Resources For A Newcomer

[Kodak101]

Hey everyone! I'm pretty pumped to have found this forum, it looks like an awesome resource.

I moved to Calgary a little over a year ago, and just this spring decided to get hard into fly-fishing after I got my tax return back. I've been fishing bass on gear my whole life, and did some fly fishing growing up out east. Again, mostly for bass. After living in Toronto for a long time, having a world class trout river 5 blocks away from my apartment is pretty awesome. I've got the bug.

For the last month I've been scouting the river and have gone out about half a dozen times and have yet to land a trout. No worries, I'm patient, and I understand that the Bow is a hard place to learn the craft. I've fired off an e-mail to register for the McLennan's "Befriend the Bow" course, which I have been recommended a couple times. The course doesn't happen until August, so I'm looking for additional resources assist in breaking my frustrating, albiet short, curse.

Does anyone have any pointers? Maybe books, videos, etc.? I'm not looking for anyone's secret fishing holes - putting in the miles is part of the deal. Adjusting my fishing times is first on my list as I've mostly gone after getting off of work, 5pm - 8:30pm. Do the trout tend to feed more earlier in the morning/late at night? Are people mostly fishing streamers this time of year? It seems a bit high and dirty for dry flies, but I could be way off base.

Regardless, any help would be really appreciated! Thanks in advance.

[Sage]

Welcome. This helped me a lot when I was new to the sport and the Bow. Thanks to Rick for posting it here.

 

http://flyfishcalgary.com/nymphing_primer.php

[jpinkster]

This is a great space to learn. Never hesitate to ask specific questions or even direct message some of the folks that pretend they know a thing or two!

 

Start logging the cyclical hatches you notice on the river. They are usually pretty consistent + or - a few weeks every year. That'll give you a rough understanding of what you should be using at what times. Don't let dirty water scare you. Just because you can't see, doesn't mean a trout can't. Streamers that move water are always a great choice when things are high and dirty.

[SilverDoctor]

Don't forget to look at past posts on this forum. an awful lot of stuff here.

[Cutbow16]

The Orvis learning center is also a great resource!

 

http://howtoflyfish.orvis.com/

[bigfry]

check the bow conditions reports. lots of info on there.

[Kodak101]

Thanks everyone! Hopefully I'll get out for an evening in the next few days to explore more of the river.

[bcubed]

Also, which I'm surprised no one has mentioned.. The Bow is a bitch at times. Once the east slopes open (on the 16th), do yourself a favor and head out there for the odd ego boost

[jpinkster]

Also, which I'm surprised no one has mentioned.. The Bow is a bitch at times. Once the east slopes open (on the 16th), do yourself a favor and head out there for the odd ego boost

This x1000. Even some of the most experienced anglers can struggle on the Bow.

[Kodak101]

East slopes? I was under the impression that Calgary is in a eastern slopes management zone. Or do you mean something more specific?

[bcubed]

Sorry, meant cutthroat fishing out west... Give the rivers a bit of time to warm up in the headwaters and you can have great days

[David]

Also, which I'm surprised no one has mentioned.. The Bow is a bitch at times. Once the east slopes open (on the 16th), do yourself a favor and head out there for the odd ego boost

 

This, work the small streams first and learn to read the water. Also head to Chapters in Chinook, they have the most fly fishing books of all their locations in town.

[Kodak101]

This, work the small streams first and learn to read the water. Also head to Chapters in Chinook, they have the most fly fishing books of all their locations in town.

 

Yeah I've been downloading quite a few books for the e-reader: Joan Wulff's, The Orvis Guide, Little Red Handbook, Matching the Hatch, Reasonable Art of Fly Fishing, and a friend got me on The Drake - which is an awesome read but nothing for instruction.

 

Any other books you would recommend? I got out on the Bow at Prince's Isalnd Park for about an hour this morning before work, but the section I decided to explore didn't seem particularly fishy. Got to work on my casting at least.

[jpinkster]

I would recommend "Trout Streams of Alberta" and "Blue Ribbon Bow" by Jim McLennan. Both are great reads and are eyeopening at just how lucky we are to live here.

[Kodak101]

I've actually had Trout Streams of Alberta on my kobo watch-list. I'll download it ASAP.

[TroutPanther]

 

Yeah I've been downloading quite a few books for the e-reader: Joan Wulff's, The Orvis Guide, Little Red Handbook, Matching the Hatch, Reasonable Art of Fly Fishing, and a friend got me on The Drake - which is an awesome read but nothing for instruction.

 

Any other books you would recommend? I got out on the Bow at Prince's Isalnd Park for about an hour this morning before work, but the section I decided to explore didn't seem particularly fishy. Got to work on my casting at least.

Barry Mitchell's Alberta Trout Highway: fishing the forestry trunk road is great. Was my bible when I started out. Good general advice on flies and rigging, and a good description of the rivers, streams from Montana all the way up to peace country.

[David]

I've read all the books mentioned and they are all good choices and great to start with. Be careful that you don't get too technical at first cause with limited experience it might be hard to understand some of the concepts.

 

It was only last year when i was trying to figure stuff out so i can totally relate to you, I was skunked almost every time on the bow last year until i gave up and fished elsewhere.

 

As a new fly fisherman I'd get the basics down first which is reading water and casting. I haven't read a lot of books on reading water but the general consensus is "Reading Trout Water" by David Hughes is very good, many guys on the forum have praised it in the past.

 

Casting isn't the easiest thing to learn from a book, videos really help in this department. I'm a big fan of the Orvis casting videos by Peter Kutzer which are on youtube. He explains things pretty well and its great to actually see it happening. After you get somewhat proficient I'd start reading the book you have by Joan Wulff which i assume is New Fly Casting Techniques. Book is pretty technical and might not be for everyone, you don't need to be the technically sounds to catch fish but it doesn't hurt to be. If you prefer videos there a ton of casting videos out there. Lefty Kreh is regarded as a very good caster and has many casting DVDs out. I find the DVDs OK but the most important part is knowing the different casts available to you, Joan Wulff does the same thing in her book but its just easier to see it.

 

Entomology is also important to an extent, you can catch fish without knowing exactly what bugs the fish are eating but it really does help. The more you know the better prepared you will be. Skim though "Hatch Guide For Western Streams" by Jim Schollmeyer, it was recommended to me by very good fly fisherman so i m just passing the word.

 

One book that really helped me was "Dynamic Nymphing" by George Daniels, they have a number of copies at Fish Tales. The book is as technical as they come for fly fishing books. Don't skim through this one, read it slowly.

 

I'll add one more to my recommended list, "How to Find Fish and Make Them Strike" by Joseph D Dates Jr. It was pure coincidence that i ran into this book, bought it at a garage sale for a quarter. Book is a general fishing book nothing specific to fly fishing but it has really good sections on different fish species and their tendencies. Most fly fishing books i find repeat themselves and cover the same stuff. This book has a large section on reading water but also has a lot of stuff the other books don't cover that I found very interesting.

 

Sorry for long post. Good luck

[Kodak101]

Sorry for long post. Good luck

 

 

No need to apologize, this is the stuff I'm looking for. Especially from someone who was in my shoes last year.

 

Just got the digital copy of Dynamic Nymphing, which I'm pretty excited about because it has seemed like the most complicated out of the dry/nymph/streamer styles.

 

If anyone is looking for a fishing partner let me know, I'll be out quite a bit over the next few months.

[Dxh]

Barry Mitchell's Alberta Trout Highway: fishing the forestry trunk road is great. Was my bible when I started out. Good general advice on flies and rigging, and a good description of the rivers, streams from Montana all the way up to peace country.

^^ This book helped me tremendously when i first started out. If you ever want to get out shoot me a PM.