Some Newbie Ramblings...

[fishbait]

I've been on the bow for a couple months now, just getting into the sport and practicing my cast and mending techniques. I've caught a couple, but mostly have just been learning the hard way. I don't know the good spots or best flies, and have just been looking at some on-line fly fishing reports for advice. Still enjoying it though and having some fun on the river.

 

I couldn't find any reports or "guide" tips on the site here, and have been reluctant to ask anyone to give up their secrets, but I'm at a point where I feel like I'm not progressing anymore. I generally head out just south of the Sue Higgins bridge off the east bank as it's close to home...maybe that's just a dead area? I've thought about venturing further south from there but not sure. I've tried up north of the bridge but didn't find it very productive.

 

Just looking for a bit of advice or general comments. Is there a good site for up-to-date guide reports?

 

Thanks!

[SilverDoctor]

Fish are throughout the Bow River system, there no section that I haven't caught Trout in, some areas do hold more than others but its much more than knowing a "spot" these change seasonally and sometimes hourly, Or even knowing the "magic fly" as they feed on what is available through a multitude of hatches plus aquatic life through the year. Its more getting to know the river, pick a stretch and shake hands. Spend the time, experiment and and enjoy fishing, the fish will come. Hiring a guide can also be rewarding to fast track your knowledge base.

 

If you want fishing reports for exact places to go and what rock to stand with what to put fly on unfortunately you wont find it here. If you want to truly learn about the sport, be a contributing member, read past posts, research the sport find friends and grow as a fly fisher this can be the place.

[Guest bigdirty]

You've come to the right place. Welcome.

[WyomingGeorge]

At this time of year, you'll have to nymph much of the time. You need a good variety of nymphs and you need to graduate beyond the red wire san juan worm, which some anglers seem to fixate on. Some days a size 20 zebra midge will hook toads. And there are a lot of nymphs in-between. Plus stoneflies.

 

You generally need split shot so you get the nymphs down deep quickly -- especially if you're still a novice at casting and mending. If it takes the nymphs three quarters of your drift to get down to the fish, followed by drag, you won't have much dead-drifting time, if any. Also, even at this time of year, there will be fish right at the head of the run or even in the riffle, so you want the nymphs down deep as soon as possible.

 

There's been quite a bit written on nymphing on this site that you can check out.

 

Work lots of different kinds of water, and observe where you get the most hookups.

 

When nymphing, set the hook on ANY movement in your indicator. Lots of times it'll be the bottom, but other times it'll be a fish.

[fishinhogdaddy]

Reading the water, imagining or observing what the bottom structure is and using logic when looking at the current and direction of where the river is flowing. Seeing seams that look slower just off to one side or the other of the main flow. Nymph fishing is for the most part as has been said, is usually most productive if you can find what they will hit. Study your hatches for the time of the year and research the variety of flies that imitate the naturals. With the flood, everyone is now looking for those honey holes so really you are probably more knowledgable than you think. Keep at it. FHD

[BurningChrome]

Reading the water

This. You can be in the perfect stretch of water, but unless you're putting your fly where the fish are most likely to be you won't catch many. Head to a fly shop and see if they have a copy of Prospecting for Trout by Tom Rosenbauer.

[fishbait]

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement. I was out today with a double nymphing rig - split shot with a pheasant tail about 6" down, and a water boatman another 12" past that. Was casting out at 45 degrees upstream in about 2 1/2 to 3' of stream, getting good drift for about 10-15 seconds with mending. Pretty sure that it was getting down in the water as the split shot or pheasant tail occasionally had some weed on it. I had to cut it short as I had a leak in my waders (needed a patch job) so I was only on the river for about 40 minutes. I may have had a strike which got away, either that or a weedy imposter...still a nice outing and I was pleased with my cast.

[EveretteD]

Head to a fly shop and see if they have a copy of Prospecting for Trout by Tom Rosenbauer.

Read this book when I first started. Coming from Ontario never fishing a river. This book helped me tremendously.

[jpinkster]

Read this book when I first started. Coming from Ontario never fishing a river. This book helped me tremendously.

And because I'm his free loading roommate, I was able to read it and never had to buy it!

[reevesr1]

There is a Ask the Pros sections with lots of info, and also Featured Articles. I wrote this nymphing primer back on 09. Good Luck!

 

http://flyfishcalgary.com/nymphing_primer.php

[Hawgstoppah]

Good start. Now find where that 3 feet shelf with weeds on it drops into about 5 to 6+ feet of water, lengthen your leader to 5ft / 6ft (first and second fly) and strike hard at ANYTHING that moves your indicator or stalls it from a natural drift. If you miss (at least when I do or how I do it) you'll end up in a backcast, follow through and place the flies at the top of the drift again. 99% of the time you'll strike at bottom, weeds, phantom things in your head "I swear the indicator twitched" etc... but 1% of the time it'll be a take and boom, fish on! Having said that, you will miss ONE HUNDRED percent of your fish if you aren't setting the hook constantly. Good luck! I used to teach so many folks this simple nymphing system on the river and lots of guys just in your position soon started seeing good success

[fishbait]

So I made a catch today! Caught my cheek with a #12 Water Boatman. Hook went right in barb and all, but I got it out with minor injury. Otherwise a non-productive outing aside from a possible strike or two that may have just been weeds. At least the patch job on my waders worked and I stayed dry.

[Jayhad]

you can save a ton of effort by hiring a guide and paying attention to what he/she teaches throughout the day

[fishbait]

Probably a guide is a good idea, if I had the time and money. Like golf, leaning the wrong way and then practicing those bad habits isn't the way to go. The book sounds good, I'll have to look for that.

 

Interesting, I saw the odd fish jumping up today which I haven't seen much of lately. I didn't see much on the surface but maybe some pseudos? Nothing I had a fly to imitate anyway. Stuck with my pheasant tail and water boatman set up.

[jtaylor]

Best tips I learned:

 

-Learn to read the water (Google can show you that)

-Change your flies( I usually change my flies if I haven't got a hook up after 20 mins of fishing a solid spot. (I usually flip some rocks over and see if I can match anything in my fly box)

- smaller flies tend to land me more fishing this time of year.

-Change up your nymphing style (czech nymphing, can be deadly and you won't miss subtle takes)

-Don't leave fish to find fish. ( unless you've landed them)

[BurningChrome]

Probably a guide is a good idea, if I had the time and money.

Post up on the fishing get togethers and see if someone more experienced will fish with you and give you some pointers. I used to fish a lot with this guy named Max and he had lots of tips and tricks for the Bow.

[fishbait]

Again, I really appreciate all the frank advice Fly fishing is technically challenging and requires a lot of knowledge and experience, which makes it a difficult sport to take up. Don't think I'd get very far without a little guidance and encouragement. Thanks very much!

[BigFoamy]

Fishing the Bow is super easy man, anyone can catch fish in the Bow river. Are you a golfer? (saw your golf reference)anyone can catch fish, not everyone can play golf, just saying! Im golfer that loves to flyfish lol!!! I'll go out with you sometime man. Im not awesome but I do catch a lot of fish. Anytime your going just post it or shoot me a PM. Your best bet right now is to fish nymphs, 2 or 3 of them, try a San Juan Worm with a small evil weevil, copper john, pt, hares ear, boatman etc. by small i mean, size 14 or 16, imo 12's are to big, I never fish a size 12 but fill your boots if thats your preference. I know the snowfall put the Hoppers dawn but fishing a hopper dropper rig also works this time of year. I had a vicious take on a big Foamy the other night plus one on the dropper (the gooly)

these are all 14's but was using a 16 at the time. I always use this as my bottom fly as well. If you look at the boatman in the bow they're tiny, def not a size 12.

[fishbait]

HIt the bow again this morning, with a SJW and a trailing prince nymph. Was getting good depth and flow, but no bites. May have had one legit strike but just weeds otherwise. However, my cast and mending were working great and it was a nice day. I saw a few fish come to surface, but not sure what they were after. All I could see on top were some very small pseudos(?), nothing I could imitate.

[bcubed]

Likely midges at this time of year

[fishbait]

Likely midges at this time of year

 

Should I be trying a dry fly, or still nymphing?

[bcubed]

Unless you're seeing consistent rises, from here till April it's nymph time... If you're seeing a fish working on midges on top, then throw a dry. You'd probably raise the odd fish throwing blind right now, but pretty doubtful.

[SilverDoctor]

You can run into some great Winter stone hatches. It can be excellent dry fly fishing.

[fishbait]

Thanks. On Wednesday I was seeing fish surfacing about every 5-10 minutes, and even though I was hitting the run fairly consistantly with nymphs I wasn't getting anything. If I see it again I'll try a dry. Think I have a midge fly or two in the kit, though they migh be too big. Sounds like a 16 or even 18 would be best?

[fishbait]

Great way to spend the last nice day of the year...I went for a swim in the Bow! Slipped on a rock and went down, couldn't get up right away and got soaked. Fortunately it wasn't too cold and I got home quickly to dry off. I had my cell phone with me in the "waterproof" pocket of my waders but it still got wet. I took it apart at home and dried out out, fortunately it still works.