[Bow River Trout Populations May Be In Decline]

3 hours ago, FishnChips said:

This is specious logic. 

What a fantastic term. Thank you for this, as I have never come across it. 

 

[New Pup Name Ideas]

Well, if it was a female it should be spey. Unless you wanted to breed her. I guess if it's a male and you neuter him you could call him barbless.

But actually:

Pike
Fly
Bow
Snag
Leader

Rise


I think ultimately "San Juan" would be a good Schnauzer name. Okay, maybe not good. But I will try and think of more.

[What Are You Tying 2017 Edition]

Really having fun playing with articulated flies. Slowly, ever so slowly, they are improving.

 

[What Are You Tying 2017 Edition]

Had a tonne of fun chucking this streamer this weekend, worked really well.

 

[Cool Experience]

Very cool! Is she hooked now??

 

She is getting there, I don't know if she will ever go crazy like me - but it is definitely nice to have her as a potential fishing partner. Also is nice because now she is probably more willing to go out on the boat and I have an extra person able to row!

[Cool Experience]

Not really sure where to post this, but I figure I should share as it was a pretty special experience for me. So, this weekend I went out to my favourite spot on the Oldman and I convinced my fiancé to join me on the river. She isn't overly interested in fishing, but she wanted to go for a hike and bring her book and maybe try fishing for a little bit. After a decent first few hours where I was fishing and she was reading/snoozing she wakes up and decides she wants to try.

 

Now, I was fishing with a orange stimi with a dropper and catching everything under the surface with not a sniff to my overly fluffy strike indicator. Most of the fish were fairly small, besides the whitefish which were actually pretty decent sized. Point is, I had no action on the surface so had very little expectation for this when I pass her my rod and give her a few casting instructions on where she should put the fly. So, maybe her 10th cast she puts it behind this rock right besides the bank which was more or less right under her feet -- I place I would have never thought to place a fly. Sure enough, a respectably size bull trout comes up and has a savage take on that stimulator. Her very first fish is a bull trout on the surface, on a day when more or less everything was under the water - I have never had a bull trout come up on the surface for me in my life.

 

 

 

She didn't want to lift the fish out of the water even for a second because she wanted it to stay wet and happy. This was the only photo where you can even tell she had a fish as she was repositioning her grip on the net. What a champ, I was very proud and it was a special day for me to see her be so excited afterwards. I think it will be easier to convince her to go fishing the next time.

[Drift Boat Anchor]

 

Just posted a 30 lb. pyramid anchor on kijiji for $80.

 

Ahh too bad! I would have bought it. I'm sure you will find someone - thanks for the heads up.

[Drift Boat Anchor]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I ended up going with the pyramid anchor from fish tales. At the end of the day, I would much rather support them than Bass pro anyways.

 

See y'all on the water!

[Drift Boat Anchor]

Quick question to those experienced with drift boats on the bow. I'm in need of an anchor, and am considering two options:

 

Option 1: 30lb pyramid anchor from fish tales. I know it will work just fine. $130

 

Option 2: 30lb "river anchor" http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-River-Anchor/product/45253/# it is $55

 

Option 2 is clearly cheaper, but I am leery to spend the money on something that wont really work only to then have to buy the anchor I know will work. Is option 2 an option at all?

 

Thanks!

[Steelhead Resources]

I found that coming from a serious trout fishing background, it really truly helped figure out steelhead. They sit in very similar places you'd expect to find rainbows, they dont always sit in those long "featureless" tailouts most people focus on. They sit in pocket water, pools, seams... all of which are better suited to single hand nymphing/streamer fishing. Where a spey rod truly shines is covering those long broad tailouts and fresh run fish, and if you find yourself staring at a tailout, watch closely for any deflections/upwelling you might see. Sometimes they're hard to pick out in coloured water, but if you start focusing on the areas where these fish can rest, and sit out of the main current, you'll immediately start hooking more steelhead.

 

If I can offer one more piece of advice to you, do not focus/spend too much time on those deep tank pools, that you'd expect to find fish like cutties/bulls in canyon water. While yes, steelhead will sit there, they can be almost impossible to coax with a swung fly, or any fly for that matter. Focus where that pool shallows up, and immediately down stream before the next set of fast water, fresh/aggressive fish will sit in these tailouts before moving in, and settling into the pools.

All good information. Appreciated!

 

 

Anyways back to angler resources. Few informative videos from sage posted to the moldy chum page right now. Not winter fish specific, but swinging in general.

 

Cool thanks!

 

Also, to respond to everyone who say it's a bad addiction. I guess it's a good thing I don't have an addictive personality!

 

Oh wait. I just started planning for an additional steelhead trip and I haven't even got one yet. Guess I'm probably screwed.

[Steelhead Resources]

Getting to know run timing is huge. Especially for winter fish. They spend little time in the rivers, and usually dont venture very far up them. Poking around on google is a good way to find run/sizes and timing if you look hard enough and know how to read a scientific report. Typically studies on a population are done at the height of the their season, and it can really help you clue in on what system/when to find them. The most important thing for steelhead is finding a system with "good" numbers of fish.

 

As far as other resources, i dont think one can actually learn where steelhead hold from a book. Theres also so many other variables at play, especially with winters. Water conditions being one of them. Low and Clear... not good. After a big rain while the river is clearing up and dropping... good. Little things will play into your success. I would not travel to any hatchery based systems (Lower Mainland, vedder, Stamp, etc.) Simply just not worth the experience and hatchery fish seem to be less receptive to swung flies, and less aggressive. Although there are more fish around... and generally much busier rivers. Properly swinging a fly is a whole other thing. Winter fish usually require getting deep... sometimes not entirely necessary. Water temperature is another thing to look at for success in swinging a fly.

 

All that being said, if you've got the cash, i would probably spend a week with a guide in the terrace/kitimat area around Late March/April. You'll get into fish, and more than likely shorten your learning curve by about 5 years if you ask a lot of questions. The fish will do the rest. Vancouver Island gets fish earlier but is so much harder to figure out on your own. Also not very much classic water on the Van Isle systems.

 

I'll throw in that steelhead will surprise the hell out of you. Everything i've mentioned is not the be all and end all of steelheading. They do some funny things some times.

 

Thanks for the great info! It's much appreciated. Unfortunately I'm one of those stubborn types who likes to try first and fail before I go into guides. Or maybe that's what I tell myself because I can't really afford a guide. Ahh the grad school life.

 

I never would have thought to look at scientific reports on run data. Thanks for this, makes a lot of sense and I will definitely look into it. Also, interesting that hatchery fish are less aggressive, I wonder why this is. Again, great info - it's appreciated.

 

Some good advice above. Funny about steelhead surprising you. My last trip in the lml the only fish I hooked swinging was in a spot I said to myself "nah, there's barely any holding water...oh hell, what do I have to lose." Must've been the First good swing through the dinner table sized bucket...

When you say westcoast, any particular region?

 

Sleuth through other forums (Bcfr)...should give you an idea of run times for most of the lower mainland stuff anyways. Not too many secrets left there.

Dec hogan's "a passion for steelhead" is a good read and covers a lot of the basics.

YouTube videos are also helpful for a lot of the different aspects.

 

 

If you have any specific questions about the lower mainland and Squamish areas send me a message. That's where I've done the majority of my swinging.

 

Cheers

B

 

Thanks for the book, I'll check it out. I do like youtube videos but often find it's consuming to sift through the garbage before you find the gems. But, there are always gems.

 

If it's you first time hire a good very knowable guide, you will learn much more than in any books ever published.

 

This is definitely true, and has been the difference for me on the Bow. Good guides are worth every penny. Unfortunately, I just need to save my pennies.

[Steelhead Resources]

I'm looking for recommendations on books or good online resources to get me started with winter steelhead on the west coast.

 

I'm starting to plan a trip, and I want to know what I'm getting into. Any help is appreciated!

[Setting Hooks]

So, as an update: I went out again to the highwood, determined to catch more fish with streamers and armed with everyones wonderful tips.

 

 

I'm happy to say that they worked! I hooked into some great fish and even landed a couple bull trout (which I have never before encountered). All in all, it was a lot of fun and got me into some high quality fish. Thanks again!

[Setting Hooks]

That'll work.. Cut off the front hook, for the fishes gills and eyes sake. Ya you might miss a couple, but at least you'll feel like less of a dick

 

Good call! Being less of a dick is one of my life goals.

[Setting Hooks]

 

Remember to actually fish the fly. If you see a fish following but not taking then vary your strip speed or do something else to change up the movement of the streamer. That's why you get a lot of hits at the bottom of a swing - the fish has been following your streamer during the swing and the change in movement entices it to hit.

 

Makes sense, I will try mixing it up.

 

 

Just one more thing - don't be afraid to go back at that same fish if you miss it. I had a couple fish slash at the streamer last night, which gave up their spot. I gave it a couple minutes, switched up the casting angle (from snaking downstream to swinging and dangling in the lie from upstream) and whammo. If they don't feel the steel there is a good chance you can still get 'em.

 

Would you try changing to a fresh fly right away? I know with dries if I get a miss, I often will swap flies right away. I feel like often if I throw the same fly right back I am more likely to put them down whereas I often get a second look on similar (but slightly different) fly. Ultimately, I do like your idea of just waiting that minute, I think they figure it out pretty quick when the same fly swings past their nose ten seconds later.

 

Also, I tried tying a two hook streamer. I've never done this before, and am pretty new to tying in general - basically I tied the back hook with some flashy material and then used mono to secure the back fly by tying it from the eye up to the front hook. Any feedback on this?

 

[Setting Hooks]

Thanks everyone. I do really like the stinger hook idea, I was chucking some big streamers with rabbit strips that extend fairly far past the hook. I think they might have been biting the tail (I could definitely feel them when they did) and not bite the hook. Also, need to learn how to tie some articulated streamers as they look fancy.

New goal for the summer is to get good at streamer fishing.

Thanks again for the tips! You guys are rockstars.

[Setting Hooks]

I rarely chuck streamers. I think maybe I haven't had as much success in the past and I normally stick to my bread and butter which produces well and I have a good time.

Well, yesterday I made a concerted effort to switch things up and focus on streamers on the Highwood. It was a real blast, as I could normally see the streamer in the water and it was pretty exciting to watch big fish come out and chase that sucker down. I found it interesting that many would just follow it and then turn away last second. More frustratingly I found that many fish would smack (and really hard too!) my streamer and I wouldn't really get a set. I tried not to yank the fly away, and more attempted to set the hook with a strip rather than pulling the rod (admittedly I may have gotten excited and pulled away from a couple before they chomped). All in all, I didn't have problems attracting fish - but I did have problems hooking them.

 

Is there a "trick" to setting the hook properly when streamer fishing?

[Renting Drift Boat?]

I wanted to do the same thing a decade or so back before I bought my Clackacraft, but found it very hard and/or expensive to find anything around Calgary. I ended up renting driftboats (and confirming that I wanted one) down on the Missouri River at Craig, on the Bighorn River at Ft. Smith and on the North Platte River near Casper. They're typically around US$100-$120 per day, shuttle included, which considering shuttles alone on the Bow start at $60, always seemed like a pretty good deal to me. The nice thing is that down there you can gain exposure to different sizes and models of drift boat.

 

Hmmm, this is a really good idea that I never would have considered. Thanks for the input!

[Renting Drift Boat?]

Hi everyone,

I mostly lurk around this forum, which I appreciate because there is some great information (thank you!).

This said, I was wondering if anyone knows where I would be able to rent a drift boat from? I saw some adds on Kijiji but they never returned my e-mails. I'm thinking about buying maybe next season and in the meantime want to get out without hiring a guide.