Need A Bit Of Advice On Bow River Walk And Wade Fishing

[LynnF]

Up until this year, our fishing on the Bow has been limited to strictly floating from point A to point B, with the day being long enough without stopping. Now with older children and less time restrictions on our schedules, we can finally start to stop while floating down and hit the productive runs and holes (and we have floated enough years that we know where they are, finally!).

 

Mike and I have both done the walk and wade fishing (not a whole bunch), but have had limited success. So aside from a few questions, I'm hoping someone can offer up some advice.

 

1) Do you start at the top of the run and work your way down, or the other way around?

2) How many casts do you throw before you move onto another spot when nymphing?

 

Thanks for any tips and advice!

[rhuseby]

My experience on the Bow isn't as extensive as a lot of guys on the forum, but my basic rule is that nymphing, I work up. Streamers I work down swinging the fly. I will make at least 10-15 drifts with a nymph, working out about 1-2 feet each succeeding cast. If I don't get a hit, I move up about 15-20 feet and stat over. Swinging the fly, I make a cast, swing it, take a step and cast again. Swinging is a much faster method of covering water for me, so if I'm not sure where I may find fish, I'll often start with it and see what kind of water the fish may be laying in. Then I can nymph similar stretchs the rest of the day. I don't own a boat of any kind so I've just kind of evolved some tactics that work for me. Good luck.

[SilverDoctor]

Up until this year, our fishing on the Bow has been limited to strictly floating from point A to point B, with the day being long enough without stopping. Now with older children and less time restrictions on our schedules, we can finally start to stop while floating down and hit the productive runs and holes (and we have floated enough years that we know where they are, finally!).

 

Mike and I have both done the walk and wade fishing (not a whole bunch), but have had limited success. So aside from a few questions, I'm hoping someone can offer up some advice.

 

1) Do you start at the top of the run and work your way down, or the other way around?

2) How many casts do you throw before you move onto another spot when nymphing?

 

Thanks for any tips and advice!

 

Pool by pool the old adage is nymph and dry fly up and stream down. Works pretty well. But rules are made to be broken. Keep a low profile, dress in muted colors, don't stand where the trout are and fish all the water and more thatn anything else take the time to study the water.

[hydropsyche]

I usually nymph at the top and work my way down. A few reasons for that. I'm usually fishing seams where the choppy water hides me from the fish. The bow isn't a spring creek and the fish don't spook as easily. We've all caught fish drifting a nymph 4ft away from us. Or had a fish smack a nymph thats dangling 6 ft below us while we're not looking. If the fish were that spooky, that wouldn't happen.

 

Another reason is waders dislodge nymphs. Its unintentional, but we're chumming.

 

Also, look at it from a fishes point of view. While working down, as you get nearer to a fish, it sees a nymph approach it, only to take off on an unnatural drift. It may see it 5-6 times and conditions it (fake hatch). Then, one floats perfectly into its lie.

 

If you fished upstream, chances are, that nymph splashes from above and sinks down over its head. The next cast gets closer to its head, etc. I guess thats also a form of conditioning, but as far as spooking, I think that would do it more then having a nymph rising in front of it.

 

This is all speculation. Maybe the real reason I work downstream is because its easier to step with the current then against it.

[Guest bigbadbrent]

i fish it clock style from 12 oclock infront of me to 4 oclock beside me, then swing. Cast maybe 3 or 4 casts, or work the whole clock, then take a couple steps, start over..

[Guest rusty]

That totally depends on the time of year and the fishing.

 

Generally, I won't spend more than a few minutes in any one spot if I don't hook a fish right away.

 

If I'm walking without floating, I'll thoroughly work a run, bottom to top, and try and show the fly to as many fish as possible.

 

If I'm stopping from the boat though, I just work the sweet spot and keep moving.

 

Working bottom to top is best for me if I'm dry-fly fishing or nymphing - but if I'm throwing streamers, I like to start at the top and work downstream.

 

Biggest thing if you're stopping to nymph is to remember that you're getting shorter drifts and as a result I like to throw an extra splitty or two on.