever to be seen in Wolf Creek Montana

A big thanks also to Peggy Jablonski of Cutting Edge Image and Design for outfitting our Michigan contingent with awesome Wolf Creek Angler logo gear. We’ve got all sorts of product arriving daily and we continue to search for the perfect mix of inventory which will not only satisfy our current customers but which will also broaden our appeal by offering you more of the products and services you expect from your Missouri River flyshop.

It looks like cold and snow for the weekend and cold right through next week with temperatures below freezing. Perfect conditions for staying inside and building a flyshop!

Stay tuned…

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:09-06:00February 21st, 2014|Categories: Montana Fly Fishing, Uncategorized|Tags: fly fishing, Missouri River, Missouri River Winter Fishing, Montana, montana fly shops, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|1 Comment

Spring Fishing in February

Spring is in the air. A gorgeous Missouri River Rainbow

The clouds retreat over the Missouri River at Holter Dam.

Spring-like weather arrived in Wolf Creek this week and with it some much needed time on the water and some damn good fishing.

I made my weekly run to the post office in Wolf Creek on Tuesday and threw the rod in the rig just in case. Driving out of Helena I ran into wintry weather all the way to Wolf Creek but about the time I got there the snow stopped and the clouds began to move out. intrigued by the moody skies hanging over the mountains I decided to take a drive to the dam to see if I could get some good pictures. When I got to the dam the clouds were in full retreat, the sun was shining and the 40 degree temps felt like 70’s after more than a week of sub-zero temps and wind chills.

I snapped a few pictures and geared up and talked myself into two hours max as there is no shortage of Wolf Creek Angler business to attend to. That being said, fishing is the business of Wolf Creek Angler and this is why I came here in the first place so office work be damned (at least for a couple of hours). I took a stroll into a frog water winter haunt and hooked whitey on the second cast…not what I had hoped for but better than many other things I could be doing. I spent the next little while searching for the sweet spot and once I found it it was lights out. Half a dozen fish in 30 minutes – I’ll take that ANY day. Firebeads and pink and no reason to try anything else on this particular outing. Crazy midge activity but very few fish keyed into them at this point. I saw one or two rises but would personally rather rope them in on nymphs all day than play that game.

Midges aplenty on the Missouri River

What a great way to spend a couple of hours on a warm February day. I pretty much had the water to myself save for a boat full of comrades from downstream out enjoying the thaw and I did run into Wolf Creek Angler guide and shop veteran Matt Hargrave who was out doing R & D with some sexy new bugs he has created.

I followed that up with a visit to Hauser on Wednesday which resulted in various minor contusions and my typical fishing luck on that water which is not very good. FYI – though the thaw is certainly underway much of the ground is still frozen solid and very slippery. Not a good combination on a steep slope when one is hiking in wading boots. Ouch!

Spring Like conditions on the Missouri River at Hauser Dam

Back to work today. Lots of product ordered and starting to come in as we prepare for our April 1st opening. We will have all kinds of Wolf Creek Angler logo wear available when we open the doors as well as a HUGE selection of flies and plenty of surprises to keep you coming back.

Expect a fair amount of traffic on the water this weekend as the weather looks like it’s going to be awesome with temps in the mid to high 40’s and plenty of sunshine before things cool down again the middle part of next week.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:09-06:00February 13th, 2014|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing|Tags: fly fishing, Hauser Dam, Holter Dam, Missouri River, Montana, montana fly shops, nymphs, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Two months to go…

As we finally get an actual dose of winter weather here in Wolf Creek, the countdown to opening day has begun and April 1st looms large on the horizon.

We’re making steady progress with the launch of Wolf Creek Angler and while we have much to do in eight weeks, we can’t wait to open the doors on that first day of April and show off what we hope will soon become your favorite Missouri River fly shop.

For the time being our dining room table has been transformed into the home version of Wolf Creek Angler. Days are spent ordering merchandise, working on the web site, putting systems in place, drinking coffee and most importantly, corresponding with you. We have been busy booking rooms and guide trips and chatting about our plans for Wolf Creek Angler.

Wolf Creek Angler the home version. The dining room table makes a great fly shop!

Meanwhile….back in Michigan Fred has been busy shoveling snow, plowing snow, shoveling more snow and also finding time to build fly bins as he prepares for his journey west. Fred has also been busy spreading the word about Wolf Creek Angler and it sounds like we are going to have a lot of visitors from Michigan in the seasons to come.

Fred is hard at work building the fly bins.

Many are inquiring about the snowpack and wondering what the conditions will be like on the Missouri when they arrive this spring and summer. I wish I knew! Eight weeks is a lot of winter weather to go, but at this point things seem to be looking good. The snowpack for the Missouri is at over 100 % and the fish numbers look great – beyond that, it’s anybody’s guess what the conditions will be come spring.

MONTANA SNOTEL Year-to-Date Precipitation Update Graph

As of MONDAY: FEBRUARY 3 , 2014

Basin	Year-to-Date Precipitation Percent of Average
KOOTENAI RIVER BASIN	71%
FLATHEAD RIVER BASIN	88%
UPPER CLARK FORK RIVER BASIN	85%
BITTERROOT RIVER BASIN	85%
LOWER CLARK FORK RIVER BASIN	70%
JEFFERSON RIVER BASIN	88%
MADISON RIVER BASIN	90%
GALLATIN RIVER BASIN	105%
MISSOURI HEADWATERS	91%
HEADWATERS MISSOURI MAINSTEM	101%
SMITH, JUDITH, AND MUSSELSHELL RIVER BASINS	116%
SUN, TETON AND MARIAS RIVER BASINS	84%
MISSOURI MAINSTEM RIVER BASIN	99%
ST MARY AND MILK RIVER BASINS	84%
UPPER YELLOWSTONE RIVER BASIN	106%
WIND RIVER BASIN (WYOMING)	91%
SHOSHONE RIVER BASIN (WYOMING)	109%
BIGHORN RIVER BASIN (WYOMING)	112%
TONGUE RIVER BASIN (WYOMING)	111%
POWDER RIVER BASIN (WYOMING)	128%
LOWER YELLOWSTONE RIVER BASIN	106%

Legend:

<70%

70-90%

91-110%

111-130%

>130%

* = Data are not available or data may not provide a valid measure of conditions for over half of the sites within the basin.

The river will likely be a lonely place this week as arctic air takes hold. Currently 9 degrees in Wolf Creek and getting colder as the week goes on. High of -2 on Wednesday with a low of -14. It looks like things will start to warm up early next week. Until then…tie some flies, clean your lines, daydream about battling fish after fish as you float down the MO on a warm summer day and call us – we can help make that daydream a reality. Lodging for June and July is rapidly disappearing and the guide calendar is filling fast. If you are thinking about making the trip this season we strongly recommend that you book your dates soon.

We will be back on the water next week as soon as things warm up. If a winter guide trip on the Missouri sounds appealing we can do that as well. We can do winter trips on extremely short notice at an extremely reasonable rate. Call us anytime if you are interested.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:09-06:00February 3rd, 2014|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing, Uncategorized|Tags: fly fishing, Missouri River, Missouri River Winter Fishing, Montana, running line, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Winter Returns

We are currently sitting at 3 degrees and will warm up into the 20’s today. More of the same for tomorrow with snow on the way mid-week. That being said, with highs predicted to be near 40 on a snowy Wednesday, it might just be a great day to fish. We’ve been getting kind of used to the 40-50 degree days but it is late January in Montana and I suppose we should expect to have at least a taste of winter. Our thoughts are with those in the midwest who are really getting hammered by winter this year. As I look at the pictures of the snow drifts and the vehicle pileups etc that my friends and family back in Michigan are posting on Facebook, I’m very glad to be enduring such a mild winter here in Montana.

The river is in great shape and is holding steady with flows in the 3100 range and water temp at around 33 – 35 degrees. Perfect conditions for winter fishing. There are a lot of great technique reports out there and you should read them but the bottom line is you need to get out there and find the water and the bugs and the techniques that bring you success. I have to admit that I spend very little time changing bugs this time of year. I have a set up I like and a couple of flies I believe in and for the most part I concentrate my efforts on finding the right water and the right depth as the rig seems to get it done more often than not. Pink anything and an assortment of firebeads are usually what you’ll find me using though I have been doing well with rainbow czechs and zebras and weight flies also.

I have not thrown a streamer for a while but after reading an article in the winter issue of Fly Fusion titled “Winter’s Gold” and harkening back to spending countless winter days on the Pere Marquette River back in Michigan chucking streamers with a fair amount of success, I think I will get back at it next time out. The gist of the article being that the reason people aren’t catching big trout by ripping streamers in 33 degree water is because people aren’t doing it. I’ve found the Missouri River to be a completely different animal than what I was used to back in Michigan, especially when it comes to streamer fishing but that being said, if you put the right pattern in the right place with the right retrieve – he’s going to EAT IT! Stay tuned for streamer updates!

If you’ve driven past the shop lately you may have noticed that we have our new sign up. We are anxious to start our remodel inside and we are continuing to work on developing the web site. We’ve been busy on the phone taking reservations for lodging and booking guide trips and we’ve also been meeting with reps seeking out the perfect product mix for the coming season. Give a call anytime with suggestions as to products you would like to see in our shop, services you would like to see us offer, etc. We can’t wait for April!