trailhead

There is a really nice fly shop in High River.

Usually if I remember to bring a bag to put it in. Last time I fished the Bow I found the remnants of a real nice family picnic. Two cream soda cans, two Alexander Keiths bottles, the leftovers of a KFC box, a mostly empty bag of Doritos and the reason they left so quickly, empty pickeral rig bags and a empty container of minnows. They probably saw Fishhead heading their way, with his baseball bat.

I'll leave Toolman to answer the fishing at Midnight question as that is his speciality. As for fishing in the heat of the day and in warmer water, usually the fish will move to some type of cover. So look behind rocks, logs or along a dropoff. They won't necessarily be in the deep holes, they also hang in the riffles where the water has more oxygen and where they can pick off food as it comes by. Try a high floating hopper pattern, foam is good, or a bushy dry caddis and hang a dropper nymph on 18 inches of mono tied to the bend of the dryfly.

Thanks there guys, I had a pretty good day, only saw 5 other anglers on the river, and I also got a nice 24 incher on the nymph before I got the twins. I am thinking the Bow will be fishing very well this fall. I noticed that there were very few weeds compared to years past. So I'm thinking the fish will be hungry.

Caught this 20 inch beauty on the surface, then got his twin in the same spot on the next cast.

I don't agree with the random camping, but seeing as the fire ban is still in place I don't think many people will head out. I know when the ban was put in place there was a mass exodus. As far as rain goes it actually poured in Coleman, starting Monday evening and it rained off and on all night long. The clouds finally broke around noon. Looked like it got soaked pretty good up in the high country too.

Nice report, it is actually amazing fishing we have here, I believe that there are at least nine really good rivers/creeks to fish within an hours drive. Correct me if I'm wrong.

All I get is the photobucket website.

Congratualtions and as Castis says enjoy, the time goes incredibly quickly. My boy was also 5 1/2 weeks early and he's going into grade 12 this fall.

Well just for fun, I'm fifty one.

So you had to Bring Cash. Did you have a camper or Wigwam?

Are you sure those are "funny" looks.

I have two Tioga reels and one is now 8 years old and have never had any trouble with either of them, good solid reels. I have had some trouble with a Redington, and I got a Martin reel for Christmas a couple of years ago that's pretty shaky, plus I bought a TFO from Cabela's that they don't carry here in Calgary and when a rivet in the reel popped off the second time I used it, I was told to send it back to the US. The shipping and receiving charges plus the warranty fee were more than the price of the reel. So I used a metal screw and it works fine now. Everyone has an opinion so I guess you should try out several different manufacturers and make your own decision. Now if only that Sage rod I bought was as solid as the Tioga reel I put on it, the cork handle is starting to come loose and it's just over a year old.

Tioga makes a pretty reliable reel in that price range, the have them at Bow River Troutfitters and Westwinds I believe, probably other places too.

It's called Legacy Island, formerly known as Janzens Landing. Trout Unlimited did some type of lease arrangement and as mentioned on another post they also made a great map of the river and all the access points. I know you can pick one up at theie offices in Calgary, and there are some at some of the fly shops in town, call around.

I like the Chernobyl Ant/Club Sandwich foam jobs, but I have alos done well with the Dave's and letort hoppers

I might have a few hours to hit the Sheep in the next week and I have never fished it. Is it worthwhile fishing in the Okotoks area, I have fished the Highwood in High River and it was pretty good. So if anyone could give me some insight that would be good, no specifics. Just if it is mainly rainbows or bulls or whatever. Thanks

Yeah, and maybe put in a boot factor, ie how soon do your boots wear out, and how many pair of fishing shoes do you own.

Just something to keep in mind, a lot of the lakes and rivers in Banff close on Labor Day.

Been at it since 1974, started out on the pothole lakes around the "chuk". When I moved to Calgary I fished the Bow and some of the foothills streams and just slayed them on the Bow and caught mostly dinks in the rest. Spent a good part of my younger years working in rural parts so fished rivers, creeks and lakes from NE BC to SE Sask. When I settled down to family matters the fishing had to take a backseat, but lately I have been able to get back into it and I no longer slay them on the Bow and the foothills streams have much larger fish. Go figure.

The Police when they were the opening act for XTC at the old MacEwen Ballroom circa 1978. Then I saw Ridley Bent at the Calgary folkfest this year and he is pretty good. I've been to a lot of concerts and they do tend to blur a bit, but my "Woodstock" was in 1979 at the Blackrock Mountain Folkfest, just outside of Kelowna. Let's see we had bikers, nekkid people in a pile, communal skinny dipping, mud baths, John Lee Hooker, Elvin Bishop, Canned Heat, various illicit substances, and all the Falstaff beer you could handle, because there was the usual beer strikes we had in those days.

Maybe it was one of the Bows that was stocked into Allen Bill pond, then wshed down into the Glenmoe reservoir and subsequently to the Bow. Or maybe I'm just blowing smoke.

Lake O'Hara has fish in it, but because the Lodge is on the lake the fihsing isn't that great. There are other lakes within a hour or two's hike that are much better. The little creek that drains the O'Hara is full of little cutties too.

Oh yeah there are fish, and where I go it's much cleaner than the soapy Bow, with no condoms or those boat whistles either. Plus when they turn it into a C&R stream the sizes will go up. My only concern is how they would enforce it.

Here you all go Some fishies and an action shot.