Wolf Creek Angler is Your Missouri River Fall Fly Fishing Destination

Early August continues to deliver a welcome respite from the heat wave we suffered through for most of the month of July.

The fishing has been hit or miss but the weather has been gorgeous, the flows have been stable and we can’t think of any better way to spend a late summer day than floating the MO’ regardless of the fishing report.

The traffic is light though we have seen a steady trickle of folks in the shop and last minute rooms and guide trips are the norm during late summer. We’ve got plenty of rooms and guides at the ready so clear your schedule and make the call. Our Dog Days Special has been generating some interest and is definitely something you should take advantage of. Now through the end of August book a full day guide trip and a night of lodging and mention the Dog Days of Summer Special and get a second night of lodging on us.

Dry fly fishing is preferred right now though the fish are late summer spooky and wont tolerate bad cast shenanigans. Keep your distance and deliver the goods and you may be rewarded. Get too close, blow the cast or just look at the pod wrong and they’ll go down. If you’re going to play the Trico game you need to bring your A game.

Many have been opting instead to fish blind with hoppers and ants, with or without a dropper. This is a fun way to fish and while it may not produce big numbers, there’s nothing quite like the take. I’ll take a chug or two on a hopper over watching a bobber any day.

Nymphing has been a little tough as of late and weeds are definitely becoming a factor. The dam is probably going to be your best bet for nymphing as there are plenty of fish and cleaner water but you still need to be vigilant about keeping your rig clean. Weedy nymphs don’t catch fish. Check your bugs often and keep them clean. The lower you go the more weeds you will encounter so if you’re planning to nymph the lower stretches prepare to be frustrated.

The same can be said for streamer fishing right now. It’s definitely worth your time but you have to work hard at it, choosing your water carefully in an effort to minimize weedage and constantly checking your rig to make sure it is weed free. Battling the weeds can be extremely frustrating and can definitely try your patience. I suggest perhaps crushing your barbs if you’re going to throw streamers right now. If you happen to get to flailing around because the weeds are pushing you to the brink of madness you might just get a little sloppy and a little careless with your cast. Sloppy and careless and streamer hooks don’t go well together. Make it easy on yourself (and the fish) and go barbless.

My tried and true Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow moved more fish my last time out than I’ve moved on the Missouri in a LONG time, maybe more than I’ve moved EVER, but we just couldn’t get them to commit.

Being that things are on the slow side it’s the perfect opportunity  to employ some different tactics out there just to see what happens and that’s exactly what we’ve been up to at WCA. Different bugs, different water, different techniques and some ultra-covert night ops in pursuit of behemoth browns of the MO’.

Stop by the shop and hear all about it.

We are your Missouri River late summer destination with lodging deals nobody can touch, the hardest working guide crew on the water and a shop full of everything you need for your day on the water. We’ve got the best gear from the top names in the industry. Loop, Ross, Smith, ARC, RIO, MFC, Umpqua, Fishpond, Simms, Redington, Nautilus and Echo just to name a few.

Open daily for everything Missouri River Fly Fishing.