Yakoda Archives - Wolf Creek Angler

Summer Fading Fast

It’s hard to believe but August is already coming to a close. Summer 22 is about to be but a memory as we turn the page and start to look towards fall fishing.

It’s been one of the hotter summers in recent memory with the number of days above 90 degrees far outpacing the average. We’ll see 90 today but cooler temps and maybe even some rain are on the way for the remainder of this week.

We’ll see highs in the high 70’s and low 80’s all week with a good chance for rain showers and possible thunderstorms starting tomorrow and running through Friday. Overnight lows will continue to dip into the low 50’s which should provide some relief to our stressed waters around the region. Fingers crossed that we get some precipitation and hopefully avoid any serious fire activity.

We anticipate solid fishing this week with the change in conditions, especially on the days with cloud cover which we should see starting tomorrow. The hopper bite continues to be strong on the right days with the hopper/ant rig outperforming the hopper/dropper rig but both have been effective. A single hopper or ant also gets it done for those who are working to improve their casting proficiency but perhaps aren’t quite there yet.

We’ve had better luck on smaller hoppers in the #12 – #14 range but don’t be afraid to mix it up and try the #8’s and #10’s. Tan Donkey Kong and Morrish and More or Less hoppers in Tan, Peach and Yellow have been money. Trail with a Stealth Ant and work the banks as well as the mid-river riffles.

Tricos have been hit or miss but there have definitely been some stellar days. Those opportunities should persist into early September.

Sow bugs, Green Machines, PT’s, black or olive zebra midges, weight flies in purple or gold, Peep Shows, Frenchies and Zirdles have all been good nymphing options though weeds are making things challenging so be mentally prepared for that.

The river remains quiet for the time being. Most traffic is concentrated at the dam as you might expect with most opting for the coldest and cleanest water but as those water temps hopefully start to drop a bit this week it might be worth your while exploring lower river options.

Rec traffic has been heavy, especially on the weekends but that’s all about to change as the world shifts out of summer mode and back to the grind.

Angling traffic will increase next month. It’s one of our busier Septembers as far as guide trips go with folks looking to get the jump on fall fishing. We’ve got several large groups coming in for annual trips starting the second week of the month so last minute bookings in September will be tough to fill but October is pretty wide open at this point if you’re looking to make plans for a fall pilgrimage to the MO.

With the days getting shorter and things hopefully cooling down soon we’re going back to opening at 7 AM this week. End of Summer Sale happening now with 40% OFF ALL SUMMER GEAR including cool T’s from Yakoda and all WCA summer logo wear. Annual Fall Rod and Reel SALE coming SOON.

Enjoy these late summer days on the MO.

Welcome to May Days on the MO

What a difference a month has made

So far so good. Three days in and the cool weather trend we’ve seen so far this spring continues. The month of April worked wonders for the snow pack which has bumped in much of the region up from a somewhat bleak outlook in the 70s and 80’s percent of average to a much more optimistic outlook in the 90s and 100 Plus percent range.

We are in for a short warm spell over the next few days with temps climbing into the low 70’s tomorrow and near 80 on Thursday before we cool down again for the weekend and into next week with highs back in the 40’s and 50’s and overnight lows in the high 20’s and low 30’s. Just the weather we need to preserve that late spring snowpack.

The fishing continues to be consistently good with weather conditions generally conducive to good BWO activity. We’ve been seeing better action below Craig on that front with plenty of midge activity still occurring river-wide.

Nymphing remains strong with baetis nymphs really starting to come on. Stock up on Little Green Machines, Psycho Mays, BWO Magic Fly, BWO Redemption, Spanish Bullets, Split Case BWO’s, Olive Lightning Bugs and various PT’s all in the mix. That being said, don’t abandon the sow bugs and scuds just yet. Pill Poppers, Tailwater Sows, UV sows, Bubble Yums, Pederson’s Sow, Caviar Scud, Rainbow Czech, Amex all still very much in play.

Fish the medium depth (2’ – 4’), fast ish water with or without a split shot starting with a mid-range rig with your indicator 4’-5’ from your point fly. Some are going longer, some are short leashing, both with varying degrees of success but the medium rig is always a good place to start.

We’re loaded up with all the aforementioned bugs as well as AirLock strike indicators in all sizes and colors. Like most everyone else we’re SOLD OUT of Oros indicators but hope to see some product back in stock later this month.

What we do have plenty of are Fishpond and Rising nets in all sizes and colors, SA, Rio and Airflo fly lines for every application, Yakoda caps and fly boxes, rods and reels from Lamson, Redington, Loop and Echo, Redington waders and wading pants, boots from Simms and Korkers and FINALLY the new Simms G3 waders are starting to trickle in.

Lodging is busy from here on out. There are some openings here and there throughout the month of May but overall we seem to have arrived at PRIME TIME for lodging on the MO. Similar case with guide trips. We’ve got a pile of them out this week, next week tapers off a bit for us but overall guide season has fired up on the MO.

It doesn’t hurt to check availability for either as we have been known to have some success with last-minute trips. Sometimes we’re sneaky good that way. A better option would be to up your odds of success by booking those fall dates very soon. Spots are filling quickly and it’s a safe bet it’s going to be a busy fall on the Missouri.

Spring shop hours are Monday – Saturday 7:30 AM – 5:00 pm and 7:30 AM – 2 PM on Sundays.