I Got To Be Missing Something....

[Trev1]

I've been flyfishing on and off for about 7 years, and do pretty good on the smaller rivers such as the Sheep,Highwood and occasionally the upper Elbow. But when it comes to the Bow, I have (very) limited sucess. I'm sometimes overwhelmed, by its size and trying read the water to figure out where the fish are holding. I feel I spend more time walking than fishing, and when I do find that seam or pool that I think will hold fish, I only manage to pull out 8-10inchers. It seems the Bow has its own set of rules......

 

What I am missing here? If some one could help point me in the right direction, I would really appreciate it (so would my ego).....Thanks,

 

 

 

 

 

[Jayhad]

Mentally break down the Bow into managable sizes of water that you would fish on other rivers. Get you gear on the bottom, flip some rocks to see whats there, pick your seams and put in your time, it will click. You may want to saddle up with a guide to shallow out that learning curve as well.

[reevesr1]

Jay's point about mentally breaking down the river is spot on in my opinion. The truth of the Bow is if a run looks like it holds fish, it almost certainly does. If you find yourself catching smaller fish, it could be a couple of major things: you are not fishing in the prime holding areas or your presentation needs some fine tuning. Instead of giving up on a run and moving to the next one, try to work every piece of the run with different styles. Nymphs, hopper dropper, dries, streamers, etc. Work every piece of the run. Remember, the Bow has a LOT of food and the fish don't have to move far to eat. So they don't. I've heard they won't move more than 6" or so. I know that is not always true, but it is good to keep in mind when 'gridding" the water.

 

Getting a walk and wade guide can certainly help out in a big way. Also, if you have a friend that fishes the Bow a lot, tag along a few times. It will help. Good Luck!

[Taco]

http://flyfishcalgary.com/board/index.php?...mp;#entry149778

[ironfly]

Wade out a bit, no more than 10 yards, then cast BIG streamers within a foot of the bank. Nothing's sure-fire, but this is usually your best bet at the bigger fish.

[soggysocks63]

Wade out a bit, no more than 10 yards, then cast BIG streamers within a foot of the bank. Nothing's sure-fire, but this is usually your best bet at the bigger fish.

 

Don't be shy to just let the streamer swing around in the current for minutes at a time either. Strip a few feet and repeat. I use an indie most times but i think 9 times outta 10 your going to feel a strike but I find the indie to help with short strikes so i can start stripping in if somethings playing with it. They don't like it when it tries to get away.

 

I found this article though which I find to be pretty well written to explain what your looking for when breaking down the river.

[darrinhurst]

I also wouldn't stress out about it too much either. The Bow is a chilly mistress on her best day. Still kicks my ass once in a while to keep my ego in check.

[reevesr1]

Don't be shy to just let the streamer swing around in the current for minutes at a time either. Strip a few feet and repeat. I use an indie most times but i think 9 times outta 10 your going to feel a strike but I find the indie to help with short strikes so i can start stripping in if somethings playing with it. They don't like it when it tries to get away.

 

I found this article though which I find to be pretty well written to explain what your looking for when breaking down the river.

 

Nice article. I love this quote:

 

"Trout fishing is supposed to be challenging, but I am quite content with the dumbest, least neurotic trout available if there is no hatch to even the odds."

 

I will add my own corollary: "I am quite content to watch others fish for the most challenging trout while I fish for the dumbest, least neurotic trout."

 

[Trev1]

I just wanted to thank everyone for the info/links and PMs. Its really appreciated.

T

[fishinglibin]

That is a great part of FFC, always something to learn, and lots of members offering good info, sometimes even when you don't ask. HA HA Good Luck and keep giving her the old try. I agree in the break it down to smaller sections.

[mtnlake]

I found this article though which I find to be pretty well written to explain what your looking for when breaking down the river.

 

... And you can also read T. Rosenbauer 's more extensive discussion of this in his book "Prospecting for Trout". The sub-title "How to Catch Fish When There is No Hatch to Match" is a pretty good indication of the many no-nonsense techniques and pointers one can use when having difficulty fishing rivers & streams. Also many of the suggested fly patterns are commonly used in the Bow.

 

The TRAC library network has a 2008 edition.

 

 

J

[wankykootiepooper]

I agree with everyone's comments here so far.

 

But in my mind, the main issue you may be encountering is the amount of other fishing traffic on that river. I consider myself to be a good, solid, intermediate fly fisher. My focus over the past 7 or 8 years has been to try as many different types and locations of water that I can, in order to see how fast I can adapt to new water, both still and moving. My main reason for doing this is was a degree of personal boredom with the Bow, since it is my home water for about 30 years, in combination with the level of traffic on it from either rafters in the city or other fishermen on the lower Bow.

 

The Bow was an excellent teacher when I got started. The more I'd walk it and try different sections, the more I learned about reading water and the habits of my slippery little friends. It is still a world class river that I consider lucky to have so close.

 

But I remember my last outing about 7 or 8 years ago with a friend and at one point looking upstream and seeing no less than a dozen other fishermen, doing everything imaginable, fishing wise. The strategy we soon adopted was to try to figure out the spots that were not typical fish spots, since those had been over fished. We started having some luck in the white pockets in the riffles but the rest of the day was pretty slow.

 

If you've read the hatch charts and had a few chats with the fishing store guys and gotten some advice, the only other advice I'd have is to try it on a cold, rainy day during midweek. The fishing pressure is lower and you can trust your water reading instincts a bit more.

 

Also, keep in mind that figuring any fishing water takes time, and that is supposed to be the fun part.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Eric.