I Couldnt Catch A Cold In The Bow

[yakfisher]

So, Im here in calgary visiting family, I leave on tuesday and have already been out on the water a few times. twice on the bow and twice on the elbow. in probably 15 hours of fishing, I have had only one strike and i couldnt hook up. I talked to someone at a fly shop and he suggested i stay with small dry flies, midges, mosquitos, etc. I have also read on a few sites that I should nymph instead. I have been using a 2lb tippet and do my best to cast accurately and softly to the few rising fish I have seen.

 

basicly, I just want to know what I am doing wrong, if anyone has any tips for me, etc

 

I really dont want to go back home to ontario with a skunk. HELP

[Flytyer]

Please read the forum rules about cross threading

[yakfisher]

thanks for your help

[snuffy]

So, Im here in calgary visiting family, I leave on tuesday and have already been out on the water a few times. twice on the bow and twice on the elbow. in probably 15 hours of fishing, I have had only one strike and i couldnt hook up. I talked to someone at a fly shop and he suggested i stay with small dry flies, midges, mosquitos, etc. I have also read on a few sites that I should nymph instead. I have been using a 2lb tippet and do my best to cast accurately and softly to the few rising fish I have seen.

 

basicly, I just want to know what I am doing wrong, if anyone has any tips for me, etc

 

I really dont want to go back home to ontario with a skunk. HELP

 

First thing you should understand is that the Bow above Harvie Passage and the Elbow in its entirety are closed.

[yakfisher]

I checked the regs and have followed them correctly. the elbow from the falls to the resevoir is open till halloween. and the bow is open till carseland.

[FraserN]

Unfortunately you picked a very slow time of year. It can be hard to get into fish this late in the year. Try a smaller wooly bugger in some of the riffles on the Bow. You should get some hits.

[scel]

It is really tough to catch fish on the surface at this time of year. With the water low, and the oncoming cold, the fish are starting to stack-up again. I am finding that the fish are stacking up in 'trouty' waters, particularly deeper runs and riffles.

 

If you are nymphing, using a 2 hook set up with a san juan worm and a smaller (size 16 or smaller) bead-head dropper will produce fish. However, at this time of year, you run the risk of catching whitefish instead of the more esteemed Bow River trout, but my last outing still produced 8 trout in 2 hours.

 

On the more windy days, I tend to stick to small streamers. When swung through the deeper riffles will also produce fish. I find this to be less productive than nymphing, but it is a lot easier to 'get it right' and you spend more time fishing and less time untangling the wind-deflected cast.

 

Head downstream from 22x. I know there are lots of fish to catch, and you leave the spawning brown trout alone.

[bowbonehead]

The dry fly fishing is very good but very technical at this time of year ( 5x\6x absolutely no drag) Try swinging boatmen/prince nymph /copperjohn type flies in the riffle water you will be rewarded Not as much fun or as satisfying as fishing Baetis but easier on your confidence :derby racer: