How a Rural Montana Fly Shop Built a Women‑Led Clinic on the Missouri River

Supporting a burgeoning demographic of fly anglers can be a challenge for a rural fly shop like Wolf Creek Angler (WCA). The nearby stretch of the upper Missouri River from Holter Dam to the small plains town of Cascade may be a world-renowned blue-ribbon tailwater fishery that draws thousands of fly anglers each year—but that doesn’t mean the isolated towns along the upper Missouri’s banks are easy places to grow a business.

Jason Orzechowski has been doing precisely that since 2014, when he took over Montana River Outfitters and reopened the shop under the name Wolf Creek Angler. In the intervening decade, he’s navigated the highs and lows of a seasonal industry, growing both WCA and his own outfitting business, Iron Fly Outfitting. Community outreach has been an important part of that; making connections with other local businesses and non-profit organizations (like Mending Waters Montana) has helped strengthen the entire fly-fishing ecosystem along this stretch of the Mo. But he’s also been pushing to bring in new clientele, specifically female anglers.

WCA keeps a stock of women’s gear—waders, boots, and clothing—but Orzechowski admits they struggle to move that stock off the shelves.

“That’s one of the interesting things about a destination shop,” he said. “An urban shop will typically have more of those items and do more of that business. Out here, we still don’t get a ton of women anglers, but obviously you want to have something to offer them if you do.”

The idea for a women-centered fly-fishing clinic took root back in 2019, when Orzechowski (who had just started outfitting for Hidden Canyon Lodge near Craig, Montana) and Shalon Hastings (a guide and fly-fishing instructor), put their heads together. Shalon had already started tapping into the female demographic in Helena with the formation of the Last Chance Fly Gals and Fly FisHer Adventures, offering instruction in both group and one-on-one settings. Running a clinic, they hoped, would encourage more women in the area to engage with the sport and the businesses branching off of it.

While COVID-19 stalled their initial plans, they managed to pull off their first clinic in April of 2021.

“We fumbled through that first one with a fair amount of classroom-style instruction,” Orzechowski admitted. While they spent some time fishing the nearby Missouri, the focus was on foundational skills: basic entomology, knot tying, and casting technique. Subsequent years saw that structure expand into a multi-day workshop including a guided float, gourmet meals, and a two-night stay at Hidden Canyon Lodge.

The program was a success—attendees walked away with the confidence to try more fly fishing on their own—but something else happened that Orzechowski hadn’t initially anticipated: they came back. In fact, by 2024, it had transformed from a simple skill workshop for strangers to an annual gathering of female fly-fishing friends. As one of the returning guides, Ria French, reflects: “As a mom, paramedic, and fly-fishing guide, it’s nice to be able to take off those hats and just fish.” The women who attend these clinics have full lives too. They need a break, and there’s something healing in the unique combination of location, company, and focus provided by this clinic.

Part of this clinic’s success hinges on the fact that it is women-led. Madison Wittich, new to this year’s roster of guides, was fortunate enough to learn how to row, rig, and cast from her dad starting at a young age. Fly fishing has always been a source of joy, Zen, and challenge for her. It wasn’t until she stepped into guiding that she realized this wasn’t necessarily a universal experience. Some people simply don’t know where to start. Others feel they’re never really given a chance to learn. “One discouraging or rushed experience can turn anyone off from the sport, regardless of gender,” Madison notes. That’s where programs like this clinic come into play. Surrounded by female peers and guides, beginner female anglers ask more questions, rise to new challenges, and discover the joy.

“A natural sisterhood forms,” Madison said. “It becomes a team sport where everyone is rooting each other on.”

Another major factor behind attendees returning year after year is the setting: Hidden Canyon Lodge is nestled away in a quiet nook of canyon just a few miles north of Craig, Montana. With the whisper of the Mo’s dark waters sliding past and towering red rock formations looming overhead, it’s hard not to feel like you’ve landed in a bygone world away from the technology-fueled hustle and bustle of modern life.

The lodge is a destination in and of itself: built in the early 1900s, the main building is still known by old timers in the area as the Mountain Palace Tavern—a once bustling stop-over for travelers between Helena and Great Falls. After changing hands in the 1970s, it saw a stint as a biker bar, a period as the Fly Fisher’s Inn, and several years of dormancy before it was finally bought in 2016 by current owners Peter and Patricia Wooldridge. Heavy renovation and restoration of the original cabin structure resulted in a luxurious fly-fishing haven.

But all that cozy, log-cabin ambiance would be wasted if it weren’t for an exceptional staff.

“Everyone is so passionate about their job,” manager and Executive Chef Madeleine Cantoni—the mastermind behind the lodge’s extensive rotating menu–said. A cleaning staff keeps the rooms tidy despite the detritus their clientele track in on the daily. It’s an intimate place, full of character and fly-fishing memorabilia. After staying a couple nights, it’s hard to imagine not returning.

Which is, in part, the point. Programs like the women’s clinic help bring in new (and much needed) clientele for rural businesses like Hidden Canyon Lodge, Iron Fly Outfitting, and WCA. Equally important, however, is the idea that these clinics can help build a connection between new anglers and the Mo. As Phil Peacy, one of the guides for this year’s clinic, notes: “It’s important to expand the client base with people who care about what’s out here.” If they experience it, if they understand what an incredible gift this river and the surrounding community is, perhaps they’ll want to protect it.

For this year’s clinic, Orzechowski is hoping to expand beyond the returning group they’ve been serving for the past few years.

“We want to continue to bring together this group of fishing friends and hone their skills as fly anglers, but we're also excited to bring in new groups of beginners and start the process all over again.”

The basic template will remain the same: Night one will feature introductions over dinner then day one will focus on skill building, with workshops lead by experienced guides French, Wittich, Peacy, and Kara Tripp. Day two will give participants the chance to put what they’ve learned to use on a guided float trip. That said, this group of guides puts an emphasis on meeting their clients—be they female or otherwise—where they’re at.

French’s first goal is to get everyone as comfortable as possible to create space for asking questions. She doesn’t want her clients worrying about “looking stupid.”

Wittich wants her clients to walk away knowing what it should feel like, whether it’s casting, setting the hook, or fighting a fish.

“One thing I always try to instill in people is that confidence is key,” Wittich said. She’s often found that if clients allow themselves to develop a little muscle memory and follow those instincts, it only takes a small tweak here and there to have them well on the road to being self-sufficient.

Though he may be the literal “odd man out” at a women’s clinic, Peacy is looking forward to the opportunity. He loves the moments where he gets to teach and he tends to find those moments more with female clients.

“Men forget whatever you try to teach them before lunch… Women always get better throughout the day.”

At the end of the day, women’s fly-fishing clinics are about more than simply catering to female anglers. They serve as opportunities to strengthen local communities and create new bonds on the river.

“It’s a male dominated sport, but it doesn’t need to be that way,” Peacy argues. Then, laughing, he adds, “You’re either fishy or you’re not.”

This year’s women’s fly-fishing clinic at Hidden Canyon Lodge will take place between April 16th and 18th. If you’re interested in signing up or want to learn more about other women’s specific programs hosted by Hidden Canyon Lodge and Iron Fly Outfitters (such as an upcoming three-night, three-day clinic in July offered by an Alaska-based partner), you can contact Jason Orzechowski at jason@ironflyoutfitting.com or 406-235-4350.

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