Leaderboard

Specifically the Bow river. My experience, no longer the blue ribbon Bow, boasting 2000 fish per mile.. A depleted fish population for sure with RELENTLESS angling pressure. A common occurrence for me was finding a willing fish and discovering that it had been hooked several times before. Did I hear that another fish count was/is underway ? I do not see the volume of juvenile trout rising, especially on lower bow that I'm used too. My season had a few select highlights but overall very disappointing and I'm concerned.

Lol, such a typical troll response. Attack, vilify and criticize. Nothing in the way of constructive input or suggested solutions. Keyboard warrior of the day...

Last year a researcher at the University of Calgary did a retrospective statistical analysis from 20 years of Bow River Fish Population Surveys. Although the focus was on Rainbow Trout, that showed a 40 to 50% drop in there population from 2003 to 2013, AEP confirmed that all sports fish in the Bow River continue to decline. If that is the case, the Rainbow Trout population could be at 25 to 30% of 2003 data. Or possibly reaching a non-sustainable level. There is hope that Alberta Environment & Parks will take the lead to develop a policy for fish recovery in the Bow River. But recent attempts to close fisheries have not been implemented. Many within the fishing community believe single barbless hook, special angling licenses, enhancement to fish habitat and water flow management will help. Fishing pressure continues to increase and without government intervention the fishing community needs to take responsibility to support good fish handling techniques - possible reduce the current fish counting obsession as a successful day's fishing and cut back the number of fish caught by reducing the days fished. If not we can say goodbye to the Bow River trout fishery in future years.

Although the Angling Outfitters & Guide Association of Alberta attempts to generate professional standards within the Bow river guiding community, they have little power to enforce policy. What is needed in Alberta is for the government to license guides in the same way as Montana. In that state a guide has to work under and outfitter license for a registered number of trips before thy can apply for an outfitter license and sell their services to the public. Why this has not happened here is difficult to understand. There are just too many anglers with a boat hanging up a shingle on social media and offering guiding services. It needs to change and once we recognize that the guiding industry in what ever form it exists on the Bow River will have to change to support AEP initiatives to preserve a depleted trout population, we will see restrictions put in place. This will only improve the experience a client receives from an outfitter. For now it is a free-for all!

There is one obvious FACT that has eluded some people in this discussion... The decline in Bow river trout and aquatic invertebrate populations are uniform from Banff too the Bassano dam, regardless of the degree of fishing pressure. And how we interpret statistical data can be subject to flaws in perception. For example, lets say we analyzed the anual fish eating, avian predator counts for the past 20 years. Pelican's, Cormorants, Osprey, Eagles. We could come to the conclusion that since their numbers on the Bow have increased significantly, then there must be more fish! Which we know is not the case. The rise in these Avian predators is mostly due to the fact that we have been stocking lakes and ponds all over southern Alberta and in many community lakes in the Calgary area. Storm ponds are full of Goldfish, Prussian Carp, and we have numerous stocked put and take public lakes, private ponds, (golf courses), Irrigation Canals full of thousands of trapped fish and so forth in the area. We have been doing this for many decades. It has become a fish eating Paradise for these birds.

I’ve got agree that it stems from the flood ? wipe out a few classes of fish, less fish to reproduce and add more pressure, habitat loss and here we are. Not sure if patience is the best solution .

My first thought is seasonal closures. I do remember your data from last year. My question is why the loss of rainbows? Allways have had anglers, poachers, birds, floods... I still feel even though the rebound from Sapro that the Brown population is about 25% of what it was several years preflood

In the UK guides are licensed and they must hold certificates of competency and first aid training. Here in AB we are a bit stuck in the good ‘ol boy system. A bit retrograde.

I love spooky, picky fish. 5x fluro tippet, #20 -22 emergers in the film, 15' leaders.... That's exactly what September fishing should be....

Survey says..??

I second that and agree with everything you said to many people to many guides and not enough government support.Worst year I have seen in my life .